@@Chrisb.reactsthere are a lot of different formations used by both offenses and defenses. common defensive ones are 4-4 4-3 3-4 (referring to lineman and linebackers) a nickel package implies 5 combined safeties/cornerbacks and a dime implies 6. on goal line defenses will often put more d lineman in
You can't kick the ball to another player to get a touchdown. But there's many other kinds of fun trick plays that happen once and a while. Yes, teams punt it when the have to on 4th down to prevent the opposing team from getting good field position, and usually if they have enough yards to get on a 4th down that it's just not likely they'll get a first down. Of course, if it's the very end of the half or game, or there's only a yard or two, they'll "go for it" on 4th down and not punt. Yes, a safety is a good reason not to go into your own end zone but sometimes you have no choice if you start a play on something like your own 1 yard line, usually after you lose yards in the beginning of your possession. You can either punt or press your luck and hope you don't get tackled and get a safety. QBs will usually just rush the play and pass quickly to avoid getting sacked in their own end zone and they have up to 3 tries before they will punt. Clock - managing the clock is one of the most important hallmarks of a good coach and QB. The game clock runs while the team is running up depending on how the last play ended, and depending on the league. In pro football and also college (I think), it stops on an incomplete pass or at the end of the half and end of game if the runner runs out of bounds or if a first down is made but in all cases only until the referee has placed the football. It also stops after a timeout. The play clock is a clock that times the team, and starts after play ends or when the ball is placed in cases the game clock is stopped. If the offensive team lets their play clock run out before they start the play, then they get penalized with "delay of game"
Chris, by now you may have learned much more. There is one thing I did not hear that makes Football different from every other sport - it is the only one that is structured and not primarily reliant on the players' reactions to the ball. The offense's plays are scripted with each of the 11 having a specific task, moving to a specific spot or attacking a particular defender. The defense also has plays to stop what is expected, yet here, it does involve more reaction to the movement of the offense. Listening to your first reaction I understood your confusion as many rules are not mentioned. Almost all of them are to stop players from getting unfair or uncompetitive advantage or unsafe dangerous play. You did see the violence is greater than in all other games besides rugby, so the players wear a lot of protective gear. (Knee and head injuries are common because of so many bodies colliding on each play.)
I think the best way to learn the game is to watch a full game in the company of someone who knows it well and whenever you have a question your experienced companion can explain what just happened and why.
I agree, best to watch a game with someone who knows the game. They can explain all the different defensive formations from man to man coverage, zone coverage to the anti run...They can also go over the holes/gaps in the line and who would have responsibility where.... The line men may have to cover 1 or 2 gaps at a time, the line backers depending how many you have could have to float going left and right on the field unless there is 3 or 4 backs then there primary area to cover would be smaller..... As you can see it can get very complex so best to watch it where you can pause to ask what happened and where you can go back to get it explained... I played football from 11 years old to 18.. My first school I was a lineman, then I moved to a new area and played a WR and then linebacker.. Tho we had so many folks in that I did not get to play much so I got most my time in Special teams on kick offs..
I completely agree with you and add in watching a recorded game or using some sort of streaming service or dvr device so that you can phase the game for longer explanations.
yeah coaches are pretty much playing chess. And the players are like chess pieces but they get injured/ mess up and will occasionally disobey the chess player's decisions. its like chess but u aren't sure if ur gonna succeed in ur move or if ur team will be in the ER for weeks on end
I just recently joined the NFL (GO HAWKS!) and to make myself more familiar I tried Madden. Yeah it does like playing chess but you gotta think about the move in seconds or you get broken bones and losing 20 yards at best
Common fouls include: This is when an offensive or defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage before the play has begun. On offensive it may be called a false start. On defense it may be called encroachment. A player can't grab ahold of another player who does not have the ball. It is illegal to grab an opponent's face mask. Once the ball is thrown a defender can't make contact with the intended receiver until he catches the ball. The defender can try to knock the ball away or intercept the pass, but he must do so without making contact with the intended receiver. A defender can't lead with his helmet while making a tackle or make helmet-to-helmet contact (that's a newer rule added to make the sport safer for players). the offense has 45 seconds after each play to begin the next one. If they fail to begin the next play within 45 seconds a delay of game penalty is assessed. *These are simplified examples of some of the most common fouls.
