TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: What’s the big deal?

Chapter 1: The basics: everything you need to know but are afraid to ask
Chapter 2: Offense explained without the X’s and 0’s
Chapter 3: Put the D in defense
Chapter 4: What’s so special about special teams?
Chapter 5: Basic offensive schemes
Chapter 6: Dive into the defense
Chapter 7: Rules, rules and more rules
Chapter 8: Working the clock
Index of common terms
 Introduction: What’s the big deal?

The old saying goes that baseball is America’s favorite pastime. But with the steady and still growing popularity of football over the last
number of decades, you have to wonder if this is still true. By almost any measure: television viewership, merchandise sales, ticket
availability, and office water cooler conversation, football seems to be America’s true favorite pastime. For example, the 2014 baseball
World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants earned the second worst television rating of any World Series
in the history of Major League Baseball, only behind the 2012 World Series. The final game of the best of seven series was watched by
only 23.5 million viewers and the average viewership of all seven games was just shy of 14 million. In contrast, Super Bowl XLIX, played
just a few months later in February 2015 between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, eclipsed this audience with 114.4
million viewers and was the most watched broadcast in the history of television in the United States. Even if you added up the audience of
all seven games of the World Series, the Super Bowl still would win out.

This said, without an understanding of the game, football can be just as confusing and mind numbing to watch as a long baseball game. I
used to dread being invited over by a friend to “watch the game.” Not only was it boring, but I never had an idea what anyone was talking
about. “Quarterback sneaks”, “fourth and long”, “going for it” and all the other jargon were meaningless to me. At Super Bowl parties, I
was the one sneaking away to get some more dip and score that last Buffalo wing. And heaven forbid if someone wanted to talk about the
prior play or reminisce about the epic finish to last week’s game – who cares?!? – I would just nod and wait for the conversation to be
over!

This all changed one Sunday night when I tried to fall asleep with the television on. There was a late football game on that I flipped to just
as one team was about to score. It caught my interest, and I ended up watching the rest of the game. I started to watch a few more games and
suddenly it dawned on me: this isn’t so complicated after all and it’s actually pretty entertaining!

You are either reading this book because i) something about the game caught your interest or ii) you want to be able to know what’s going
on for those times when you have to watch (likely a Super Bowl party). Either way, you want to have an idea of what these guys are doing
running around the field, knocking the daylights out of each other. This book is your guide; your beginning education to football; your
Football 101. This book is meant as a primer. It is written in an easily digestible format and gives you all you need to understand the big
picture of what is going on. The first few chapters are grouped together as “Football 101.” If you stop at the end of this section you will
know just enough – from here you will be able to follow the game and the surrounding conversations and will start to very quickly pick up
more as you watch. For those that want to go further, you can continue onto “Football 201” which goes further into the positions and their
respective responsibilities and focuses on a few themes like “schemes” (strategies in football speak), rules, and how teams “manage” the
game clock. Lastly, this book includes an index of frequently used terms and their meanings as a quick reference.
After finishing this book you’ll “know your stuff” (or at least seem like it). You’ll be able to turn on the game and follow what’s happening.
Who knows, next time I turn on the television to watch a game, you might be the screaming fan I see covered in face paint cheering on your
team!!!
Section 1 - Football 101
 Chapter 1: The basics: everything you need to know but are afraid to ask

If you can’t figure out for the life of you what is going on when you sit down to watch a football game, don’t worry, you aren’t alone! For a
moment, ignore the white lines all over the field, the stats running across the bottom of the screen, and the humorous hand singles from the
coaches on the sidelines.

At its core, football is a simple game with a simple goal: score more points than the other team. However, the process of scoring points,
and how the different positions impact the flow of the game can be confusing to newcomers. As we learn about football in this book, we
are going to talk about offense, defense, special teams, the different positions and the rules of the game. The game can seem intimidating,
but once you learn a few of the basics, your ability to understand and follow a game will improve dramatically. Before you know it, you
will not only be cheering your team on, but you will actually know what's going on in the game.

Meet the field

Everything in football is measured in yards. A football field is 100 yards in length. Attached to the end of each side of the field is an end
zone, usually decorated with colored paint on the grass with the home team’s name or mascot. The white hash marks that you see running
the length of the field are spaced a yard apart from each other and measure every yard of the field. In order make it easier to keep track of
where a team is on the field, every tenth yard is labeled (these are the numbers in increments of 10 that you see on the television). These
numbers start at “10”, which indicates that this line is ten yards from the nearest end zone. The numbers go up to 50, which marks the
middle of the 100-yard field, and then go back down (40, 30, 20, and 10) until they reach the opposite end zone. Yard zero, the line the
separates the 100-yard field and the end zone is called the goal line. When the announcer says “the Bears have the ball on their own 24”,
what he is really saying is “the Bears have advanced the ball 24 yards past their goal line and have 76 yards (100 yards total minus the 24
yards achieved) to go in order to score a touchdown on the other side of the field.” If he comments that the Bears have the ball on the Colts’
(assuming the Bears and the Colts are playing), 16-yard line, what he is really saying is “the Bears have advanced the ball 84 yards (100
yards minus 16 more yards to go) past their end zone, into the Colts’ territory, and have 16 more yards until they reach the end zone for a
touchdown.”

What’s the point (and how do you get them)?

As stated, in simplest terms, a football game is won by scoring more points than the other team. Easy enough? Points are scored in several
different ways. The most desirable way to score is via a touchdown, which is when a team gets the ball, either by carrying it or passing it,
across the goal line and into the other team’s end zone. A touchdown is worth six points. Immediately after scoring a touchdown, the
scoring team is given the ball again and allowed to run one more play with the chance to score some bonus points. The team can either
choose to “kick,” which requires kicking the ball through the goal post to score one extra point, or “go for two” by running another play
in attempt to get the ball past the defense and into the end zone again for two points. In most situations, teams will to choose to kick for one
extra point rather than attempt a two-point conversion, hence why football scores are often multiples of seven.

Touchdowns are worth the most points, but they aren’t the only way to score. As we talk about in detail later, the team on offense has four
attempts, or downs, to advance the ball at least ten yards. After advancing the ball ten or more yards, the offense will be awarded with four
new downs to go at least another ten yards. On the team’s fourth down or last attempt, if it is close enough to the opposing end zone, the
team may decide not to try and continue advancing the ball downfield, but instead try to kick a field goal. Similar to an extra point, the
kicker on the offensive team must kick the ball through the two goal posts, which if successful, is worth three points. For extra points after
a touchdown, the line of scrimmage is at the two-yard line, which results in a kick attempt from about the ten-yard line. However, when a
team decides to kick a field goal, the line of scrimmage is not at the two-yard line, but rather wherever the ball ended up at the end of the
last play. Depending on how far away from the end zone a team is when it decides to attempt a field goal, a successful field goal can be
very challenging.

Points are usually scored by the offense, but defenses can score too. At any time, either team may potentially score. During normal play,
defenses are seeking to stop the offense from scoring and also trying to gain the ball back by a turnover, such as a fumble or an
interception, which would change possession of the football from the offensive team to the defensive team. If a defender picks up a fumble
(a ball dropped by an offender) or makes an interception (catches a ball that was intended to be caught by an offender) and runs the ball
back the opposite way into the other end zone, that’s a touchdown and worth six points.

There is one more way that a defense can score, which is by a safety, worth two points. A defense earns a safety if it tackles the offensive
player holding the ball in the offense’s own end zone.

