An Introduction to American Football
http://www.wassonline.com/online-gambling-news/articles/137/1/An-Introduction-to-American-Football/Page1.html
Phillip Brown
Hi, my name is Phil and I’m from
I’m currently studying politics and social studies at college. I am a huge poker fan and I play in organised (friend no betting ;) ) tournaments with other students as well as playing online. I have always loved card games and poker is one of the most fun ones out there, it has been repeatedly described as the “all American past time” and I think this is defiantly true from the people I know.
I am hoping to eventually get far enough into politics to try and help peoples understanding of the game and hopefully disband some of the over the top gambling/sin related stigma that a percentage of American political groups associate with the game.
By Phillip Brown
Published on 06/6/2008
This article discusses the rules and basic game play of American Football. It has been designed as an introduction to the sport for people who are not familiar with how it works or want to know more about the rules and style of play. The article aims to give a comprehensive overview so that you can make more accurate and informed decisions when betting on the sport in the future.
American football is one of the most popular sports in it’s homeland. For those who aren’t aware of the game’s basics, however, it can be a confusing mystery of penalties and short bursts of intense play. Understanding football is quite easy once one possesses a few of the key basics – how the field is set up, the function of the various players, and the overall mechanics and rules. Essentially, gaining territory is the end goal of both teams (or preventing your opponent from gaining territory from you). Each team seeks to drive the ball forward down the field with the ultimate goal of entering the other team’s end zone and scoring a touchdown (the primary means of scoring points), while defending the field behind them.
The field structure in American football is fairly simple. The field of play is 120 yards long, divided up into 50 yards for one team to defend and 50 yards for the opposition to defend, and 10 yards on either end that make up the end zone. The 50 yard line, then, is the exact center of the field. The 100 yard grass field is marked every ten yards.
There is some basic terminology that is needed to understand a discussion of the game. The end zone refers to the 10 yard portion at each end of the field. Each team is responsible for defending the end zone that is behind them, and points are scored by moving the ball into the end zone in various ways. The sidelines are six-foot wide boundaries that run along the length of the field. The edge between the field and sideline marks the boundary for valid ball play. The goal lines are the eight-inch lines that mark the beginning of the end zone. At the back of either end zone is a goal post. This is a pole that rises 10 feet vertically and connects to a horizontal bar with another vertical upright post at either end. It is through these upright posts that kicks can be made for points in certain circumstances during play. And, of course, the football is the most essential item on the field. American football is played with an oblong ball that is pointed at either end.
A standard game of American football is divided into four quarters, each 15 minutes in length. A break from play is taken at halftime, between the second and third quarters. Actual time of play, then, adds up to one hour. The time that a game may take from start to finish is usually a good deal longer than this, however, often as long as three or four hours. This is because the time clock stops often throughout the game. Time stops when a pass is incomplete, a player runs out of bounds with the ball, when there are two minutes of play left in the half, and when a team uses one of their three time outs allotted to them per half. If the two teams are tied at the end of an hour of play, the game goes into overtime, in which the first team to score wins.
The team members are divided into three groups – offense, defense, and special teams. Each of these groups has a special function.
The offense is responsible for moving the ball down field and is responsible for scoring points. This is done in two ways. Players either run with the ball and attempt to get as far as possible before being tackled by the opposing defense, or one player will throw the ball to another in an attempt to gain distance, or utilize various combinations of the two. The offense has four chances – called downs - to gain at least 10 yards in order to retain control of the ball.
Perhaps the most influential player on the field is the quarterback. This player leads the team on the field by calling plays and instructing his teammates. The quarterback throws or hands the ball to his teammates who run the ball to gain yards. Running backs run the ball; receivers catch passes. There are also linemen who defend the quarterback from being tackled while he attempts to get the ball to one of the receivers or running backs.
