Football is a gameI’ve heard people say football is stupid. "All those grown men chasing a ball around!" It’s a game. Games are by their nature stupid and fun. That’s why they’re games.
Football in twenty minutesYes, only 20 minutes! It’s just not that complicated when you stick to the basic movement of the game. People think football is very complicated, and that you have to know all "the rules" to enjoy the game. But that’s why they have officials, so you and I can watch the game and enjoy it, while the official tells us what the call was. 1. Which team has the ball. 2. What yard they’re on (and which side of the field they’re on). 3. What down they’re on, and how far to another first down. 4. How much time left in the quarter, (and which quarter it is). 5. The score! This book will help you understand these five essentials. If you think this sounds simple, it’s not. You can ask any avid football fan the score, or what quarter it is, and they may not be able to tell you. It’s a lot to keep track of, but if you’re able to, you’ll have a good feel for the game. Do’s and Don’tsSome general rules;
Talking FootballI’m not just going to teach you the rules of football. I’m going to teach you a new language, "football ease." You’ll be able to talk about football, the way a real football fan would. It’s like French, you can’t suddenly have the ability to read and write French. To speak French you have to say the words right. It’s the same with football. You have to know what to say and how to say it. Learning more quicklyThere are things you can do that will help you learn more quickly, and make it more fun. If you go to a game, get a program. Pick one of the players and follow him all during the game. Watch what he does. By the time you go to the next game, you’ll really understand his position. If you don’t go to games, but watch them on TV, a good way to get involved is to bet on the game. It doesn’t have to be money. But if you stand to win or lose something, you’ll get involved and be interested in the game. If you get the newspaper, read the sports section during football season. If you get cable, ESPN has a show called Sports Center. It gives you the quick and dirty of what’s going on in sports. It’s only a 30 minute show, and it’s on a couple of times during the day. Make sure you catch one of them. Your football friends will be really impressed if you tape it! All of these things will make it easier to become fluent in "football ease." It’s a language all its own, and you’re going to learn it! PS. I’m not including all the variations in different leagues, I’m only covering the National Football League (NFL). Otherwise it would be too boring, and you didn’t buy this to be bored! Simply PutWatching football is watching motion. Yes, I know that the motion stops all the time, but that’s part of the game. Ask yourself, why did the motion stop? Was it a "down," a penalty, a time-out? Simply put (and we’ll go over all this in detail later), the game starts with a kickoff, which is exactly what it sounds like, the ball gets kicked. The team that catches it tries to score by reaching the goal at the other end of the field. The team that gets the ball has four tries (or downs) to score, or to start over (a new first down), by moving the ball forward ten yards. A down is often what it sounds like, the person with the ball goes "down." If they don’t score or go another ten yards they usually kick (or punt) the ball to the other team on their fourth try (fourth down). If they kick it, the other team has farther to go to score, than if they just handed the ball over at the end of their fourth try (fourth down). After the ball is kicked (punted) to the other team, the whole thing starts all over. In the meantime, you and I get to eat a lot of popcorn and have a lot of fun. Hopefully this book will make everything in between the kickoff and the final score a little easier to understand!
