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AMERICAN FOOTBALL – RULES AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THE GAME
2025-02-24
American football is a dynamic and exciting contact sport that has a huge fan base overseas. It is trained by thousands of people and football games are watched by millions of fans. How is American football played? Learn the rules of the game and what is needed on the football field.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL – GAME RULES
A football match involves two teams of 11 players. Their objective is to score as many points as possible and defend their own end zone. Players can gain points in 3 ways:
• touchdown
A touchdown allows players to gain six points for their team. To do this, the player must run to the end zone or catch the ball while already in it.
A touchdown requires a quarterback or running back. This means that a player runs into the end zone with the ball previously passed to him by another player – he carries out the action himself. A touchdown can also be the result of a collaboration between the quarterback and the receiver. The former passes the ball to the latter. The receiver may already be in the end zone or still in front of it – he must then run to it, avoiding players from the opposing team.
• safety touch
A safety touch allows the defending team to score 2 points. This happens when a footballer from that team is charged, forced to go beyond the field's end line or when he falls on the ball in his own end zone.
• field goal
A field goal allows a team to score 3 points. To do this, one of its players must kick the ball in such a way that it flies between the goal posts and over the crossbar.
How long is an American football game? Players can score in 4 quarters lasting 15 minutes each. However, the game itself takes longer. The field clock is stopped whenever there is a break in play – for example, after a foul or crossing the end line.
Fouls in American football
American football is a contact and injury-inducing sport. Players may push each other, often bumping into each other, but no holding (of an opposing player) is allowed. It is intended to ‘trap the defender’. It then happens that footballers embrace their rivals, grabbing them by their shirts or by their body parts.
Faceguard-pulling and leg ‘clipping’ are also not allowed in football. The referee will also whistle a foul when he sees an attacking player push a defensive player from behind.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL FIELD AND BALL – WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
The American football field is 120 yards (109.728m) long and 53.33 yards (48.76m) wide. It consists of the following:
• the playing field,
• two, opposite end zones.
The field is bounded by the side and end lines. In front of the latter are the scoring lines marking the field in which points can be scored. In addition, the field also includes designated yard lines – the distance between them is 10 yards. They enable players to know the distance between them and the end zone.
Two posts stand 18.5 feet apart on the end line. They are connected by a crossbar. This structure acts as a goalpost.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL GOALPOST from aluminum profiles
Such a goalpost can be placed on a playing field and a school playground. It is made of aluminum and powder-coated, so it is not threatened by mechanical or external damage.
During the game, footballers play with a ‘flattened’ ball with an elliptical shape. It features a distinctive seam that makes it easy to grip. It is made of durable rubber or cowhide. The ball can weigh between 14 and 15 ounces. It is selected depending the players' age, height and ability. Experienced, adult players play with the biggest balls.
What is needed for the European variation of American football? Read the article: Rugby goalpost dimensions and design.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL UNIFORM
What is most distinctive about a footballer's uniform are the elements that are designed to protect the player. These include the following:
• neck roll, or neck protector, which is a rubber tube that absorbs bumps and shocks;
• shoulder pads, i.e. shells that protect both the shoulders and (despite its name) the chest;
• elbow pads, or elbow protectors – these must protect the joints from injury, but at the same time not restrict their mobility;
• gloves – not all players wear this protective item; quarterbacks forgo it to give themselves a better feel for the ball;
• a helmet consisting of a shell with inflated cushions, a faceguard (metal grille) and a fastening under the neck.
Footballers wear a jersey with a large, distinct number and cleats. These are shoes with screws, the length of which is adjusted for weather conditions.
American football is a game that teaches cooperation and strategic thinking. A football field can be built next to a school or on a housing estate – where there is sufficient space to accommodate it. All that is really needed for this is turf and two goalposts.