Football is an American sport that millions play and watch every year. The sheer number of rules can confuse those who are not familiar with the basics. Two opposing teams put 11 men each on the field at once, playing offense and defense; whichever team scores more points wins. Games last for four quarters, on a grass or artificial-turf field that is 100 yards long. The length of the quarters varies at different levels of the sport; at the college and professional levels quarters last 15 minutes each.
Scoring
One team starts on offense, in possession of the football, while the other is on defense. The team on offense can either pass or run the ball to get to the opponent's end of the field. The defense attempts to stop the offense from doing so. If the offense gets the ball all the way into the opponent's end zone, the result is a touchdown. A team can also use a kicker to kick the ball through the opponent's goal posts, resulting in a field goal. Touchdowns are worth six points and field goals are worth one point. After each touchdown, the scoring team has a chance to either kick a field goal to earn one extra point or earn two points by running or passing the ball in the end zone from the 2-yard line.
Moving the Ball
The spot where the team on offense starts is called the line of scrimmage. Each play begins with the center snapping the ball to the quarterback. If a team runs the ball, the quarterback must hand or pitch the ball to another player behind the line of scrimmage. If the team passes the ball, its player, usually the quarterback, must throw the ball from behind the line.
Downs
Each play is called a down. The offense starts with a first down and has four downs to move the ball 10 yards. If they reach that goal, they earn another first down. If they use all four downs without producing 10 yards, the opposing team gains possession of the football and goes on offense.
Turnovers
A team's defensive goal is to get the ball back to its own offense. This happens when a defensive player intercepts a thrown ball, recovers a loose, or fumbled, ball, or forces the offense to use all four downs without producing a first down. An offensive team can also punt the ball to the other team on fourth down if it does not want to risk losing field position with a turnover on downs.
Tackling
The basis of defense is to end each offensive attempt at moving the ball and allowing the fewest yards possible. To end an offensive play, the defense must either tackle the player to the ground or force the player out of bounds.
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