The OfficialsThe officials at any football game are extremely important. Their jobs are demanding, and everyone hates "a bad call." The officials are considered the third team out on the field. There are several officials, each with a different area of responsibility and area of the field to cover. The one you’ll see most often is the referee, he’s the one wearing a white hat. (Remember good guys always wear white.) You’ll hear an official was "really in position to make that call." That means he kept up with the play and was in a position to evaluate what happened. Watch one at the next game, they do a lot of running to keep up. They’re also the people who assess the penalties, and those happen on what seems like every play. A Flag on the PlayWhenever an official sees a penalty, he’ll throw a flag where the infraction occurred. The flag looks like a little yellow handkerchief, and it is weighted in one end so he can throw it easily. Penalties DeclinedA team will decline a penalty (on the other team) if it doesn’t give them an advantage. (Some penalties are automatically assessed.) For instance, if the defense is called for pass interference, on the same play that the offense scores, the offense will decline the penalty. The offense would rather have the touchdown than a first down where the penalty took place. The offense usually declines the penalty when they just scored. If both teams receive equal penalties on the same play, the referee will usually call "offsetting penalties" and the down will be replayed. TimeThe game is made up of 4 quarters, 15 minutes each:
Starting quarters:
Time OutsBoth teams can call up to three time-outs during each half (snack break for fans). The officials also call time-outs to assess penalties, measure yardage, care for injured players, TV time-outs, and to notify the teams of the two-minute warning. Each team can call up to two time-outs during an overtime. 45-Second ClockThe 45-second clock means the offense has 45 seconds to begin play. Whichever team is responsible for the delay, if there is one, receives a delay of game penalty. Two-Minute WarningThe officials give the two-minute warning when there’s only two minutes left in the half. It notifies each team that stricter rules are in effect to prevent delay tactics. It’s an automatic officials time-out. Most teams run two-minute drills to practice special plays to be used during the two-minute warning. OvertimeIf the game is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, a "sudden death" overtime will be played. That means the first team to score wins. A coin toss decides who will kickoff, and who will receive.In regular season play, only one overtime (up to 15 minutes) will be played. If the game is still tied, the final score is a tie. In the playoffs, however, they’ll have additional overtimes until a team scores. Don’t let this fool you. Football time is like dog years, because a football game usually lasts three hours give or take 30 minutes. Why does a football game take so long? Most of the time gets eaten up by time outs, injuries, officials making a decision about a call, and even TV commercials. The longest NFL game was in 1971 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins. The game went into double overtime and half way through the sixth quarter the Dolphins won 27-24. The FieldThe field is the first thing you’ll see when you go to a game or watch one on TV. Running down the field are yard markers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and then in reverse order. They show what yard line the ball is on at any given time. The arrows next to the numbers point to the closest end zone. When you’re watching a game on TV, the arrows quickly let you know how close they are to scoring. There are two lines of "hash marks," they divide the field into thirds, and the officials "spot" the ball on or between the hash marks at the beginning of play. The zero yard line is the goal line. When a team is able to carry the ball over this line, or catch a pass behind it, they have a touchdown. The end zone is behind the goal line, and between the field goal. It’s ten yards deep. The goal post sits at the end of each end zone. Study the diagram on the next page it is self explanatory.
The Coin TossThree minutes before the kickoff the captains of both teams meet the referee (the official wearing the white hat) on the 50-yard line for the coin toss. The captain of the visiting team calls the coin toss (heads or tails). The team that wins the coin toss picks one of two things;
Which goal to defend can be more important than kicking or receiving. For instance, a very windy day can influence the flight of the ball. The FieldEnd line - marks the back of the end zone. It’s 10 yards back from the goal line. The goal post is set behind the end, but the uprights are directly above the end line. This is significant because it adds 10 yards to where ever a punter is kicking from. There are ribbons at the top to show the kicker which way the wind is blowing There’s also a net behind the goal post to protect fans from being hit by the football. The goal extends indefinitely above the crossbar. End zone is the 10 yard area between the end line and goal line. The goal line is not just the line. It creates a vertical plane extending upward indefinitely. All a player has to do is "break the plane" with the football to score. Pylons - There are flexible pylons at the four corners of the end zone Sidelines- Running down the side of the field are sidelines, a player or ball, is out of bounds when it touches these lines. Offense and DefenseThe team with the ball trying to score is the offense. The team trying to keep them from scoring is the defense. The defense is "defending" their goal from the offense who’s trying to "attack" it. Each team is facing the goal they need to reach to score. The goal they’re defending is behind them. Each team is trying to keep the other team from getting the ball across the goal line, or through the uprights.
