Know Your Sports

Football

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  • Football is a game played with a spherical ball that weighs between 14 and 15 oz.
  • The white ring on football allows the player to grasp it.
  • Played on rectangular surface of grass or green artificial turf.
  • It is played by maximum of the country; currently more than 200 countries are playing football.

Equipments-

1.    Football
2.    Series of pads- for protecting from bodily injury
3.    Cleats - for traction
4.    Helmet - protecting the player from head injury

How to play: 

  • The game of football only involves kicking the ball from one end to the other (Phil Woosnam).
  • It usually consists of 4 separate quarters. Two make up the separate halves.
  • The halftime period is usually 15 minutes. The teams change sides after half time.
  • At the start of a game the two teams decided who would kick first. In the NFL, the kick takes place at the kicking team’s 30-yard line.
  • Before the player kicks it the other teams spreads out in an effort to intercept the ball.
  • The main objective of the game is to move the ball across the opponent’s goal line.
  • In case the ball is on the opponent’s side, your team’s objective is to stop them from making any further progress to your goal line.

Football player:

  • 11 players in a team including a goal keeper.
  • Teams may substitute players between plays with no restrictions.

Team (3 types):-

1.    Offensive (7linemen on the line of scrimmage, backing others, who are positioned behind them)
2.    Defensive (defense team is made up of)defensive line, line backers and defensive back

  • It uses as many number of players as they can
  • Generally 3 or 4 linemen, 3 or 4 line backers, 2 corner backs and 2 safety.

3.    Special team

  • It usually consists of players, who only play in certain part of the game ( e.g. kickers and punters)
  • Punters (who kicks the ball downfield) and
  • kicker  (who only plays at the beginning or half of the game)

Officials: (A team of seven officials)

1.    A refree
2.    An umpire
3.    A linesman
4.    A field judge
5.    A line judge
6.    A side judge
7.    A back judge

*Each one has their distinguished work to officiate

Football Field:

it varies in size

  • The football field is 120 yards long and 53 yard (NFL field measure)
  • At each end of the field and 100 yards apart are the goal lines. The additional 10 yards at each end is the end zone.
  • The field is divided up every 5 yards by a yard line.
  • The middle yard line marker is called the 50 “yard line”.
  • In parallel to the side lines are rows of hash marks. (Where football is placed at the start of each play)
  • The position of the football that defines the sides of the ball is called the "line of scrimmage".
  • There are also goal posts at the back of each football end zone.

Game format:

  • Football is a timed sport. The team with the most points at the end of the time period wins the game.
  • The game is divided up into 4 periods or quarters with a long "half time" between the second and third quarter.
  • Time is counted while plays are running and sometimes between plays (i.e. time continues after a running play where the player was tackled in bounds, but stops on an incomplete pass).
  • To keep the game going at a good pace the offense has a limited time (called the play clock) between plays.

Governing bodies:

  • International Football Association Board (IFAB) at international level - 1886
  • The All India Football Federation (AIFF), in India - 1937

Major Tournaments:

  • FIFA world Cup
  • Continental championship organized by each continental confederation and contested between national teams
  • European championship (UEFA)
  • The Copa  America ( CONMEBOL)
  • African Cup Of Nations ( CAF)
  • The Asian Cup (AFC)
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup( CONCACAF)
  • The OFC Nations Cup (OFC)

*The FIFA Confederation Cup (contested by the winners of all 6 continental championships)

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