The Rules of the Game

Object of the Game:
The object is to outscore your opponent by advancing the football into the endzone for as many touchdowns as possible. There are other ways of scoring, but a touchdown is the prime objective.

Basics of a Team:
  • Each team is allowed 11 men on the field at a time.
  • If team A has possession of the ball, they use their offensive players to advance towards the endzone by throwing, kicking, or running with the ball.
  • If team B has the ball, team A use their defensive players to stop team B from advancing the ball, by tackling or by intercepting the ball.
  • Unlimited substitutions are permitted, but players may only enter the field when the ball is not in play.
Scoring:
  • The main way of scoring is a touchdown, which is worth 6 points. To score a touchdown, a player must carry the ball into the endzone or catch a pass in the endzone.
  • After scoring a touchdown, the team is given a chance to score one or two more points; these are called extra point conversion attempts. A kicked conversion is worth one point, and a run or passed conversion is worth two points.
  • Another way to score is by kicking a field goal between the upright bars in the endzone. This is worth three points.
  • A team can also pick up two points by tackling an opponent possessing the ball in their own endzone. This is called a safety.
  • After a touchdown or field goal the team must kick off to the other team, who take possession of the ball.
Down and Distance:
  • A "down" is a play from the time the ball is "snapped" (put into play) to the time the play is whistled by the officials.
  • A team offense is given four downs to move ten yards towards the endzone.
  • If they make the ten yards within four downs, they are given a new set of four downs. This is called getting a first down.
  • "Distance" is the number of yards a team still needs to go to reach the required ten yards.
  • If the team does not reach the ten yards, the other team takes posession of the ball.
  • The team can decide to "punt," that is, to kick the ball on the fourth down to avoid giving their opponents a good position on the field. The opponents then take over when the punt is fielded.