The Kickoff
Both teams must have 11 players on the field during the game (no more, no less). On the kickoff, the ball is placed (or spotted) on the 35-yard line on a kicking tee. (See diagram page 15). A kicking tee holds the ball in place on the field for the kicker. The kicking team kicks and the team being kicked to is "receiving" (tricky isn’t it). The kicking team will be a "special team." The kicker’s job is to make kickoff’s and (sometimes) field goals. The kicking team has to stay behind the ball, and the receiving team has to be at least 10 yards in front of the ball until the ball is kicked. The official raises and lowers his hand, blows his whistle, and the kickoff is made. The kicking team is not the receiving team, but they can go after the ball after it has gone 10 yards. The team that gets the ball has "possession." Special TeamsWhen football started, there were only 11 players on a team. They played offense, defense, kickoffs, everything. Now there are 47 players on a team and they have very specific jobs. "Special teams" are used for:
Specializing allows them to excel in one area. (Hence the name special teams.) There are also separate teams for offense and defense. Squib kicksSquib kicks are kicked close to the ground (low line drives). They hit the ground and bounce around in a wild way. They’re tough for the receiving team to catch. Onside KicksOnside kicks are either softly kicked with very little loft, or they can be close to the ground (a line drive) like the squib kicks. Most importantly, they’re kicked towards the sidelines. The kickers team can’t touch the ball until it’s gone at least ten yards, or the receiving team touches it. So the kicker tries to kick the ball a little bit more than ten yards, to a place they’ve already picked. His teammates then try to get there before the other team. They aren’t used very often, because they’re dangerous. If the kicking team can’t get to the ball first, the receiving team gets posession with much better field position. The receiving team is a lot closer to scoring than they would have been with a regular kick. Fair CatchA fair catch is usually on a punt or a kickoff. The person catching the ball (receiver) holds one arm high over his head (a full arm’s length) and waves it from side to side while the ball is in the air. Once he’s done this, the kicking team can’t tackle (or touch) him, and he can’t move forward with the ball (advance). This just expresses his intention to catch the ball, he doesn’t have to actually catch it. You’ll see this when the loft of the ball was high and slow, because it gives the kicking team time to get down the field to the receiver. A fair catch keeps the receiver from getting "creamed." Kicked out-of-boundsIf the ball is kicked out of bounds, (without going into the end zone) it has to be kicked again, and the kicking team is penalized 5 yards. That puts the ball on the kicking team’s 30-yard line. The kicker doesn’t get paid to kick the ball out of bounds, so it’s probably an accident. Kicked into the Endzone-TouchbackIf the kickoff goes into the endzone and is whistled dead at that point it’s a "touchback." The ball is "put in play" on the 20-yard line. This would happen if the ball went out of bounds through the end zone. (Otherwise the receiving team can pick it up and advance the ball if they choose.) If the receiver catches the ball in the end zone, he can "down it" by touching one knee to the ground and that’s also a touchback. He’d do this if he thought the other team would tackle him before he reached the 20-yard line (because that’s where it’s put in play). A touchback does not score points. Returning the KickThe team being kicked to will (hopefully for them) catch the ball, and start running toward the other team’s goal. This is "advancing" the ball. The receiving team will advance the ball until they:
On a kickoff they can only move the ball forward (advance it) by running. At this point they can’t make a forward pass. (Passing will be discussed later.) False StartAfter the interior offense linemen take the three-point stance, any movement that leads the defense to think the snap has started can be called for a false start. (The three-point stance is bent over with one hand on the ground, so they’re touching the ground in three places, two feet and one hand.) The quarterback can also be called for a false start if he does something (changes the cadence of his call, or moves) to lead the defense into going offsides. Downs
You absolutely have to understand downs to understand football! Frequently, a down is caused by what it sounds like, the player carrying the ball (ballcarrier) goes "down." Think of a down as a measure of time. It isn’t time like you’d see on your watch, or that you’d measure in minutes. It is, however, the amount of time a team has the ball. Downs are the number of plays the team gets.
The announcer will tell you what down they’re on, and how many yards to another first down. For instance, the announcer will say, first and ten. That means, first down, and ten yards to another first down. First, second, third, and goal means they’re within ten yards of the goal line. You won’t hear fifth and ten, because there are only four downs. There can be more than 10 yards to go however, like second and 15. If they got pushed back (lost yardage) on a play, or got a penalty, they’d lose 5, 10, or 15 yards, depending on the penalty. Third and goal from the 24-yard line would also be because of a penalty, or possibly a "sack" (page 25). They’d still have to score a touchdown, and they wouldn’t be able to get another first down by moving ten yards.
The Chains"The chains" tell how far the team with the ball (the offense) has to go to get a new first down. On the side of the football field are people holding poles attached to chains (like the ones pictured below). One end of the chain has a post that goes in the ground where the first down was. The marker at the other end of the chain shows how far they have to go (ten yards) to get another first down. These are called "the chains." The orange flip chart shows the down they’re on, one, two, three, or four.
The SnapThe snap is when the center starts the play again by passing the ball under his legs to another player. It’s also called "hiking the ball."
After the snap, the quarterback can pass, hand off, or run the football. If he hands off or runs the ball it’s called rushing. If he makes a pass, it’s called passing.
