The Kickoff
Once the decision of who will start on defense and kicks off and which endzones each team will defend, each game and after every touchdown or field goal begins with the kickoff. The ball is placed on a one-inch plastic tee 30 yards from the defense's endzone(35 yards in college football). A specialized player known as the "placekicker" makes a short dash to the tee and kicks the ball. The ball is aimed to wherever would be most detrimental to the offense, though whomever catches the ball on that side is designated the kick returner and will try to advance the ball forward by running. If the ball goes out of bounds, the offense can choose to start either where the ball first went out of bounds or 30 yards from the point of the kick. If happens to be caught in the offense's own endzone, the offense can choose to either run the ball as far as it can or he can simply kneel in the endzone to signal a "touchback"--a sign to stop the play and start the next play 20 yards from the offense's endzone.
However, the ball sailing through the air in a kickoff is a considered a "loose ball"--any side may gain possession of it and thus become the current offense. Usually when the defense is behind in points with very little time left on the game clock, they can gamble and kickoff the ball a short enough distance so that the defenders can recover the ball. If the defense cannot get to the ball before the offense does, then the offense will start the next play much closer to the defense's endzone--certainly a gamble with very high costs for the defense.
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Types of (Offensive) Plays
The word "football" is really a misnomer for the kind of sport played in the United States. Most of the time, the first major aspect to be considered is always whether or not the ball will be advanced by running it or by passing it, not handling the ball with one's feet. Every legal strategy in football takes root from these two fundamental plays; it is then up to the creativity of the team, especially the quarterback and coach, to decide exactly how the play should unfold. Keep in mind that the following can occur in any play--it is the conditions of the game and the location of the ball that influence which play will be used.
Running. What is meant by "running the ball" and other analogous football jargon is basically advancing the ball by having a player hold the ball and run towards the endzone. In a play, running the ball occurs when the football is handed to a player(a procedure called a "hand-off") and that player then runs with the ball. The plays in which running the ball yields a high probability of success occurs either when the defense has its players scattered away from the would-be 'ball-runner' or if the offense's players can block the defensive players away from the player with ball to avoid having him tackled.
Passing. The other alternative play is to throw/"pass" the ball from one offensive player to another teammate. Usually, the quarterback is a specific player who does the passing, though there are times when another player may pass the ball as well to confuse the defense. In actuality, anyone on the offensive team presently playing is allowed to pass the ball as long as the action is done behind the "line of scrimmage"--an imaginary line which marks where the ball began at the start of a play.
A pass is considered "complete" if the ball is legally caught by an offensive player. If it touches the ground before being caught, then the pass is considered "incomplete." Balls caught by the defense from a pass are called "interceptions."
Allowing the football to fall into enemy hands is the last thing any team wants to do. With this is mind, quarterbacks, coaches, and other players involved in the decision-making process must wrestle about whether to run or pass the ball on the next play. First of all, though running the ball can be difficult since there are many defensive players to avoid, it is often the safest type of play since it is highly unlikely that a player running with the ball will drop the ball by accident. Passing plays may advance the ball much farther per play then running plays, but they are a lot riskier because the ball becomes a loose ball once it leaves the thrower's hands and it requires a lot of skill on the thrower's part to pass the ball exactly in the manner and location that will insure that only one of his teammates will catch it. The defense may be able to "intercept" the ball before it reaches the hands of another offensive player ending the offense's hopes of scoring any time soon.
Kicking. The early remnants of soccer is revealed in this type of play that does not occur frequently when compared with the number of passing and running plays made. While kicking the football involves the start of every game and after every touchdown, the only kicking that is associated with plays are during punts and field-goal attempts.
In punting, the ball is pitched ten yards back to the punter who promptly catches the ball and then kicks it to the other team(designated the "receiving team" at this point; analogous to the receiving team during a kickoff). As the ball hurls towards the receiving team, the player who actually catches the ball has one of three options:
Fielding the punt. The receiving player will catch the ball(or somehow gain possession of the ball if it hits the ground before being caught) and will try to advance the ball by running with it. This option is selected if the player believes he can safely earn a few extra yards from where the ball was initially received.
Fair catch. If the player decides to gain possession of the punted ball but fears that running the ball forward would jeopardize his safety or increase the chances of dropping the ball(called "fumbling") from being tackled, he can raise and wave a hand signaling a "fair catch." When he does that, no player may touch him and the next play begins where he caught the ball and waved his hand.
Letting the ball go. If there is a chance that the ball will land on a side that would make it bounce towards the receiving team's endzone or the ball will land out of bounds, the team may choose to allow the ball its discretion on where it ends up. If the ball goes out of bounds, the yard the ball left the field is where the next play will resume. If the ball stays inbounds, as long as no receiving touches the ball, it will remain theirs for the next play. The kicking team may choose to stop the ball's movement where it is after it hits the ground--that is where the receiving team will start the next play. However, the moment any member of the receiving team touches the ball, it becomes a "live" ball and any team can take possession of the football.
