FOOTBALL 101
Rules: College (NCAA)
CARD 1 OF 7
The goal
Two teams of 11 take turns with the ball. The team with the ball, the offense, tries to carry or throw it into the end zone at the far end of the field. The other team, the defense, tries to stop them. The field is 100 yards long, with a 10-yard end zone at each end. Most points wins.
CARD 2 OF 7
Four tries to go 10 yards
The offense gets four tries, called downs, to move the ball 10 yards. Make it, and they get four fresh tries: a first down. Fall short after three, and they usually kick the ball away on fourth down instead of risking it. "2nd and 7" means second try, 7 yards still to go.
CARD 3 OF 7
How teams score
A touchdown, carrying or catching the ball in the end zone, is worth 6. Then the team gets one bonus play from the 3-yard line: kick it between the goal posts for 1 point, or run or pass it in for 2. A field goal, a kick between the posts on a normal down, is worth 3. A safety, tackling the offense in its own end zone, gives the defense 2.
CARD 4 OF 7
One play at a time
Football stops and starts. Before each play the offense gathers in a huddle to hear the play, then both teams line up facing each other. The center hands the ball back between their legs, the snap, and everyone moves at once. A few seconds later the play ends: the ball carrier is tackled or steps out of bounds, or a pass hits the ground.
CARD 5 OF 7
Who to watch
Each team has an offense, a defense and special teams, the players who come on for kicks. On offense, watch the quarterback, who starts every play with the ball, the running back who carries it, and the receivers who catch passes. On defense, watch the linebackers in the middle: they make many of the tackles.
CARD 6 OF 7
A yellow flag
A yellow flag on the field means an official saw a foul. The team that fouled loses yards, usually 5, 10 or 15. The most common: a false start (an offensive player moves before the snap, 5 yards), offside (a defender is past the ball at the snap, 5), holding (grabbing an opponent to stop them, 10), pass interference (illegally stopping a catch, up to 15) and personal fouls like a late or dangerous hit (15).
CARD 7 OF 7
What to watch for
Find the first-down line: the yellow line on TV, or the two poles 10 yards apart on the sideline at a live game. That's where the offense has to reach. Pick one player, like the number you came to see, and follow them for a whole play. Cheer the small wins too: a good block, a tackle short of the line, a smart kick.
CHEAT SHEET
DOWNS
4 tries (downs) to go 10 yards. Make it: 4 new tries. "3rd and 4" = third try, 4 yards to go.
SCORING
| Touchdown | 6 |
| Bonus after a touchdown | Kick 1 · run or pass 2 (from the 3) |
| Field goal | 3 |
| Safety | 2 for the defense |
REFEREE SIGNALS
| Touchdown, or a kick is good | Both arms straight up |
| Safety | Palms together above the head |
| First down | One arm pointing the way the offense is going |
| Incomplete pass, or a kick missed | Arms swinging across each other, low in front |
| Timeout | Hands crossing above the head |
| False start | Forearms rolling over each other in front of the body |
| Offside | Hands on hips |
| Holding | One hand gripping the other wrist at the chest |
| Pass interference | Both open hands pushed forward from the shoulders |
| Personal foul | One wrist chopping the other above the head |
WORDS YOU'LL HEAR
| Offense | The team with the ball. |
| Defense | The team trying to stop them. |
| Down | One try, one play. The offense gets four to go 10 yards. |
| First down | Made the 10 yards: four new tries. |
| Line of scrimmage | The line across the field where the ball sits before a play. Neither team may cross it until the snap. |
| Snap | The center hands the ball back to start the play. |
| Huddle | The quick meeting before a play where the offense hears what to run. |
| Quarterback | The player who gets the snap and hands off or throws. |
| Punt | A kick on fourth down to push the other team far back. |
| Sack | The quarterback is tackled before throwing the ball. |
| Interception | A defender catches a pass: the defense gets the ball. |
| Fumble | The ball carrier drops the ball. Either team can grab it. |
| Turnover | The ball changes teams in the middle of a series, after an interception or a lost fumble. |