by Tom Parry-Jones
American football is – at its core – a very simple game: score points by getting the ball into the opponent’s end zone and kicking it through their posts. The history of the game means it’s very similar to rugby, but unlike rugby union, where teams have unlimited attempts to score until they give up possession, American football is a lot more like rugby league.
four downs to get 10 yards
The difference is that unlike rugby league, where teams have six attempts to move the ball the entire length of the field, American football teams have four attempts (or ‘downs’) to move it just 10 yards. As long as the team continues to move the ball at least 10 yards every four downs, they can keep it until they score.
Every time the ball changes hands, the receiving team starts a new possession (or ‘drive’), which begins from where the last play was blown dead. If the team receives the ball from a kick (a kickoff or a punt), they will have a returner deep to run the ball back and the next play starts from where they are tackled.
Everything other than a kicking (or ‘special teams’) play is known as a ‘play from scrimmage’, and these can be divided into runs and passes. On every play from scrimmage, the offense is allowed one forward pass, where the ball is thrown from one player to another who is closer to the opponent’s goal line. Otherwise, the ball has to be passed sideways or backwards and can only be advanced by running with it.
scoring a touchdown
If a player runs with the ball into the opponent’s end zone, or the ball is passed to a player with two feet down in the end zone, the team is awarded a touchdown and six points. After this, they can attempt to kick the ball through the posts for an extra point (similar to a conversion in rugby), with the play starting at the 15-yard line, or they can try to get the ball into the end zone again from the 2-yard line for an extra two points. The latter is more risky, so teams will usually only attempt a ‘two-point conversion’ when they are losing late in the game.
kicking a field goal
However, if the team isn’t able to make it into the end zone or even the minimum 10 yards within four downs, they give up possession (known as a ‘turnover on downs’). For this reason, teams will rarely attempt to advance the ball on fourth down, unless the required distance is very short. Instead, they will either try to kick the ball through the posts (a ‘field goal’ worth three points), or if they are out of field goal range, they will punt the ball away to the opposition.
scoring on defense
Touchdowns can also be scored by the defense: if they cause a turnover, either by intercepting a pass or picking the ball up off the floor after it is dropped by an opponent (a ‘fumble’), and are able to avoid being tackled, they can run the ball all the way to the offense’s end zone for a defensive touchdown.
The defense can also add to the score in another way: the ‘safety’. If an offensive player takes the ball into their own end zone and is tackled, or commits a penalty in their own end zone, the officials will award a safety. This awards two points to the defensive team, and the offense then has to kick the ball away from their own 20-yard line.