Most football games take place outdoors, though some teams have covered arenas. If you'd like to start playing football with a team, amateur leagues are available. You must be a student to participate in high school and college leagues. Semiprofessional and professional leagues are highly selective. If your interest is more casual, all you need is a large group of friends, a football and an open area.
Football
A typical football game consists of two teams of 11 players competing to carry a ball into their opponent's goal area, called an end zone. One team, the offense, starts with the ball. It tries to run with the ball or pass it forward. If the offense successfully carries the ball past the goal line or completes a pass to a player standing in the end zone, that team scores a touchdown, which is worth six points. The team may then attempt to score two points by running or passing it into the end zone, or score one point by kicking the ball through the goal posts. Field goals, worth three points, also require a team to kick the ball.
Flag Football
Traditional football requires tackling, which presents the risk of injury. Flag football is a variation of football, but instead of tackling opponents, players snatch a flag that hangs off each player. This makes it suitable for amateurs who might get injured by tackling. Organized leagues have set rules and regulations for flag football, but casual players can create their own variations of the game. For example, some variations of flag football have flag belts that players must tear off rather than just flags.
Catch
If you don't have many people to play with, try a simple game of catch. To throw a football, hold it so your fingers are over and parallel to the stitches. Throw the ball forward. Your goal is to create a spiraling motion. This makes it easy for your partner to catch the ball. To practice for game situations, pass the ball while your partner runs toward an imaginary end zone, then switch roles.
Throwing Games
If you tire of playing catch, try coming up with some throwing challenges to increase the fun. For example, suspend a hoop from a tree branch. Take turns trying to throw the ball through the hoop. Award points for successful throws and extra points for perfect spirals. Periodically, change the distance and angle to increase the difficulty.
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