Time of play

In college and professional leagues like the NFL, a game consists of four quarters of fifteen minutes each for a total game time of 60
minutes. There is a quick break between the first and second quarters and the third and fourth quarters. At halftime, between the second and
third quarters, there is a much longer halftime break. However, because the clock does not continually run and is stopped very often,
games go on much longer than 60 minutes and usually are about three hours from start to finish.

Game Flow

The beginning of a game starts with the kickoff where one team kicks the ball from its side of the field to the opposing team lined up on the
other side of the field. A member of the receiving team (now on offense, let’s call them Team A) catches or fields the ball and then begins
to run towards the opposing team (let’s call them Team B). The offense is doing everything it can to get the ball down the field and into
Team B’s end zone for a touchdown. Conversely, the kicking, now defensive Team B, is doing all it can to stop Team A. The location on the
field where the player on Team A with the ball is tackled, or brought to the ground so that his knee or elbow touches the turf, becomes the
new line of scrimmage. The exact place where the referee believes a player was tackled and therefore places the ball for the next play is
called the spot.

This next play starts a new set of downs. On offense a team is given four downs, or attempts, to try and advance the ball a minimum of 10
yards, measured from where the ball starts on the first down. After advancing the ball ten yards, the offensive team will be given a new set
of four downs to try and advance the ball by at least another 10 yards and so on and so on. This process will continue until Team A either
scores (a touchdown or a field goal), is unsuccessful in advancing the ball at least ten yards and therefore “loses the ball on downs”, or
loses the ball by a turnover. When Team A loses the ball on downs, Team B then takes over from the spot where Team A left off, gets its
own set of four downs, and now tries to move the ball to the other end zone to score.

Often times though, four downs just are not enough to advance the ball the full ten yards. Ideally, teams try to accomplish the 10-yard
minimum requirement for a new set of downs in three downs or less. On fourth down, when the team still has yardage to gain before being
given a new set of downs but only one last attempt, the coach has a decision to make. If Team A is feeling very confident, it might use fourth
down to try one more time to finish its 10-yard requirement, known as “going for it”. Or, if Team A is close to Team B’s end zone, the
coach may elect to make a field goal attempt. (A field goal is usually kicked only from around a 50-yard distance or closer, since this is the
maximum effective range for most professional kickers.) If the ball is outside of range of Team A’s kicker, instead of going for it on fourth
down, Team A will often make the more conservative choice to use its fourth down to punt the ball away to Team B. In this situation, Team
A, similar to the kickoff it just received from Team B, will kick the ball down the field, where it will be fielded by a member of Team B,
who will then run towards Team A’s end zone. And the process starts all over again.

You may wonder why it is more conservative to punt on fourth down rather than go for it. Remember, if Team A’s offense turns the ball
over on downs, Team B’s offense begins where Team A left off, but heading to the opposite end zone. If Team A’s offense turns the ball
over on its own 35-yard line, then Team B’s offense will be in a great position with only 35 yards to go for a touchdown. Instead, if Team
A punts the ball, Team B will have to field this ball further back in its own territory and then try to advance downfield. By pushing back
Team B to a starting point further down field, Team A is putting its defense in a better position to successfully stop Team B from scoring.

You may recognize that sometimes the kicker on the punting team kicks the ball far enough where it either rolls into the end zone or flies
completely over the field into (or past) the end zone. This situation automatically results in a touchback and the ball is placed on the
receiving team’s 20-yard line for the upcoming first down. Additionally, you may occasionally notice a player on the receiving team
raising and waiving his hand just before catching a punt. This is the signal for a fair catch. In this situation the receiving player is signaling
to the other team that “Yes, I recognize that you are close enough that milliseconds after I catch this ball you are going to absolutely clobber
me, so instead of risking the broken bones, I will catch ball but not try to run or advance the ball after catching it. The next play will start at
the spot where I caught the ball.”
The offense

So we know that the offense wants to get the ball into the other team’s end zone. And we know that the offense moves down the field by
using four sets of downs at a time to gain at least ten yards, at which point it will be given four more downs and will repeat until it scores,
punts the ball away or loses the ball. But how does an offense actually “advance” the ball down the field?

In order to gain yardage, in any given down the offense will either run the ball or the quarterback will throw the ball to a waiting receiver.
Plays where the offense runs the ball are called running plays and times when the quarterback throws the ball to a receiver are called
passing plays. On a running play, the ball carrier will do his best to dodge defensive players and muscle through tackles to advance the
ball forward. The runner will often look for “holes” or “gaps” in the defense in order to break through and run for a touchdown. Long
yardage gains are difficult on running plays though and thus a team will look for major yardage gains by throwing the ball to a receiver.
Receivers, who sometimes position themselves more in the open field, have a higher likelihood of gaining additional yardage after
catching the ball as there are less defensive players available to quickly tackle them.

Take an offensive position…

On offense there are a variety of positions that all perform their own distinctive roles. The Quarterback is the man in charge on the field
on offense. He is responsible for relaying the play call given to him by the coach to the other members of the offense. In most case, the
quarterback will give the play to his offense in the huddle. The quarterback also has the option to change the play if he determines that the
play given to him by the coach does not have a good chance of success based on the positioning of the defense. At the start of the play, the
quarterback stands behind the offensive line and will yell the play in coded language, sometimes along with a jumble of other coded
phrases (some of which have meaning and others which serve only to try and confuse the defense) to his teammates. When the quarterback
is finally ready to start the play, he will yell “hike” to his offensive line, the ball will be hiked, or thrown, to him through the legs of the
center player on the offensive line, and the play will begin.

If the offense is executing a running play, the quarterback will usually quickly hand the ball to a waiting runner (or the quarterback may
keep the ball and run it himself), who will then begin to charge past his offensive line and hopefully through the defense. In a passing play,
the quarterback will usually take a few steps back and look for an open receiver to whom he can throw the ball.

The Offensive Line consists of different positions, but collectively they are known as Linemen. The job of the man in the center, called a
Center, is to hike the ball to the quarterback when he calls for it. The offensive line serves two purposes. First, they are there to try to
prevent the defenders from reaching the quarterback when the quarterback is executing a passing play, and second, when a running back or
quarterback is running the ball, they are there to help the running back by blocking the defense from tackling him. Because their positions
require them to be very physical, the offensive linemen are usually the biggest players on the field.
Running backs are smaller, more athletic players whose primary duty is to get the ball from the quarterback and then run forward with it.
There are regular running backs and there are Fullbacks, who are relatively larger and more powerful. Fullbacks are best used in
situations where a team needs to muscle the ball just far enough forward to make a short yardage gain to either obtain a new set of downs
or score a touchdown.

The final category of offensive players is the Receivers, of which there are several types including Wide Receivers, Slot Receivers and
Tight Ends. The main job of these players is to run out and catch the ball, although they also help to block during some running plays.

Also included in the offense is the Kicker, who kicks field goals, and the Punter who punts the ball away. The kicker and punter are very
specialized positions focused on really just one thing: kicking.

….And it’s okay to be defensive

The goal of the defense is to try to stop the other team's offense from advancing the ball and scoring. Much like the quarterback does on
offense, the lead defensive players will also call out plays, but the plays on defense are called in anticipation of what the offense may try to
do.

