American football
American Football
American Football (pronounced: əˈmɛrɪkən ˈfʊtbɔːl) is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with control of the oval-shaped football, attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or passing it, while the defense, the team without control of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive. Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins.
Etymology
The term "American Football" is derived from the English game of rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6, 1869, between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton. The game was played using a round ball and, like soccer, used a set of rules.
Related Terms
- Touchdown: A touchdown is the primary method of scoring in American football. A touchdown is scored when a player has legal possession of the ball and the ball touches or goes over the imaginary vertical plane of the opposing team's goal line.
- Field Goal: A field goal is a means of scoring in American football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar.
- End Zone: The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines.
- Down: In American football, a down is a period in which a play transpires.
- Offense: The offense is the team with possession of the ball.
- Defense: The defense is the team without possession of the ball, aiming to stop the offense's advance and take control of the ball.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on American football
- Wikipedia's article - American football
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