Throughout history, football has continued to gain popularity. Its rise began in England, and later spread across Europe. In the late 19th century, teams of leading clubs began charging admission for their spectators. This paved the way for clubs to attract better players, and it also gave players a financial reward for their risk of injury. It also gave working class people in Britain a new form of entertainment, and it became a popular sport in South America.
The goal of the game is to move the ball into the opposing team’s “end zone.” The end zone is a rectangular field, marked on the field with a white line called a yard line. A team’s possession is called “first down” when it crosses the opposing team’s goal line. The offense has four chances to gain 10 yards, but if it fails to do so, the offensive team loses its possession.
The offense tries to advance the ball by running, passing, or kicking. Each team has a playbook that describes dozens to hundreds of plays. Each team has four players positioned on the line of scrimmage. The offensive line, consisting of five players, protects the passer and clears the way for runners. The quarterback, usually an offensive centre, is the offensive player who passes the ball. Running backs and wide receivers are specialized in catching passes.
The game is divided into four periods. The first period, called the first quarter, begins when the offensive team snaps the ball. The second period begins after the offense fails to advance the ball 10 yards in the first period. The third period begins after the offensive team moves 10 yards in the second period. The fourth period begins when the offense has advanced the ball 10 yards in the third period. A team gains two points for a safety when the offensive player is tackled in the end zone. This is the equivalent of a two-point conversion in rugby.
The goal of the defense is to prevent the offensive team from scoring. When a team fails to advance the ball by 10 yards in three plays, the offensive team is penalized. The penalty may be a fumble, which is when the ball is fumbled by a player and picked up by the defense. The fumble is recovered by a defensive player, who runs with the ball until tackled.
In addition to the penalty, the offense can receive automatic first downs. For instance, an offensive player could get an illegal block in the back, which is when the offensive player intentionally pushes an opposing player in the back to prevent a forward pass. A team can also receive a fumble or false start. These are the most common penalties, and a team can receive a fumble or false start penalty by running the ball off the hash marks.
In modern football, each team has four chances to advance the ball by 10 yards, and the offense resets its count every four plays. If the team fails to advance the ball in a fourth play, the team loses its possession and is forced to kick the ball downfield to the other team.