To get deeper into it the offense has more rules to go by than the defense. Offense must have 7 players on the "Line of scrimmage" (LOS) or line they are starting from. If they do not this is an illegal formation. Penalty Offensive linemen, usually the 5 really big inside players on the line, are ineligible recievers. Jersey #s 50-79. They can not catch the ball or be downfield when the ball is thrown unless they report before the play and announce that specific play they are eligible. If the ball is thrown forward but is caught behind the LOS those linemen can be downfield but cannot be the player that catches the ball. Only eligible receivers can catch the ball unless the ball is thrown backwards to them. Anyone can catch a backwards pass. The last player on each side of the ball that is on the LOS is an eligible receiver unless they have an ineligible jersey #. They will align outside those big 5 inside players. So that gives us 5 linemen, the inside big guys and 2 receivers or TE on the ball, 7 total on the ball or LOS. Those players also cannot move once set unless there is an offensive shift. If they shift they must reset (not move for at least 1 full second) before the ball is snapped. The other 4 players are off the ball. If they line up on the ball and are not the farthest player outside on the LOS they are "covered" meaning they are ineligible to go downfield to receive the ball. This usually is not done intentionally unless the offense is running some kind of trickery. These 4 players off the ball can motion around the field behind the LOS or on the offensive side but cannot be moving forward when the ball is snapped. Only 1 player in motion at a time unless it is a shift then everyone must be set still for 1 second before the snap. These 4 off the ball players usually consist of 2 receivers 1 running back and a quarterback. Of course they can be substituted for other positions like 3 receivers 1 QB, or 2 TE 1 reciver 1 QB etc etc. Depending on the scheme the offense would like to run. When the offense does substitute these players on and off the field they have to allow the defense to be able to make their own substitutions in a timely manner, or this is a penalty on the offense. This penalty occurs when an offense breaks their hudle and a guy runs on the field from the sideline after the hudle broke. If the offense does not hudle and they make substitutions they have to allow the defense to be able to get make their substitutions before snapping the ball. This is why sometimes you will see defensive players taking their time to get off the field because the offense cannot snap the ball until they are off if the offense did not hudle and made an offensive substitution. If they do, it is a penalty on the offense for illegal substitution. This keeps the offense from running guys on and off the field running around everywhere then quickly snapping the ball to confuse a defense and not allowing them to substitute and match their players how they would like according to the offensive players on the field. In a no hudle hurry up offense when time is running out the offense wont make substitutions for this reason or the defense can take their time running precious time off the clock. It is a big game of chess. Offense brings out the horses what will the defense do? Offense shifts or motions to get an advantage they want how will the defense adjust and counter? Offense can only pass the ball forward once. Qb cannot throw the ball if he passes the LOS unless it is backwards. Players can throw the ball backwards but is is risky because if it hits the ground it is a fumble and the defense can recover the ball for a change of possession to their team. The defense does not have most of these restrictions. They can line up how they would like and move all around, but it is wise for them to try and match up players with the offense. Not wise to leave a little speedy player on a big TE for example. Defense does have substition rules like a player cannot run on the field after a play has started for obvious reasons. Other penalties for defense have already been mentioned I think in other answers. I am sure there are others but it is getting late and I go to bed now. GN
@pocompade Good lord Man! Are you writing for an upcoming documentary? (Since you can't hear my tone of voice, I assure you-all joking aside-that I am genuinely impressed that you took the time to write such a long and in-depth explanation).
