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Ball Sports🇺🇸United States19th century

American Football

Officially Football (American gridiron football)

11-a-side gridiron sport where the offence advances an oval ball toward the opponent's end zone through carries and passes to score touchdowns and field goals.

👥11 per team📐gridiron⏱~200 min🌤both
Photo · Wikipedia

What is American Football?

American football is a team sport played on a 120-yard rectangular gridiron between two 11-player squads. The offence uses a series of plays — called by a coach or the quarterback — to advance an oval, pointed ball toward the opponent's end zone. A team must gain 10 yards within four attempts (downs) to keep possession; failure surrenders the ball. Touchdowns are worth 6 points, field goals 3, and safeties 2. The modern code descends from rugby football, formalised at Ivy League colleges in the 1870s-80s under Walter Camp, who introduced the line of scrimmage, downs, and the snap. It is the most-watched sport in the United States, with the annual Super Bowl consistently ranking among the world's most-viewed single sporting events.

Quick facts

Category

Ball Sports

Type

Team sport

Players

11 per team

Duration

~200 min

Where played

both

Field / court

gridiron

Country of origin

🇺🇸 United States

Estimated origin

1869 (first intercollegiate game); modern rules formalised 1876-1906

Olympic

No

Popularity

global

How it works

Objective

Advance the ball into the opponent's end zone to score touchdowns (6 pts) or kick field goals (3 pts); outscore the opponent within regulation and any overtime.

Match structure

Play begins with a kickoff. The receiving team's offence gets 4 downs to advance the ball 10 yards; success resets the down count. If the offence stalls it usually punts on 4th down. Scoring plays are followed by an extra-point attempt (kick for 1, or two-point conversion from the 2-yard line for 2) and a kickoff. Teams alternate possession until the clock runs out; the higher score wins.

Rules

Basic rules

  • Line of scrimmage

    Each play starts with the ball on an imaginary yard line; offence lines up on their side, defence on theirs — no one may cross before the snap.

  • Downs system

    The offence has 4 attempts (downs) to gain 10 yards. Gaining 10 yards resets to '1st and 10'; failing to advance turns the ball over at that spot.

  • The snap

    Center snaps the ball backward through the legs to the quarterback (or holder/punter) to begin the play.

  • Passes

    Only one forward pass per play, thrown from behind the line of scrimmage; unlimited backward or lateral passes.

  • Tackling

    A ball carrier is down when any part of their body other than hands or feet touches the ground while in the defender's grasp.

  • Fumbles and interceptions

    A dropped ball not in the passer's hand is a live fumble; either team can recover. A caught defensive pass is an interception — possession changes immediately.

  • First down markers

    Chain crews measure the 10 yards; the ball must reach or cross the line-to-gain before 4th down ends.

Advanced rules

  • Pass interference

    Illegal contact with an eligible receiver that prevents a catch; automatic first down and spot foul (NFL) or 15-yard penalty (college).

  • Roughing the passer

    Late or dangerous hits on the quarterback after release; automatic 15-yard penalty and first down.

  • Ineligible receiver downfield

    Only certain positions may catch a forward pass; linemen more than 1 yard beyond the line before the throw draws a penalty.

  • Two-minute warning

    Automatic timeout at 2:00 remaining in each half in the NFL.

  • Replay review

    Coaches may challenge questionable rulings; scoring plays and turnovers are automatically reviewed.

Scoring

Touchdown 6, extra-point kick 1, two-point conversion 2, field goal 3, safety 2.

ActionPoints
Touchdown6
Extra-point kick1
Two-point conversion2
Field goal3
Safety2

Win condition · Team with the higher score at end of regulation wins; if tied, one 10-minute overtime period (regular season) or sudden-death continuation (playoffs) decides the game.

Playing area

Called

gridiron

Dimensions

120 yards long × 53⅓ yards wide (109.7 × 48.8 m); 100-yard field of play plus two 10-yard end zones. Yard lines marked every 5 yards.

Rectangular grass or artificial-turf field with hash marks every yard, goal posts (18.5 ft wide, 10 ft crossbar) centred at the back of each end zone.

Equipment

  • Football (prolate spheroid)

    Leather ball, ~11 in long, weight ~14-15 oz, 21-inch long circumference.

  • Helmet with face mask

    Hard shell with padded interior and metal cage; mandatory at all levels.

  • Shoulder pads

    Foam-and-plastic pads over the shoulders and chest.

  • Mouthguard

    Required by rule in most leagues.

  • Cleats

    Studded footwear for grip on grass or turf.

  • Hip / thigh / knee pads

    Padding worn inside the uniform pants.

Positions & roles

  • Quarterback (QB)

    ×1

    Calls plays, takes snaps, throws passes and hands off.

  • Running back (RB/HB/FB)

    ×1

    Runs with the ball, catches short passes, blocks.

  • Wide receiver (WR)

    ×2

    Runs pass routes to catch throws from the QB.

  • Tight end (TE)

    ×1

    Hybrid receiver / lineman.

  • Offensive line

    ×5

    Center, guards, tackles — protect the QB and open running lanes.

  • Defensive line

    ×4

    Rush the QB and stop runs; tackles and ends.

  • Linebackers (LB)

    ×3

    Second-level defenders — tackle runners, cover receivers, blitz.

  • Cornerbacks (CB)

    ×2

    Cover wide receivers on pass plays.

