Football is a team sport in which players compete to carry the ball across the opponent’s goal line into their end zone and score points. A team wins by scoring more points than its opponents after four quarters of play. A successful touchdown is worth six points, and extra points may be scored by kicking the ball through the opposing team’s goal posts or running or passing it into their end zone.
Each team consists of 11 players on the field. The game is played with a ball that must be a minimum of 58-61cm in diameter and of the same shape as a soccer ball. Players must wear protective gear including a helmet, shoulder pads and shin guards. Football requires fast movements and quick changes of direction. This improves body flexibility and agility and leads to better coordination and response in other physical activities. It also increases cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength. It is also a good way to reduce stress and anxiety and to release endorphins, which are mood elevating chemicals.
Teams begin the game by positioning themselves on opposite sides of a line called the line of scrimmage, which separates the offensive and defensive teams. Then, a player on the offensive team called the quarterback hands or passes the ball to another teammate to start a play. The other team then attempts to stop the offense from advancing the ball by tackling any players who touch the ball.
The offensive team gets four chances, known as downs, to advance the ball at least 10 yards. If they fail to do so, the team without the ball regains possession. Typically, a team will punt on fourth down if it believes that it is unlikely to gain enough yards to score.
If a defensive player catches the ball while it is being passed to a teammate, this is an interception. The defensive team then takes over the ball. If the defensive team intercepts a pass, they can run with it until they are tackled or forced out of bounds or turn the ball over on downs.
There are many different ways to kick a ball in football, but the most common is a place kick, which is kicked from a spot on the field that is marked by a pylon set up at one end of the field. There is also a drop kick, which is kicked from the ground, and a free kick (which can only be kicked after an interception or fumble) from behind the line of scrimmage.
In the NFL and college, a place kick is kicked from between the upright goalposts, while in high school and in some colleges, it can be kicked from the end zone. If a field goal is successfully made, three points are awarded to the team that kicks it. In addition, six points are awarded to a team that runs or passes the ball over the opponent’s goal line into their endzone.
