How to Play American Football: Rules, Downs and Scoring
Updated
American football is played by two teams of 11 on a 100-yard field with an end zone at each end. The team with the ball, the offense, gets four plays, called downs, to move it at least 10 yards; if it does, it gets four more downs, and if not, the ball goes to the other team. You score by carrying or catching the ball in the opponent's end zone for a touchdown, worth 6 points, or by kicking it through the goalposts for a field goal, worth 3.
The details below follow the Wikipedia article on American football. Professional, college and high school football share the basics but differ in some rules, such as game length and overtime.
The field and the ball
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Field | 120 yards long and 53⅓ yards wide, end zones included |
| Goal lines | 10 yards in from each end line; the 100 yards between them are the field of play |
| End zones | The 10-yard areas behind each goal line, where touchdowns are scored |
| Yard lines | Marked every 5 yards, with numbers every 10 showing the distance to the nearest goal line |
| Goalposts | At the back of each end zone, with a crossbar 10 feet high |
| Ball | Oval, made of leather, close in shape to a rugby ball |
The three units of a team
| Unit | Its job | Main positions |
|---|---|---|
| Offense | Move the ball and score | Quarterback, running back, wide receivers, tight end, offensive line |
| Defense | Stop the offense and take the ball | Defensive line, linebackers, cornerbacks, safeties |
| Special teams | All kicking plays | Kicker, punter, long snapper, kick and punt returners |
Teams may change any number of players between downs, so each unit takes the field for its own plays. The quarterback leads the offense, taking the snap and then handing the ball off, throwing it or running with it.
How a game starts and how long it lasts
Before the game, the winner of a coin toss chooses whether to kick off, receive or pick an end. The kickoff is taken from the kicking team's 35-yard line in professional and college games and from the 40 in high school.
Professional and college games last 60 minutes in four quarters of 15 minutes; high school games last 48 minutes in quarters of 12. Teams change ends after the first and third quarters, and halftime splits the game in two. Because the clock stops often, an average professional game takes a little over three hours. A tied game goes to overtime, with rules that differ by level.
Downs: moving the ball 10 yards
Each down starts at the line of scrimmage, usually the spot where the last play ended.
- The center snaps the ball back between the legs to the quarterback.
- The quarterback hands it to a runner, throws a pass or keeps it and runs.
- The play ends when the ball carrier is tackled or steps out of bounds, or when a pass hits the ground without being caught.
- If the offense has gained 10 yards in total since its last first down, it starts a new set of four downs. If not, the next down begins.
Only one forward pass is allowed per down, and the passer must be behind the line of scrimmage. Backward passes are allowed at any time, as in rugby.
On fourth down, a team that has not reached the 10 yards usually punts, kicking the ball deep so the other team starts farther from the end zone. Close enough to the goalposts, it may try a field goal instead. If it goes for the first down and fails, the ball goes to the other team, which is called a turnover on downs.
Every way to score
| Score | Points | How |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 | The ball is carried into, caught in or recovered in the opponent's end zone |
| Extra point | 1 | After a touchdown, a kick through the goalposts |
| Two-point conversion | 2 | After a touchdown, the ball is carried or caught in the end zone again |
| Field goal | 3 | A kick from play through the uprights and over the crossbar |
| Safety | 2 | The defense tackles the ball carrier in the carrier's own end zone |
After a touchdown the team gets one try, either the kick for 1 point or a play for 2. The kick almost always succeeds, so it is the usual choice. After a safety, the team that gave it up must also kick the ball to the scoring team.
Turnovers: losing the ball
- Interception: a defender catches a pass meant for the offense.
- Fumble: the ball carrier loses the ball and the defense recovers it.
- Turnover on downs: the offense fails to gain 10 yards in four downs.
Penalties
An official who sees a foul throws a yellow flag. Most penalties move the ball back 5, 10 or 15 yards, depending on the foul, and the team that was fouled may decline a penalty if the play turned out better for it.
| Foul | What it is | Usual cost |
|---|---|---|
| False start | An offensive lineman moves before the snap | 5 yards |
| Delay of game | The offense does not start the play before the play clock runs out | 5 yards |
| Offside | A player is in the neutral zone, the strip along the ball, or past the line of scrimmage at the snap | 5 yards |
| Holding | A player illegally grabs an opponent | 10 yards against the offense; in professional play, 5 yards and a first down against the defense |
| Pass interference | A player illegally blocks an opponent's chance to catch a pass | Depends on the level of play |
| Personal foul | Contact that puts another player in danger | Usually 15 yards |
Flag football
Flag football is a variant without tackling: instead of bringing the runner down, you pull a flag from the runner's belt. Running, passing and flag pulls decide the game, and flag football is on the program of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
American football games to play in a browser
Browser football games usually take one part of the sport, such as running through tacklers or throwing passes, and turn it into a short challenge.
- Football Crash 2 is an American football runner: grab the ball, sprint down the field and dodge waves of defenders to score touchdowns. Near misses count as perfect dodges, chains of them build a combo, and each of its 24 teams has a perk. Use the arrow keys or A and D, or hold one side of the screen.
- Football Crash has the same idea: avoid opponents and score as many touchdowns as you can, with one-finger touch controls.
- American Football Runner has you collect the ball, pass it to a teammate and avoid obstacles and rivals on the way to the end.
- Quarterback Rush is played by swiping to steer your player past all the opponents.
- Quarterback is about throwing: swipe to pass to receivers, through tires and at targets and mascots.
- Touchdown Hero Master asks you to throw the ball as far as possible with a one-tap control, and the farther you reach, the more upgrades you earn.
- Touchdown Glory has you score touchdowns, eliminate opponents and improve your players.
- American Touchdown Game can be played alone or by two players on one keyboard: player one moves with A and D and throws with W, player two uses the arrow keys.
More team and ball games are in the sports category, and sports games online sorts them by sport. If you mean the other football, soccer games tips covers that. For a game for two at one keyboard, look in 2-player games.
Common questions about American football
How many points is a touchdown worth?
Six. The scoring team then gets one try for more: a kick through the goalposts for 1 point or a play into the end zone for 2.
How long is an American football game?
Professional and college games have 60 minutes of playing time, high school games 48. With stoppages, a professional game takes a little over three hours.
How does overtime work?
It depends on the level. Professional, college and high school football each use their own overtime format. In most US states, high school overtime gives each team the ball at the opponent's 10-yard line.
Once you follow the downs and the 10 yards, the rest of American football falls into place.
