The idea of playing football can be a daunting one. For starters, the game is a collision sport, not merely a contact one. Secondly, the rules to the game can seem somewhat confusing. The truth is, however, that a basic understanding of the foundational rules of football are enough to allow you and a group of friends (or competitors) to play a football game.
Step 1
Divide into teams. Officially, football teams field 11 players at a time, but in a pick-up game with friends, you need only to match up in numbers, depending on how many are available. Five-on-five, seven-on-seven and even 12-on-12 could work just fine.
Step 2
Flip for the ball. You can use a coin to do this. Team captains will choose "heads" or "tails," and the winner decides whether or not to accept the ball (starting on offense) or to give the ball to the other team (starting on defense). After half-time, the team that started on offense will start on defense, and vice-versa.
Step 3
Kick off. The defensive team kicks the ball to the offensive team. In a pick-up game on a smaller field (or in a group in which no one is confident enough to kick), have someone on the defense throw the ball instead. The offense then catches the ball and proceeds to rush forward towards their endzone. The defense rushes towards them as soon as the kick is up, attempting to tackle (or, in two-hand touch, to touch with both hands) the ball carrier; when this is accomplished, the spot where the tackle (or touch) occurred is where the offense begins play.
Step 4
Move the ball forward. The team on offense has one goal: to get the ball into the end zone, the area at the end of the field toward which the offense is facing. If the offense fails to move the ball 10 yards in four attempts (called "downs"), the defense gets the ball. If the offense moves the ball more than 10 yards in less than four attempts, the offense gets four more attempts to move the ball 10 more yards. The ball may be moved forward by a pass, thrown from behind the line of scrimmage (the spot where the play began) or by a run.
Step 5
Defend. On defense, players typically match up against opposing players, with at least one defender concentrating on trying to bring down the quarterback.
Step 6
Score. The offense scores by moving the ball into the endzone. This is a touchdown--worth six points. The offense then gets to attempt an extra point kick, worth one point. The offense may opt to attempt a field goal (a kick) at any time (usually on a fourth down); if successful, this is worth three points.
Step 7
Kick off. After a score, the scoring team kicks the ball off, as in Step 3. The team with the most points by the end of the game wins. Most pick-up games will last as long as the players want to continue. For something more official, decide upon a game-ending time.
Things You'll Need
- Coin
- Football
- Football field or open area
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