Sort of on the offsides thing. Offsides is where a player (offense or defense) lines up across the line of scrimmage, Neutral zone infraction is where a defender crosses the line of scrimmage before the play starts, and Encroachment is where they cross the line of scrimmage before the play starts and either have a clear shot at the Quarterback or touch another player. A false start does not require crossing the line of scrimmage just movement that could be mistaken for the starting of the play.
@@pygmyhorde1821 Yes a false start could be something like a lineman being in his "set stance" and may then lift his heal up or turn his foot.. Dose not need to line up in the LOS or on the wrong side of it as that would be off sides as you are on the wrong side of the line before the snap..
Thanks for taking an interest in my favorite sport! American Football is indeed a little complicated, and the common complaint from overseas is that there's too much stopping and starting, but once you being to understand it a bit better, you'll realize it's a VERY strategic game and a lot of fun to watch.
@@brettbuck7362 Not to throw any shade at baseball, I love both baseball and football, and baseball is definitely strategic in that pitcher rotation and batting lineup are decided based on certain factors pertaining to the opposition. But the only tactical aspect is the battle between the pitcher and the batter. Once the ball is in play it comes down to fielding which is all skill based. Football is far more strategic and tactical, you adjust defensive formations and plays based on the tactics and strategy the opposing offense has used in previous games to better match up and be more effective at defending. Then you do the same thing with the offense, and you have to account for the fact that on every single play run by both offense and defense, every individual player has a pre-planned tactic to use for every individual play and the variations of each individual formation. Once the ball is in play it's then purely about athletic skill and proper execution of the each designed play. Then you have your strategic decisions to make, what play to call, whether to run or pass, play zone, blitz, or stunt, and whether to kick the ball away or gamble on a 4th down try which is largely determined by distance to the first down marker or goal line, or should you try for a field goal or go for it, should you kick the extra point or try for two, which are all strategic decisions based on the current situation. Both sports are awesome and feature athletes who are playing at the highest level of ability but, how do you tell me you've never played football without telling me you've never played football......
The reason teams often decide to kick it away on 4th down (Punt) is because they don't believe there is a good chance their offense can make the required yardage on their last down and would give the other team the ball back MUCH closer to their objective. By punting it away. You are still giving them possession but making them have to travel MUCH further to score. Sometimes your offense may not have momentum or may be being out coached/played by the opposing teams defense. This helps inform the decision to punt on 4th down as well. The biggest factor on whether or not to punt is field position though. (Where the ball was last downed) Even if it's only 4th and inches. You probably aren't going to go for it if you are on your own 10 yard line because if you don't get it.. Only 10 yards for the opponent to score and they are already in Field Goal Range.
you cannot advance the ball by kicking. kicking the ball gives up possession. yes, you are free to throw the ball as far as you can down the field, but you'll find that 1) your QB will have a very short time to throw since the defenders are always charging at him and 2) one third of the defense, the "secondary", is designed to stop deep throws like that.
On-side kicks are still a thing although they are effectively banned in the NHL in 2024. They are more common in other leagues and Canadian football leagues allows forward kicks like in rugby.
However, you may take a dropkick (ball must bounce off the ground before being kicked)as an attempt to score a field goal(3 pts). But it will result as a change of possession if the try does not go through the goalpost. I have oversimplified this explanation. Wikipedia does have pages regarding the rules of football. Free kicks are rare in US Football but are more common in Canadian Football.
@@ZyggyZero: Free kicks haven't been used since the 1950s, which is the dropkick your talking about. As for the onside kick being banned, I haven't heard of that being banned in the NFL.
