The Field
Lines on the field:
- End lines: The lines at each end of the field
- Sidelines: The lines along each side of the field
- Goal lines: The lines that mark the front of the end zone
- Field of play: The area bounded by the goal lines and sidelines
- 50-yard line: Located across the middle of the field
- End zones: The two areas bounded by the goal lines, end lines, and sidelines
- Yard lines: The lines going across the field at intervals of 5 yards that run parallel to the goal lines. There are numbers on the field marking every 10 yards, starting from the goal lines. All these lines and numbers are white.
- Hash marks: 2 sets of hash marks run parallel to each other down the length of the field. They are equidistant from the imaginary line down the middle length of the field. When the ball carrier is either tackled near a sideline or pushed out of bounds, the ball is returned to the closest hash mark. The same thing is done for balls that are punted out of bounds. Placing the ball at the hash marks, instead of farther out near the sidelines, makes sure the plays start near the middle of the field, which makes the game more wide open.
- Team lines: 6 feet outside the sidelines is a broken white line that demarcates an area where the coaches and substitute players may stand. Six feet farther out than that broken line is where the bench area begins. This is also where the team doctors and trainers examine injured players.
Uniforms
Jerseys:
- Each jersey for a team has a different number on it to distinguish one player from another
- The players’ numbers appear on the front and back of the jersey
- In the NFL, specific positions wear certain numbers
- Quarterbacks and kickers wear from 1 to 19
- Running backs and defensive backs wear from 20 to 49
- Linebackers wear from 50 to 59 or 90 to 99
- Offensive linemen wear from 50 to 79
- Defensive linemen wear from 60 to 79 or 90 to 99
- Receivers wear from 10 to 19 or 80 to 89
- Notice that there is some overlap between the number ranges associated with different positions.
- On the back of each jersey is the player’s last name
- The visiting team usually wears a white jersey
Helmets:
- Helmets come with chin straps to keep them fit snug
- Most linemen in the trenches wear a face mask called a cage, which has a bar extending down the middle. This prevents an opponent’s hands from reaching inside the face of the helmet.
- A punter or kicker with a helmet may have just a single bar
- Some helmets have a sunshade across the eyes to prevent glare from the sun. This also keeps opponents from seeing their eyes, which may give the player an advantage because opponents can’t see where he is looking.
Pads:
- Pads are needed to absorb the hits a player takes and protect the important parts of his body
- The types of pads include: thigh pads, elbow pads, hip pads, tail pads, and knee pads, although not all players wear all the pads
Towels:
- Towels must be tucked into their pants. QBs and receivers often wear towels to dry their hands clean between plays.
The Rules
The clock stops for the following reasons:
- A team calls a timeout. Teams have three timeouts per half.
- A quarter ends. This gives teams a chance to change sides (teams change sides at the end of the first and third quarters).
- The quarterback throws an incomplete pass
- The ball carrier goes out of bounds
- An injury
- A penalty
- The chain gang comes out to measure a first down
- A touchdown, field goal, or safety
- The ball changes possession
- Two minutes remain in the half or in overtime
- A coach challenges a call
How tie games are handled:
- If a game ends in a tie, the game goes into overtime. A coin toss determines who starts with the ball and gets the first shot at scoring.
- In the NFL, this method is sometimes called sudden death because, in the regular season, the game is over immediately after the first team scores
- The NFL instituted a new overtime policy in 2010. Now if the team that wins the coin toss scores only a field goal, the opposing team gets a chance to score, and if this team scores a touchdown, they win the game. If the game is still tied after both teams have had a shot to score, the game goes into sudden death and the first team that scores wins.
- In the wake of the Bills vs Chief’s crazy playoff game of the 2021 season, the NFL has decided to change the rules once again. Now even if a team scores a touchdown, the other team will get the ball and will have a chance to tie the game and continue sudden death until the next team scores.
Penalties
5-yard penalties:
- Penalties on the offense
- Delay of game: When the offense doesn’t snap the ball within the required 40 or 25 seconds, depending on how the last play ended.
- False start: When an inner o-lineman takes a three-point stance and then moves prior to the snap. Or when any offensive player makes a quick movement prior to the snap.
- Ineligible receiver: When a forward pass is caught by an offensive lineman at the line of scrimmage and it wasn’t first tipped by a defender.
- Illegal formation: When the offense doesn’t have seven players on the line of scrimmage. Also, running backs and receivers who aren’t on the line of scrimmage must be at least 1 yard off the line of scrimmage.
- Illegal motion: When an offensive player, such as a quarterback, running back, or receiver, moves forward toward the line of scrimmage right before the snap.
