The game of football has many rules that can seem confusing to new players. There is a lot of information that is important to know before playing or watching the game. This article will help explain some of the most important things to understand about the game.
Each team is made up of 11 players. The team that has possession of the ball is called the offense and tries to advance the ball down the field by running or throwing. The goal is to get the ball into an area called the end zone. Once the ball is in the end zone, a team scores 6 points.
To start the play, both teams line up on a starting point on the field. This is called the line of scrimmage. One player for each team, called the center, snaps the ball to the quarterback. The quarterback then either throws the ball to a wide receiver or running back, or runs with the ball. During a run, all other offensive players try to block defensive players to clear a path for the runner. Some plays involve complex blocking schemes, and coaches often diagram the different routes that the runner will take.
A play ends when the runner is tackled, and any part of his body other than his feet or hands touches the ground. The ball is spotted where the ball-carrier’s feet were when the play ended. The defense can prevent a play from advancing by intercepting the ball, which they may then run with until they are tackled, forced out of bounds or score.
There are also penalties in football that cause the clock to stop. The referees will throw yellow flags to indicate a penalty has been committed. Some of the common penalties include illegal forward passes, pass interference, obstructing, and unsportsmanlike conduct. A team that commits a penalty will lose between 5-15 yards of field position.
After a touchdown, the team can try to score one extra point by kicking the ball between the goal posts. This is not an easy thing to do, as it requires the quarterback and a number of other players to get the ball over the defensive line and into the end zone.
A touchdown can also be scored when a defensive player catches a passing ball, or if a fumbled ball is recovered by the defending team. A fumble happens when the ball comes loose from a player’s hand, and it is awarded to the defending team. There are also safety touchdowns and 2-point conversions, which can be scored when the team crosses over into the opposing end zone. The final score of a game is the sum of all points scored by both teams. In the event of a tie, overtime is played. During overtime, each team has 4 downs to gain 10 yards or more. If the team does not make this amount of progress, they must punt the ball to the other team.