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► American Football 101

AMERICAN FOOTBALL 101

So, you want to know the basic rules of American Football? Well you are in the right place.  Welcome to Football 101 with the UCH Sharks.

First of all, a simple summary of the game, courtesy of Wikipedia...

"The object of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. The ball can be advanced by carrying it (a running play) or by throwing it to a teammate (a passing play). Points can be scored in a variety of ways , including carrying the ball over the goal line, catching a pass from beyond the goal line, tackling an opposing ball carrier in his own end zone, or kicking the ball through the goal posts on the opposing side. The winner is the team with the most points when time expires at the end of the last play."
 

Now, lets break it down and have a closer look...

1. The Field

The playing field is usually 100 Yards long.  On each end of the field is an End Zone, which is the area a player must reach to score.  The pitch has lines going across it at 10 yard intervals, and has shorter lines, called Hash Marks (not shown on diagram) every yard.

2. Flow of Play 

A game of American Football is split into 4 quarters, lasting 15 minutes each.  However, as the clock is continually stopping and starting, a game can last for between 2-4 hours.

The game begins when one team (Team A) kicks the ball off to another (Team B).
Team B will catch the ball and run it as far up field as they can before being tackled by Team A.  The play stops when the ball carrier is tackled.

The offense of Team B and defense of Team A will then take the field.  The offense now have 4 downs (attempts) to move the ball 10 yards or more down field towards the opposition's end zone.  They can do this by either passing the ball, or running with it.  If they fail to make 10 yards within the 4 downs, the ball gets turned over to the opposing team.

A team can score points in several ways. 
Firstly, they can score a touch down.  This occurs when the ball is either carried into or caught in the opposition's end zone.  If a team score a touch down, they get the chance to convert it by attempting a field goal.

Secondly, a team can score a field goal during normal play, with out scoring a touch down first.

3.Teams

Offense (Blue on diagram)

The Offensive team consists of an Offensive Line(O Line) (1xCentre(C), 2xOffensive Guards(OG) and 2xOffensive Tackles(OT)), a Quarterback(QB), and a mixture of Tight Ends(TE), Full Backs(FB), Tail Back or Running Backs(TB/RB), and Wide Receivers(WR).

The Offensive Line's main responsibilities are to provide the Quarterback with protection and time to throw the ball on pass plays, and create gaps in the line for the Full Back and Tail back to run through with the ball on run plays.  These players are usually BIG guys, who are physically strong and mentally tough.

The Quarterback is the Offensive Team leader.  He is the one who recieves the play from the coach, and passes the information onto the offense.  The QB must have excellent vision, anticipation and throwing skills, as well as being fast and tough.  He must know every play inside out, as he is the one who it relies on the most.

Wide Recievers are the speedsters of the Offensive Team.  They are the ones who run and catch the ball on pass plays, and block the defense on run plays.  WR's must be quick, have good hands and high levels of concentration and focus.

Full Backs/Tail Backs also have several responsibilities.  On run plays, one of them will recieve the ball from the QB and run with it as far up field as possible, trying to score a touchdown at every opportunity.  On pass plays, they will help the Offensive Line with blocking. A successful FB/TB will be quick, but also strong, and have excellent awareness, so that he can change direction and run through the gaps created by the O Line.

Defence (Red on diagram)

The Defensive team consists of a Defensive Line(D Line) (Defensive Tackles(DT) and Defensive Ends(DE)), Linebackers(LB), Corner Backs(CB) and Safetys(FS & SS).

The Defensive Line are the biggest players on the Defense.  They have the most physically demanding job, enaging with the opposition offensive line.  The Defensive Line will engage in blocks on run plays, making it hard for the oppostion running back to penetrate the line, and on run plays, they will try to reach the Quarterback before he can release the ball.  They must be physically strong, willing to take hits but also be able to make vital tackles.

Linebackers are the workhorses of the Defence.  They are involved in all aspects of the defence from stopping runs to intercepting passes to tackling ball carriers.  They must be the best tacklers on the team, be quick yet strong, and able to read the play easily.

Corner Backs and Safety's are known under the collective title of Defensive Backs (DB's).  The Corner Backs are extremely quick players, who are able to shed blocks from Wide Recievers, as well as having an eye for the ball on pass plays.
Safety's have to be the best athlete's on the field, as well as having to be the most intelligent as they need to know everything thats happening in front of them.  Their primary responsibility is stopping passes.

Want to play? 

If you are interested in playing for the Sharks, then feel free to get in touch.  You can contact Nath on 07706 287532 or James on 07970 756036 or CLICK HERE to check out our training times.

Come down and try it out!

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