The front group of defenders are the Defensive Linemen and much like their offensive counterparts, there are several different positions
that make up this group. The first job of the defensive linemen is to rush the quarterback by trying to get through the offensive line to the
quarterback and hopefully sack him. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback before the quarterback can get rid of the
ball, which usually results in a loss of yards for the offense (and may even cause the quarterback to fumble the ball). The second job of the
defensive linemen is to stop and tackle the running back on running plays.

In addition to the defensive linemen, the defense also has a variety of other positions that serve a wide range of purposes. Cornerbacks
are players who, at the start of a play, line up opposite of the wide receivers and try to prevent them from making a catch down the field.
Linebackers are a kind of defensive jack-of-all-trades: they are athletic players responsible for a variety of duties that range from rushing
the quarterback, stopping running backs (or the quarterback) on running plays, and assisting cornerbacks in covering receivers on passing
plays.

In addition to linebackers and cornerbacks, there is also a defensive position called a Safety that usually is positioned behind the
defensive line and the linebackers, further down the field. Safeties are an insurance blanket – in case a running back breaks through the
defensive line or a wide receiver catches a ball, they are there to assist. The Strong Safety usually helps cover the tight end and can run
up to help the defensive line to stop a running play. Free Safeties however, are the last line of defense and they usually play farther down
field and prevent big plays that might otherwise result in a touchdown.
An important term to remember when thinking about defense is the word blitz. A blitz is exactly what it sounds like: an all-out rush by the
defense, usually involving other defensive players in addition to the defensive line, to try and get to the quarterback. The goal of the blitz is
to sack the quarterback or cause him to make a poor throw because he feels rushed by the defense that is overwhelming and breaking
through the offensive line.

Special teams

In addition to the offense and defense there are also Special Team players in football. The basic football components are offense and
defense, but in certain transitional or “special” situations such as field goal attempts, extra point attempts, punts, and kickoffs, a team will
take its normal offense or defense off the field and bring out one of its special teams. A special team usually includes at least some
members of the starting offense or defense, but the groups spends a lot of time in practice focused on just these special situations.

For example, when kicking an extra point after a touchdown, the “kicking unit” has a very specific way in which they arrange themselves
on the line of scrimmage to provide the kicker with enough time to make a perfect kick and block the defense from reaching around the
offensive line and having a chance to block the kicked ball. This kicking unit team will practice this one play over and over again to make
sure that everyone is cohesively working as one unit.
 Chapter 2: Offense explained without the X’s and 0’s

The offense has one major goal: to score points. The basic premise is easy, but there are multiple positions and subtle tactics that have to
be considered in conjunction with simply scoring points. We are going to start with some of the basics and in later chapters we will go into
a bit more depth. Let’s start with some of the offensive positions and their nuances.

Quarter back

On the offensive side of the ball there is no player that plays a more important role than the quarterback. The position of quarterback,
usually filled by an individual that is characteristically a leader, is responsible for directing everything that happens on the field when the
team is on offense. Each play is usually called by the coach, but the quarterback is responsible for relaying the play to his teammates and
therefore has final decision over what play is actually called. In the seconds before the quarterback yells “hike”, he may not like any last
minute changes in the defense or he may recognize a “mismatch” such as a slow and short defender covering the team’s all-star wide
receiver, who also happens to be very tall and very fast. A quarterback might call an audible and change the play to a new play that he
feels will give his team a better chance at success given what he sees on the field.

In a running play, the quarterback is responsible for getting the ball into the running back’s hands so that the running back can charge up
field. This handoff looks easy but can be harder than you think – remember the quarterback and running back are trying to do this quickly
and the running back is concerned with planning his path up field. This movement is rehearsed time and time again so that the steps and
timing between the quarterback and his running backs is just right, as a botched handoff can lead to a costly fumble. You may notice that
you lose track of exactly who has the ball – this is a sign of a good quarterback! A quarterback may not always be so conspicuous that he
has handed off the football and may instead pretend to still have the ball. If the defenders think the quarterback has the football, they’ll
continue to follow his movements and lose sight of the running back who actually has the ball. (Occasionally, the handoff will be so
disguised that the cameraman and television editing team will be confused as well and continue to track the quarterback even though he no
longer has the ball.)

On a passing play, you will often see the quarterback call hike and then take a few step backs after receiving the ball from his center. The
offensive line may also take a step back and the lineman on the end of the line may take an extra step or two backwards. The offensive line
is trying to create what is referred to as the passing pocket or just the pocket. Good offensive lines can consistently keep this pocket
protected for the few seconds needed by the quarterback to make a pass without worrying about being sacked by the defense. When an
offensive line is not able to keep the prying defense out of this pocket and the pocket consistently “collapses” too soon, the quarterback can
become distracted and his concern with getting tackled can hamper his ability to make a good pass.
A pass that is caught by a receiver is called a “completed pass” and pass that isn’t legally caught or dropped is called an “incomplete
pass.” Worse than an incomplete pass is an “interception” where a member of the defense catches a pass from the quarterback, which sends
the current offense off the field and gives the ball to the other team.

The offensive line

There are five offensive linemen - these are the guys who give football the reputation as a sport for big guys. The actual positions are
Center, Left Guard, Left Tackle, Right Guard, and Right Tackle. When the quarterback calls out hike, the center is responsible for
throwing the ball backwards to him. At this point the linemen have one of two responsibilities. If the quarterback is going to pass the ball
they are responsible for providing protection for him by pushing the defenders back. It's impossible to hold the line indefinitely, and the
linemen instead focus on keeping the defenders at bay for a few seconds so the quarterback can do his job. It's important to note that the
linemen are only allowed to push defenders back; grabbing and holding a defender is a penalty. During a running play, the offensive
linemen try to push the defensive line back while clearing a path, or a “lane”, among the defenders for the running back. Running backs are
typically extremely agile and fast so they do not need a space wide enough to push a shopping cart through; sometimes just a small silver of
space is enough for them to bounce through or at least partially penetrate a defensive line for some yardage.

The receiving corps

Receivers are players whose primary responsibility is to catch the football in order to move the ball down field. The secondary role of this
group is to serve as blockers, usually on running plays, to create additional space and time for the running backs. There are several types of
receivers including Wide Receivers, Slot Receivers, and Tight Ends. Slot receivers and tight ends run shorter, more precise routes in an
attempt to gain short to moderate yardage. Wide receivers are typically among the fastest players on the field and they are the deep threats;
players who try to get behind the defense to make big gains.

Above, we talk about receivers running “routes.” A receiver’s route is just like a dance routine – it is a series of steps, movements, and
changes of speed all used to try and shake off a defender and get open for a pass. The timing of the route is just as important as getting
open, as the quarterback is looking for his receivers at specific spots on the field at specific moments. There are hundreds of different
routes, but to give one example, we’ll talk about a “post” route, one of the more commons routes used by kids in backyards all across
America. In a post route, a receiver will line up towards the sideline, and at the start of the play will run straight up the field. After about
10 to 25 yards, the receiver will change course by about 45 degrees and start running towards the goal post (hence the name “post”) and
will look back for a pass from the quarterback.

Running backs

Running back shave a primary job, a secondary job and even a third responsibility. The primary job of a running back is to take the ball
from the quarterback and then run forward up field to gain positive yardage. The secondary job of the running back is to block or provide
protection for the quarterback. Lastly, a running back may also be used as another receiver.

Running backs are subdivided into different positions based upon specific needs. A typical running back is also known as a tailback or half
back and is the player that is active on most offensive plays. The fullback is typically a larger and stronger running back and is brought out
in situations where short gains are needed.

