PENALTIES
RULES
PLAYERS
INTRODUCTION
Football is like life. It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority. vince lombardi
Football is a team sport in which the team with the most points WINS! There, it’s simple, isn’t it? Well, it’s a little more complicated than that, but the basic principles of the game are pretty simple. There can only be 11 men on the field from one team at a time. The offense of one team lines up against the defense of the other. The object of the game is to move the ball down the field in order to score points. The offense is given 4 attempts to advance the ball (at least) 10 yards from the original line of scrimmage. Remember – each attempt, or play, is called a down, starting the moment the ball is put into play and ending when the ball is called dead. If they make it all the way down the field they need to cross the goal line into the end zone for a touchdown. The game consists of four 15-minute quarters of playing time, which equals out to be about three hours. I know, 4 times 15 doesn’t exactly add up to 3 hours. But between scoring, time outs, and the clock stopping, you’ll be surprised how quickly one hour becomes three. After the 1st and 3rd quarters there is a 2 minute break, the two teams switch sides, and play continues exactly where it left off. After the 2nd quarter there is a 15 minute intermission known as half time. No matter who has the ball, and where they have it, that’s it. The half is over and when the second half starts, they start fresh. This is a good time to refill your beer and grab a hotdog.
During a typical NFL game, the ball is only in play for 11 minutes!
INTRODUCTION
Ok, let’s start from the beginning.
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DOWN A period of action that starts when the ball is put
into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning that the play is completed). The offense gets 4 downs to advance the ball 10 yards. If it fails to do so, it must surrender the ball to the opponent, usually by punting on the fourth down.
END ZONE A 10-yard-long area at both ends of the field, the
promised land for a football player. You score a touchdown when you enter the end zone in control of the football. If you’re tackled in your own end zone while in possession of the football, the other team gets a safety. EXTRA POINT A kick, worth one point, that’s typically attempted
after every touchdown (it’s also known as the point after touchdown, or PAT). The ball is placed on either the 2-yard line (NFL) or the 3-yard line (college and high school) and generally is kicked from inside the 10-yard line after being snapped to the holder. It must sail between the uprights and above the crossbar of the goalpost to be ruled good. FIELD GOAL A kick, worth 3 points, that can be attempted
from anywhere on the field but usually is attempted within 40 yards of the goalpost. Like an extra point, a kick must sail above the crossbar and between the uprights of the goalpost to be considered good. FUMBLE The act of losing possession of the ball while
running with it or being tackled. Members of the offense and defense can recover a fumble. If the defense recovers the fumble, the fumble is called a turnover. HASH MARKS The lines on the center of the field that signify
1 yard on the field. Before every play, the ball is spotted between the hash marks or on the hash marks, depending on where the ball carrier was tackled on the preceding play.
the offense’s possession of the ball.
KICKOFF A free kick (the receiving team can’t make an
attempt to block it) that puts the ball into play. A kickoff is used at the start of the first and third periods and after every touchdown and successful field goal.
INTRODUCTION
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INTERCEPTION A pass that’s caught by a defensive player, ending
PUNT A kick made when a player drops the ball and
kicks it while it falls toward his foot. A punt is usually made on a fourth down when the offense must surrender possession of the ball to the defense because it couldn’t advance 10 yards. PUNT RETURN The act of receiving a kick or punt and running
toward the opponent’s goal line with the intent of scoring or gaining significant yardage. SACK When a defensive player tackles the quarterback
behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage. SAFETY A score, worth two points, that the defense earns
by tackling an offensive player in possession of the ball in his own end zone.
SNAP The action in which the ball is hiked (tossed be-
tween the legs) by the center to the quarterback, to the holder on a kick attempt, or to the punter. When the snap occurs, the ball is officially in play and action begins. TOUCHDOWN A score, worth 6 points, that occurs when a player
in possession of the ball crosses the plane of the opponent’s goal line, or when a player catches the ball while in the opponent’s end zone, or when a defensive player recovers a loose ball in the opponent’s end zone.
key terms
Football is a team sport and there is no one individual who is bigger than the next person. emmit smith
In order to advance the football they can either: Pass the ball Where the quarterback throws to one of his receivers.
