Important Information to know about Football Game

Football is quite an interesting game that mostly loves to play it without any excuse. Before playing it, rules of the football must be understood first. The rules of football can be complex and vary depending on the level of play. We will cover some of the basics here including the field, Format, players (offensive, defensive) and penalties.

» Football Field

The football field is 120 yards long and 53 ½ yards wide. At each end of the field and 100 yards apart are the goal lines. The additional 10 yards at each end is the end zone. The field is divided up every 5 yards by a yard line. The middle yard line marker is called the 50 yard line. In parallel to the side lines are rows of hash marks. The football is always placed on or between the hash marks at the start of each play. This ensures that the teams have space to line up on both sides of the football. The position of the football that defines the sides of the ball is called the "line of scrimmage".

         If any part of a player with the football touches outside the side lines or the end zone it is considered Out of Bounds.

» Game Format

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.

» Football Players

The rules in football allow each team to have eleven players on the field at a time. Teams may substitute players between plays with no restrictions. Each team must start a play on their side of the ball.

      The defensive players may take any position they want and can move about their side of the football prior to the play without restriction. The offensive players; however, have several rules that define their position and what role they may take in the offense. Seven offensive players must be lined up on the line of scrimmage. The other four players must be lined up at least one yard behind the line of scrimmage.

 » 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. 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.
●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.