Line of Scrimmage and the Neutral ZoneSo let’s say the kickoff was made, the receiving team caught it, and ran towards the other team’s goal. Then the ballcarrier got tackled before he could score. So now, when they begin playing again, it will be "first down." Wherever the ballcarrier got tackled (or where the last down happened) is where they’ll start now. The referee "spots" the ball at this point. The football will create an imaginary boundary line called "the line of scrimmage." You’re going to hear that term a lot. The players line up from the line of scrimmage at the beginning of each down. The word scrimmage came from the word skirmish (a little battle between a few people). So the players line up on the line of battle (skirmish), or the line of scrimmage. Both teams have a line of scrimmage on their side of the football. Between these two lines is the "neutral zone." (Just like in battle again.) The "neutral zone" is the length of the football. Each team has to stay behind their line of scrimmage until the "snap." If either team crosses their line of scrimmage before the ball’s snapped, they get an off sides or encroachment penalty. The center’s the only player who can put his hands in the neutral zone because he has to hike the ball. After a down, the players line up on the line of scrimmage to begin play again. The offense must have at least seven players on the line of scrimmage. They can have more, but not less. The defense can have as many (or as few) players as it likes on its line of scrimmage. Offensive Lineup on the Line of ScrimmageLet's meet the players that are out on the field right now. Interior Offensive LineupThe players who line up on the line of scrimmage are called the line. The five players in the middle of the offensive line are the interior offensive lineup. They’re on the inside or the interior of the line, they’re the offense, and they line up on the line of scrimmage. They’re the center, two guards, and two tackles. These players will almost always be in these positions for the snap. Think of them like chess pieces, they have to be in position before play can begin. (There are rare plays where a lineman is shifted over to one side, called an unbalanced line.) The CenterThe center has to be able to "snap" the ball to the quarterback, and then block the other team’s player. He’s the most important player in the interior offensive line. The most successful snaps are when the center snaps the ball to the quarterback, and at the same time moves to block the other player, all in one fluid motion. If it isn’t smooth, and the quarterback loses possession, it is a fumble. A fumble is a "loose ball", for instance, if the ball is dropped. This may give the defense the opportunity to gain possession because of a mistake the offense makes. Guards and TacklesGuards and tackles are similar to the center, but they don’t hike the ball. The guards need a little more running ability, and the tackles are usually bigger and stronger. Their main job is to block the other team’s players, and to protect the quarterback and running back.Wide ReceiverWide receivers usually line up on each end of the offensive line, but not necessarily on the line of scrimmage. They’re usually the fastest running receivers. They’re called wide receivers because they line up wide from the ball, and they’re receivers. The Tight EndThe tight end is a blocker and a ball catcher (receiver). The tight end needs to be strong, hopefully tall, and definitely fast. His job after the snap is to block if the play is a run. Or to get past the defense to catch a pass if the play is a pass. The side he lines up on is called the strong side because he adds extra blocking power. The side with the wide receiver doesn’t have as much blocking power. The QuarterbackThe quarterback is in charge on the field. Although the coach usually decides which play to call, the quarterback actually calls them. He’s the main ball handler and passer, and sometimes he even runs the ball too. Most people would say this is the most difficult position to play. Running BacksThe runningback (also called halfback, fullback, and tailback) is a receiver, a blocker, and he occasionally throws passes. Defensive Lineup on the Line of ScrimmageThe defense is very different than the offense. Everything has to be planned with the offense. The defense on the other hand has to wait and see what the offense is going to do and then react. It makes their job very hard. Defensive Tackles and EndsThe defensive tackles and ends (linemen) are the biggest defensive players. They rush the quarterback or runningback and try to stop the pass from being thrown. They also have to keep the offensive linemen from running forward. The players on the ends are called ends (hence the name), and the players in the middle are tackles. If there’s only one tackle, he’s called the nose tackle. LinebackersThey’re called linebackers because they "back the line." They have to both rush (hit) and run. They cover the middle field, and guard possible pass receivers. They also have to be able to break through the offensive line to rush the quarterback in a blitz (page 26). Cornerbacks and SafetiesThese players intercept passes, guard receivers, and go on blitzes. Cornerbacks were given that name because they "cornered up the defense." The strong safety got his name because he lines up on the side of the tight end (the strong side). It used to be that the free safety was the only player who wouldn’t have a zone to cover when all the defense was zone defense, so he was "free" to run the field.