The other kind of kicking play is the "field goal." This is where a player called a "holder" catches a snapped ball seven yards from where the ball starts for that play and holds the ball down sideways on one of its apexes. The kicker then runs up to the ball and kicks it from the holder's fingertips towards the other team's goalpost to score a field goal. If the ball goes in between the branches of the goalpost, the offense scores three points.
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Planning & Execution
As mentioned previously, one of the major responsibilities of the offensive coach is to methodically plan plays to maximize the amount of yardage the ball is advanced. The defensive coach does the same except his goal is to keep the offense from advancing the ball. Taking into account the abilities of his players and what the other team may do, the defensive coach will start by deciding whether a running or a passing play will occur, what play will the offense most likely do and what type of defense can compensate for that kind of play. Once that is decided, the pre-play arrangement of the players, called the "formation," is determined and then how and where each play will move during the execution of the play.
Of course, much of the plays are pre-planned, so that during a "huddle"--when a team gets together to go over a play--the coach has a grab bag of plays to choose from. Huddling is not mandatory if the team has memorized key plays that can be executed without huddling. This is especially useful when the game clock is counting down the final seconds of a closely-scored game.
Forming a Basic Play. Every play starts with the formation in which players line up on one side of the ball or the other. The ball itself is placed so that the its tips pointed to the endzones; i.e. the ball is placed lengthwise to the field. The length of the football creates an imaginary band extending across the width of the field from one sideline to the next called the "line of scrimmage." This line/band marks neutral territory in which players on either sides cannot cross before a play begins except the offensive player who gets his hands on the football to snap it and start the play. Also, this line determines the maximum distance the ball carrier can advance before he is not allowed to pass the ball forward.
There must be at least seven players from each team lined up along the line of scrimmage. These seven plus players are made up of linemen, tight-end and sometimes even wide-receivers, but generally the bigger the player, the closer they are to the line of scrimmage and the closer they are to the ball. Also, players stationed at the line may not move at all before a play begins or else it is considered a "false start."
The area from the line to the offense's endzone is called the "backfield" where players like the runningbacks, the quarterback, linebackers, safeties, and cornerbacks are positioned. Wide-receivers may be placed here as well to give them good running room when the play begins. Here players are allowed to move around(called "man in motion") as part of the planned tactic or to compensate for the recognized play of the other team.
Beginning a Play: The Snap. All plays start when the ball is snapped by the "center"--a special position of an offensive lineman who is the closest to the ball. He will hold the ball down on the ground and will pitch it or hand it between his legs back to a player behind him. This is called a "snap." When the center actually moves the ball is verbally signaled by the quarterback or whomever will receive the ball at the snap.
Ending a Play: Stoppages. Plays proceed according to the general layout of a plan as outlined in the section "Types of Plays," but no one actual play is exactly the same as another play coming from the same plan. The only constant to the variable plays is that all plays must end sometime. Called "stoppages," the end of a play occurs when:
the ball carrier in the NFL falls on the ground with a defender touching(usually through tackling) or in college merely is grounded whether it be his own fault(by slipping) or a defender;
the ball carrier is not on the ground but cannot advance any further because there are too many defenders holding him back physically;
the quarterback is the ball carrier who has the defender(s) grasping on to him physically(called "in the grasp);
the ball or the ball carrier's feet touches the ground out of bounds;
a pass attempt becomes incomplete;
a foul is called by the referee(s);
some kind of scoring(touchdown, safety, etc.) occurs; or
a field goal attempt fails;
The minute the play is considered finished by the referees, the ball's final position at the conclusion of the play is where the new line of scrimmage will be for the next play.
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Fourth Down & Changing Possessions
The offense has only four 'chances' in terms of plays to advance the football either far enough to score a touchdown or (more likely) advance the ball far enough to gain another four chances. Each chance is called a "down" and thus there are first, second, third, and fourth downs possible. The offenses' primary mission is to score a touchdown in each play; if that is not possible, the offense may choose to advanced the ball ten or more yards from where the ball started during first down in order to retain its position as the offense. If the offense fails to achieve a touchdown or 10+ yards(called a "first-down"), a "changing of possession") occurs in which the team with the ball now becomes the defense and the defensive becomes the current offense. Another type of "changing of possession" is through "turnovers" in which the roles of the teams change due to an interception or a "fumble"(i.e. when the ball carrier drops the ball) that is recovered by the defense.
Although the strategies governing plays in the first three downs are generally the same, fourth-down plays present a unique problem for the offensive team. There are a few common options the offense considers in these situations:
Resume a normal running/passing play. Just as the team did for the first three downs, it will trying doing the same plays as before. This choice is made when the offense is confident that it advance the ball a little further on the fourth-down play to earn a first-down or when the end of the second or fourth quarter is eminent and the offense has nothing to lose if it is unsuccessful.
