Football may be the most popular spectator sport in the U.S., but it is actually a fairly complex game and can be tricky for the novice to understand. If you'd like to watch a football game and have some clue as to what is going on, here are a few basics to help you start to understand the game.
Step 1
Figure out which team is which. Each team has 46 players, but only 11 of these will be on the field at any given time, and these 11 will either be offensive or defensive players, never both. Look for the offense to take the field when the team has possession of the ball, as they will be trying to score. Watch the defense take over when any of the following occur: the offense scores, the offense fumbles the ball or a pass is intercepted, the quarter ends, or at the end of the fourth down. The defensive players have the job of blocking or tackling opposing players to prevent them from scoring or from advancing down the field.
Step 2
Learn how the game is structured. National Football League (NFL) and collegiate football games last for 60 minutes, divided into four 15-minute quarters, and with a halftime between the second and third quarters. Ask anyone who's ever watched a football game, however, and they'll tell you that games go on far longer than an hour and 20 minutes. A typical game may last for over three hours, as there are numerous occasions throughout the game when the clock is stopped. These occasions include anytime there is an incomplete pass or the ball carrier runs out of bounds, as well as the three timeouts each team can call per half. The clock may also be stopped whenever there's a penalty, or an injured player needs to be removed from the field.
Step 3
Prepare to sit through some overtime play if the football game is tied at the end of four quarters. In the NFL, this is "sudden death" overtime, meaning that the first team to score wins, and the game is over as soon as there is any score (field goal, touchdown or safety). If neither team scores during one period of overtime play during the regular season, the game is declared a tie, but during the playoffs the game continues until someone finally scores. College football overtime allows both teams to have possession of the ball, so both get a chance to score.
Step 4
Understand the main object of the game, which is to score touchdowns. A touchdown, which occurs when an offensive player either runs the ball into the opposing team's end zone or catches the ball while inside the end zone, is worth six points. Watch as the offensive team tries to score an extra point after the touchdown by kicking the ball through the goal posts--this is worth one point, which is why most touchdowns actually result in a net gain of seven points. Occasionally a team may attempt a maneuver whereby they once again run or pass the ball into the end zone. This is called a two-point conversion, as it's worth an extra two points.
Step 5
Look for the kicker to come out onto the field to attempt a field goal. Field goals are tried when the team isn't close enough to the end zone to score a touchdown, but they are close to having to turn over the ball and they'd like to make one last attempt to score. While the average successful field goal is attempted from about 35 yards away from the goal line, kickers may attempt to score from 50-plus yards away, which adds a certain amount of suspense to the proceeding. According to the NFL Record and Fact Book, the longest field goals ever were 63 yards, scored by Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints in 1970 and Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos in 1998.
Step 6
Try to figure out just what is meant by a "down". Basically, a team has four chances, called "downs," to advance the ball 10 or more yards down the field. A down ends when the ball carrier is stopped or goes out of bounds or if there is an incomplete pass (the ball is thrown, but not caught). If the team fails to advance the ball 10 yards in three downs, they often elect to use the fourth down to kick the ball down field as far as they can, so the other team will have that much farther to advance toward their end zone. If the team is close enough to the opposing team's end zone, however, they may attempt to kick a field goal on the fourth down. If the field goal is attempted and missed, the ball will be turned over to the other team at the spot where the third down ended before the field goal attempt.
Member Comments