How To Play American Football

Learning how to play American football is not too difficult. For precise play, you will need eleven players on each side, but less can be used for a simple, fun backyard game. Get a crowd together, and then start the game after you know that everyone knows the rules.

How to Play American Football: What is Needed

• Even number of people (eleven for actual game)
• Field
• Pads and helmets for all
• Football

How to Play American Football:

1. Get an even number of people together. Divide the group into two teams. One team will play offense, and the other, defense. When the ball switches sides, the roles are reversed.
2. On the offensive side, the ball is snapped, or hiked to the quarterback, who may then pass it forward to teammates (receivers), hand it off to a runningback (who runs forward as far as he can), or run it himself. The object is to score points by getting a touchdown or a field goal. The offense has ten yards to go, and four tries (downs) to get there. Each time that the offense gets at least ten yards in four downs (usually, three are used, and then the ball is punted or a field goal is attempted). If ever the offense does not get at least ten yards in four downs, the ball goes to the other team. The offense stays on offense as long as it keeps getting first downs by going at least ten yards from the previous spot.
3. The defense tries to stop this. Breaking up passes, intercepting passes, and tackling ball carriers on offense is how the defense can come up with big stops to try to get the ball itself. Trying to rush to the quarterback, who is protected by linemen who block the defense, is a good strategy for getting quick stops.
   
4. Play the game for sixty minutes. After each touchdown, an extra point, kicked through the uprights, or two extra points, by use of one offensive play from the five yard line, are attempted. Each team keeps the football until it scores a touchdown, field goal, turns the ball over via fumble, interception, or on downs (by failing to convert on third down, resulting in not getting ten yards forward in four downs), or punting the ball away on third down. Be sure to wear pads and a helmet while playing the game.

Learning how to play American football is not too hard, but it takes some time. Know that there are two teams, one will be on offense, and it will have to move the ball forward to ultimately score.  Another team is on defense, which tries to stop the offense so that it can go on offense and force the other to try to stop it from scoring. Watch games on the TV to better get a feel for the popular American sport.