When the offense exhausts their four downs without achieving 10 yards of gain, or when they score a touch down, the opposing team gains possession of the ball, and their defense takes the field. The defense attempts to prevent the opposing team’s offense from gaining ground, and downs, on the field, and also tries to regain possession of the ball. Defensive linemen attempt to tackle the quarterback, or at least to prevent him from successfully passing the ball. Linebackers are mainly responsible for covering the receivers and running backs and preventing them from gaining ground. Cornerbacks are intended to specifically cover the receivers; safeties prevent a break-away run or long pass by playing far downfield from the rest of the action.
The special team members consist of a placekicker, returner, and punter. Placekickers attempt to kick the ball through the goal posts after a touch down (this is called an extra point) or when the offense is too far from the end zone to achieve a touch down. Returners catch the ball that is being kicked off or punted to their team and runs it for as much distance as possible. Punters kick the ball away to the opposing team after a turn-over (when the offense runs out of downs).
The field structure in American football is fairly simple. The field of play is 120 yards long, divided up into 50 yards for one team to defend and 50 yards for the opposition to defend, and 10 yards on either end that make up the end zone. The 50 yard line, then, is the exact center of the field. The 100 yard grass field is marked every ten yards.
There is some basic terminology that is needed to understand a discussion of the game. The end zone refers to the 10 yard portion at each end of the field. Each team is responsible for defending the end zone that is behind them, and points are scored by moving the ball into the end zone in various ways. The sidelines are six-foot wide boundaries that run along the length of the field. The edge between the field and sideline marks the boundary for valid ball play. The goal lines are the eight-inch lines that mark the beginning of the end zone. At the back of either end zone is a goal post. This is a pole that rises 10 feet vertically and connects to a horizontal bar with another vertical upright post at either end. It is through these upright posts that kicks can be made for points in certain circumstances during play. And, of course, the football is the most essential item on the field. American football is played with an oblong ball that is pointed at either end.
A standard game of American football is divided into four quarters, each 15 minutes in length. A break from play is taken at halftime, between the second and third quarters. Actual time of play, then, adds up to one hour. The time that a game may take from start to finish is usually a good deal longer than this, however, often as long as three or four hours. This is because the time clock stops often throughout the game. Time stops when a pass is incomplete, a player runs out of bounds with the ball, when there are two minutes of play left in the half, and when a team uses one of their three time outs allotted to them per half. If the two teams are tied at the end of an hour of play, the game goes into overtime, in which the first team to score wins.
The team members are divided into three groups – offense, defense, and special teams. Each of these groups has a special function.
The offense is responsible for moving the ball down field and is responsible for scoring points. This is done in two ways. Players either run with the ball and attempt to get as far as possible before being tackled by the opposing defense, or one player will throw the ball to another in an attempt to gain distance, or utilize various combinations of the two. The offense has four chances – called downs - to gain at least 10 yards in order to retain control of the ball.
Perhaps the most influential player on the field is the quarterback. This player leads the team on the field by calling plays and instructing his teammates. The quarterback throws or hands the ball to his teammates who run the ball to gain yards. Running backs run the ball; receivers catch passes. There are also linemen who defend the quarterback from being tackled while he attempts to get the ball to one of the receivers or running backs.
When the offense exhausts their four downs without achieving 10 yards of gain, or when they score a touch down, the opposing team gains possession of the ball, and their defense takes the field. The defense attempts to prevent the opposing team’s offense from gaining ground, and downs, on the field, and also tries to regain possession of the ball. Defensive linemen attempt to tackle the quarterback, or at least to prevent him from successfully passing the ball. Linebackers are mainly responsible for covering the receivers and running backs and preventing them from gaining ground. Cornerbacks are intended to specifically cover the receivers; safeties prevent a break-away run or long pass by playing far downfield from the rest of the action.
The special team members consist of a placekicker, returner, and punter. Placekickers attempt to kick the ball through the goal posts after a touch down (this is called an extra point) or when the offense is too far from the end zone to achieve a touch down. Returners catch the ball that is being kicked off or punted to their team and runs it for as much distance as possible. Punters kick the ball away to the opposing team after a turn-over (when the offense runs out of downs).