Football is the world’s most popular team sport, a game of kicking a spherical ball with your feet or head. It was originally invented in England in the mid-19th century as a way to keep schoolboys occupied after lessons, but it is now played all over the globe by amateurs and professionals alike. There are a few basic rules that all players must abide by. These include not touching the ball with your hands, legs or arms (unless you are the goalkeeper).
A touchdown is worth six points. It can be scored by running the ball into the opponent’s end zone or throwing the ball to a receiver who catches it in the end zone. The defense can also force a safety by forcing an offensive ball carrier out of bounds or recovering a loose ball in the end zone.
Teams can score additional points by kicking field goals, which are worth three points each and can be kicked from any location on the field. This usually happens when a team reaches fourth down inside the opponents’ half of the field. Teams can also try for an extra point after scoring a touchdown, which is worth one point.
Each team has four downs to advance the ball ten yards to the opposing team’s end zone. This is called making a first down. The team can run or pass the ball, but they must not fumble the ball. If the ball is fumbled, it’s turned over to the opposing team.
A quarterback is the player in charge of passing the ball to other players on the offense. A quarterback can hand off the ball to another player, or he can throw the ball to a wide receiver or tight end. A quarterback can be tackled and fumble the ball, but the defense must recover it in order to prevent a scoring play.
When a play ends, the official referee places the ball on a yard marker that corresponds with his or her judgment of the spot where the forward progress of the player holding the ball was stopped. For example, if a player is tackled behind the line of scrimmage and does not gain any ground, the next play will be noted as “1st and 10.”
Playing football requires a great deal of hard work and dedication to achieve success. Children who participate in football learn the value of setting goals and committing to the rigorous effort required to accomplish them, which helps foster a solid work ethic in other areas of their lives. In addition, football helps kids develop their coordination and agility while improving their overall cardiovascular health. All of this is due to the fact that football involves a lot of walking, jogging and running, which strengthens the heart, helps resist plaque build-up in the coronary arteries, lowers blood pressure and burns excess calories. This makes it a very effective form of exercise for young people. Aside from the physical benefits, football is an ideal opportunity to instill social values.