PLAYERS
The role of the offense is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a TOUCHDOWNNNN!! So whoever is in possession of the ball is on offense.
Run the ball Where the quarterback can either keep the ball or hand it off for it to be run forward to gain yards.
offense
BACKS & BACKFIELD Quarterback (QB) The quarterback is the leader of the team and the play maker. In fact, he’s a man of many talents – he not only throws the ball, he outlines each play to his team. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. Halfback / tailback (HB/TB) The primary role of the halfback, who is also known as the tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullback (FB) Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage situations and often are not used in passing situations.
RECEIVERS Wide receiver (WR) Wide receivers line up, on, or near the line of scrimmage, split outside of the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays.
LINEMEN Center (C) The leader of the offensive line is the center, who snaps the ball to the quarterback, blocks, and makes sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. Gaurds (G), Tackles (T) On either side of the center are the guards, while tackles line up outside of the guards. The primary job of guards and tackles is to block for the ballcarrier and protect the quarterback.
The huddle used in football was created by deaf quarterback Paul C. Hubbard so the other team could not read his hand signals.
PLAYERS
Tight end (TE) Tight ends line up outside of the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers.
The role of the defense is to prevent the opposing team’s offense from scoring. Tackle Where the defense will attempt to stop the ball carrier by either tackling or running him out of bounds. If a player steps on the sideline, he is out of bounds and the play is dead at that spot. Force a turnover Where the defense will attempt to either intercept (catch) or knock the ball away from the receiver or where the defense will attempt to stop the ball carrier by either tackling or running him out of bounds.
PLAYERS
In order to stop the offense they can:
defense
DEFENSIVE LINE Defensive ends (DE) Defensive ends line up on the ends of the line. Defensive tackles (DT) Defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles is to stop running plays on the inside and outside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through.
LINEBACKERS
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Middle linebackers (MLB) Outside linebackers (OLB) Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of the defensive backfield. Linebackers are the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays. Their roles include defending the pass, stopping the run, and pressuring the quarterback or tackling him.
The defensive backfield, often called the secondary. Cornerbacks (CB) Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite of a receiver so as to be able to cover him. Safeties (S): Free Safeties (FS), Strong Safeties (SS) Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties are the last line of defense, and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as running plays.
Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, introduced helmets to football.
PLAYERS
DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD
21 The role of the special teams unit is to execute and defend punts and kicking plays. Kickoffs Which is a method of starting a drive and occurs at the start of each half, after a touchdown or field goal, and before each overtime. Punts Where the punter receives a snapped ball from the line of scrimmage and then punts (kicks) the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally occurs on a fourth down.
PLAYERS
The special teams is responsible for executing the:
special teams
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FIELD GOALS AND KICKOFFS Placekicker (K) or (PK) The placekicker is responsible for the kicking of field goals and extra points. Longsnapper (LS) The long snapper’s job is to snap the football to the holder. Holder (H) The holder will catch the ball from the long snapper and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off of a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. Kickoff returner (KR) The kickoff returner is the player on the receiving team who catches the ball.
PUNTS AND PUNT RETURNS
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Punter (P) The punter drops and kicks the football before it hits the ground.
Longsnapper The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter.
Punt Returner (PR) The punt returner catches the punt and attempts to return it to gain yards.
PLAYERS
Gunner Gunners line up outside of the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner.
When you go out on a football field, you are responsible for taking care of yourself. The more rules you get, the less players truly take care of themselves. jim brown
One of the longest field goals in NFL history was kicked by a man who had only half a foot!
The object of the game is to score the most points. There are four ways to score points in football. Touchdown = 6 Points A touchdown is the biggest single score in a football game. It is worth 6 points, and it allows the scoring team an opportunity to attempt to get an extra point. To score a touchdown, the ball must be carried across the goal line, caught in the end zone, a fumble recovered in the end zone, or an untouched kickoff recovered in the end zone by the kicking team.
Field Goal = 3 Points If the offense cannot score a touchdown, it may try to kick a field goal. Field goals are worth 3 points and often are the deciding plays in the last seconds of close games. They can be attempted from anywhere on the field on any down, but generally are kicked from inside the defense’s 45-yard line on fourth down. For a field goal to be good, the place kicker must kick the ball through the goal-post uprights and over the crossbar. The defense tries to block the kick and stop the ball from reaching the goal post.