Field position

The football field is 100 yards long and using this as an advantage is a key component of playing winning football. Football teams will do
whatever they can to make sure they start on offense as close as possible to the opposite team’s goal line. They also do whatever they can
to try to pin the other team as far from their goal line as possible. By carefully choosing the right plays, a team can use the field to its
advantage. For example, you may notice on a punt that the punting team will chase down the field after the ball and if the receiving team
does not touch the ball, the punting team will let the ball continue to bounce and roll along approaching the opposite end zone and will only
stop it right before it goes through end zone. Now, when the opposing offense comes out it will be “pinned back” near its end zone and will
have almost the entire field to cover in order to score a touchdown.

Coaching

Anyone who has ever watched a football game has probably noticed the team of coaches that patrol the sidelines. So what exactly do the
coaches do? Well, on the offensive side of the game they call plays and help to manage the clock. In addition to general strategy, coaches
formulate strategies for playing particular opponents. Professionally, like in the NFL, the offense is staffed with a number of coaches in
addition to the head coach. The offensive coordinator is right below the team coach and is responsible for the entire offense. Teams will
often have a special quarterback coach, who is dedicated to coaching the quarterbacks, an offensive line coach, and a linebacker coach.
Coaches are always talking to their players, but the quarterback is in constant contact with either the offensive coordinator or the head
coach as they call the plays on offense. If you are watching the NFL, you may notice that the quarterback’s helmet has a green dot on it: in
the NFL, the quarterback is allowed to wear a radio-equipped helmet (marked by a green dot) so that the coach may more easily call the
plays into him.
 Chapter 3: Put the D in defense

Much like the offense, the defense also has one main goal: keep the other team from scoring. But there is far more to defense than simply
stopping the other team from scoring. A football defense has to develop a strategy to combat a particular opponent, and it also has to adapt
to the situations of a particular game. For example, if the team has a big lead, a defense will probably play more conservatively in an
attempt to protect the lead. If a team is behind and needs to try to force a turnover, then the defense will probably be more aggressive in the
way it plays. By taking the time to learn the basics of football defense you can gain a better understanding of how the game is played, and
also learn what each team is trying to accomplish at any given time.

The heart of any defensive is the defensive line. The defensive line consists of the front three or four players that are responsible for
controlling the ground game of the offense. This includes stopping the running back as well as trying to tackle the quarterback. As you
already know, whenever a member of the defense tackles the other team’s quarterback, it is known as a sack.

A sack is important for three reasons. First, at a minimum it usually results in the offense losing yardage. Why, you ask? Think about where
the quarterback is when he gets sacked. The football starts at the line of scrimmage and is hiked backwards, maybe half a yard to the
quarterback. Then the quarterback steps back a minimum of a few feet but usually a few yards as he gets positioned to pass the ball. In a
really bad situation, the quarterback may try to outrun a potential sack, only to move further backwards and lose more yards than if he had
just resigned himself to getting sacked from the beginning. Second, it costs the offense a down. Lastly, a sack knocks down the quarterback,
which can tire him out. A quarterback who is hit or sacked a lot throughout the course of a game will get tired and possibly worn out of
enough that his effectiveness is reduced. Additionally, a quarterback that is concerned about getting sacked may try to throw the ball too
early before a play has fully “developed” and the receiver is not yet open or is not expecting the ball at that moment.

Assisting the defensive line are the linebackers, who are kind of like the all-purpose players on the defensive side of the ball. You will
usually see the linebackers lined up behind the defensive line before the start of the play. Just as the quarterback is yelling out instructions
to his team, a linebacker is trying to figure out what the offense is going to do on the next play and is tasked with calling out defensive
instructions to his teammates.

On a passing play, the linebacker will move backwards, away from the line of scrimmage to assist his teammates in covering the offensive
players like the receivers who are running around trying to get open. On running plays, the linebacker will help the defensive line from
letting the running back charge through. The mind games between the quarterback and the linebacker are not finished after the quarterback
yells hike. In the initial seconds as the play is developing, the linebacker is trying to stay one step ahead to determine which offensive
player will ultimately get the ball so that he can be there when he does. For instance, a good linebacker will watch the quarterback as he is
starting to make a pass and will try to intercept the ball or be there to tackle the receiver as soon as he makes a catch.
There are also players that play in what is known as the secondary. The secondary is the area of the field beyond the line of scrimmage
where receivers will typically attempt to catch the ball. Cornerbacks are responsible for covering the receivers and attempting to stop
them from making a catch. In the event that this fails, the secondary duty of a cornerback is to tackle the receiver and try to minimize the
yards they can gain. One of the most common techniques employed by cornerbacks is what is known as jamming the receiver. It is against
the rules for a cornerback to touch a receiver after the receiver has run five yards past the line of scrimmage. Cornerbacks will use those
first 5 yards to try to slow down a receiver and disrupt the timing of a play. If the offense is running a play based on timing, then jamming a
receiver can disrupt this timing and help to defend the play.

Safeties also do much of their work in the secondary and, as their name implies, are there to provide a safety net to help prevent big plays.
In the event that a receiver beats his coverage, the safety is there as a last line of defense to try to prevent the receiver from scoring. In
some defensive schemes safeties may also be brought up to rush the quarterback in a blitz. This type of blitz is most often used as a “change
of pace” type tactic in an attempt to surprise and confuse the offense.

Much like the offense, the defense has its own group of coaches led by the defensive coordinator. What a lot of people don't realize is that
the defense calls its own plays much like the offense does. The biggest difference in how the defense calls plays is that it is based upon
what they believe the other team is about to attempt. Basically the coaches and players on the defensive side of the ball try to figure out
what type of play the other team is about to run, and then they call out a play to try to stop it. Depending upon the situation the defense will
often call a play designed to disguise what they are trying to do in an attempt to force a turnover. This is most often accomplished by
making it appear to the quarterback that a receiver is open when in fact there is a defender who is waiting on a pass to come.

Much like the offense has to manage the game clock and field position based upon game situations, the defense has to try to do the same. A
team’s defense is often tasked with trying to protect a lead late in the game, or with trying to force a turnover and get the ball back if its
team is behind. While the offense might be the more glamorous side of the game, it is often the defense that is relied upon to help win a
football game.
 Chapter 4: What’s so special about special teams?

Special teams are made up of players that play on plays that involve either a field goal or extra point(s) attempt, or a transition where the
ball is changing possession. While special teams may only play a small percentage of game minutes, what they do in this short amount of
time can have a major impact on the game’s outcome. Special teams plays are often some of the most exciting plays of a game since the
action is usually very fast and explosive.

Kick off

The kickoff is one of the most recognizable plays in all of football. A kickoff is how every game starts, and is also conducted following
each time a team scores. At the start of the game, a coin toss is done and the winner gets to choose to either receive the ball first or defer.
For the team that does not receive the ball first the good news is that it will receive the ball first to start the second half of the game. During
the kickoff, one team kicks the ball to the other team. The person receiving the ball has the option of catching it and trying to return it,
calling for a fair catch, or, if the ball ends up in the end zone, the receiver can kneel for a touchback. A touchback occurs when the
receiving team catches a kickoff in its own end zone, or if the ball goes into or past the end zone during the kick. A touchback simply means
that the receiving team starts out with the ball on its own 20-yard line (25-yard line in college football).

