American Football has many rules, but a basic understanding is enough to be able to follow the game. We explain the most important terms and concepts.
American Football Easy Explained
What Is The Game About?
The goal of a team is a touchdown. It brings the most points, (6). A touchdown is when a team brings the ball to the other end of the field. This is where the so-called end zone is located. The ball can be carried or thrown there. If thrown, a player of his own must catch the ball in the end zone. A mixture is also possible: the ball is thrown, a player catches the ball and runs into the end zone with it. This is called touchdown, by the way, because in the past the ball actually had to be put down. But this is no longer necessary.
The Game
An American football game consists of a series of moves. There are always two rows facing each other. A number of players from the attacking team, the offense and a number of players from the defending team, the defense. By the way, the teams have different players for this. The attackers and defenders of a team are not on the field at the same time. When the possession of the ball changes, players are also changed.
What Happens After?
The attacking team wants to move to the other end of the pitch as quickly as possible, the other team wants to prevent that. Put simply, a number of attackers face a number of defenders. The attackers now always have four attempts to overcome a distance of at least ten yards. The yards are marked on the playing field. One yard is about 91 centimeters.
Attacking Team
If the attacking team manages two yards in the first attempt, they only have to overcome eight in the subsequent three attempts. In this case, this is stated as “2nd & 8”, i.e. the second attempt with eight yards to overcome. These attempts are called Downs. In this example, there would be a second down. The offense only has a certain amount of time to start the attempt, usually 40 seconds. As soon as the attacking team has made ten yards or more, the attempts are set to zero. The offense has four attempts again for the next ten yards. Incidentally, the whole field is 100 yards long without end zones.
Quarterback
The attempt to carry the ball further forward starts when the ball is put back into play. This is the case when a player in the attacking team’s row throws the football through his legs towards the quarterback. The quarterback is one of the most important players on the field and often the star of the team. Once he has the ball in his hand, he has several options. He can play long passes as you know them from movie scenes. But he can also throw the ball shorter or simply hand it to someone. And he can also run himself.
Is This All ?
There are a lot more rules in football. But with these instructions, you should be able to follow the Superbowl without constantly wondering what is happening. And so that you are not surprised at the very beginning: The first move – and each one after winning a point – is a little more special. The defending team kicks the ball as far as possible from its own half into the other, so that the attacking team has the longest possible way to go.