Football

Football is the word given to a number of similar team sports, all of which involve (to varying degrees) kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. The game of football has so far earned immense popularity among the people of this world, since its inception, as the people love playing and watching the game, very much. Like most of the other games in the world, football also has its own rules and regulations so that the players play the game according to the true spirit of the game. Football is a timed sport. The team with the most points at the end of the time period, wins the game. The game is divided up into 4 periods or quarters with a long "half time" between the second and third quarter. Time is counted while plays are running and sometimes between plays (i.e. time continues after a running play where the player was tackled in bounds, but stops on an incomplete pass). To keep the game going at a good pace the offense has a limited time (called the play clock) between plays.

Field: According to the international standard, the length of the rectangular football field (pitch) is in the range 100-110 m (110-120 yards) and the width is in the range 65-75 m (70-80 yards). There are two teams that compete against each other in a football match and each team contains eleven members. One of the players must be the goalkeeper, who always stays within a specified area. Each of the teams tries to score a goal, and prevent the opponent from doing so, throughout the match. Apart from the goalkeeper, none of the other players in a team is allowed to touch the ball with their hands. Even the goalkeeper is also allowed to touch the ball with hands, only within the specified penalty area.

The Football Play: The team with the possession of the football is called the offense. The offense tries to advance the football on plays. The defense tries to prevent the offense from scoring or advancing the football. The down system: The offense must advance the ball at least 10 yards every four plays or downs. Each time the offense is successful in advancing the ball 10 yards, they get four more downs or what is called a "first down". If the offense does not get 10 yards in four plays, the other team gains possession of the football at the current line of scrimmage. In order to keep the other team from getting good field position the offense can punt (kick) the ball to the other team intentionally. This is often done on 4th down, when the offense is outside of field goal range. Offensive plays on downs start with a snap. This is when the center passes the football between their legs to one of the offensive backs (usually the quarterback). The ball is advanced either by running with the football (called rushing) or passing the football. The football play is over when 1) the player with the football is tackled or goes out of bounds 2) an incomplete pass 3) there is a score.The offensive team can lose possession of the football by:

• Scoring
• Not getting 10 yards in four downs.
• Fumbling or dropping the football and the defensive team recovers it.
• Throwing the football to a defensive player for an interception.
• Punting, or kicking, the football to the defensive team.
• Missing a field goal.
•  Getting tackled in the end zone for a safety.

Officials: A football match needs a team of four officials, to be played properly and according to the true spirit of the game. These officials include: a referee, two linesmen and the fourth referee. The fourth referee is kind of a reserve referee and he looks over the time and duration of the match. All these officials remain engaged in enforcing the rules of the game. Among the officials, the referee is mainly the head of the outfit and he decides the calls etc. The two linesmen are mainly involved in making calls for fouls, offsides or any kind of illegal activities by the players, in their respective halves.

Football Penalties: There are many rules and penalties that are enforced during a football game. Most football penalties result in a loss or gain of yardage depending on whether the penalty is against the offense or the defense. The severity of the penalty determines the number of yards. Here are some of the more common football penalties:

False Start: When a football player on the offense moves just prior to the snap. This is a five yard penalty. Note that one back on the offense can legally be "in motion" at the time of the snap.

Offside: If a player from the offense or defense is on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap. A defensive player can cross the line of scrimmage as long as they get back before the snap, but if they touch an offensive player they can be called for encroachment.

Holding: When a player grabs a football player without the ball with the hands or hooks him or tackles him.

Pass Interference: When a defender contacts a pass receiver after the ball is in the air to prevent him from catching the ball. This is up to the referee to determine. If the contact is before the ball is in the air it will be called defensive holding. Note that pass interference can also be called on the offense if the defender has position and is trying to catch the ball.

Facemask: To protect the football players, it is illegal to grab another player's facemask.

Roughing the passer or kicker: To protect kickers and quarterbacks, who are very vulnerable when they are passing or kicking the ball, players are not allowed to run into them after the ball has been thrown or kicked.

Intentional Grounding: When the passer throws a pass nowhere near an eligible receiver strictly to avoid being sacked.

Ineligible Receiver Downfield: When one of the offensive players that are not an eligible receiver is more than 5 yards downfield from the line of scrimmage during a forward pass.