RULES
Extra Point & Two-point Conversions = 1 or 2 Points Immediately following a touchdown, the ball is placed at the opponent’s 2-yard line, where the offense has 2 options. Usually the offense will kick an extra point, also called the point after touchdown, conversion, or PAT. If the offense successfully kicks the ball through the goal posts, it earns 1 point. The offense can also score 2 points by running or throwing the ball into the end zone in the same manner as you would score a touchdown. Since going for 2 points is more difficult than kicking an extra point, the offense generally chooses to kick the extra point.
Safety = 2 Point The safety is worth 2 points. A safety occurs when the offensive ball carrier is tackled behind his own goal line.
scoring
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A play begins with the snap. At the line of scrimmage (the position on the field where the play begins), the quarterback loudly calls out a play in code and the player in front of him, the center, passes, or snaps the ball under his legs to the quarterback. From there, the quarterback can either throw the ball, hand it off, or run with it. The Run There are two main ways for the offense to advance the ball. The first is called a run. This occurs when the quarterback hands the ball off to a running back, who then tries to gain as many yards as possible by eluding defensive players. The quarterback is also allowed to run with the ball. The Pass The alternative to running the ball is to throw it, or as they say in football, pass it! Usually, the quarterback does the passing, though there are times when another player may pass the ball to confuse the defense. Actually, anyone on the offensive team is allowed to pass the ball as long as the pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. A pass is complete if the ball is caught by another offensive player, usually the wide receiver or tight end. If the ball hits the ground before someone catches it, it is called an incomplete pass.
moving the ball
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Starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal, and the safety kick, which follows a safety.
A game starts with the kickoff. The ball is placed on a kicking tee at the defense’s 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play, and a special kicker (a placekicker) kicks the ball to the offense. A kick return man from the offense will try to catch the ball and advance it by running. Where he is stopped is the point from which the offense will begin its drive, or series of offensive plays. When a kickoff is caught in the offense’s own end zone, the kick returner can either run the ball out of the end zone, or kneel in the end zone to signal a touchback – a sign to stop the play. The ball is then placed on the 20-yard line, where the offense begins play.
It is also illegal to contact the kicker in order to preserve their safety. There is a penalty known as roughing the kicker if a player from the receiving team contacts the kicker which often occurs when trying to block the kick.
RULES
The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver’s opportunity to catch the ball, and the receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch by waving his arm in the air. This prohibits the defense from knocking into or tackling the receiver, but the play ends as soon as the ball is caught and the ball may not be advanced.
kicking
While trying to advance the football to the end zone, the offense may accidentally turn the ball over to the defense in one of two ways: Fumble When the ball carrier or passer drops the ball, that’s a fumble. Any player on the field can recover the ball by diving on it or he can run with it. The team that recovers a fumble either gets or retains possession of the ball. Interception An aggressive defense can regain possession of the ball by catching (intercepting) passes meant for players on the other team. Both fumble recoveries and interceptions can be run back into the end zone for touchdowns.
turnovers
The record for the most fumbles in a single game is 7.
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All progress in a football game is measured in yards. The offensive team tries to get as much “yardage” as it can to try and move closer to the opponent’s end zone. Each time the offense gets the ball, it has 4 downs, or chances, in which to gain 10 yards. If the offensive team successfully moves the ball 10 or more yards, it earns a first down, and another set of 4 downs. If the offense fails to gain 10 yards, it loses possession of the ball. The defense tries to prevent the offense not only from scoring, but also from gaining the 10 yards needed for a first down. If the offense reaches fourth down, it usually punts the ball (kicks it away). This forces the other team to begin its drive further down the field.
If they go for it it’s usually because they only need a yard or even less, and they’re probably going to try and push their way through. They may pass the ball, but that’s not done often. Now if they get it, it’s another first down. If they don’t get it (the defense holds them back), not only do they lose possession of the ball, but the other team gains possession with good field position. But if they punt, at least they can get the ball deep into the opposing team’s territory. If they go for it and make it, it’s first and 10. That’s known as a fourth down conversion.
