A Girls' Guide to Understanding Football

I was lucky enough to grow up with a dad who knew a lot of people. Those people were sports figures meaning I went to all the major sports games whenever I wanted. I learned to understand football at a young age. We watch games, especially the playoffs and the World Series games, with friends. I have women friends who refuse to understand football.

This isn't intended to teach you how to play football. I have never played the game. It's intended to help you understand what you are watching on television. If you don't understand it watching it is painful. If you do and you have quarterbacks like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning then it's exciting. I will be focusing on professional football since you women reading this may be complaining about Sunday football games.

1. What is the object of the game? Football, like hockey, has end zones. In hockey there's a physical object. In football there is a line. Two teams with 11 players on the field (There are more than 11 on the team but they sit on the bench just like in any other sport. There are about 46 players on a team. ) attempt to score points by moving little by little or by huge amounts to the other team's end zone or goal line. An oval shaped ball is used.

This is obviously a football. The ball can be moved closer to the end zone by carrying it while running or by throwing it or passing it to a teammate advanced by carrying it (a running play) or by throwing it to a teammate (a passing play). Some points are garnered by kicking the ball through the goal posts on the opposing side. This is done either after a touchdown or at another time which I will explain.

2. The field is 120 yards long by 53.3 yards wide. The boundaries that run along the sides of the field are called the sidelines. Every five yards there are lines called yard lines that cross the field. The middle of the field is at the 50 yard line. So the games start at the middle of the field and the players progress essentially to 0.

3. Positions: Each man has a position in the game. I won't go into every one because it will be too overwhelming. What is important to know if that there are offensive players and defensive players. The quarterback (Tom Brady) is an offensive lineman. The wide receiver (Randy Moss) is an offensive player. Linebackers are just one of the types of defensive positions.

4. Why does the clock say the wrong time? It actually doesn't but what happens is that certain plays stop the clock. A football game is four 15-minute quarters, with a half time intermission after the second quarter. The game, with commercials can easily last over three hours.

5. Moving the ball. This is where most people who don't understand football really get confused. Questions like 'Why are they piled on top of one another?' or 'Why did no one stop him'? or 'What's a down?' are common questions. The first thing you see is a huddle. This is when a quick discussion of what the play will be.

In general the quarterback (Tom Brady or Peyton Manning since I'm watching the Patriots hopefully beat the Colts.) looks for a way to throw a pass. He wants it caught; he wants it to be caught more than 10 yards from where he was standing; he doesn't want the ball intercepted (caught by the other team). The quarterback might pass the ball to a running back who might be tackled by the other team. If the running back has gone at least 10 yards this is called a first down.

The team that has the ball has four chances to makes these downs. Remember they are headed to the opposing side's end zone. If the Patriots get a first down then the chances to get four downs start all over again and they get another four chances to advance the ball. If after four tries the Patriots haven't gotten a first down the Colts would get the ball. A touchdown is six points.

Then the ball is put at the other team's two or three yard line and the team can either kick it through the goal posts for one point or try to run or pass it into the end zone like they would for a touchdown for two points. The kicker kicks the ball and tries to get it between the uprights which will give the team an additional point.

6. Another way to score points is by making a field goal. This is done after three failed downs. The team has to be close enough to the end zone to have a chance to kick the ball through the goal posts. Kickers have kicked balls from quite a distance like 50 yards but the more common field goals you'll see are kicked at about 30 yards. If the kicker succeeds the team gets three points.

This is lesson one. Lesson two will address other more complicated nuisances of football. If I had to sum this up I would say to remember that a team has four tries to get a down and continue getting four downs until they get to the other team's end zone. If they don't the other team gets the ball. If they do they get a touchdown!