Football is a team sport where the objective is to work the ball downfield toward your opponent’s goal-line. The field is 100 yards long with a 10-yard end zone at either end where teams can score touchdowns. The game is played on a grass surface and players wear pads for protection. There are many different positions on a football team, but the most important position is the quarterback (QB). The QB throws the ball to teammates and can also run with the ball himself.
The ball is put into play on each play by a kickoff (where the kicker kicks the ball downfield) or a punt (where the punter punts the ball backward). The center, or snapper, puts the ball in place for the kicker or punter. Then the ball can be put into play by a snap (where the Centre swiftly moves the ball forward through his legs into the Quarterback’s hands, which gives it its name) or by the Quarterback handing the ball to Running back; this is known as a hand off. The biggest goal for any offense is to score a touchdown. To do this a player must carry the ball across the opponents’ end zone or catch a pass in the end zone. A successful touchdown is worth six points. If the team scores a touchdown they have a chance to add one or two extra points by kicking the ball between the goal posts.
A defensive player can stop the offensive play by tackling the ball carrier or blocking a defender from behind. If the defensive player stops a ball carrier before they cross the line of scrimmage it is a penalty and the opposing team gets possession. A team can also lose possession if a forward pass goes out of bounds or a fumble occurs, in which case the ball is returned to the last line of scrimmage.
There are also a number of ways that the game can be stopped during play, such as when a player runs out of bounds or when an official throws a flag. During these times the clock is stopped while the referees review the situation.
There are several ways to watch football, including paying for cable or streaming online. You can even find some games on local networks, but the easiest solution is to subscribe to a premium streaming service. Depending on the service you choose, you can watch any game that is being broadcast on that day or night. Most NFL games are shown on Sunday, with an additional game each week on Monday and Thursday nights. Occasionally a game will be shown on another network such as Fox or NBC.