A fair catch simply means that the kicking team cannot touch the person catching the ball and in return, the receiver is not permitted to
return the kick, but instead the receiving team starts with a first down at the spot where the receiver fielded the ball. The most common
occurrence is that the person who catches the kickoff will run it back to attempt to gain yardage or even score. If a player decides to return
the ball, his teammates will run ahead and block for him, while the other team will try to tackle him. In most cases a player returning the
ball will make it a few yards, however on some rare occasions the person returning the ball can take it back a long way and even score.

Punt

A punt is similar to a kickoff, but instead of happening after a score it happens when a team decides to punt instead of turning the ball over
on downs. As a review, the offense has four downs, or plays, to advance the ball at least 10 yards. If a team fails to make that 10 yards
over the course of four downs, then the ball is given to the other team. On fourth down many teams elect to punt, which means to kick the
football away. While giving the ball to the other team isn't ideal, it's usually better to kick the ball away so that the other team can be
pushed farther away from the goal line, making it harder for its offense to score. Like many other aspects of football, the decision on
whether or not to punt is dictated by game situations. For example, if it is early in the game, most teams will elect to punt the ball away
rather than risk the other team’s offense getting great field position. However, if it is later in the game, and a team is behind, it will often
choose to try to make a first down using all four downs instead of punting the ball away. Though this is riskier move than punting, a team
will do this because it knows that it will only have a limited number of times on offense again before the end of the game.

Field Goal

A field goal is worth three points, and is performed by a three players. The Long Snapper, who hikes the ball, the Holder, who holds the
ball in place, and the Field Goal Kicker, who kicks the ball. In addition to these three players, the team kicking also has several others
lined up at the line of scrimmage to try to keep back the defense, which will attempt to break through to block the kicked ball. The object of
the field goal is to kick the ball through the uprights of the goal post. In today's game kickers are better than ever before and successful
kicks of around 50 yards are common.

Extra Point

An extra point is similar to a field goal, but it differs in that it is worth only one point, and it is kicked after a touchdown by the team that
has scored. Most people think of a touchdown being worth seven points, but in reality, a touchdown is worth six points, and the touchdown
plus the extra point is how a team earns seven points. In the NFL, the ball is placed on the two-yard line to start the play; after the ball is
hiked by the long snapper back to the holder, the ball is actually kicked from approximately the 10-yard line.

Two-Point Conversion

Rather than kicking an extra point after a touchdown, a team may decide to attempt a two-point conversion, which is worth two points.
When a team does this it is given the ball on the two-yard and has one play to get in the end zone. A two-point conversion is something that
is generally only done in specialized circumstances. For example, if it is late in the game and a team is up one point after scoring a
touchdown, it may attempt a two-point conversion; this way, the team will be ahead by three points and if the other team kicks a field goal,
it can only tie score rather than pull ahead.

Special team players play some of the most critical roles of any football player. When you compare the small amount of time they spend on
field with the impact they have on the game, it can be quite surprising just how much special teams matter.
Section 2 - Football 201
 Chapter 5: Basic offensive schemes

Congratulations! You have made it through the 101 section of the class and you are now ready to take on some higher-level concepts. First
up are the basic offensive “schemes” used in today’s football game. Knowledge of basic offensive schemes run during a game will enable
you to better understand what a team is doing on the field.

An “offensive scheme” is just a fancy way of describing an offense’s basic strategy or its style of play. As you would expect, these
offensive strategies go from bare bones basic to extremely nuanced as you start with the youth football leagues, move up through high
school and into college and finally into professional football like the National Football League. As defenses, coaches and players evolve,
it becomes more difficult for offenses to score and the offensive schemes become more complicated. While this makes for an entertaining
game, the downside is that it becomes harder for fans to follow along. Don’t worry – you’re in the right place!

Below we walk through the basic schemes, you should know that you don’t need to understand the nuances of all the schemes, but a basic
understanding will make your viewing experience exponentially more pleasurable. It’s also impossible to know everything because each
football team is unique and will employ its own unique variation on the traditional schemes. And good coaches will adjust the way that
their teams play based upon the particular skills and abilities of their players.

A run based attack

Running the football is the oldest and simplest way to advance the football, and it is one that is still highly effective today. Teams that
feature a “run heavy” offense are often seen as teams that try to power through the opposition, a tactic also known as “smash mouth
football”. One of the biggest advantages of featuring a run heavy attack is that turnovers are less likely. While a player may still lose the
ball on a fumble, the risk of an intercepted pass is eliminated. The other main advantage of this type of football is that it allows a team to
dominate the ball and time of possession, as the longer one offense holds the ball during the game, the less time the other team’s offense
will have to try to score. The main downside of a run based attack is that big plays that gain lots of yardage (like a 40-yard pass to a
receiver running down the sideline) are more difficult to pull off and yardage is gained only a few yards at a time.

The vertical offense

The vertical offense features multiple receivers running routes all at the same time. By having multiple offensive players running down and
sideways across the field, the vertical offense places a lot of pressure on the other team's defense and makes it hard to cover everyone. The
vertical offense stretches the defense across the field and involves a mix of short, medium and long passes with some running plays mixed
in for additional variety. This technique allows for many opportunities for big plays and therefore plenty of scoring but carries downside
risk as well. In a scheme where the quarterback is throwing the ball a lot, and there are a lot of receivers and defenders in the area, the
potential for an interception is much greater. Still, despite the risks involved, the vertical offense remains a popular choice due to the high
scoring potential it offers and has the added benefit that it can be very exciting for the fans to watch.

The option

The option is a type of strategy that relies upon a quarterback that is capable of thinking and adapting on the fly. As we know from the
previous Football 101 section, an audible is when a quarterback makes a last minute play change at the line of scrimmage prior to the snap.
The option differs from the audible in that it requires the quarterback to make decisions during the course of the play. The “option” is
usually always a running play and in the end, the quarterback will either pitch the ball to a nearby running back or keep the ball and run it
himself up the field. After the football is hiked to him, the quarterback has a few split seconds to “read” the defense and determine which
outcome is likely to produce better results given the position of the defense. By making the decision during a play, the defense is forced to
try to contain multiple players, which is very difficult. If a team has a quarterback that is capable of running the option well it can prove to
be overwhelming for defenses that find it hard to react on the fly. You will most often see the option utilized in amateur football, such as
high school and college. In professional football, such as the NFL, the defensive players are more adept at covering multiple players and
the option is less effective and therefore not used as often.

West coast offense

The west coast offense is a unique type of passing attack that allows the team on offense to maintain control of the ball for long periods of
time under most circumstances. A west coast offense features multiple receivers running short routes. Because the routes are short, passing
accuracy is improved, and the need for blocking is reduced. This allows the team on offense to control the ball and move it down the field
while also reducing the risk of turnovers.

The spread offense

The spread offense is so named because it is designed to spread out the field and minimize the impact that the other team's linebackers can
have on a game. The spread offense is usually run at a fast pace without a huddle before the play. This type of offense is also usually run
with the quarterback in the shotgun. Shotgun is the term used to describe the situation where a quarterback takes several steps back behind
the offensive line before the play starts. Being in shotgun, with a little extra room between him and the defensive players, will usually give
the quarterback a little more time to make a pass and a little more time for the receivers to run down field.

