About American Football
American football (in English: Gridiron football) is a sports game, and it appeared for the first time in the North American continent, specifically in the United States of America, and over time it became the most popular and famous game in the country, and then appeared later in the state of Canada; But it was not as popular there as in the United States, and despite the spread of some American sports such as basketball and baseball in countries of the world, American football was not very popular outside America.
Since the eighties of the last century, the American National Football League has sought to spread the game further by establishing teams and federations in the countries of the continent of Europe, and broadcasting the matches on television, and this contributed to the increase in the popularity of the game even more, and it should be noted that American football represents a version It is developed from the English game of rugby, which differs from it by allowing each team to control the ball alternately, and differs from the famous football game, mainly that touching the ball is available and throwing it with hands is available to American football players.
American Football Laws How to play American football is played by players holding the ball, running 9.15 meters and crossing the field line by running the ball or passing it to another teammate, and each team has four chances to do so; As soon as the ball crosses the court line, a new attack is started in an attempt to reach the finish line again, and with the run out of opportunities without the team being able to cross the nine meters, playing the ball moves to the other team automatically, and the team that scores the most points is the winning team. the match.
Points calculation method
Points in American football are calculated according to specific laws, which are as follows: Six points: 6 points are awarded to the team if the players advance the ball until it crosses the finish line in the opposing team’s area without stopping.
Three points: 3 points are awarded to the team if the player of the team throws the ball over the crossbar, which is represented by the presence of two columns at the end line of the team’s area, when he is close to the end and in a position that allows him to throw the ball, and the goal scored in this way is called the field goal (in English: field goal).
One point: An additional point is calculated for the team if the player throws the ball, and it crosses the goal of the opposing team.
Two points: Two points are awarded to the team if the ball is run towards the finish line at the opposing team’s court again, but this movement is rare and difficult to occur, and the team can earn two points by extracting the ball from the attacking opposing team at the finish line. The team that scores the most points at the end of the last half is considered the winner of the game, and in the event that the points are equal between the two teams, an additional round is started until one of the two teams wins
players
Each team in American football includes between 45-50 players (including reserve players), while there are 11 key players on the field playing together at the same time, and each player has his own position in attack or defense, and experienced players specialize The adults prevent the opposing team from reaching their court, while the small players run and run or catch the ball, and the medium-sized players are able to carry out the tasks of other players (running with the ball or defending).
Match duration
The duration of one game in American football is a full hour (60 minutes), and it is divided into two halves; Each half is divided into two halves, each of which is called a quarter of a half, and its duration is a quarter of an hour (15 minutes). The rest time between the first and second halves is 12 minutes, and two minutes at the end of the first and third quarters. team to catch the ball, and the team that fails to do so is penalized,
And the match timer is stopped in the event that a penalty is called, or a player of one of the two teams goes outside the boundaries of the field, or there is an injury, provided that play is resumed again by order of the match referee, and sometimes the two teams resort to an additional period of 15 minutes in the event that the two teams tie in the match result. During the two halves, the team that will possess the ball first is determined by performing the method of throwing a coin, and the team that scores the point first is considered the winning team in the match
Free kick
A free kick is one of the laws of American football, and it occurs when the attacking player is stopped at his touchline, the direction of play is changed, and the team that was then stopped plays a free kick to the opposing team, and the person who announces that this kick has been kicked is the referee of the match, and it is stipulated To successfully complete the process, all team players must be behind the ball at a distance of no less than four and a half meters, and there must be at least four players from the team on each side of the field.
arbitration
The management of the American football game is undertaken by a group of referees whose number ranges in general from 4 referees to a crew of 8 members, and sometimes the match may take place under the supervision of three referees, in exceptional circumstances such as travel delays, an emergency situation, or A member of the refereeing staff is injured, and the match referees seek to keep the game regular and free from randomness, by following the laws and regulations mentioned in the American Football Referees Guide, which was published by the International American Football Officials Association. ,
It can be abbreviated by the letters “IAFOA”, and some of the provisions of this guide are excluded in the case of international matches (non-local), that is, matches that take place between clubs from different countries, and the competent sports authorities seek to encourage official bodies and national federations to use the provisions of the Referees Guide in the various games that take place under its management.
