American football - The play of the game (2024)

The field for American gridiron football is 120 yards (109.8 meters) long (including two 10-yard [9.1-meter] end zones) and 53.33 yards (48.8 meters) wide. A coin toss at the beginning of the game determines who will put the ball in play with a place kick from the 30-, 35-, or 40-yard line (at the intercollegiate, professional, and scholastic levels, respectively) and which goal each team will defend. Following the kickoff, the center of the team in possession of the ball puts it in play by passing it between his legs to the quarterback, who hands it off to another back, passes it to a receiver, or runs it himself. Opponents try to stop any advance toward their goal line by tackling the runner or by batting down or intercepting passes. The offensive team earns a "first down" by advancing the ball 10 yards in four downs or fewer and can retain the ball with repeated first downs until it scores or until the defense gains possession of the ball by recovering a fumble or intercepting a pass. Failing to make a first down, the offensive side must surrender the ball, usually by punting (kicking) it on fourth down. The offense scores by advancing the ball across the opponent’s goal line (a six-point touchdown) or placekicking it over the crossbar and between the goal posts (a three-point field goal). After a touchdown, the ball is placed on the three-yard line, and the scoring team is allowed to attempt a conversion: a placekick through the goal posts for one point or a run or completed pass across the goal line for two points. (In the NFL the ball is placed at the 15-yard line for a kick attempt and at the 2-yard line for a two-point conversion attempt.) The defense can score by returning a fumbled football or an interception across the other team’s goal line for a touchdown, by tackling the ball carrier behind his own goal line (for a two-point safety), or by returning a failed conversion attempt across the opponent’s goal line (two points). Another kickoff, by the scoring team, follows each score, and the same pattern is repeated until playing time for the half expires (30 minutes for intercollegiate and professional football, 24 minutes for scholastic). After an intermission of 15 or 20 minutes, a second half follows, with the team that lost the initial coin toss choosing to kick or receive. The team that has scored the most points by the end of the game is the winner, and tie games are settled by additional play, determined by varying rules at the different levels.

Detailed rules govern all aspects of the game: lining up and putting the ball in play, kicking and receiving, passing and defending against the pass, blocking and tackling. Penalties for infractions of the rules may be the loss of 5, 10, or 15 yards or half the distance to the goal line, the loss of down (for a foul committed by the offensive team), an automatic first down (against the defense), the awarding of the ball to the offended team at the spot of the foul, and disqualification. The most serious penalties are for various forms of excessive roughness. The rules governing football in the NCAA, NFL, and NFHS have several minor variations. Time is stopped at the end of the first and third quarters, when the teams change goals. Each team is also allowed a number of optional time-outs, and time is automatically stopped for a variety of reasons during play and for commercials during televised contests, with the result that games last well beyond the actual playing time. In the NFL, games routinely exceed three hours.

The game is supervised by seven officials in the NFL, four to seven in the colleges, and as few as three in high school. All officiating crews have a referee with general oversight and control of the game, who is assisted by umpires, linesmen, field judges, back judges, line judges, and side judges. Referees are the sole authority for the score, and their decisions on rules and other matters pertaining to the game are final. The referee declares the ball ready for play and keeps track of the time between plays when it is not assigned to another official. The referee also administers all penalties.

Super Bowl results

Super Bowl results are provided in the table.

College football national champions

A chronological list of college football national champions is provided in the table.

American professional football all-time records

Select American professional football records are provided in the table.