American football has many rules. Many of the rules govern the play of the game. But because football can be a rough sport, many rules exist to protect the players from injury rather than to direct the play of the game.
The Field
A football field is 120 yards long. It is marked in 1-yard and in 10-yard increments. At each end of the 100 yards are two 10-yard-wide zones known as the "end zones." While running the ball into the opponent's end zone for a touchdown is the most well-known way to score, it is not the only way a team may score. Players must stay within the boundaries of the field at all times. If a player runs or falls outside the boundary, marked by a white line, he is out of bounds.
Timing
In professional football, a game consists of four 15-minute quarters. Halftime is 12 minutes. The stadium clock gives the official time for the game. If it stops working during a game, the line judge is responsible for keeping the official time. Each team is allowed to take three timeouts in each half, as well as whatever time is needed to care for any player injured on the field.
Play of the Game
The play of football begins with the kickoff. During kickoff, the team on defense kicks the ball to the team on offense. The team on offense has four opportunities, or downs, in which to move the ball at least 10 yards. If the offensive team moves the ball at least 10 yards during any of the four downs, it receives a new set of downs. The ball can be moved by throwing it or by running with it. If the team cannot move the ball 10 yards in four downs, the opposing team gets the ball and has its opportunity to move the ball down the field. The defensive team may also score points by getting the ball from the offensive team and running it into the offensive team's end zone. If the defense gets the ball by catching it in the air, it is known as an interception. If the defense picks up the ball after the offense drops it, it is called recovering a fumble. An interception and a recovered fumble put the defensive team on offense and vice versa.
Scoring
The object of the game is to score more points than the opposing team. Points may be scored in a number of ways. The most well-known is the touchdown, in which a team gets the ball into the opposing team's end zone. A touchdown is worth six points. Immediately after a touchdown, a team may kick the ball through the goalposts set at the back of the end zone for one extra point or attempt to take the ball back into the other team's end zone for two points. If a team has moved the ball close enough to the end zone by fourth down, it may attempt a field goal. A field goal is worth three points and occurs when the offensive team kicks the ball through the opponent's goalposts. If a defensive team member tackles an offensive player while the offensive player is in his own end zone, the play is called a safety and is worth two points to the defensive team.
Penalties
Football players may earn penalties in a number of ways. Penalties involving the play of the game include delay of game, in which the offense takes more than 40 seconds to begin a play, and grounding the ball, in which the quarterback throws the ball away to avoid being tackled while holding it. Other penalties are imposed to ensure safety in the play of the game. For example, a face mask penalty is called when a player touches or grabs another player's face mask, even accidentally. Interfering with another player's face mask can result in severe neck injury. Clipping, an illegal block or a chop block involve tackling a player from behind, which is dangerous because the player cannot know the tackle is coming. Unnecessary roughness, roughing the passer and roughing the kicker involve tackling a player after he no longer has the ball.
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