Although it is derived from other popular versions of the traditional game played in other countries, American football can be very confusing, especially for non-Americans. If you are intrigued by this, here are the basic rules for you to enjoy this exciting game.
As usual, there are two teams of eleven players each, known as ‘defense’ and ‘offense’, playing on a field, 160 yards long and 100 yards wide, which is striped by white lines, marked each 10 yards.
You need to understand that the game is based on the rule that the offensive team must attempt to cover a 10-yard section of the field in four (or fewer) “downs” (or “plays”). If they miss their attempt, the other team will possess the ball and then they will have a chance on the other team. On the other hand, if their attempt is successful, the down is reset to 1 and they attempt to move an additional 10 yards and continue to the end zone.
The offense can run the ball, or throw it, in their attempts to reach the end zone, while the defense must engage players with the ball on the ground to prevent them from reaching the desired zone.
Like any other game, the team that scores the most points is the winner, but in the case of American football, the final score can be reached in many different ways:
A touchdown carries six points and is awarded when a player from either team manages to get the ball into the opposing team’s end zone. When scoring a touchdown, the player is given a choice: kick the ball over the crossbar placed between the goal posts, for an extra point, or attempt two extra points by trying to move the ball into the end zone again (the ball is initially held at the 2-yard line when taking this option).
A field goal with three points is awarded if the ball is kicked over the crossbar from the field. Field goals are not as frequent as touchdowns because teams prefer to score touchdowns and carry more points. Typically, a player would decide to attempt a field goal only when he is close enough to the goal posts and has a good chance of making it, or when a touchdown seems impractical due to time constraints. Sometimes a field goal may be attempted when a team needs to cover a lot of ground in one or two attempts, and it seems unrealistic to continue to maintain possession of the ball.
A Safety carries two points for the opposition when they bring down a player, or when the player causes the ball to go out of bounds, while standing in their own end zone. The ball is then given to the opposing team.
The game, which consists of 2 periods of 30 minutes each, lasts one hour. Each half is divided into 2 quarters of 15 minutes each. Teams switch ends after the conclusion of the first quarter, and the third, to even out the advantages or disadvantages of either side of the field. Each team is allowed three ‘timeouts’ per half to give the team a rest and discuss their strategy for their next plays.
If a team decides not to use its timeouts in the first half, it does not carry over to the second half. In the event of a tie, there is a 15-minute overtime. The team that scores the first point in overtime wins the game. If either team does not score, the game ends in a draw.