Jersey NumbersStandard Jersey numbers were established by the NFL in 1973. Players who had been in the NFL before 1972 can still use their old numbers. A player can play a different position if he tells the referee when he comes on the field. An offensive tackle can declare himself eligible when he comes on the field, and he’ll line up on the end of the line and therefore be eligible to receive passes.
* Some teams have retired the numbers of so many wide receivers that they run out of numbers to assign, as a result, they may resort to using the specialists numbers 1-19 for their wide receivers. Body WeightsWhen you’re trying to understand what each player does, it’s helpful to look at their body weights. The bigger players hit harder but they’re also slower. The smaller, lighter players are faster, but they don’t have as much rushing or blocking power. The chart shows typical weights. If you look at a wide receiver he may be as light as 150 pounds, and he had better be fast, or a 300 pound tackle will kill him. Whereas a 300 pound tight end adds a lot of blocking (hitting) power to his side, but he won’t be near as fast. The big players are normally the blockers, or rushers. The offensive centers, guards, tackles, and tight end, and the defensive ends and tackles. In professional ball they’ll weigh around 300 pounds. A player that big is going to be a good blocker, but not a very good runner, simply because of his size. The other offensive players, quarterback, halfback, fullback, and wide receivers are going to weigh less, somewhere around 200 pounds. A really fast runner like a wide receiver, might even be as light as 160 pounds. They weigh less because they have to be able to run. On the defense, the linebackers are probably going to weigh around 250 pounds, because they can still be key rushers, and the defensive backs (corner back, free safeties, and strong safeties) will weigh around 200 pounds. These defensive backs have to be fast, and if they weighed 300 pounds, they wouldn’t be.
DefenseThree-four and Four-threeThe most common line up on the defense is either a three four or a four three. That simply means there are three linemen on the line of scrimmage, with four linebackers, or vice versa and the rest of the players (safeties and cornerbacks) behind them. Man to ManDefense is usually set up as either "man to man," or "zone defense." Man to man is what it sounds like, each defensive player is to cover one specific offensive player. Zone DefenseZone defense is basically what it sounds like. The players guard a particular zone of the field. The linebackers, safeties, and cornerbacks run to a certain zone on the field and guard that general area, while at the same time the linemen try to get to the quarterback. BlitzA standard defense is when three to four men rush the line heading for the quarterback. A blitz sends more people in, possibly as many as eight people to rush the quarterback. The idea is to prevent the offense from getting their play set up, and hopefully "sacking" the quarterback. It’s an extremely risky play because it leaves the field completely open for a pass if they don’t get the quarterback tackled. SackIf the quarterback gets tackled behind the line of scrimmage, it’s a "sack." Deacon Jones, an excellent sacker, came up with this nickname. He said "like . . . you sack a city - you devastate it." When a quarterback is afraid he’s going to get sacked and he doesn’t have someone he can pass to, he may try to throw the ball away. If the officials think that was the case they’ll call an intentional grounding penalty. OffenseFumble, Turnover or InterceptionA turnover or interception is when the defense gets possession of the ball because of a mistake the offense makes. For instance, if the offense drops the ball (fumble) and the defense gets it, or when a pass is intercepted by defense. A team can be a poor team simply because of all their turnovers. Man in motionThe players are on the field lined up and ready to start the next play. Just before the snap you’ll almost always see one of the offensive players move. This is called "man in motion." He can take one step forward, and then he can only move sideways, or back. Only one offensive player can move, the rest of the team has to be still for one full second before the snap. The defense, however, can move all they want, and when they see the offensive man in motion, they’ll move a player to cover him. The offense is trying to catch the defense off guard by changing at the last minute. PassingThe offense can make one forward pass with each play. They start from their line of scrimmage. Ideally, a forward pass moves the ball farther than simply running it would. After the snap, the quarterback will drop back from the line of scrimmage into "the pocket" to make his pass. It’s called the pocket because it’s an area of the field that should be protected by his linemen. His linemen have stepped away from the line and surrounded him. The quarterback will normally drop back three, five, or seven steps, and how far he drops back will affect how far he’ll pass. This is because the more steps he takes, the more time it gives his receivers to get down field. Before the pass is made his receivers are running down the field. A forward pass can only be made behind the line of scrimmage. That tells you two other things:
If a team makes a forward pass beyond the line of scrimmage, they get an illegal pass penalty. The only players on the offense that can legally receive passes are players on the ends of the front line, and players at least one yard back from the line of scrimmage (called eligible pass receivers). The circled players can legally receive forward passes. They’re the wide receivers, tight ends, and backs.