Errors and penalties
The game of American football is governed by a set of laws and regulations, and everyone who violates these laws and who commits mistakes is subject to a penalty that is determined based on the type of error committed, and the match referee decides the penalty by throwing a yellow cloth (flag) on the match field And the players know that a mistake has occurred, and the following is a mention of the most famous mistakes and the penalties resulting from them in the game of American football:
1- Clipping error: This error is represented by a player attacking another player from behind or in the area below the waist, and this often occurs when the attacking player tries to stop the defense player by hitting him from behind, and the penalty for this error is that the team returns 13.7 meters to successor.
2- Defender blocking error (in English: Chop Block): This error occurs when an offensive player tries to confront a defensive player while the defender is already involved with another offensive player, and this error leads to the opposing team losing 13.7 meters.
3- Delay of Game error: This error occurs if the attacking team delays sending the ball for more than 40 seconds, and the penalty for this error is the loss of the team 4.6 meters.
4- Defensive offside: This error occurs when one of the team's defenders crosses the line and reaches the attacker before the ball starts. The penalty for this error is the loss of the team by 4.6 meters.
5- Snatching the player's helmet (in English: Facemask): This error occurs when one of the team's players removes the helmet of another competing player, and the penalty for this error is the team's loss of 13.7 meters.
6- Failure to report: This error occurs when substitutions are not reported to the match referee, and its penalty is the loss of the team by 4.6 meters.
pitch
The American football field consists of a rectangular shape, with a length of 109.7 meters and a width of 48.8 meters. The lines at the end of the stadium are called the end lines, while the lines on the sides of the stadium are called the side lines, and the lines parallel to the end line are called the goal lines and they are a distance away from it. 9.1 metres,
As for the area confined between the side lines and the goal lines, it is called the field of play, and the area confined between the goal lines, the end lines, and the side lines is the end area. They are white in color throughout the stadium, separating each of them at a distance of 9.1 meters
American football equipment American football requires a set of basic equipment. Here is a mention of these equipment:
1- The oval ball: (in English: Ovoid ball) is used in the sport of American football as a ball with an oval shape, and it is brown in color, and its length from edge to edge is 28 cm, and its circumference from the middle is 55 cm, and its weight is 450 g.
2- Helmet: (in English: Helmet) The helmet protects the face and head of the player, and it includes jaw pads, a chin strap, an integrated face mask, a mouth guard, and a shock absorber that contributes to reducing the impact force of the ball.
3- Shoulder Pads: (in English: Shoulder Pads) This equipment is placed on the shoulders of the players, and gives them a greater view of the shoulders, and it consists of an external plastic surface, and a shock-absorbing foam layer.
4- Arm Pads: (in English: Arm Pads) This piece protects the arms of the players, and is characterized by its flexibility and light weight.
5- Elbow Pads: (in English: Elbow Pads) This piece protects the elbows of the players, and it is installed using a leather strap.
6- Rib pads: (in English: Rib pads) This piece protects the players' inner ribs from injuries, and maintains body temperature.
7- Hip & tailbone pads: This tool is worn under the pants, and protects the hip and the bones in the lower part of the body.
8- Thigh & knee Pads: This tool is located in the pockets of the player's pants. It is made of shock-resistant plastic and foam.
9- Gloves: (in English: Gloves) Gloves protect the fingers and hands of players, and wearing this tool is optional for players.
10- Cleats: (in English: Cleats) The bottom of the players' shoes includes nails known as "cleats", which help to create cohesion on the grass floor of the stadium.
11- Shirt: (in English: Jersey) All American football players appear in a large, loose outer shirt, made of nylon, and includes the player's name and number on the team.
12- Pants: (in English: Pants) All players wear colorful pants made of nylon, and include four pockets, and places to place pillows for bone and hip protection.
Please share the topic, thank you