Football is a sport in which players run with the ball while attempting to score points. Teams play against each other in a regular season, which can last for 17 weeks. Fans often become passionate about their team’s victory or defeat. They may also form rivalries with other fans in their local area.
Each team has a set of rules and a playbook. The playbook is made up of dozens or even hundreds of plays. Some are safe and others are risky.
The playing field is 100 yards long and has 10-yard end zones for each team. The goal of each team is to get the ball into the opponent’s end zone. Once the ball is in the end zone, the team is awarded six points.
A touchdown is the most important offensive goal. An offensive player carries the ball across the opposing goal line. For extra points, the kicker attempts to kick the ball through the goal post.
The defense is also responsible for stopping the offense. Linebackers and defensive backs cover the receivers and quarterback. This defensive unit also tries to tackle running backs.
There are four basic types of penalty. These include: fumble, illegal block, holding, and offsides. A fumble is a lost possession of the ball. On some plays, the defense is able to recover the ball and run with it until it is out of bounds.
Pass interference is a play where the defending player contacts another player with their hands or arms. In some cases, the player is pushed in the back. Similarly, offsides occurs when the defensive player is on the wrong side of the ball.