FOOTBALL STUDY GUIDE

American football as we know it today was developed in the late 19th century from 2 English sports; soccer and rugby.  In 1876, the Intercollegiate Football Association was formed, and this organization developed many uniform rules of the game including setting the line of scrimmage, the systems of downs and scoring.  A regulation football field is 300 ft (100 yds) in length from goal line to goal line and the width is 160 ft (53 1/3 yds).  The end zones are 30 ft (10 yds) wide.

11 players make an official team for all of the offensive, defensive, and special teams.  The object of the game is to score at your opponent’s end zone by running and/or passing the ball across the goal line for a touchdown, or kicking the ball through the goal posts.  The scoring is usually done mainly by the offensive team, however, the defensive team can score points by tackling the quarterback in the end zone for a safety, or returning a turnover(fumble/interception) for a touchdown.

Each offensive team is allowed 4 downs (10 yds) a turn to get a first down.   If an offensive team fails to earn a first down within those 4 downs, it is turned over to the other team.  A regulation game consists of 4 quarters and if a game is tied after the 4 quarters, there is an overtime period. The team with the most points after 4 quarters is declared the winner.

Scoring/point values:           
Touchdown:   6                      field goals: 3
Pass/run extra points: 2          safety: 2
Kicked extra point: 1

Various penalties:
Delay of game: 5 yds                         Holding:  10 yds
Encroachment/off sides: 5 yds          Clipping: 15 yds
False start: 5 yds                                Roughing the passer: 15 yds
Illegal motion: 5 yds                          Unsportsmanlike conduct:15 yds

Positions

OFFENSIVE:
Quarterback- the player who takes the snap from the Center and decides to hand off, passes, or run the ball.
Runningback- the player who usually lines up behind the QB and mostly runs the ball,
and sometimes catches and blocks.
Center- the player who snaps the ball back to the QB and blocks.
Guards/Tackle- the players who block during the running and passing plays.
Wide Receiver- the player who runs pass patterns, and catches the ball.
Tight End- the only player on the offensive line that blocks and can catch the ball.

DEFENSE:
Nose Guard/Tackles/Defensive End: the players who rushes the QB and stops the run.
Linebackers- the player that helps stop the run and cover potential receivers.
Defensive backs (corners/safeties)- the players that mainly covers the receivers and assist on
running plays

SPECIALTY PLAYERS:
Punter: the player that punts the ball down field on 4th down.
Place Kicker: the player that begins the game, restarts the game after a score, and kicks field goals and extra points.

MORE TERMINOLOGY:
Line of scrimmage: the imaginary line where the ball is place and both the offensive and defensive teams must stay behind until the ball is snapped.
False start: a violation where an offensive player moves before the ball is snapped.
Fumble: a ball that is dropped from your hands when running with in.
Huddle: this is where both the offensive/defensive teams group amongst themselves and decides a play
Incomplete Pass: a dropped catch or uncatchable pass.
Interception: a pass caught by the defensive team
Laterals: a backwards/sideways pitch from the QB to the running back.
Offside: a violation where a defensive player moves across the scrimmage line before the ball is
snapped
Safety: 2 points is given to a defensive team when an offensive player is tackled inside the end zone