Other players (like tackles) can report themselves eligible to the referee when they come on the field, and then they will line up on the end of the line instead of in their regular spot. This is called an unbalanced line. If an "ineligible receiver" catches a pass, the team gets an ineligible receiver penalty. Once a player on the defense’s side touches a ball that’s been passed, all the offensive players become eligible receivers. The wide receivers are the fastest runners, and the tight ends and running backs do more of the blocking on a pass play. If the wide receiver isn’t the intended receiver for the pass, he sets up like he is anyway, to try and fool the defense. A "lateral" pass is a pass that goes sideways or back. A lateral can be made any time, and any player is an eligible receiver. The ShotgunThe shotgun is when the quarterback drops back five or six yards from the center at the snap. It makes it easier for him to read the defense, and he’s already set up to make his pass. But it takes away the element of surprise, because the defense knows that they’re going to throw a pass.
Setting up to make a pass. Screen PassA screen pass is where the quarterback will throw the pass to the runningback anywhere from three to ten yards outside the pocket, and usually behind the line of scrimmage. It’s usually a short dump off pass to the side. If it’s a set screen pass, the guard and the tackle will "pull" to be lead blockers for the screen pass. It’s similar to the draw play where they suck the defense into the pocket. The defensive linemen go after the quarterback because the offensive linemen have pulled. As a result, the defensive linemen think they can get to the quarterback. At the same time the receivers are running deep, so the defensive backs are covering them, and leaving the flat open. The flat is the middle of the field around the line of scrimmage. The result is the quarterback can throw to the receivers and gain more yardage, but if the receivers are covered, he can still throw it off to his runningback (his screenman). RushingRushing is what it sounds like, the offense rushes the defense, and tries to get through their line with brute force blocking and fast running. The linemen, tight ends, and fullbacks do most of the blocking, trying to create an alley or hole for the runningback. The runningback then tries to get through the hole his blockers have made, and past the defense.
The draw play is a rushing play where the quarterback pretends like he’s going to make a pass. The linemen set up like they’re blocking for a pass by protecting the quarterback. The quarterback drops back into the pocket, and the receivers run down the field like they’re setting up to catch a pass. The defensive linemen think there’s going to be a pass, so they are "drawn" in. They’re trying to sack the quarterback before he makes his pass, and they aren’t guarding against a ground running play. Once the defense has been drawn into the backfield, the quarterback hands the ball to a runningback. The linemen quickly shift their blocking from protecting the quarterback to creating a little alley for the running back. The runningback can now cut through the vacancy left by the defense who’s moved back into the pocket. This was the plan, for the defense to move into the imaginary pocket. If that doesn’t happen, this is very risky for the quarterback. If he doesn’t throw the pass soon enough, or if his blockers block for the runningback too soon, he can get pummeled by the defense. PuntingOn the fourth down, the offense will frequently kick the ball to the other team instead of playing it. They’ll kick if they think they can’t get another first down, or score. Kicking the ball makes the other team go a farther distance, because otherwise the other team gets the ball wherever the next down happens. This kick is called a "punt." On a punt, the center snaps the ball to a special player whose only job is to punt (kick). The punter stands 15 yards back from the center. The punter catches the ball, drops it, and kicks it before it hits the ground. It sounds easy, but remember, the center is making a 15-yard pass upside down between his legs, and the punter has to catch it and kick it. NFL rules only allow the two people (receivers) on the end of the scrimmage line to move after the snap and before the punt. That’s not easy either, because they probably can’t hear the punt, and they certainly can’t turn around to watch it. Pretty tricky. There’s a slang term you may have heard, when you don’t know what else to do "drop back and punt." It came from this football play. Roughing the kickerThe kicker is easily hurt because he’s standing on one leg when he kicks. As a result, none of the players on the receiving team can touch the kicker behind his line of scrimmage. There are exceptions, if the defensive player is blocked into the punter by an offensive player, there’s no penalty. If the player tries to block the kick, makes contact with the ball, and accidentally touches him, it’s no penalty. But if the player tries to block the kick, and doesn’t make contact with the ball and touches him, it is a penalty. Scoring
A touchdown is when any part of the ball is on, above, or over the goal line, provided it’s held by a player who’s within the boundaries of the field. A touchdown scores the most points because it’s the hardest to do. It scores six points. Here are some examples of touchdowns:
Extra PointAfter a team scores a touchdown, they can attempt one extra point (hence the name). The ball is placed at the two-yard line, and the offense sets up to kick the ball through the uprights. An extra point is also called point after touchdown (PATs), and conversions. Field GoalWhen the offense kicks the ball through the uprights (except on an extra point) it scores three points. A field goal is attempted when they think they can’t make a touchdown or a first down. Normally it’s on the fourth down, and on the 40-yard line or closer. On a field goal, the offense lines up on the line of scrimmage, the center snaps the ball to the ballholder who is about seven yards back, and the kicker who is a few steps behind or beside him. SafetyA safety is a major embarrassment, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the defensive player of the same name. The defense scores two points when:
The most common is when the defense tackles an offensive ballcarrier behind his own goal line. It’s usually a quarterback who has dropped back into his own end zone to make a pass, and gets tackled. If the offense fumbles and the defense recovers the ball, it’s a touchdown for the defense, not a safety. If the defense intercepts a pass in the offense’s end zone it’s also a touchdown. Normally after a team scores, they kick to the other team. After a safety however, the team who scored the safety gets to receive again. Also the kick-off team normally kicks-off on their 35-yard line, after a safety, the kick-off is made on the 20-yard line, a triple bonus. TouchbackA touchback is when a ball is dead on or behind the team’s own goal line, and the movement of the ball was caused by the opponent.
The ball is then put in play on the 20-yard line. A touchback does not score points. On a touchback the team guarding that end zone gets possession of the ball. Both safeties and touchbacks happen behind a team’s own goal line. On a safety, the movement of the ball was caused by the team guarding the end zone. On a touchback the movement was caused by the team trying to score in that end zone. ScoreboardThe scoreboard is shown below. The Colts have 14 points, the Patriots 0. The arrow in the middle points to the team that has possession of the ball, in this case the Patriots. Below the arrow, TOL stands for time outs left. Each team still has three time-outs left. The Patriots are on their first down, 10 yards to go, and the ball is on the 39-yard line. There are 11 minutes and 39 seconds left in the second quarter. Self-test1) Do they kick off or switch directions at the beginning of: a) First quarter b) Second quarter c) Third quarter d) Fourth quarter 2) The offense has seconds to begin play after the referee whistles ready. 3) The two minute warning is given when there are two minutes left in each . 4) Football overtimes are called . 5) An overtime in regular season play will last up to minutes. 6) In an overtime, what decides who will kick off? 7) Each quarter lasts minutes. 8) Each team can call up to time outs per half. 9) The winner of the coin toss decides whether to: a) b) 10) Each team has to reach which goal to score? The one they’re facing, or the one behind them?
11) The team that has the ball, and is trying to score is the .
12) The team trying to keep them from scoring is the . 13) On the kickoff, the ball is placed on the yard line. 14) The team that has the ball has . 15) The team being kicked to is . 16) Special teams are used for , , , & . 17) On a fair catch the defense can’t the receiver. 18) During play each team always has to have players on the field. 19) On a kickoff the ball has to go yards before the kicking team can touch it. 20) An onside kick is a short kick towards the . 21) A squib kick is a low line drive that does what? 22) If the ball is kicked out of bounds on the kickoff, the kicking team is penalized yards. 23) On a touchback the ball is spotted on the yard line. 24) A team has four downs to: a) b) 25) If the offense doesn’t score, or get another first down in four downs they lose . 26) What does it mean when the announcer says: a) Third and two b) Second and five c) Fourth and one d) First and goal 27) The is the main ball handler. 28) The safety lines up on the side of the tight end. 29) The interior offensive line is made up of two s, two s, and the . 30) If there are only three men on the defense’s line of scrimmage, the player in the middle is called the (two words) . 31) The chains show how far the offense has to go to get another . 32) The orange flip chart on the other end of the chains shows what they’re on. 33) The neutral zone is the length of the . 34) The referee s the ball where the last down occurred. 35) Only the is allowed to put his hands into the neutral zone. 36) If either team crosses their line of scrimmage before the ball’s snapped, they get an or penalty. 37) Each team has to stay behind their of until the "snap." 38) The offense has to have players on the line of scrimmage. 39) The offense can have only (give a number) player in motion one second prior to the snap. 40) The five players in the middle of the offensive lineup are called the (three words) . 41) The center s the ball. 42) Fullbacks and halfbacks are also called . Tailbacks are also called . 43) When the defense gets possession of the ball because of a mistake the offense makes, it’s called a . 44) Man-to-man defense means each player covers a specific . 45) Zone defense means each player covers a specific . 46) On a three - four defense, (give a number) players line up on the defense’s line of scrimmage. 47) When more than the traditional three or four players rush the quarterback it’s called a . 48) If the quarterback gets tackled behind the line of scrimmage, it’s a . 49) On a draw play, the offense pretends like they’re going to make a . 50) The quarterback drops back into the to make a pass. 51) The offense can make forward pass behind the of . 52) A forward pass can only be made behind the of . 53) The offense can always make a pass and all players are eligible receivers. 54) Check the offensive players that are normally eligible pass receivers: Center Guards Tackles Tight end Quarterback Halfback Fullback Runningback Wide receiver 55) A shotgun is when the quarterback three or four yards from the center. 56) On the fourth down the offense will frequently . 57) Why is a safety a triple bonus? 58) Does a touchback score? 59) What would they score, a touchdown, field goal, safety, extra point, or touchback? a) The quarterback drops back into his own end zone to make a pass and gets tackled.
