How American Football Works
How to Play Football
Football, also known as American football, is a team game that combines strategy and physical play. The object of football is to advance the ball up the field by running and passing the ball, and scoring a touchdown by crossing the ball into the end zone. Professional football, high school football, and college football are all highly popular spectator sports in the United States.
Football History
Football originated from a primitive game of rugby played in America in the 1840s. In 1880, Walter Camp, considered the "Father of American Football," exchanged the traditional rugby scrum for a line of scrimmage. In 1882, the four down system was introduced to negate Princeton and Yale's strategy to hold the ball without trying to score. The following year, Camp reduced the number of players to eleven, and introduced the seven-man offensive line, with a quarterback, two halfbacks, and a full back. The first professional game was played in 1895. The National Football League (NFL) began in the early 1920s. Today, football is one of the most popular sports in the United States.
Football Rules
Football is played by two teams, with eleven players from each team on the field at a time. A football field is 120 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide, including a field of 100 yards and two end zones of ten yards each. A game of football consists of four 12-15 minute quarters, depending on the level of play.
The game begins with a coin toss. The winning team gets to decide if they would like to receive the ball, or which end of the field they would like to defend in the first half. One team then kicks the ball to the other team. A kick off occurs at the beginning of each half, and after every score.
The team that takes control of the ball has four attempts, called downs, in which to advance the ball ten yards. When the offense succeeds in gaining ten yards they receive a new set of downs. If the offensive team fails to gain ten yards after four
Football, also known as American football, is a team game that combines strategy and physical play. The object of football is to advance the ball up the field by running and passing the ball, and scoring a touchdown by crossing the ball into the end zone. Professional football, high school football, and college football are all highly popular spectator sports in the United States.
Football History
Football originated from a primitive game of rugby played in America in the 1840s. In 1880, Walter Camp, considered the "Father of American Football," exchanged the traditional rugby scrum for a line of scrimmage. In 1882, the four down system was introduced to negate Princeton and Yale's strategy to hold the ball without trying to score. The following year, Camp reduced the number of players to eleven, and introduced the seven-man offensive line, with a quarterback, two halfbacks, and a full back. The first professional game was played in 1895. The National Football League (NFL) began in the early 1920s. Today, football is one of the most popular sports in the United States.
Football Rules
Football is played by two teams, with eleven players from each team on the field at a time. A football field is 120 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide, including a field of 100 yards and two end zones of ten yards each. A game of football consists of four 12-15 minute quarters, depending on the level of play.
The game begins with a coin toss. The winning team gets to decide if they would like to receive the ball, or which end of the field they would like to defend in the first half. One team then kicks the ball to the other team. A kick off occurs at the beginning of each half, and after every score.
The team that takes control of the ball has four attempts, called downs, in which to advance the ball ten yards. When the offense succeeds in gaining ten yards they receive a new set of downs. If the offensive team fails to gain ten yards after four