I really like your enthusiasm and zeal for learning a North American sport. A year ago, two British guys (DN Reacts) on RUclips knew nothing about our North American sports and today they're VERY knowledgeable and passionate. Yes, American football is VERY tactical. It has a unique rhythm with the start-stop action. It allows for player substitutions, play selection, down-distance assessments, etc. Stoppage also creates opportunities for television advertising, creating revenue for the league and player salaries. Stoppage also allows fans to refresh their food and beverages, creating more revenue. You seem like an intelligent young man who will quickly figure it out and become a knowledgeable and passionate fan, too.😊😊😊😊
I need football for dummies, along with Football (soccer), and basketball. I have an obsession with Espn, so I go back and forth with it. I even watch Golf and Horse racing. I admit I as a 16 and 17yr old, I used to place "bets" on Jai aLai along with my friends.
Dammit, THANK YOU for being one of the few folks on the internet who's trying in good faith to be a welcoming person. There are so few left, and it's starting to break me.
You are correct. American football is very tactical on each play. Kind of like a set piece in European Football. Or, if you have any RPG experience, it can be compared to a turn-based (Japanese) RPG in which the offense always has the initiative. The offense has dozens of plays they can utilize. The head coach will tell the quarterback which play he wants the team to execute. The quarterback then tells the rest of the offense what play they are going to execute during a huddle. All players know what their individual assignment is for each play bc they have done it over and over in practice. The defense will determine their strategy based on what formation the offense lines up in prior to the start of the play. Part of a defensive player's practice involves watching videos of the their opponents from previous games. This helps them recognize their opponent's tendencies.
That and the defense will adjust their personnel to the personnel that the offense has on the field. The QB also has a set amount of plays that he can change to just prior to the snap if he feels like the defense is well set up to stop the current play and can also have individual receivers change their routes to take advantage of what he sees from the defense pre snap. I suppose I really take for granted how complicated the game can be..
@cobra7282 I'm glad you mentioned audibles and personnel changes. I tried to come up with a comment that explains things as simply as possible, but I kept having to changeit bc there is just way too much info to try and cram into a RUclips comment🤣
Also to answer the question he asked on defenses when it comes to the personal . There two primary defensive personal configurations referred to as 4-3 and 3-4 ... 4-3 uses 4 lineman (defensive ends/defensive tackles) with 3 linebackers. The 3-4 uses 4 linebackers with 3 lineman ( defensive ends/nose tackle). To explain all the difference between the two would take a long time but to make it simple the difference is in 3-4 the linebackers are rushing the QB more often where in the 4-3 that job is more on the defensive end. Fun fact the 3-4 was developed for the skill set of Lawrence Taylor by the coach if the NY Giants.
@@seancooney8799: Not true. The 3-4 is actually used to limit runs and short passes to prevent first downs. The reason is that in an end-game scenario, such as when a Dime Prevent package is used, the 3-4 allows another linebacker to be used as short zone defense. The other reason for the 3-4 is that by having one less lineman on defense, the linebackers can get trickier with blitz routes and make an offensive line make mistakes.
Often, the decision between a 3-4 and a 4-3 defense is where your talent is (or, the talent you seek depends on what formation you intend to run). A 3-4 lives and dies by its nose tackle's ability to take on multiple blockers, while a 4-3 needs a fast and smart middle linebacker to handle all the space in the center.
The really bad thing about a Safety (2 points) is that the Offensive Team that just got tackled in their own End Zone has to kick the ball away to their opponent. So it's like double humiliation.
The quarterback is always the quarterback. There 3 quarterbacks on the entire team. The starting qb who is the main starter, the 2nd string quarterback who comes in if the starter gets hurt or needs a break or is playing badly. And the 3rd string qb usually comes in if qb is hurt or his team is winning by a lot of points, the coach will put in the 3rd string to let him get some playing time. Hope this makes sense.
There are trick plays in which the ball is snapped to a running back who can either run or pass. Running backs, however, don't have the same skills of passing and directing the team as the quarterback.
The quarterback is not always playing the quarterback position, but he or she must be on the field. For instance, the Bears had a lineman called the Refrigerator that would line up in the quarterback position and was used to get short yardage by running the back in a quarterback sneak type play. The actual quarterback was in some wide receiver type formation.