The balanced or pro-style offense

The last basic scheme you should be familiar with is the balanced offense, also known as the pro-style offense. The balanced offense is the
most commonly used type of offense in modern football and because of the high degree of skill required to execute this scheme, it is rarely
used outside of the professional level. The only defining characteristic of a balanced offensive is that it does not rely on just one way of
doing things. Instead, this offense will use a variety of passing and running plays and will involve elements from other offensive styles for
different situations. Executing a pro-style offense requires professionals that can quickly transition between multiple formations and
strategies.

Remember that these basic offensive schemes are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the different types of offenses run by football
teams, but now you know the basics. There are variations of most of these types of schemes, and there are also hybrid versions that
combine the strengths of multiple schemes together. The important thing to remember is that all of these offensive schemes have the same
purpose: to gain yards and score points. You don’t need to know any more than what you just learned to appreciate the “style” of offense
that a team employs. However, if you (or more likely your husband, boyfriend, brother, wife, dad, mom, kid or family) have a favorite
team, you should take a few minutes to research what type of offensive scheme this team uses. You can then start to follow the team a little
more easily and will better understand what's going on, and why your team may run certain plays at certain times.
 Chapter 6: Dive into the defense

While it probably comes as no surprise that the offensive side of a football team runs complex schemes, many people don't realize that
defenses also use complex strategies to adapt to the opposing offense. In order to compete with the advanced offensive schemes run today,
defenses have to be equally creative in the way that they approach a game. As you begin to understand and recognize different offensive
and defensive schemes, you start to appreciate how there is a chess match being played between the coaches.

The first thing you need to know is the word coverage. You are probably at least faintly familiar with the concept of “covering” someone
in a sport, which means to guard someone, like if you were on defense when playing basketball and you cover your opponent to block him
or her from catching the basketball. While this same concept is used in football, the general term coverage is also used to refer to a
defensive strategy employed to defend against the quarterback from passing the football. All coverages fall into one of two camps, either
zone or man-to-man.

Before the ball is even thrown though, a defense’s first line of defense against a pass is the pass rush. In a passing play, members of the
defense, usually at least three or four linemen, are charged with the job of rushing toward the quarterback in an attempt to sack him. Of
course between the defensive line and the quarterback is the offensive line. The defenders will use a variety of tactics and trickery to run
around or power through the offensive line, including using additional defenders, like a linebacker or safety, to overwhelm the offensive
line.

Zone coverage

Zone coverage is so named because in it linebackers, corners, and safeties are all assigned a zone or specific area to cover instead of a
single player. The main advantage of zone coverage is that it allows defenders to cover athletic receivers without necessarily having to run
with them; as a speedy receiver moves down field, he enters the zone of another waiting defender. The main disadvantage of zone coverage
is that there are inevitably holes or weak points in the zone that the offense will undoubtedly try to exploit. Notwithstanding this drawback,
because zone coverage can be very effective, teams will often accept this downside as a necessary evil.

The term zone coverage is a very broad term and there are multiple variations of how teams will use a zone coverage. For our purposes,
we’re going to focus on some of the more often used zone strategies.

Cover 1 is a zone defense where there is only one single “deep” defender, meaning there is one defender that plays back away from the
line of scrimmage. This one defender serves as an insurance policy as the last man available to tackle an offender that has caught a pass
and broken through an earlier zone. Because there is only this one defender responsible for covering this last large zone in front of the end
zone, there is the potential for offenses to accomplish big plays against a cover 1 defense. However, the advantage of having only one
safety in the backfield is that there are more players available to cover the area closer to the line of scrimmage where the quarterback is
more likely to try to pass the football.

Whereas cover 1 has only one safety, Cover 2 features two safeties, each with his own zone, which makes short catches easier (one less
defender to guard against this), but very long throws more difficult. The basic philosophy of cover 2 is to keep the offense in front of you
and give up short gains so that you can keep the offense from picking up really big gains.

Cover 3 features a scheme where three defenders defend “deep”, each covering a third of the coverage area. While this coverage protects
well against very big plays, it can allow even more short passes than cover 2 and there are less defenders available to rush the quarterback
because more players are used in coverage. Cover 4 is similar to cover 3, except it uses four defenders as opposed to three.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from cover 3 and cover 4 is Cover 0, a type of zone coverage that has no deep safety and thus can be
very risky.

In addition to zone coverage, a defense has the option of man coverage. Man coverage is, as its name suggests, a man-to-man coverage
where every defender is responsible for guarding a specific offender. There are still pass rushers that do not guard anyone but instead try to
get to the quarterback, and there is often one or two safeties playing deep. Even some zone coverages may still use some element a of man-
to-man coverage strategy, where a defender is assigned to guard a specific, talented player notwithstanding what zone he may be in.

Blitzing

We talked earlier about the blitz, but now that you are in Football 201, we should go into it in more thoroughly. A blitz describes a
defensive play where extra defenders are taken out of coverage and used to rush the quarterback. In most cases a blitz is disguised until the
last second and then unleashed once the play starts. The idea behind is to either sack the quarterback or force a poor decision out of him
since he will be under enormous pressure to get rid of the football. The advantage of the blitz is that it keeps a quarterback from getting
comfortable and it can also lead to sacks and forced mistakes. The downside is that coverage down the field is weakened, so if a blitz
completely fails or doesn't get to the quarterback quickly enough, the quarterback may be able to spot an advantage down the field such as a
wide open receiver.

Much like on the offensive side of the ball, these basic defensive schemes represent only a small fraction of the many subtle variations that
teams may employ. The important takeaway is that a defense will employ either man coverage or some variation of zone coverage. In
modern professional football many defenses will use both zone and man coverage depending upon the situation and players on the field.
Most defenses will also employ a variety of different blitzes in an attempt to confuse the quarterback and force sacks or mistakes.
In any team sport the offense normally gets most of the attention since scoring points is the more exciting part of the game. However, it's
important not to discount the importance that a good defense has on the outcome of a game. A great defense can dominate a football game
and can even help to carry a substandard offense.
 Chapter 7: Rules, rules and more rules
Football’s rules and penalties are the foundation that govern the way the game is played. To those not familiar with football, a game can
look chaotic. But in reality, there are many clearly defined rules and penalties for breaking them. The rules in football are not only there to
ensure that the game is played correctly, but because of the physicality of the game, many of the rules have been put in place to protect the
players.

In this section we are not going to go through every rule and their nitty-gritty details. Instead, we are going to go over some basic rules and
some of the more common penalties that you will see called. From these basic building blocks, you’ll start to learn more as you watch.

How a penalty is called

In football a referee calls a penalty by grabbing one of the yellow flags attached to his belt, throwing it in the air and letting it land on the
ground. When a flag is thrown the play is not always stopped immediately. In fact, after most penalties play is allowed to continue. After
the play has ended the referee will announce the penalty and the team that the penalty occurred against will have the option of either
accepting or declining the penalty. The typical punishment for committing a penalty is doled out in yardage. If you have a penalty on offense
then you will be pushed back away from the defense’s goal line and have more yards to cover before achieving a new first down. If the
defense is penalized, then the offense is given positive yardage that will bring it closer to the goal line.

Pass interference

One of the most common defensive penalties is pass interference. The general concept with pass interference is that offensive players
need to be given a fair chance to catch a football thrown by the quarterback. Pass interference occurs when a player on defense makes
contact with a receiver before the ball reaches the receiver. Only after the receiver touches the ball during a catch attempt is the defender
then allowed to hit him and grab at the ball; however, if the defender does this before the receiver touches the ball, it is considered pass
interference. The penalty for pass interference is that the team on offense is given the ball at the point where the foul occurred and no
matter what the previous down was, the offense gets to reset to first down. In the event the foul occurred in the end zone, the team on
offense is given the ball on the one-yard line.

