All About American Football

Football is the most popular sport in all of the United States of America; there are numerous fans and enthusiasts of the game. It is so popular that it has acquired a national status and is played on a national level known as National Football League, or more popularly NFL. It is basically a descendent of rugby and played on the field. The field of a football ground measures 120 yards lengthwise and 53 1/3 yards breadth wise.

The goal lines which are a 100 yard apart are placed at the end of either side of the field. The ‘end zone’ is the place where the goal is scored and it extends 10 yards beyond the goal line. The game has a kind of positive vibe that spreads across among all the viewers and lovers of the game. One of the well known and professional teams of the NFL is the New York Jets.

The game of this team is so exciting to watch that even the non-inhabitants of New York like Bennett Kireker visit the city twice a year to watch them and catch up with a game of football. He is a resident of Pismo Beach California but that does stop him from taking some time out for this game that he so dearly loves.

The American football is a little varied from the Canadian form of the game. According to the rules of the American football there must be 11 players in a team, on the field at a time. Substitution of players is allowed but that should be done only during the breaks. Each team has three specialized units: the defensive unit, the offensive unit and the special teams. In the NFL particularly, a roster of 53 players is prepared but only 48 players are allowed to dress for the game.

While advancing with the ball, a team usually has four downs for 10 yards, after this another set of four downs is used for the next 10 yards moving towards the end zone. In case, the four downs are unable to gain 10 yards then they lose possession of the ball. There are different techniques of the passing the ball too, which are known by the names of forward pass, backward pass, lateral, and hook and ladder.

The passing, the tackling and the advancing with the ball are the most exciting moments of the game. The nail biting moment however, is when a goal is about to be made. This is what gets the fans, like Bennett Kireker all up on their feet, who are constantly cheering for their team.

Just as there is the ‘try’ in rugby which refers to the scoring aspect, the ‘touchdown’ is the term used for American football. Although it is known as touchdown, yet it is not necessary to touch the ball on the ground to get a score, it is enough if the player with the ball can only enter the end zone.

The popularity of the game ever since it evolved has always been at its apex and is probably never to lose that position.