So your son is playing football and loving it. And you, the ever-supportive parent, come out to every game. But haven’t a blessed clue what’s going on.
Don’t worry! This is actually quite normal.
Despite the stereotypical idea of a football player, the game itself is quite complex. Not only are twenty-four players running around at every play often trying to confuse the other team, but there are myriad of rules which vary from league to league.
Still, the basics are easily learned, and with that knowledge, you can certainly enjoy watching your son play, even if you never figure out the difference between a tight end and a double slot. (Neither of which are dirty words in football.)
So read on, and discover these basics. And learn to love the game as much as your son does. (Well, almost…)
Very Simple Version
(For more through explanation, see below)
The two teams try to gain points by moving the football toward the endzone. The team with the most points wins.
They take turns attempting to move the ball at least ten yards. Each attempt is called a down. If one team they cannot move the ball at least ten yards on three tries, the other team gets the ball.
On each down, the team may run, pass or kick the ball. The other team tries to stop them usually by tackling them to the ground.
Main Objective
The main objective of football is quite simple: to score more points than the other team.
Points are scored by getting a touchdown (6 points), field goal (3 points), convert (1 or 2 points), safety touch (2 points) or single point (1 point, obviously).
Game Structure
The field is 110 yards long with endzones at each end. The field is marked in five-yard increment starting at each endzone. The line 55 yards from each endzone is called the centre line.
The game is played in four quarters of 12 minutes a piece. At each quarter, the teams change ends, and there is a fifteen-minute intermission at the end of the first half.
The clock typically runs all the time in these leagues except for the last few minutes in each half. There are several reasons to stop the clock, but we won’t discuss them here.
Basic Play
The basic play of the game has an offensive side (the team in possession of the ball) and a defensive side. The offense is trying to move the ball ahead (away from their endzone) at least 10 yards, while the defense is trying to stop the offense. The offense may carry the ball (run or rush) or may throw it (pass) from one player to the next.
The offense has three attempts (called downs) to do get at least 10 yards. If they succeed, they get another series of three downs. If they fail, the ball is turned over to the other team who is then the offense.
Typically, players will be either offensive players or defensive players, so after a change of possession, you will see a large substitution of players. Occasionally, some players will play both ways, especially at this level where star players are often played a lot or teams have few players (due to small schools or injuries).
When you hear “1st and 10”, it means it is the team’s first attempt at this series (first down) and they have ten yards to go to another series. Likewise, “2nd and 3” would mean second down (second attempt) with three yards to go.
If the offense feels they cannot get enough yards to get another set, they may choose to kick it. (See Kicking below.) Usually this only happens on third down, because it means the other team is getting the ball. However it is legal to kick at any time.
Scoring
Touchdown (6 pts) – A team scores a touchdown when they have possession of the ball in the other team’s endzone. Usually this happens when they carry the ball across the goal line or catch it in the endzone.
Field Goal (3 pts) – A team scores a field goal when they kick the ball off the ground through the uprights (goal posts located along the goal line). The ball must be held by another player.
Convert (1 or 2 pts) – After a team scores a touchdown, they get another chance to score more points. Starting on the opponent’s five-yard line (i.e., five yards from the opponent’s goal line), they can either try a field goal or score another touchdown. In Sniors, a kicked convert is worth 1 point while a passed or rushed convert is worth 2 points. In Bantams, the points are reversed.
Safety Touch (2 pts) – If an offensive player is tackled in his own endzone, the opposing team gets 2 points.
Single Point (1 pt) – If a field goal is missed or if a punt ends up in the endzone, the receiving player is in danger of being tackled in his endzone. So he may opt to give up a single point by running out of bounds in the endzone or dropping to one knee. This gives the opposing team one point, but the receiving player’s team starts further downfield. A single is also awarded if the kick (punt or field goal) goes through the endzone.
Breaking Down the Down
Each play begins with the two teams lining up on opposite sides of the ball (called scrimmage). The offense faces the opposing team’s endzone on an imaginary line that the ball is on (the line of scrimmage).
When the ball is snapped (passed from the centre to the quarterback), the play (and the seeming chaos) starts.
The linemen will crash into each other, with the offensive linemen protecting the quarterback or trying to make a path for the running back and the defensive linemen and linebackers trying to get past the linemen to tackle the ball carrier.
The receivers will run past the line of scrimmage trying to get open while the defensive backs will try to get in their way or catch the ball if thrown (known as intercepting).
