Football is a game played on a field 100 yards long with end zones on each end for scoring. The timing on games varies, but most commonly the game is broken up into four quarters. At the highest level, the game can appear to be very complex, but every level of football is broken down to a few basics. If you understand the basics, you should have an easier time when playing or watching football.
Positions
The amount of players on a team can vary, but only 11 players can play on the field per team at one time. On offense, there is a center, two guards and two tackles that line up on the offensive line. The quarterback lines up directly behind the center, who starts with the ball. The other five positions are a mixture of running backs, who line up behind the quarterback, wide receivers, who line up toward the sidelines, and tight ends, which generally line up close to the offensive line. On defense, the 11 players are made up of linemen, who are opposite of the offensive line, linebackers, who line up behind the line, and defensive backs, who line up to cover wide receivers. There are also specialists such as the punter and kicker who contribute on special teams.
Scoring
The two main ways to score are via touchdown, which is worth six points and via field goal, which is worth three points. A touchdown is scored when the ball is either carried into or caught in the end zone, and teams may choose to go for an extra point kick or a two-point conversion. A field goal is most commonly kicked when the offense chooses to try for three points instead of attempting to convert a fourth down. The extra point is a version of a field goal, just very short and only worth one point.
Offensive Strategy
On offense, teams have two main options to try to move the ball downfield. They may either attempt a running play, or rush, with a running back or with the quarterback. These often pick up short amounts of yardage but sometimes turn into long gains. Teams may also choose to try a pass, where the quarterback tries to find a receiver running a route. When successful, passes often result in longer gains but there is the risk of gaining no yards via incomplete pass or turning the ball over. Offenses need to gain ten yards in four tries, called downs, to keep the ball moving downfield.
Defensive Strategy
The goal of the defense is to stop the offense from moving the ball and create turnovers if possible. A turnover is when a defensive player catches the pass, called an interception, or when they knock the ball out of the offensive player's hands and recover the fumble. Defenses try to tackle the ball carrier as fast as possible and prevent the receivers from catching the ball at all. Aggressive defenses often try to tackle the quarterback before he can release the ball, called a quarterback sack.
Special Teams
If offensive teams are unsuccessful in gaining ten yards, called a first down, on their first three attempts they may chose to punt on fourth down. A punt is when the center snaps the ball to a punter, instead of the quarterback, who kicks the ball high and far down the field, trying to get the ball as far as possible so that the other team has a long distance to travel to attempt to score. The receiving team then tries to catch the punt and get as far as possible before getting tackled.
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