b) The offense successfully kicks the ball through the uprights. (After a touchdown.) c) On the punt, the ball is dead in the endzone. d) The defense successfully intercepts a pass in the offense’s end zone
e) The offense fumbles the ball and it goes out of bounds in the defense’s end zone.
f) The ball is run into the endzone by the offense.
g) A pass is caught in the endzone by the offense.
h) The offense gets a penalty in their own end zone.
60) How many points are scored for a: a) Touchdown b) Extra point c) Field goal d) Safety 61) The is in charge on the field for the offense. 62) A flag on the play means there’s been a . 63) If the offense just scored, and the defense gets called for a penalty, the offense will probably the penalty. 64) The referee wears the hat. 65) During the NFL draft, the team with the record picks first, and the team with the record picks last. 66) The wild card teams are the two best 67) Match up the jersey numbers with the players by drawing a line between the two.
Self-test answers1) a) kickoff, b) switch directions, c) kickoff, d) switch directions. 2) 30 seconds 3) Half 4) Sudden death 5) 15 minutes 6) A coin toss 7) 15 minutes 8) Three 9) a) Kick or receive, b) Which goal to defend. 10) Facing them. 11) Offense 12) Defense 13) 35-yard line 14) Possession 15) Receiving 16) Field goals, kickoffs, punts, and extra points. 17) Touch 18) 11 19) 10 yards 20) Sidelines 21) Bounces around wildly. 22) 5 yards 23) 20-yard line 24) a) Score, b) get another first down by advancing the ball ten yards. 25) Possession 26) a) Third down, two yards to another first down, b) Second down, five yards to another first down, c) Fourth down, one yard to another first down, d) First down, they are within ten yards of scoring. 27) Quarterback 28) Strong 29) Two guards, two tackles, and the center 30) Nose tackle 31) First down 32) Down 33) Football 34) Spots 35) Center 36) Offsides or encroachment 37) Line of scrimmage 38) Seven 39) One 40) Interior offensive line 41) Snaps 42) Runningbacks, halfbacks 43) Turnover 44) Man 45) Zone, or area of the field 46) Three 47) Blitz 48) Sack 49) Pass 50) pocket 51) One, line of scrimmage 52) Line of scrimmage 53) Lateral 54) Quarterbacks (sometimes), Fullbacks, Wide receivers, Tightends, Halfbacks, and Runningbacks 55) Sets up 56) Punt 57) The team that scored gets to receive, and the ball is spotted on the 20 yard line instead of the 35 yard line. 58) No 59) a) Safety, b) Extra point, c) Touchback (doesn’t score), d) Touchdown, e) Touchback (doesn’t score), f) Touchdown, g) Touchdown, h) Safety (two points for the defense). 60) a) Touchdown - six points, b) Extra point - one point, c) Field goal - (three points), d) Safety - (two points). 61) Quarterback 62) Penalty 63) Decline 64) White 65) Worst, best 66) Second best 67) (1-19) Quarterbacks and specialists like kickers and punters. (20-49) Running backs (halfbacks, fullbacks, tailbacks) defensive backs (cornerbacks & safeties). (50-59) Centers and linebackers. (60-79) Guards and tackles (defensive and offensive). (80-89) Wide receivers and tight ends. (90-99) Defensive ends. |
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