The quarterback usually has three options:
Run the ball himself
Hand off or toss the ball to another player to run
Throw the ball to another player across the line of scrimmage
The play continues until the ball is blown dead by the referee. This happens when a player in possession of the ball has at least three points on the ground (usually from being tackled), has his forward momentum stopped for a period of time, or goes out of bounds. It also happens when a pass is incomplete (it hits the ground or goes out of bounds before it can be caught by a receiver).
Although this seems like chaos, all plays are planned and practiced ahead of time with each player having a specific job.
Kicking (the ball)
There are three types of kicking: Kick off, Punting, and Place kicking
Both punts and place kicks happen during a play. Kick offs wait until the referee gives permission to kick.
A kick off is kicked from a freestanding tee, and everyone on the kicking team lines up along behind the ball. This happens at the start of both halfs and after a touchdown (usually). The ball is live (available to be touched by everyone) after it travels 10 yards.
A punt is a drop kick, where the kicker holds the ball in his hands then drops it and kicks it in the air. It typically occurs on third down when the offense thinks it cannot make the ten yard marker and wants the other team to start in worse field position. Only people behind the ball when it is kicked can touch the ball before the opposing team does. (There is also a safety zone around a player catching a punt called the “no yards zone”.)
A place kick is kicked off the ground while someone is holding it. It is an attempt at a field goal and can be done on any down (but usually third). If the kick is blocked or missed, the ball will be live with the same rules of a punt applying.
Turnovers
There are times when the defense may gain possession of the ball before the ball is kicked
Fumbles occur when a player drops the ball while originally having possession. If an offensive player gets the ball after a fumble, the offense team keeps possession, but it often means the down is lost. If the defensive player gets the ball after the fumble, the ball is turned over, and the formerly defensive team becomes the offense.
Interceptions occur when a defensive player catches the ball thrown by the offensive team.
In both cases, the play may still be live after the ball is turned over.
Turnover on downs occurs when the offensive team tries three times to get a first down and fails. The defense then gets the ball where it was last dead.
Penalties
There are many reasons for a penalty to be called, too many to be discussed here. However, each rule infraction has a penalty, usually a set of yardage. (For example, an off-side penalty is five yards.)
When an official notices an infraction during a play, he or she will throw a flag (a red or orange handkerchief kept in a pocket). At the end of the play, the referee will speak with the official who threw the flag about the penalty.
The non-penalized team then has the option to accept the penalty or decline it.
If they accept it, the penalty yardage is applied and the down is replayed. For example, if it was 1st and 10 on the offensive team’s 15 yard line, and the defensive team goes off-side, the play would be replayed as 1st and 5, on the offensive team’s 20-yard line (five yards from the original line of scrimmage).
If they choose to decline the penalty, the penalty is ignored and the down is accepted as played. This happens when the result of the play is better than the penalty would be. In our previous example, if the offensive team gained 25 yards on the play, it’s better for them to decline the penalty and start on their 50 yard line (twenty yards further down the field).
To inform the teams (and crowd) what penalties are called, the referee will use hand singles. See Ref Signals - http://www.cfl.ca/page/game_rule_refsignals
Major Positions
There are twelve players from each team on the field during a play. There are many different names for each position depending on the plays and set up of each team. But they will be divided into these key divisions:
Offensive Players
Offensive Linemen – Usually the biggest guys, they line up along the line of scrimmage at the beginning of each play. They must be in a three-point stance (i.e., two feet and a hand on the ground). They protect the ball carrier by blocking defensive players.
Running backs – They line up behind the offensive line and will typically receive handoffs from the quarterback to run the ball. They will also run out to catch short passes.
Receivers – They line up along the line of scrimmage on either side of the linemen. They typically run different patterns waiting for a pass from the quarterback.
Defensive Players
Defensive Linemen – Like offensive linemen, they line up along the line of scrimmage at the beginning of each play, but do not have to be in a three-point stance. Their goal is to tackle the ball carrier, hopefully behind the line of scrimmage.
Linebackers – Players who typically line up just behind the defensive line. They typically defend against runs and short passes.
Defensive Backs – Players who typically line up across from receivers and defend generally against the pass
Specific Offensive Players
Centre – Lineman who lines up on the ball. He will snap the ball to the quarterback starting the play.
Quarterback – The “leader” of the offensive, he takes the ball from the centre and orchestrates each play by running the ball, handing it off to another running back, or passing it to a receiver.
More Information
Hopefully, with this information, you can better understand the chaos that seems to be happening.
There is much more to the game, many nuances not mentioned here. Plus there is an awful lot of strategy that happens throughout the game.
For more thorough (better?) explanations, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_football.