Kicking a field goal. If the ball is close enough to the opponent's goalpost, then another fourth-down option is to kick the ball through the post. In general, most field goal attempts take place within 35 yards or so from the endzone, although this figure varies among kickers with different skills.
Punting. Usually, this is the last option to be considered by the offensive team. This kicking play happens when it is unlikely that the team can garner a first-down because it has too much ground to cover or the defense is really strong and the goalpost is just too far away for the kicker to attempt a field goal. Punting the ball insures that when the other team gains possession of the ball on the next play, they will have many more yards to go before scoring a touchdown.
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Time-Outs
Time-outs are periods during the game that stop the game clock and allow players to rest and/or go over plays with the coach. Each team can call a maximum of three time-outs within two quarters of the game. Each time out lasts exactly 1 minute and 50 seconds except if after a two minute warning--then time-outs last only for 40 seconds. Football rules do not allow teams to call consecutive time-outs with a play being executed in between and unused time-outs in the first half of the game do not carry over to the other half.
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Substitutions
For such a long and rough sport like football, substitutions are a mandatory part of this team sport since player fatigue and injury may incur as the game progresses. Therefore, substitutions can occur at any point during the game as long as no play is occurring(i.e. the ball is "dead") and that there are only 11 players from one team on the field at a time when the ball is snapped.
The offense is not allowed to rush and start a play when substitutions are still occurring on the defense. If that occurs, than the play is restarted with no penalties inflicted on any side. This rule does not apply after the two-minute warning in the second and fourth quarters because time becomes a factor at these points of each halves.
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Putting it All Together: A Summary in Two Plays
Now that the general playing procedures have been covered, it is time to piece together two often occurring plays: running and passing. This section will take a brief look at how the offense and defense work to function in those types of plays.
Passing Plays
Event Offense Defense
The Huddle The offense plans a passing play so it will have one of the wide receivers sprint forward about 2 yards, suddenly run perpendicular for a few seconds, and then take off towards the endzone. Meanwhile, the offensive linemen will hold the defensive rushers to protect the quarterback and give him time to locate the open receiver and pass the ball to him. Anticipating a pass given that it is only first down and the offense is a team that likes to throw the ball, the defense will assume that at least one of the wide receivers will try to run far to catch and advance the ball a lot. A fast defensive back will cover the best receiver on the offense while other defensive backs are positioned further down the field just in case the ball is passed to other receivers far away.
The Start of the Play The quarterback yells a series of numbers and then "hike!" to get the ball snapped. Once the ball is in his hands, the quarterback who moves back away from the line of scrimmage to make some distance from the linemen. The wide receiver makes his patterns on the field to get away from his defender. When the quarterback sees the receiver open, he throws the ball aimed a few yards ahead of the receiver since he is running forward towards the endzone. Seeing the quarterback "dropping back" from the line of scrimmage is a confirmation to the defense's suspicions that a passing play is occuring. The defensive linemen rush to break through the wall of offensive linemen to try to sack the quarterback. As for the defensive backs, they get into their territories down the field as one of them attempts to keep up with the fast moving wide receiver. However, he doesn't want to touch the receiver because if the ball is thrown his way, a passing interference foul may be called.
The Stoppage The wide receiver runs a little faster knowing that the ball will land a further down the field, leaps into the air, and makes a spectacular catch. As he lands, he knows that he must both try to outrun his defender and/or brace for a tackle by him. The defensive back sees the ball fall into the receiver's hands. While that disappoints him, he knows that he can prevent the receiver from carrying the ball any further by tackling the receiver and thus ending the play.
Running Play
Event Offense Defense
The Huddle
It is third down and the team needs one more yards for a touch down. Since the odds of breaking through the group of linemen to gain that extra yard far outweigh the risks of passing, a running play is chosen. Since the ball is to be advanced through the linemen, the offensive linemen must push the defense back far enough to allow some room for the ball carrier to net the yardage. The defense realizes the odds of the offense as well and plans a defensive strategy that will counteract the offense's attempt to break through the center. They mount a formation placing nearly every available player near the the center of the ball and hope to keep the offensive linemen at bay.
The Start of the Play "Hike!" yells the quarterback and the minute he receives the ball, he hands it off to a fullback since his strength can help him break through the linemen. So the running back begins negotiating players as he gets closer to the linemen. Seeing the running back with the ball, the linemen switch their targets onto him. Meanwhile, the cornerbacks also notice the running play and come in close to insure that the ball carrier does not decide to run off to the sidelines and advance that way.
The Stoppage Gritting his teeth, the running back finds himself pushing the backs of the offensive linemen as they try to gain some room for him to run. The trap is set as all the defensive players converge on the running back. Finally, the running back is exposed when a linemen leaves a hole for other defenders to come in and tackle him and the play ends with no gain in yards and thus no touchdown for the offense.
Of course, situations may vary depending on the kinds of plays matched up with one another, the situation(what down is it, the amount of time left on the game clock, etc.) and the skills of the players. It is this variability that make football such an exciting game.