"Football" can refer to a few different sports, but the most common ones are American football and association football (also known as soccer). Here's a simple explanation of both:
Imagine two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field that's 120 yards long. The goal is to score points by getting an oval-shaped ball into your opponent's "end zone" or by kicking it through their goalposts.
Here's how it generally works:
* The Start: The game begins with a kickoff.
* Offense and Defense: One team is on offense with the ball, and their job is to advance it down the field. The other team is on defense and tries to stop them.
* Downs: The offense has four chances, called "downs," to move the ball at least 10 yards forward. If they succeed, they get another set of four downs. If they fail, the ball usually goes to the other team.
* How to Move the Ball: Players can run with the ball or throw it to teammates.
* Scoring:
* Touchdown (6 points): This is the main way to score, by getting the ball into the opponent's end zone.
* Extra Point (1 point) or Two-Point Conversion (2 points): After a touchdown, the scoring team can try for extra points.
* Field Goal (3 points): A kicker can kick the ball through the opponent's goalposts.
* Safety (2 points): This happens when a defensive player tackles an offensive player in their own end zone.
* Game Length: A professional game has four 15-minute quarters, totaling 60 minutes, but with breaks and stoppages, it usually lasts about three hours.
This is the world's most popular ball game. Two teams of 11 players try to get a round ball into the other team's goal.
Here are the basics:
* No Hands (mostly): Players are not allowed to use their hands or arms to control the ball, except for the goalkeeper, who can only do so within a specific area near their goal.
* Moving the Ball: Players primarily kick the ball with their feet, but can also use their head or torso to control it and pass it to teammates.
* Scoring: A goal is scored when the entire ball crosses the opponent's goal line and goes into the net. The team with more goals at the end of the game wins.
* Game Length: A standard match is 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves, with a 15-minute halftime break.