Football Basics

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How the Football Season Is Set Up

The American football season is different for high school, college, and pro teams. Teams at every level play during a standard season and are governed by various football leagues, such as the NFL and NCAA [more…]

NFL Playoffs and the Super Bowl

After the regular football season, the NFL schedule moves into the playoffs, which ultimately lead up to the Super Bowl. In regular-season games, teams compete for the best win-loss records, and those [more…]

Common Football Terms to Know

Football fans have their own language when they talk about the game. To keep up, it’s useful to know what terms like down, extra point, safety, and snap mean. [more…]

Football Players' Roles in Team Offense and Defense

Whether on an offensive or defensive line, each player in a football lineup has a specific job to do. The following figure shows the 4-3 defense (a four down linemen and three linebacker scheme) lined [more…]

What Football Playing Field White Lines Mean

White lines on a football field are critical to playing the game. By knowing what yard lines, hash lines, and end lines represent, you’ll have an easier time following the game. [more…]

How Football Game Time Is Measured in Quarters

To keep things in small, easily digestible chunks, every football game is divided into quarters and these quarters are divided into smaller segments whenever the game clock stops [more…]

How Football Teams Can Score Points in Game Play

When a team has possession of the football, it can score points in several ways. Touchdowns, extra points, two-point conversions, field goals, and safeties all can increase a team's score. [more…]

Football Player Positions and a Common Lineup

Football pits the offense, the team with the ball, against the defense, which tries to prevent the offense from scoring. Each side lines up facing the other with the football in the middle. [more…]

Football Terms and Definitions

Like any sport, football has its own special lingo. For example, it has a range of downs from first to fourth, and none of them is related to a grey mood — unless your team’s colors include grey. The following [more…]

Football For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Football is about trying to make points by passing, carrying, or kicking an ovoid ball into the opponent’s end zone. It’s a rough-and-tumble game with its own jargon, including some terms that are just [more…]