Interestingly enough, pass interference may also be called on the offense. If a quarterback throws a poor pass, and the defender is in a
better position to catch the pass than the offender, then the offender is viewed as trying to defend against the defender and is subject to the
same pass interference rules.

Holding
Another very common penalty is holding, which can be called on both the defense and the offense. Holding is just what it sounds like: it is
when one player holds onto another player and doesn’t allow the player to make a play. If holding is called on a defensive player, the
offense is allowed to advance the ball five yards forward and restart at first down. If a holding penalty is called on the offense, the ball is
moved ten yards back and the down is replayed.

Illegal tackles and hits

Football at its core is a very rough sport, but leagues try to enforce certain rules that greatly cut down on the number of injuries. For
example, there is a facemask penalty in football that punishes a team if a member of the offense or defense grabs the facemask of another
player’s helmet, as this can lead to injury. The penalty for a facemask infraction is 15 yards and if it is called on the defense, the offense
also gains an automatic first down. Helmet-to-helmet hits are prohibited due to the potential for injury that they pose, as is a horse collar
tackle which involves grabbing inside a player's shoulder pads to drag him down. Unnecessary roughness is a penalty that can be called on
either the offense or the defense and involves using force that is deemed dangerous and excessive. In addition, hitting a quarterback after he
has thrown the ball, a kicker after a kick, or any player once a play is over are all penalties.

Stay on your own side

There are a number of penalties that involve the position of the offensive and defensive players before and at the start of the play. Prior to
the start of the play, the majority of the players are lined up on the line of scrimmage, ready to go at each other. Like a sprinter on the
starting blocks or a swimmer waiting to dive into the pool, each player is anxious to get started. Teams will take advantage of this and try
draw a player out of position, which, depending on which side the penalty is called on, will either move the ball forward or backwards.

At the line of scrimmage, as a basic rule of thumb, defenses are allowed to move and change position, but once a member of the offense
lines up at the line of scrimmage, he must stay in his position until the ball is snapped and the play starts. A false start penalty is called for
any movement by an offensive player, even a flinch, after he has settled into his position. A defender may move prior to the snap and may
even cross the line of scrimmage, but he will be called for an encroachment penalty if he crosses the line of scrimmage and touches an
offensive player or has a clear path to the quarterback.

A member of the offense or the defense can be called offside if he is on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage at the start of the play. You
may notice that if a member of the offense is offside, the referee throws his flag and the play stops. However, if a member of the defense is
offside, the referee will throw his flag but the play is allowed to continue and at the end of the play the offense gets to choose if it would
like to ignore or accept the penalty. This is sometimes referred to as a “free play” because if the offense scores a touchdown or gets
significant yardage, it may choose to go on as if the penalty never happened, but if the offense has a crummy play, like if the quarterback
gets sacked or throws an interception, it may scrape the play and take the penalty.
More offensive penalties

There are a number of penalties that are specific just to the offense. You will sometimes notice that on the television, in addition to the
game clock, there is separate timer in between plays that counts down how long the quarterback has until his must start the next play. This
timer is called the play clock and a quarterback must start each play before this clock gets to zero or else his team will suffer a delay of
game penalty of 5 yards.

A quarterback can also be penalized for intentional grounding if he throws a pass that no one on the offense has a realistic chance of
catching. “Why would a quarterback do this?” you ask. Imagine a situation where the defense has broken through the offensive line and is
in pursuit of the quarterback. Rather than be sacked and lose substantial yardage, the quarterback may try to throw the ball, even if it cannot
be caught, in order for the play to end due to an incomplete pass, which would allow the offense to return back to the line of scrimmage.

The last offensive rule you should be aware of is illegal touching of a forward pass. On the offense, certain players, usually members of
the offensive line, are “ineligible receivers”, meaning they are not allowed to catch a forward pass from the quarterback. A catch by an
ineligible receiver is penalized as illegal touching or illegal touching of a forward pass. However, once a ball is thrown, all players
become “eligible” and therefore if a pass is bobbled or hit by the defense and gets knocked into the hands of a (previously ineligible)
offensive lineman’s hands, it is now a legal catch and he can run forward with the ball.

While the rules and penalties aspect of football may not be the most exciting part of the game theyare important to learn nevertheless.
People that follow football will point to the impact that penalties can have in a game. Teams that commit a lot of fouls or other infractions
and are penalized heavily are at a significant disadvantage in a game.
 Chapter 8: Working the clock

As we near the end of the book, I think you are ready to learn about one major strategy in football called clock management. “Working the
clock” is a very important tactic in football that can help a team to either protect a lead or overcome a deficit. Teams that understand that
working the clock is important, and are good at doing it, give themselves a better chance at winning. Keep in mind when watching football
that the game will not go on indefinitely. It is played in a series of four quarters, and on some occasions in the event of a tie, it has an
overtime period. Because of the finite nature of the game it is not always the team that plays well early that wins; it is often the team that
finishes the game well that comes out victorious. It is a great piece of strategy and adds to the game’s excitement.

The basic strategy for a team that is winning is to use up as much clock time as possible so that the other team has minimal or no time at all
with the ball on offense. Conversely, a team that is losing towards the end of the game will employ as many strategies to stretch the game
out as long as possible giving themselves more opportunities to get on offense and score.

As a general rule, the game clock runs continuously but it is stopped at the following points:

1) After a quarterback throws an incomplete pass,

2) When a player carrying the ball runs out of bounds,
3) Automatically when there are two minutes left in the first and second half, known as the “two-minute warning”,
4) When a team calls time out (each team is allowed three time outs per half),
5) After a kickoff, and
6) At the college level, the game clock temporarily stops after the offense earns a new first down so that the measurement chains can
be moved.

After the stoppage of the clock, the referee will “spot” or place the ball on the line of scrimmage and the game clock will start again. At the
same time, the play clock will start, and the quarterback on the offense has generally from 25 - 40 seconds (depending on the reason for the
stoppage and the specific league) to start the play (or suffer a delay of game penalty).

Now that you know the basics, let’s get into some of the strategies:

The two-minute drill

The two-minute drill is an offensive tactic used by a team when it wants to move down the field and score quickly. The two-minute drill is
usually used when a team is losing and time is starting to run down. The two-minute drill is also sometimes used when the end of the first
half is nearing and the offense wants to try and squeeze in another score. The plays called in the two-minute drill are often quick passing
plays to gain short yardage quickly. In order to preserve time, the team on offense will run more passing plays. Passing plays typically
result in bigger gains with the added bonus that if the pass is incomplete, the clock will stop. Teams are also generally more daring with
their play calls, especially at the end of games when they have to score quickly or they will lose the game. The intended receiver will often
try to stay near the sideline and quickly run out of bounds after completing a catch. Running out of bounds stops the clock immediately,
where as if the player is tackled on the field, the clock will continue to run as the players get up from the tackle and return to the new line
of scrimmage to start the next play.

During a two-minute drill, a team will often avoid huddling to save time and instead the quarterback will call a play at the line of
scrimmage. Another common tactic employed during a two-minute drill is spiking the football. When a quarterback spikes, or throws the
football down into the ground in front of him, the official ruling is an incomplete pass (as opposed to intentional grounding).Because an
incomplete pass stops the clock, a team will often sacrifice this down toward the end of a game or the end of the half in order to stop the
clock and save time. The two-minute drill can provide some of the greatest action and drama of the game for viewers. As the clock winds
down the meaning of each play becomes more important, and the focus and competitive nature of the teams reaches its highest point.