We're getting into the territory of invalid formations, lateral rules and eligible receivers (a quarterback may lateral the ball and then after moving forward a certain yardage become an eligible receiver, any player the steps out of bounds is an ineligible receiver).... There's a lot of very specific rules around this area. By the way, any player can play any position legally for a play. That's why a punt fake can have the guy who usually plays the kicker be the quarterback for that play. That's also why you sometimes see a snap past the usual quarterback to a running back while the guy who is usually the quarterback become an eligible receiver as a receiver. So long as the players are in a valid formation, anyone can be any role for a play.
@@ScottLovenberg Only certain numbers are eligible receivers and ball carriers. Notifications must be given for non eligible numbers to be receivers and ball carriers.
Where you are on the field is not the position you play. The position you play on the team determines where you are on the field. A location which for many positions varies with each play. So, a Lineman is a Lineman. They will never be substituted for a Wide Receiver. You were wondering where the missing 13 players are, they are "the Bench", or second string.
Not entirely accurate. Sometimes a “lineman” can be put in a receiver or running back position for certain plays. If they score, we colloquially term those as “fat guy touchdowns” 😂😂
A quarterback can throw the ball down the field as far as he can in hopes that one of his receivers can catch it in the end zone for a touchdown...this is called a "Hail Mary" pass, and because the chances of success are so low it's done only when it's the last play of the game and there's no other alternative to losing it. When it IS successful, the play will become immortalized as a great moment for that team and the quarterback.
Beyond this, the easiest way to learn American football is to simply watch a game. The referees explain penalties, the commentators cover most of the rest (if they're worth a darn), and since you'd likely be watching a recorded game anyways, you can always pause and look something up. The BEST way to wrap your head around the game, in my experience, is if you can get your hands on a radio broadcast of one and match it with a television feed. Radio broadcasts just by their nature have to describe everything that's going on, and mixed with the visual it really cements what's happened into a solid idea.
That definitely is a great way. That’s what helps new watchers is that little stop in between plays where commentators replay what happens and it is truly helpful for new fams
I would suggest older games if you learn that way. The rules don't change much overtime, and commentators in say the 70s seem to be more focused on what's going on and why, whereas many modern sportscaster seem to assume you already know.
American football (AF) evolved from soccer and rugby but developed into a completely different sport. The first AF game was played in 1869 between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton, using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time.
It didn’t evolve from them, all three evolved roughly contemporaneously. There were many varieties of football, with local customs and rules being different. Over time they coalesced into three main varieties, becoming more standardized and regulated along the way. Along with these there varieties there exists some others, like Australian Football, Gaelic Football, and Canadian Football.
1. Both the offense and defense do use a lot of different formations. Teams will sometimes use more wide receivers on offense. Sometimes defenses will use more cornerbacks. The only mandatory rule is that both sides must have 11 players on the field. Also, teams do use different formations for strategic purposes. For example, if a team knows that their opponent has been struggling to defend passes, then they will start passing the ball more often. 2. There are offsides and illegal formation penalties. If an offense or defense is not lined up properly, then they will be penalized. Those penalties are usually 5 yards against the side that committed the infraction. 3. I am an American and I love American football. It is such a fun game. It is not a very difficult game to learn. And I highly recommend it if anyone is interested.
It's a very complicated game, but the constant "stop and go" action creates many opportunities for those who don't know to figure out, or be explained to about, what has happened on the previous play. It's a bunch of little, but important, details that add up to what the entire game has to offer.
@@TheRayzerBandit It's an 80/20 sort of game, for the most part. 80% of the time, only 20% of the complexity is in play. Many of the rules describe very specific situations (like precisely what is and isn't considered an incomplete pass versus a fumble following a catch).
On offense, the numbers on their jerseys matter and have to ask for an exemption every time the offense wants to use a player with the wrong number series. Only certain player numbers can go past the line of scrimmage for a pass.
