When the first collegiate football game was played in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton Universities, the sport was similar to rugby and each score counted as a game in and of itself. The sport has come a long way since, not only in terms of rules, but also in interest and participation. Thanks to its unique mix of strategy and physicality, football now is a wildly popular sport in the United States on the high school, college and professional levels.
Overview of Football
Football is played on a field that is 100 yards long and 53 1/2 yards wide. While a team may have as many as 45 players on the roster, only 11 are on the field on any given play. The primary offensive objective is to move the ball downfield by either running with it or passing it past the opponent's goal line to score a touchdown. Conversely, the defensive goal is to stop your opponent from scoring. A game consists of four quarters, but if the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, overtime is played.
Offensive Basics
When a team has the ball, its goal is to advance the ball by gaining first downs. A first down is achieved by moving the ball 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, which is where the possession or offensive series began. Teams are allowed four downs to gain a first down, but if it fails to do so, the ball is turned over to the opposition. A team may punt the ball to the opponent on one of its downs rather than risk handing the ball over to the other team at the present point on the field. An offensive consists of one quarterback, five offensive lineman, and a mix of running backs and receivers. The quarterback typically receives the ball to start a play.
Defensive Basics
Defenses usually line up for plays with between three and five linemen, often massive players who engage opposing offensive linemen in an effort to tackle running backs or blitz -- chase after -- the quarterback. Behind them are the linebackers, mid-size players expected to neutralize the quarterback, running backs and would-be pass catchers. Behind them are the defensive backs, smaller and speedier players who are responsible for keeping opposing receivers from catching passes thrown by the quarterback.
Popularity
While baseball has been traditionally know as "America's pastime," it could be argued that this label now belongs to football. In a 2006 Gallup Poll, a whopping 43 percent of respondents named football their favorite sport to watch. The Super Bowl, which is the National Football League's championship game, has become the premier event in American sports. The 2010 game drew 106 million viewers, the highest number for any television program in U.S. history.
Scoring
There are four ways to score in football: touchdowns, extra points, field goals and safeties. When a team crosses the goal line with the ball, its awarded a touchdown, which is worth 6 points. The team then either tries to score an extra point by kicking the ball through the goalposts for 1 point or getting the ball into the end zone from the 3-yard line for 2 points. Field goals are made during a series of downs when a team kicks the ball through goal posts for 3 points. Safeties occur when a defense tackles the opposing team's player with the football while he's in his own end zone. The defensive team is awarded 2 points and possession of the ball.
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