Saving time with timeouts

A key component of working the clock is finding ways to conserve time. The most obvious way that a team can conserve time is by calling
a timeout. Each team gets three timeouts per half and can use them whether on offense or defense. If a team is on defense and behind
towards the end of the game, it will often call a timeout in order to conserve the clock in hopes of getting the ball back. In addition to
regular timeouts, there is also a two-minute warning timeout that is called in each half when there are only two minutes remaining. A team
that manages its timeouts well can use them in conjunction with the two-minute warning to conserve time, thereby increasing its chances of
winning.

Using up the clock

While a team that is losing will often do whatever it can to save time on the clock, a team with a lead will do the opposite. For a team that
is ahead toward the end of the game, the clock becomes a valuable ally. If a team has possession of the ball and is ahead late in the game,
the object of the game will usually switch from trying to score to instead trying to use up as much clock, or time, as possible. To do this the
team on offense will use a variety of tactics. The first thing they will usually do is try to run as many running plays as possible. When a
team runs the ball, the clock doesn't stop after a player is tackled as long as he stays inbounds, and the chances of a turnover are reduced.
By running the ball and keeping it in play, the team on offense can run down the clock and force its opponent to use up its timeouts.
Additionally, between plays, as the clock is still running, a quarterback will wait as long as possible, sometimes until the play clock gets
down to one second, before starting the next play in order to eat up even more time.

When protecting a lead, and trying to run down the clock, a team on defense will usually run a type of scheme designed to prevent the
offense of the other team from making big plays. There will also be a strong focus on trying to tackle players and keep them from getting out
of bounds. Keeping players in bounds keeps the clock running after a tackle and can force the offense to use its timeouts.

Working the clock is just as important as being able to run an effective offense and a stifling defensive scheme. Great teams understand the
subtle nuances involved in deciding when it's worth expending downs in order to preserve clock and help to shift the odds in their favor.
The next time you watch a game, pay close attention to what teams do close to the end of a half and at the end of a game. You will see how
the last few minutes of the first and second half are almost like a game within a game.
 Index of common terms

Audible: When the quarterback changes the play at the line of scrimmage, usually in response to the current formation of the defense or a
favorable match up he sees in the last moments before starting the play.

Blitz: An all-out rush by the defense, usually involving other defensive players in addition to the defensive line, to try and get to the
quarterback. The goal of the blitz is to sack the quarterback or make him rush to make a poor throw by overwhelming
and quickly breaking through the offensive line.

Complete Pass: A pass that is thrown by the quarterback and caught by an offensive player.

Double Coverage: When two defensive players cover or guard against one offensive player.

Down: One of four attempts that the offense has to advance the football at least ten yards, after which the offense will be granted a new set
of four downs to gain another ten yards, and so on.

Eligible Receiver: An offensive player that is allowed to receive a forward pass from the quarterback. Typically, all players except for the
interior offensive lineman are eligible receivers.

Encroachment: A penalty whereby a defensive player prematurely crosses the line of scrimmage before the snap and either makes contact
with an offensive player or has a direct path to the quarterback.

End Zone: One of two areas, each located at either end of the field between the goal line and the end line. End zones are 50 yards wide and
10 yards deep. Touchdowns are scored by running the ball into or catching the football in the opposing team’s end zone.

Extra Point(s): Either one or two points that may be scored by the offense in the next play immediately after scoring a touchdown, either by
kicking a field goal (one point) or running/passing the football into the end zone (two points).

Fair Catch: A situation where the would-be receiver on a kickoff has signaled to the opposing team and referee, by raising his hand, that he
wishes the play to be dead at the spot where he catches the ball rather than attempt to advance the ball forward and risk a
dangerous tackle from the other team.

Field Goal: Three points awarded to a team after kicking the football through the goal posts. When kicking a field goal, the football is held
 upright on the ground by another player’s finger.

Fumble: A drop or loss of the football by the ball carrier. Following a fumble, possession of the football is awarded to the team that
ultimately recovers the ball, either by picking up or falling on top of the now “loose” ball.

Go for two: Attempt a two-point conversion in an extra point situation after a touchdown.

Going for it: In a fourth down situation, attempting to run a play and achieve a new first down rather than punting the ball away or
attempting a field goal.

Hand-Off: A transition of the ball from one player, usually the quarterback, to another, usually a running back.

Incomplete Pass: A pass that is thrown by the quarterback, intended to be caught by another offensive player, but is not legally caught.

Intentional Grounding: A penalty called against the offense when the quarterback throws a pass that no one on the offense has a realistic
chance of catching.

Interception: A pass that is caught by a member of the defense instead of the intended offensive player resulting in a change of possession
to the defense.

Kickoff: A play that is run at the start of the first half, second half and after each score whereby one team kicks the ball from its side of the
field to the other team, usually waiting on the other side of the field.

Line of Scrimmage: Imaginary line running across the width of the field that marks where the ball is placed at the start of the play.

Offside: A penalty called when a player is on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage at the start of a play.

Onside Kick: A type of kickoff where the kicking team deliberately kicks the ball only a very short distance (minimum of ten yards in the
NFL) in hopes that it, rather than the receiving team, will recover the football so that it can maintain possession of the
ball.

Pass Route: A predetermined running pattern that a receiver will run in order to free himself of his defender and catch a pass from the
quarterback.

Play Clock: A countdown timer between plays that indicates how much time the offense has left before it must start the next play.
Pocket: The imaginary protected area created by offensive lineman and other offensive players around the quarterback.

Point Spread: A forecast of how many points one team is expected to win over the other.

Quarterback Sneak: When the quarterback immediately lurches or runs forward with the ball after receiving the snap, used most often when
the offense needs only a few feet or inches in order to achieve a first down or score a touchdown.

Red Zone: An imaginary area between the 20-yard line and the goal line, so named because it is much easier for offenses to score a
touchdown once they have reached this area.

Rookie: A player in his first year.

Sack: When the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

Safety: When the quarterback or other ball carrier is tackled in his own end zone, which then results in the defensive team earning two
points. After the defensive team scores a safety, this same team then has the ball kicked off to it and goes on offense.

Snap: When the center offensive lineman hands or throws the ball back through his legs to the quarterback.

Spread: See Point Spread.

Third and long: A term used to describe a situation where the offense is on third down and has an unspecified, but long way to go in order
to achieve a first down.

Touchback: A ruling by the referee where the play is called dead when the football is at or behind a team’s own goal line provided that the
ball is behind the goal line due to the actions of the opposing team (for an example, an interception made by a defender
in his own end zone, a fumble by an offensive player into the end zone, a kickoff that goes into the end zone, etc.). A
touchback results in the ball being placed on a team’s 20-yard line for the start of the next play.

Touchdown: A six-point score achieved when a player carries the football into or catches the football in the opposing team’s end zone.

Turnover: When the football is unintentionally turned over from the offense to the defense, as in an interception or fumble recovered by the
defense.
Two-minute warning: A stoppage of play and the game clock that occurs when there are two minutes remaining in the first and second half.

Two-point conversion: An attempt to score an extra two points after scoring a touchdown by trying to run or pass the football into the end
zone in only one play.