Chris, I recommend you watch and react to “Best College Entrances Part 1” to see how massive College Football is in American. There are a number of college football teams that have over 100,000 seat capacity. It’s a fun video to see how dedicated college football fans are and how massive the attendance is. Looking forward to seeing more reaction videos from you.
Hi Chris, I'm an old American Football coach, Love to hear your take on my favorite sport. And yes, there is A LOT of strategy and "faking" that occurs. Every coach tries to be innovative, and figure a way to do something new that the defense has never seen before.
And defensive coaches do the same. They disguise their defenses sxhemes to confuse the QB and force a mistake. The 1985 Chicago Bears came up with the Four Six defense which dominated the league. Then it was up to offensive coaches to figure out how to attack and break the four six.
Yes, there are hundreds of different formations for different situations, this gave a good basic explanation. The quarterback is always the quarterback, it's a special skill
Not always. They can be treated as receivers or running backs on some plays. You're right in the fact that there's really never more than one QB on the field at the same time, though.
@@SGTsnick3 There's no specific rule that says you can't have two players officially listed on the roster as quarterbacks on the field at the same time, but it would be very weird. I can think of a few uses that might confuse a defense, but probably not enough to justify eliminating an eligible receiver position, or setting aside the time to practice such gimmicky plays. There's also the wildcat formation, which may not have a rostered quarterback on the field at all (having a running back or receiver taking the snap).
Your best bet will be to watch an actual game with someone who knows how the NFL works. We can try and explain enough, but it doesn't make sense until you actually watch a game. That's how you learn the best.
That's how it worked for me. I grew up having no interest in football until years later, while having beers at the bar with my brother during Monday Night Football, he explained what was going on.
Soccer, football, and rugby share similar roots. Legend has it that American football began when a member of a soccer team picked up the ball and ran with it. In rugby a touchdown is actually a touchdown. After crossing the goal line the ball carrier must actually touch the ball to the ground before the score is actually made. There are basically three times when the offense will kick the ball. One is after a touchdown and it's official name is Point After Touchdown, or PAT. The second is a field goal. This can occur on any down but is usually attempted on 4th down when the offense decides it is too risky to try and get a 1st down and opts for a field goal. The 3rd is called a punt. This occurs when the offense has too far to go to make a first down and is too far away to make a field goal. The goal of the punt is to put the opponent as far away from your own goal as possible.
And the most successful punt is downed by the kicking team within just a few yards of the end zone the kicking team was trying to get to. The receiving team is then on offense and forced to back into their own end zone to either hand off the ball or pass it. If the player with the ball is tackled withing the end zone, the defending team scores 2 points. The offense may try a quarterback sneak to gain a yard or two to prevent a safety, but you've only gained a yard or two on one of your downs. You need to average about 3½ yards on each down or you end up kicking the ball away, usually from within your own end zone and may suffer a Safety anyway if your kicker is tackled with the ball in the end zone. "Field Position" is SO important, but it's never entirely up to you. Even the best teams are sometimes starting a drive or a series of down inside their own 5 yard line, or 95 yards away from scoring. The more downs you use on a drive, the more likely your drive is going to fail. The game clock continues to run after most plays (an incomplete pass stops the clock), but unlike British football, it's up on the scoreboard for all to see. The officials some times add back a few seconds if the clock ran when it shouldn't have (penalties stop the clock as soon as the ball is on the ground, of if it hasn't been hiked yet as soon as the flag is thrown and the official as blown his whistle) but it's clear how much time is left.
Chess where the chess pieces are living beings who get brain damage. But otherwise, a great game! I am not a sports fan in general, but I recognize American football as being a superior game to soccer.
Yes Sir, like chess. After each down, the situation is reviewed and next offense play is determined. That’s why I like football. - NBA, soccer, baseball, hockey, all seem to be a chaotic, without a real strategy.