  • Safeties (S)

    ×2

    Deep defenders — last line of defence against long passes and runs.

  • Kicker / Punter / Long snapper

    ×3

    Special-teams specialists for field goals, punts and snaps.

Officiating

The referee has final authority and announces penalties. Each official watches a specific area; flags are thrown for infractions and the referee assesses the yardage penalty.

  • Referee (crew chief)
  • Umpire
  • Head linesman / Down judge
  • Line judge
  • Field judge
  • Side judge
  • Back judge (7-official crew in NFL)

Penalties & fouls

Penalties

  • 5-yard fouls

    False start, offside, encroachment, delay of game, illegal motion.

  • 10-yard fouls

    Holding, illegal use of hands, illegal block in the back.

  • 15-yard fouls

    Personal foul, unnecessary roughness, roughing the passer/kicker, targeting, unsportsmanlike conduct.

  • Loss of down

    Some fouls (intentional grounding) cost the down as well as yardage.

Strategies

  • West Coast offence

    Short, precise passes to stretch defences horizontally; developed by Bill Walsh with the 49ers.

  • Air Coyote / Air Raid

    Spread formations with vertical passing concepts; associated with Hal Mumme and Mike Leach.

  • Cover 2 defence

    Two deep safeties split the deep field between them; corners jam the receivers underneath.

  • Blitz packages

    Sending linebackers or defensive backs to rush the QB, sacrificing coverage for pressure.

Terminology

Snap
The center's exchange of the ball to the quarterback (or holder) that starts every play.
Down
One offensive play; the offence has 4 downs to gain 10 yards.
First down
A fresh set of 4 downs, awarded when the offence advances 10 yards or via penalty.
Turnover
Change of possession via fumble, interception, or failed 4th-down conversion.
Sack
Tackling the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage before he releases the ball.
Blitz
Sending extra defenders to rush the passer.
Pocket
The protected area behind the offensive line where the quarterback throws from.
Play action
Fake handoff intended to freeze linebackers so receivers can get open.
Red zone
The area between the 20-yard line and goal line — where scoring becomes likely.
Two-minute drill
Hurry-up offence designed to move the ball quickly before halftime or the end of the game.
Special teams
Units on the field for kicks, punts and returns.
Hail Mary
Desperation long pass thrown toward the end zone at the end of a half.

Major competitions

  • Super Bowl

    annual · USA · since 1967

    NFL championship game; among the most-watched TV broadcasts worldwide.

  • College Football Playoff

    annual · USA (NCAA FBS) · since 2014

  • IFAF World Championship

    quadrennial · worldwide · since 1999

  • Grey Cup

    annual · Canada (CFL) · since 1909

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

  • Tom Brady
  • Jerry Rice
  • Jim Brown
  • Peyton Manning
  • Joe Montana
  • Lawrence Taylor
  • Walter Payton
  • Reggie White
  • Barry Sanders
  • Patrick Mahomes
  • Aaron Donald

Records

  • Most career passing yards (NFL)

    Tom Brady — 89,214 (2022)

  • Most rushing yards in a season (NFL)

    Eric Dickerson — 2,105 (1984)

  • Most Super Bowl wins (player)

    Tom Brady — 7 (2021)

  • Longest field goal (NFL)

    Justin Tucker — 66 yards (2021)

Learn this sport

beginner

  1. 1
    The field and scoring

    Learn the 100-yard field, end zones, goalposts, and how touchdowns, field goals, safeties and extra points work.

  2. 2
    The four downs

    Understand why the offence has four attempts to gain 10 yards.

  3. 3
    Offence vs defence

    Identify the QB, ball carrier, and blockers; and the defenders trying to stop them.

  4. 4

    Watch a game with a friend

    Have someone explain the down-and-distance and penalties as they happen.

intermediate

  1. 1

    Formations

    Learn shotgun, pistol, I-formation, spread, and how each affects run/pass balance.

  2. 2

    Reading the defence

    Recognise Cover 2, Cover 3, Man vs Zone, and blitzes pre-snap.

  3. 3

    Clock management

    How teams use timeouts, spikes, and the 2-minute warning to control possession.

  4. 4

    Special-teams strategy

    Onside kicks, fake punts, coffin-corner kicks — the third phase of the game.

advanced

  1. 1

    Route trees

    Slants, posts, corners, comebacks — how receivers combine routes to attack coverages.

  2. 2

    Protection schemes

    Zone vs man blocking, sliding protections, hot reads for blitz answers.

  3. 3

    Analytics

    Expected points, win probability, 4th-down decision models used by modern coaches.

Frequently asked

How is American football different from rugby?+

Football uses forward passes, downs, unlimited substitutions and heavy protective equipment, while rugby has continuous play, lateral-only passes, no huddles and minimal padding.

How many players are on the field per team?+

11 per team on the field at once. Rosters are much larger (53 in the NFL) with unlimited substitution between plays.

What is 'targeting' in college football?+

A dangerous hit above the shoulders on a defenceless player; results in a 15-yard penalty and automatic ejection.

How long is an NFL season?+

18 weeks of a 17-game regular season, followed by 3 rounds of playoffs, conference championships, and the Super Bowl.

What is the salary cap?+

An annual limit on total player salaries per team designed to keep competitive balance; ~$255M per NFL team in 2024.

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.community