Football is a team sport in which 11 players, each wearing uniforms and playing with a ball, try to maneuver the ball into their opponent’s goal to score points. The game is played on a field with a rectangular boundary that extends 5.5m inside the penalty box and around each of the two goalposts. There is also a smaller rectangular area called the “goal area” that falls within the goal lines and extends 5.5m on either side of each goalpost.
There are many different rules that govern the game, but the basic objective of football is to score goals in a 90-minute match. Each match is divided into two halves of 45 minutes, with a 15-minute break called half-time. The team that scores the most goals during the match is declared the winner.
A match starts with a kickoff, where one of the teams kicks the ball down the field. The team that receives the ball will begin playing offense, while the other team will play defense. Each team has a group of specialized players, known as special teams, that only come in on kicking plays.
The teams have three distinct groups of players: the Offense, which consists of offensive and defensive linemen who start each play on the line of scrimmage; the Defense, which aims to stop the opposing team’s Offense; and the Special Teams, which only come in on kicking situations (punts, kickoffs, and field goals). Only eleven players from one team can be on the field at any given time, and each player has a specific role.
During each play, the Offense attempts to advance the ball forward by running with it or throwing it. The Defence tries to prevent this by blocking the Offense’s offensive line and tackling or forcing them out of bounds. If the Offense successfully advances the ball 10 yards, they get another four chances – called downs – to make it further forward. If they fail to reach the goal line in four downs, possession of the ball is turned over to the Defence.
Penalties in football are based on the violation of certain rules, and are signalled by referees by throwing yellow flags on the ground. These flags indicate that a penalty has been committed, and the offending team must then change their position on the field. Penalties typically result in the offending team losing 5-15 yards of field position.
After a touchdown, the scoring team can choose to kick the ball over the crossbar and through the goal posts for 1 point (a field goal), or run or pass it into the end zone for 2 points (a two-point conversion). There are also other types of points in football, such as the safety, which occurs when an offensive ball carrier is tackled, forced out of bounds, or loses the ball out of bounds in their own end zone. There are also bonus points awarded when a player catches the ball in the end zone.
