If you have been watching weekly football, attending Holy Cross football games, or just looking forward to the game at Fenway, but have no idea why everyone is yelling about flags, downs, and interceptions, here are the best ways to understand the game throughout the football season.Â
At its core, football is a competition between two teams trying to move the ball down 100 yards. Each game is divided into 4 15-minute quarters, and the team with the most points at the end of the clock wins. The primary way players can score for their teams is by scoring a touchdown, which is worth 6 points and occurs when a player reaches the other team’s end zone. The end zone is located at the end of the 100 yards on the opposite side of your team’s side. After a touchdown, the team can either kick for an extra point through the end posts, or they can attempt a two-point conversion, but the kick is more popular as it is a better way to guarantee points for the team. Also, if the players are too far away for a touchdown, they can attempt a field goal from wherever they are on the field and receive three points. This mostly occurs when the team has reached their fourth down on the play.
The most confusing part of football for beginners is the down system, but it is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Essentially, the offense has four tries to get the ball past 10 yards of the field. If they do so, this would be considered a first down and they receive a new set of four downs. If they don’t reach ten yards after four tries, the team can attempt a field goal if they’re close enough, or punt the ball to the other team to start their possession..Â
One of the most important parts of understanding football is acknowledging that each player has a specific job on the team. The quarterback leads the team in deciding whether the ball should be thrown or run by the other players. There’s also a running back who is responsible for sprinting with the ball to get a first down, and the wide receivers who are responsible for catching the ball during specific plays.Â
Also, each team has chances to force a turnover through an interception or a fumble recovery. An interception occurs when the other team’s defense catches a pass that was meant for the offensive team. A fumble recovery occurs when a player drops the ball on the field and whichever team is able to retrieve it receives possession of the ball. Teams can also receive flags on certain plays if the referees deem that the play does not follow the rules of the game.Â
Finally, even though each quarter is 15 minutes, the game lasts much longer, because the clock stops for timeouts, penalties, incomplete passes, and plays that go out of bounds. Nonetheless, the sport is always a fun time with friends and family.