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The Ultimate Guide to American Football Rules

Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, and fans around the world are getting into the game as well. Whether you play in a recreational league or are working to go pro, understanding the rules of American football can give you a deeper appreciation of the strategies you need to win. Football rules vary somewhat for high school and college leagues, but the Official NFL Rulebook is the ideal place to dive into the finer points of this exciting sport.

SS24_Football_Rules_2_1
SS24_Football_Rules_2_1

Field & Team Setup

Football is played on a field that’s 360 feet long by 160 feet wide. The main portion of the field is 100 yards long and marked in increments of 10 yards. At each end of the field is the end zone, or scoring area. Each end zone contains the uprights, the target for kickers when trying to score a field goal. There’s also additional space out of bounds on the sidelines for each team’s bench of players.

 

Each football team actually consists of three subteams: offense, defense, and special teams. Every position in football is part of a subteam and has a distinct job to do when on the field. 

 

When the team is in possession of the ball and trying to score, the offensive team takes the field. The offense consists of the quarterback, offensive linemen who protect the quarterback, and wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends who receive the ball from the quarterback.

 

The defensive team comes out when the opposition has the ball. Their job is to keep the other team from advancing down the field. 

 

There is also a group of players known as special teams. These players are kickers, punters, and punt returners. They take the field only during specific moments of the game when the ball is kicked.

 

Game Structure & Scoring

A professional football game is 60 minutes long and is broken into 4 15-minute quarters of play. After 2 quarters, there is a 15-minute halftime during which teams may leave the field to regroup in the locker room.

 

Play begins with the kickoff, where one team kicks the ball into the other team’s territory. The receiving team tries to return the ball as far as possible. The referees mark where the ball is downed to create the line of scrimmage, or starting point, for the first series of downs. If the ball lands in the end zone on kickoff, the line of scrimmage is set at the 25-yard line in what’s known as a touchback. 

 

From there, the offensive unit takes the field and tries to advance toward the end zone to score. The offense has 4 downs, or chances, to move the ball 10 yards from the line of scrimmage. If they’re successful, the referees set a new line of scrimmage for a new series of downs. This process is repeated until the offense scores or until they are unable to advance 10 yards within 4 downs.

 

If the offense fails on their fourth attempt, the other team gets possession of the ball. This is known as a turnover on downs. The line of scrimmage will be spotted, and the opposing team will send out its offensive unit to begin pushing the ball in the opposite direction, toward its own end zone. 

 

A turnover on downs is relatively rare, as many teams will choose to punt the ball on fourth down rather than risk the turnover. In this play, the punter kicks the ball as far down the field as possible to increase the distance the opposing team must cover to score. 

 

To score in football, a team must get the ball into the end zone. This can be done in 2 main ways: 

 

  • Field Goal (3 points): The ball is kicked through the uprights. 
  • Touchdown (6 points): The ball is carried or caught by a player in the end zone.

 

After a touchdown, the offense is given a chance to score an extra point. There are 2 ways to do this: 

 

  • Extra point (1 point): The ball is kicked through the uprights from the 15-yard line.
  • 2-point conversion (2 points): The ball is spotted on the 2-yard line and carried or caught by a player in the end zone.

 

The defensive team can also score 2 points on a safety. A safety is a play in which the defense downs the player with the ball in the offense’s own end zone. After a safety, the team that just gave up the points kicks the ball away to the other team from their 20-yard line.

 

Football Fouls & Penalties

Football rules also contain a list of fouls and penalties. Though many people use these terms interchangeably, the foul is the rule violation, and the penalty is the punishment assessed, typically a loss of yardage for the offending team. Fouls are also sometimes called a flag on the play, in reference to the yellow flag refs throw on the field to signal a violation.

 

Here are some common fouls and penalties in football: 

 

  • Delay of game (5 yards): failing to snap the ball before the play clock runs out or otherwise keeping the game from progressing
  • Facemask (15 yards): grabbing the facemask of a player in an attempted tackle or block
  • False start (5 yards): movement by an offensive player after being set but before the ball is snapped
  • Holding (10 yards): grabbing a player without the ball while covering a receiver or avoiding a block
  • Intentional grounding (10 yards): the quarterback makes a short, incomplete pass purposely to avoid a sack, or being tackled with the ball for a loss of yardage
  • Offside (5 yards): a player enters the neutral zone at the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped
  • Pass interference (10 yards for offensive violation or spot of the foul for defensive violation): making contact with the intended receiver after a pass has been thrown to hinder his ability to make the catch
  • Personal foul (15 yards): a player does something harmful or flagrantly disrespectful to another player, including targeting, unnecessary roughness, and unsportsmanlike conduct

 

FAQs About Football Rules

Below you’ll find the answers to some of the most common questions about football rules.

 

What’s a fair catch? 

 

After a kickoff or punt, the receiving team has the opportunity to catch the ball without interference, such as being tackled by a defender or having a defender swat the ball away. The receiver will raise his arms to signal a fair catch and let other players know not to interfere. If the receiver doesn’t signal a fair catch, he has the opportunity to run down the field with the ball to gain yardage and can be tackled by players on the opposing team.

 

Does the offside rule always involve a penalty?

 

There’s always a 5-yard penalty for an offside violation, but when it’s assessed against the defense, the offense can choose to decline the penalty and let the result of the play stand. While most rule violations are called on the field and stop play in the moment they happen, an offside call happens after the play. The ball is snapped and the play is made, which allows the offense to choose the most advantageous outcome. For example, if the offense only advanced 3 yards on the play, they would take the 5-yard penalty against the defense. If they advanced more than 5 yards, they would decline the penalty and take the yardage they earned instead.

 

Why is pass interference so controversial?

 

The NFL rulebook defines pass interference as an act that “significantly hinders an eligible player’s opportunity to catch the ball.” There are exceptions, though, including an accidental tangling of a receiver’s and defender’s feet, or “incidental contact.” This leaves room for interpretation by the refs on the field, so what may be called pass interference in one game could go unpenalized in another.   

 

What happens in overtime?

 

If a regular season game is tied at the end of 60 minutes, the game goes into an overtime period of 10 minutes. There is a coin toss to determine which team receives the ball first. If that team scores a touchdown on its first possession, they win the game. However, if they fail to score or only score a field goal, the other team gains possession of the ball to try to score. If that team scores a touchdown, they win. If they re-tie the game via a field goal, the game moves into sudden death, where the first team to score by any method wins.

 

During a postseason tie, both teams get an opportunity to possess the ball and score. This means that even if the receiving team scores a touchdown on their first try, the opposing team still gets a chance to score a touchdown to re-tie the game. If this happens, the game then moves into sudden death. 

 

The rules of football can feel complex at first, but the nuances are all part of the game. Understanding the rules can make the action on the field even more exciting, and you’ll have plenty to talk about on Monday mornings as you rehash the finer points with other fans.