A Beginner's Guide to the Basics of Football
For a complete beginner, football can seem rather enigmatic. You see two opposite lines of players on the field rushing at each other for a few seconds, and then the whistle blows and the action stops. This scene will repeat itself over and over for the duration of the game. If you don’t know exactly what’s going on, it can be confusing to watch the game at a sports bar. Here’s a quick crash course in understanding the basics of football.
The Game
The game itself is divided into two halves, each of which contains two quarters. Each quarter has 15 minutes of play for a total of 60 minutes of play per game. However, football games run much longer than 60 minutes, as the game clock only counts down when there is action on the field. At the end of the first half, the teams take a break. This is known as “half time.”
The Teams
Each football game has two teams playing each other. However, each team is subdivided into two lines—the defense and the offense. Only one subdivision per team will be on the field at any given time. For example, the Cowboys’ offense might play against the Raiders’ defense, or the Raiders’ offense might play the Cowboys’ defense. The Cowboys’ defense and offense will not be on the field at the same time.
The Objective
The objective is to score more points than the other team. Points are scored primarily via touchdowns. When a team’s offensive line (which includes the quarterback) is on the field, they have the ball. They can pass the ball and run the ball to gain yards toward the end zone. When a ball is run or passed and caught in the end zone, a touchdown is scored. Meanwhile, the opposing team’s defensive line will try to stop the offensive line from scoring.
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