I have heard it describe as high speed chess(The play calling and making), followed by high speed poker(reading the offense and defense, adjusting positions, calling audibles etc.), then violence(the athletic part). Repeat as necessary. Sounds about right to me.
American Football always felt more like chess to me. There they have defensive formations to fight offensive formations. Every down is the chance to turn the game around in their favor. The anticipation between each play is exciting.
Brother it warms my heart seeing this. Thank you so much for learning about this sport. I played it for the majority of my young life. Also this shows how much I take for granted my knowledge about football. When I see someone new learning it, the rules are really strange lol. Again thank you and much respect.
Here's the thing with penalties. Every time there is a foul/penalty one of the officials on the field will throw a yellow flag. They will then explain to the audience what the foul was and by which player. Then the announcers will show you a replay of the foul and explain what the player did that caused the foul.
OK so basically, when the offense kicks the ball away for the opposing team to score, its not to give them the ball for fun, its so that they get the ball farther from the area they need to score in, in other words, they kick it away so that their opponents have a disadvantage.
Yes, tactics are very important. It's a large field that hosts a game. Eleven defenders cannot possibly guard the entire field. They practice all sorts of deception to try and fool the offensive players as to where the individual defenders will move once a play begins. Unlike rugby, offensive players are allowed to block any defenders who are trying to approach a running back and make a tackle, so a common offensive tactic is to trick the defense by moving blockers around to try an gain an advantage in manpower at the point where the ball carrier is heading. On defense, the linebackers are a lot like the midfielders in soccer. They can push forward, and pull back, depending on the play the offense is running. When it becomes apparent it is a pass play, the linebackers will sprint back to help defend against the pass, or they may push forward to try to tackle the QB before he can release the pass. One thing that is fairly common, and maybe a bit hard to understand for a newcomer fan, is the number of runs up the middle of the field. It can be boring to watch. But a defense which is overly concerned about giving up yardage on pass plays can spread itself too thin trying to guard the entire field, and the offense can focus on blocking for run plays. If an offense can gain at least 4 yards every time it runs the ball, it will gain first downs all day long and score every offensive possession. Defenses usually plan to make stopping the run game their first priority. But that can leave them vulnerable to the passing game., The players are huge men. Some of the wide receivers might be "small", maybe 5'7" and 170 lbs., but generally these are abnormally big, muscular men. The linemen in particular can easily be 6'6" and 380 lbs. They cannot be slugs, either. They have to be able to run to get to points on the field where the play is happening. One common criticism of the game is that it is not for everybody, just as basketball is not easy for short people. Similarly, men of this size can do tremendous damage to the bodies of the guys they collide with, or do damage to themselves, too. Many of the arcane rulse that may be difficult for a newcomer to understand are there to try and protect the health of the players. Imagine being blindsided by a 260 lb. linebacker running at 20 mph. There ought to be a rule, and there is. The rules of the game do allow for all sorts of offensive and defensive formations, but that's a little tough to explain or show in a brief video, but most teams run a limited set of offensive and defensive schemes. It is tough to get 11 guys committed to running a choreographed play or defensive scheme.
Watching the game you’ll pick up the rules quickly and how the game is played. It’s really fun to watch. I learned just by watching. This was before it was so easy just to look up info on the internet 😂 but even still, the best way to learn is simply by watching.
In soccer the clock runs continuously. In American football, the clock starts and stops often, depending on the play being run. Each team also gets 3 time outs per half, 6 for the game. The team that manages the clock to their advantage increases the odds that they will win the game.
I started watching Football when I was 7 years old. I immediately fell in love with it. If a 7-year-old can grasp all of the nuances and rules so can you. Just watch a few games. As a side note: Football used to be more brutal with fewer rules. But it is more flashy and watchable today.
There are rumblings of the NFL expanding into Europe. Although it's somewhat a pipedream for fans, analysts talk about the potential enough to warrant real discussion over it. There's even lists out there of potential cities that are most likely to land an expansion team, one of which would be Munich.
