Football, or "American" football as it is known in some parts of the world, is a complex game to many who are not familiar with the inner workings of the sport. Football games are typically played once per week, with high school games played on Fridays, college games on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday.
The Field
An American football field measures 100-yards long and 160 feet wide. The boundaries at the sides are known as "sidelines" and "end zones" at the ends. Goalposts are positioned in the center of each end zone, and the field is marked in 10-yard increments from each end zone to the center of the field.
The Premise
A football game is played in four, 15-minute quarters. One team is on offense and one is on defense. The offensive team's objective is to advance the ball down the field and into the opposition's end zone. They have four "downs" or separate plays to move the ball 10-yards down field. If they are successful, a new series of plays is started. This is known as "first down." If the offense is unable to move the ball 10-yards within four downs, the teams switch, and the opposition is on offense.
The Players
Each football team has 11 players on the field at any one time. Players who play on the offense generally don't play defense as well. The player who runs the offense and makes the throws to score is known as the quarterback, and is usually one of the more popular positions in a football game. Other players on the offense include running backs, receivers, the center who snaps the ball to the quarterback and linebackers who block the defense from getting to the quarterback. The defensive player's job is to thwart the offense which includes tackling the quarterback before he throws the ball, known as a "sack," and making tackles on receivers and running backs to prevent them from scoring.
Scoring
When the offensive team carries the ball into the opposition's end zone it is known as a "touchdown" and counts for six points. After the touchdown, the offense has the option of trying to kick the ball from close range through the goalposts for one extra point, or run it into the end zone again for two points. In most instances, teams kick for one point. When the offense has possession of the ball, they also have the option of kicking it through the goalposts in the opposition end zone for three points. This is known as a field goal, and is usually attempted when a team is on their fourth down and still has quite a few yards to go to get a first down. If a defensive player tackles an offensive player while he has the ball in his own end zone, it is known as a safety and the defense is awarded two points.
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