National Football League

Football 101: Tackling the basics

Published Sep. 1, 2009 2:57 a.m. ET

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It's heeere ... Football season. You dread its onset because you are utterly clueless about the game — but there it is, every weekend, wherever you look. When it comes down to it, there's no way to avoid America's favorite sport — and really, there's no reason to. Once you understand what it is you're watching — and why everyone's so excited about it — you can start enjoying game day instead of dreading it. We'll get you started with an introduction to the basics.

Touchdown!

Let's begin with what you already know: A touchdown is a score. (See how smart you are?) It's worth six points. Now, some people get confused thinking it's worth seven, but that's just because it's very rare for a team not to score by kicking an extra point (or PAT for "point after touchdown") after they make it into the end zone.

End Zone?

No, it's not the final minutes of the game. The end zone is the area at the edge of the field beyond the goal line. There's an end zone on each side of the field, end-capped by a goalpost. The end zone is where all scores happen — this is the altar where football players worship, but it becomes a veritable dance floor when a touchdown is scored. If a team can't make it all the way to the opposite end zone for a touchdown, the next best thing is to kick the ball down the field and through the "uprights" (the vertical posts of the goalpost) located there for a three-point field goal. A field goal attempt can be the most exciting play of the game — many games have ended with a field goal attempt in the final second (yes, that's "second" in the singular!).

Um ... All the Way Down the Field?

The playing field is 120 yards long, but 20 of those yards are in the end zone. The other 100 are marked in 10 yard increments, starting with 50 in the center and counting down toward each end zone. The game doesn't start at the center of the field, though — only the coin toss does. The winner of that pregame coin toss typically chooses to be the "receiving" team — meaning that the opposing team will kick the ball as far down the field as they can, and the receiving team will try to run it back for better field position (i.e., getting closer to the end zone in front of them so that they're in position to score). Then it's 1st and 10 for the offense.

Wait, What? 1st and 10?

Each team gets four chances (or "downs") to move the ball 10 yards. So on the first play, they are on the first down and have 10 yards to go (1st and 10). If they move the ball down the field 10 yards (or more), they get a new first down, and it's 1st and 10 again. But if they don't reach their goal on the first try, it's 2nd down, with however many yards remain to reach that first 10 yard goal. (So it could be 2nd and 4, for example ... or even 2nd and 15 if the team lost yardage on the play.) Once again, if they reach their 10 yard goal, the tally resets with a first down, and the play "series" continues with the team getting four more chances to move the ball down the field and score. Otherwise, the jig is up on the fourth down.

Math Isn't My Thing ...

No need to fret, you can still enjoy the game: Markers on the sidelines keep track of the downs and the yardage for you. How easy is that?!

Phew! So, What Happens on the 4th Down?

If a team is really, really close to the goal line, they might try to score a touchdown on the 4th down. If they're farther out but within kicking distance (on average, around 35 yards away), they'll probably attempt a field goal. But if scoring isn't in the cards, the team tries to set up their defense by improving their field position — and that means kicking the ball ("a punt") in a play reminiscent of the start of the game. This time, however, the other team is receiving and running the ball back toward their goal. Rinse and repeat. The teams continue altering possession of the ball and taking their series of four downs to "convert" (getting a new first down or scoring) until time runs out.

And When Exactly Does Time Run Out?

There are four quarters of the game, each 15 minutes long — on the play clock at least. In real time, the game is much longer than 60 minutes (more like three and a half hours) because the game clock stops for penalties and injuries, when the ball goes out of bounds, when possession of the ball changes, and also for timeouts and even commercials. Possession doesn't change between quarters except after the second quarter, at halftime. Then, after a 20-minute break, another kickoff occurs like at the beginning of the game, only this time it's the opposite teams kicking and receiving.

Kickers, Receivers, Offense, Defense — How Many Players ARE There?

A team will have 11 players on the field at any given time. Ever heard the term "12th man"? That's you, the fan. The 12th man's job is an important one: Stay quiet on offensive plays so your team can communicate, and get really loud when your team is playing defense — noisy fans disrupting the other team's plays is part of the home-field advantage. It's almost as if each team is made up of three separate teams of 11 — the offense, the defense and special teams. Offense: Everybody knows the quarterback (or QB) because he is the heart of the offense and gets all the glory. Think Tom Brady, Tony Romo or Peyton Manning. On offensive plays, the QB stands behind a set of "linemen," players who line up along the "line of scrimmage" where the ball lies. The center lineman hikes or snaps the ball to the QB; the rest of the linemen are guards and tackles there to protect the QB and block defensive players. (Think of the quarterback as the President, with the linemen as his Secret Service.) Why does the quarterback need to be protected? Because he's up against 300-pound linemen on the defense. The defense would love nothing more than to stop the play before it happens, "sacking" the QB by taking him down while he's still holding the ball. Linebackers live for sacking the quarterback. Keep in mind that, typically, the quarterback is the arm of the operation, not the legs. In his hands, the football is a hot potato, and he needs to get it into someone else's hands to move the ball down the field. On passing plays, he gets that help by throwing the ball to the receivers — like the wide receivers (WRs) and tight ends (TEs). On running plays, the QB usually hands off to the running backs (RBs). Defense: The defensive line matches up to the offensive line — they too have guards and tackles, but instead of a center, they have a nose guard or tackle. This line's job is to pressure the quarterback (threatening that sack scenario) and also to prevent running backs from getting past them. Behind them are the linebackers (so named because they "back up" the line) — the largest and most vicious players on the team — as well as cornerbacks (in the back corners, eyeing the receivers) and the safety (the last line of defense). Special Teams: This is the unit that comes on the field with the kicker. They don't get a lot of glory, but their performance can make or break a game for a team. Because they handle kickoffs and kick returns, they are usually the best tacklers and also have the players with the best hands.

Is That All?

Not exactly ... but it's certainly enough for you to start getting into the game without feeling lost! Now it's just a matter of choosing a team to cheer on. Before you know it, you'll be wearing team colors, shouting at the TV and sharing your "takes" (that's football for "opinions") with all the other "Monday morning quarterbacks" who are analyzing the weekend's plays. Now what are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy the game!

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