Football is a team sport in which two teams compete to win by moving the ball down the field and scoring touchdowns. Players are divided into different positions – offense, defense and “special situations”. The game is played over a 100-yard long area called a field with a 10-yard end zone at either end in which a team scores touchdowns. There is also a set of goalposts at each end.
The offensive team controls the ball, which they can move by throwing or running it. They use different tactics to try and overpower the opposing team’s defense. The defensive team tries to stop them by bringing the ball carrier to the ground (a player is tackled when any part of their body other than the feet or hands touches the ground). If they are successful, the play ends and they must try again. The goal is to get the ball into the opponent’s end zone by running or passing it in – this is called a touchdown and is worth six points. The team can also score extra points by kicking the ball between the goal posts.
A game of football usually lasts for 90 minutes with a 15-minute break called half-time. It starts with the ball getting kicked off by the team that will be playing defense. Then the team with the ball will put their offense (attacking players) on the field and the other team will bring their defensive players on.
Once the ball is in play, a player called the center will snap it over his head and under his legs to the quarterback (the player who calls the plays). He then can throw or hand it off. If a defensive player manages to get to the quarterback while he has the ball it is a sack and the play is over.
After each series of downs, the team that has the ball will decide if they want to try and make it a touchdown or kick a field goal. They will get four attempts – known as downs – to advance the ball 10 yards up the field. If they fail to do so by the end of the fourth down they will turn over the ball to the other team.
The early form of football was extremely violent and many people actually died playing it, but new rules were established over time to make the game safer. It became a major professional sport by the 1950’s and is now one of the most watched in the world. There are a number of different leagues including the NFL which is the largest and most popular. There is also an international version of the game which is played in Europe and Asia. A large amount of money is involved in football which is not surprising considering how popular the game has become. There are even fantasy football leagues where fans can choose their own team of players and compete against others around the world.
