January 31, 2008
When you think about it, football is really simple; it’s just that there are so many moving parts.
The game is divided into four quarters, with 15 minutes each of “official” clock time and two halves of two quarters apiece. Because there are breaks in the play that force the official clock to stop, games last about three hours of real time.
The field is 120 yards long (100 plus another 10 each for the two end zones) and 53 1/3 yards wide. Each yard is marked off with a line, numbered from 1 to 50. The 50-yard line is at the middle of the field. The unnumbered “zero” yard line on either side of the field is the goal line.
Each team has 11 players on the field. With a few exceptions, the team with the ball is the offense. The offense is set up with an offensive line — the seven men who line up in front to block the defense — and the backfield, which includes the quarterback (the head of the offense) and running backs, who carry the ball when the quarterback hands it to them or tosses them a short pass. A wide receiver may be part of the offensive line or part of the backfield depending on the situation.
The offense has four downs (chances) to either score or advance 10 yards. If they get the 10 yards (or more) without scoring, they get a first down and another four chances. And so on and so on….
Again, with a few exceptions, the team that doesn’t have the ball is the defense. It is organized with a defensive line up front, with players such as linebackers and defensive backs behind them. There is much more flexibility on defense. For instance, you don’t have to line up with seven men on the defensive line.
The defense seeks to keep the offense from scoring either by stopping the forward movement or taking the ball away (forcing a turnover). If the defense keeps the offense from making a first down, the offense will most likely punt (a kick from behind the line of scrimmage). This differs from a kickoff, which comes at the beginning of each half and after each touchdown or a field goal.
What goes on?
An offense can advance the ball by having a player carry it (a running or rushing play) or by throwing the ball (passing play). Don’t let the name fool you, though. The player who catches the ball can run with it, too.
A defense may force a turnover by whacking a player so hard that he drops the ball (causing a fumble) or by intercepting (catching) a pass thrown by the offense.
A defense may stop forward progress by tackling the player with the ball or by causing the intended receiver (the guy whom the pass was thrown to) to drop the ball.
There are rules against unnecessary roughness, which prescribe how and when you may whack your opponent. “Unnecessary roughness” generally means doing something to injure an opposing player, and there are penalties for such unsportsmanlike conduct. There are lots of other penalties as well.
What’s the score?
Touchdown: Worth six points and earned by either running the ball past the goal line or by throwing the ball to a receiver in the end zone.
Field goal: Worth three points. A team elects to kick the ball through the uprights in the end zone, rather than attempt a touchdown. Usually this play is attempted on fourth down when the offense doesn’t believe they can get a first down but is close enough to successfully kick the ball. It was a field goal that ultimately won the Giants their Super Bowl spot this year.
PAT: After a touchdown, the offense can elect to kick the football through the uprights for a “point after touchdown.” This is generally considered an automatic score, although the defense may be able to block the kick or the kicked ball may not go through the uprights.
Two-point conversion: This is not a religious experience, although fans may be praying a lot when their team attempts one. The offense may elect to try to score two points after a touchdown rather than go for a PAT. It’s a riskier play, because the offense gets one chance to essentially make another touchdown that’s worth only two points. If the defense stops them, the offense will have gambled in vain and will walk away with no extra points.
Safety: Worth two points, but it is scored by the defense. Basically, the defense scores a safety when it forces the offense down in its own end zone. For example, if the Giants tackled Patriots quarterback Tom Brady while he was holding the ball in the Patriots’ end zone, the Giants would score two.
Of course, it’s unlikely you’ll remember all this, but that’s okay. It’ll all be over in about three hours; then life goes back to normal. Although, if you have a man for all seasons, we can offer some hockey and basketball definitions, and did we mention that baseball players start spring training in mid-February? Meshuga, huh?