- Ineligible player downfield during a pass down: When an o-linemen is more than 2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage when a pass is thrown.
- More than one man in motion at the snap of the ball
- Penalty on the defense
- Defensive holding or illegal use of the hands: This is when a defensive player tackles or holds an offensive player other than the ball carrier. This penalty includes an automatic first down.
- Penalties for both sides
- Encroachment: When a player enters the neutral zone and contacts an opponent before the ball is snapped.
- Illegal substitution: When a player enters the field during a play. Players can only enter the field when the ball is dead.
- More than 11 players on the field at the snap
- Offside: When any part of a player’s body is past the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.
10-yard penalties:
- Penalties on the offense
- Offensive holding, illegal use of the hands, arms, or body by the offense: Most common when linemen are trying to protect the quarterback from being sacked.
- Offensive pass interference: When a pass is thrown and a receiver physically restricts or prevents a defender from intercepting the ball.
15-yard penalties:
- Penalties on the defense
- Roughing the kicker: When a defensive player makes any contact with the kicker.
- Roughing the passer: When a defensive player makes direct contact with the quarterback after having taken more than one step after the ball was thrown.
- Penalties on both sides
- Spearing: A tackler using his helmet to spear, or ram an opponent.
- Targeting: When a player lowers their head and makes helmet-to-helmet contact with another player.
- Clipping below the waist: When a player throws his body across the back of the legs of an opponent.
- Face mask: When a tackler grabs and twists an opponent by the face mask.
- Unnecessary roughness: When a player tackles, hits or makes contact with an opposing players in a way that seems dangerous and is targeted towards the their head or neck area, the initiating player can be called for unnecessary roughness.
- Unsportsmanlike conduct: When a player does something that’s unbecoming of the principles of sportsmanship, including the use of abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures toward opponents or officials.
Note: For Unnecessary roughness and Unsportsmanlike conduct a penalized player can also be ejected for the remainder of the game.
Pass-play penalties:
- Penalty on the offense
- Intentional grounding: When the quarterback, facing an imminent loss of yards due to pressure from the defense, throws a forward pass without a realistic chance of completing it. If he does from his own end zone, a safety is awarded to the defense. It is not intentional grounding when a passer, while out of the pocket, throws a pass that lands beyond the line of scrimmage with a teammate having a realistic chance of catching the ball. If he’s outside the pocket, the quarterback is also allowed to throw the ball out of bounds.
- Penalty on the defense
- Illegal contact: When a defensive player makes significant contact with a receiver who is beyond 5 yards from the line of scrimmage.
- Penalty on both sides
- Pass interference
Whenever a penalty is called, the ref announces it over the loudspeakers and also shows a signal for the penalty using his hands and body. You HAVE to see this link on referee signals. They have videos of every penalty signal!
Personal Foul
Wide Receivers
Passing patterns, aka routes:
- Straight turn-around routes
- Comeback: The receiver runs hard downfield, between 12 and 20 yards, and then turns quickly to face the ball. This route is usually run along the sideline.
- Curl: This is an 8- to 12-yard pass where the receiver stops and then turns immediately, making a slight curl before facing the quarterback’s pass.
- Hook: Also known as a buttonhook, the route is designed mostly for a tight end, who runs downfield and then makes a small turn, coming back to face the quarterback and receive the ball. A hook is similar to a curl, except the turn is made immediately without a curl out and the pass is shorter, at 5 to 8 yards.
- Diagonal pivot routes
- Post: This is a long pass, maybe as long as 40 to 50 yards, where the receiver runs straight downfield, then cuts on a 45-degree angle toward the “post,” or goalposts.
- Slant: The receiver runs straight for 3 to 8 yards and then slants his route toward the center of the field.
- Right angle routes
- Crossing (Cut to center): The receiver lines up on the right side of the line of scrimmage, runs straight for 10 yards, and then cuts quickly to his left. Or vice versa.
- Square-out (Cut out to the sideline): The receiver runs 10 yards down the field and then cuts outside toward the sideline, parallel to the line of scrimmage.
- Straight downfield route
- class=”text-white”Streak (or Fly): This is a 20- to 40-yard pass, usually to a receiver on the quarterback’s throwing side (right for right-handed or left for left-handed). The receiver, who lines up near the sidelines, runs as fast as he can downfield, hoping to lose the CB in the process.
- Straight to sideline route
- Swing: This is a basic and common pattern where the QB throws to a running back who runs out of the backfield toward the sideline. The play starts off as a 0-yard pass, made parallel to the line of scrimmage.