RULES
Now the third down is very important. If the third down is successful – the offense gets the necessary yardage to complete the full 10 yards – they start over. They have 4 more tries to get 10 more yards. But, if after the third down the offense has not been able to advance 10 yards, it is the fourth down and they have three options: › they can go for the fourth down › if they are in field goal range, they can go for the 3 points › they can punt
first down
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The field measures 100 yards long and 53 yards wide. Little white markings on the field called yard markers help the players, officials, and the fans keep track of the ball. Numerals that display the yard lines in multiples of ten are placed along both sides of the field. Probably the most important part of the field is the end zone. It’s an additional 10 yards on each end of the field. This is where the points add up! When the offense – the team with possession of the ball – gets the ball into the opponent’s end zone, they score points. The end zone is marked by weighted pylons on the inside corner of the intersection of the goal line and end lines. Goalposts are at the center of the end zones.
field
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Games are divided into four 15-minute quarters, separated by a 12-minute break at halftime. There are also 2-minute breaks at the end of the first and third quarters as teams change ends of the field after every 15 minutes of play. At the end of the first and third quarters, the team with the ball retains possession heading into the following quarter. That is not the case before halftime. The second half starts with a kickoff in the same way as the game began in the first quarter. From the end of a given play until they must snap of the ball for the start of the next play, each offensive team is given 40 seconds in the NFL and 25 seconds in college and high school football, otherwise they will be penalized for a delay of game. The clock stops at the end of incomplete passing plays, when a player goes out of bounds, or when a penalty is called. The clock starts again when the ball is re-spotted by an official.
RULES
If a game is tied at the end of regulation, a 15-minute overtime period will be played. In the NFL, this is sudden death and the first team to score wins. Possession is determined before the period begins by a coin toss.
President Theodore Roosevelt introduced the forward pass rule to football in 1906.
timing
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Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw his hat as a secondary signal. The 7 officials on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Referee, umpire, head linesman, line judge, back judge, side judge, field judge, and the chain crew
The chains, consisting of 2 large sticks with a 10 yd-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least 3 people – 2 members of the chain crew will hold either of the 2 sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker, a large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down, and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered to be an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side.
RULES
Each official has a different responsibility but for our purposes we will only go into detail about the chains crew’s responsibilities.
officials
In football everything is complicated by the presence of the opposite team. jean-paul sartre
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Now when it comes to penalties in football there are a seemingly endless amount, some of which are rarely used. The quick important ones we see more often and will need to know to understand an average game are listed here:
ENCROACHMENT
When a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact with an opponent before the ball is snapped. Encroachment is a 5-yard penalty.
FALSE START
When an interior lineman on the offensive team moves prior to the snap of the ball, or when any offensive player makes a quick, abrupt movement prior to the snap of the ball. This is a 5-yard penalty.
HOLDING (DEFENSIVE)
When a defensive player tackles or holds an offensive player other than the ball carrier. The penalty is 5 yards and an automatic first down.
HOLDING (OFFENSIVE)
When an offensive player uses his hands, arms, or other parts of his body to prevent a defensive player from tackling the ball carrier. The penalty is 10 yards.
OFFSIDE
When any part of a player’s body is beyond the line of scrimmage or free kick line when the ball is put into play. Offside is a 5-yard penalty.
PASS INTERFERENCE
A judgment call made by an official who sees a defensive player make contact with the intended receiver before the ball arrives, thus restricting his opportunity to catch the forward pass. In the NFL, this penalty awards the offensive team the ball at the spot of the foul with an automatic first down. In college, pass interference is a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.
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PERSONAL FOUL
An illegal, flagrant foul considered risky to the health of another player. A personal foul is a 15-yard penalty.
ROUGHING THE KICKER
When a defensive player makes any contact with the punter, provided the defensive player hasn’t touched the kicked ball before contact. This is a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.
ROUGHING THE PASSER
When a defensive player makes direct contact with the quarterback after the quarterback has released the ball. This is a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.
PENALTIES
The average life expectancy of an NFL player is 55 years.
pocketref.com
pocketref.com