The most likely destinations for EU teams would actually mostly be in German cities. More so, the cities in areas that have, or are near, US military bases. It's less of a pipedream than it has been in the past, the NFL just went about getting the game over there enough for it to become familiar to them in the wrong ways that is still profitable for the league to continue doing so. These international games, as annoying and disruptive as they may be for Americans, are actually a great way to showcase the sport to gain interest.
American Football is probably the most tactical sport in the world. Every single play is its own set piece. The most important player isn't a player, it's the coaches calling the plays, trying to outmaneuver the opponent with different formations and tactics. The downside of this, compared to other similar sports, is that American Football is constantly stopping and starting. Sometimes you just want to shout "GET ON WITH IT" lol
I think something the video creator should have talked about that would have answered some of your questions. After the kickoff, the team on offense lines up where the player was tackled for their first set of "downs". This is called the line of scrimmage. One side of the line is offense, the other defense. Until the ball is "hiked", if either sides moves over the line of scrimmage then that is a foul and they would be penalized. For offense, they would go backwards so that would ADD yards to the 10 yards needed for a new set of downs, thus making it harder for them to get them. IF the defense moves before the call is hiked, then they would be get a foul and the ball would be moved forward for the offense, thus making it EASIER to get a new set of downs. So the offense or defense can set up anywhere on their side of the line of scrimmage. So, as an example if the QB is sacked, they lose yardage and that makes it harder for them to get a new set of downs. So you can have situations like 1st and 10...or 2nd and 15....
If the ball goes out of bounds or a pass is not completed, then the clock stops. If you fail to gain 10 yards using the 4 Downs, then the opponent gets the ball at that location. This called a "turnover on downs". This does not happen very often. If the offense has used 3 downs and failed to gain 10 yards and is too far from the goalposts to kick a field goal for 3 points, they will almost always kick the ball away to the opponent on the 4th Down, called a punt, to push the opponent further away from the goal line. The only time a team will try to gain 10 yards using the 4th Down is if they are very, very close to getting 10 yards (within inches) AND they are far away from their own goal line.
There should be a whole video for you to watch about all the penalties, offensive and defensive formations (you can play the PS2 EA Maddens to learn most of this, or current EA Maddens) and a more detailed explanation of the rules already discussed. BTW, it's awesome that you like the challenge rule, and that you want it to be used in soccer, that's hilarious
Yes, "clock management": it takes just over three wrist-watch hours to get one game-clock hour of "play" done. Thank you. I love your energy, Bruv, keep up the GOOD WORK.
Ive lives here all my life and more of a baseball guy- barely understand football, but just like soccer its fun to watch because anything can happen and the athleticism is amazing
One thing that this video didn't really discuss that I think was throwing you off is once the game starts with a kickoff the teams have their endzone to defend the offense pushes towards the other teams goals but if the doesn't believe that they can make the first down they will decide to punt the ball (rather than give it to defenders right there) down the field to increase the distance the other team has to try to go to get to the endzone they have to get to. That's why the offense will kick the ball.... feel like I might have just made it more confusing lol.
The other side to the game being violent iss that it is a very tactical game. Each play is like a chess move, just using players. Also, I think the rosters are more like 56 players, with each position have 1 or 2 backups for injuries, different play packages, etc.
In 2023 (and I think still in 2024), the active roster was 53, but only 48 could dress for the game. In years prior, only 46 could dress. In addition, teams have a 16 player "practice squad" that does not count against their roster. Players are often promoted from the practice squad to the active roster to replace injured players (injured like out for weeks).
The beauty of American football is that there is a lot of strategy in the game. That is why other teams use code words or other secret language to keep the other team from getting wise to their strategy. It is very much a game that mimics old school military strategy where you out flank your opponent and trick them into thinking you are doing one thing instead of another and then lobbing missiles in hope to hit a target and of course brute strength to punch your way through the enemy (defense). Every player has to know all of the plays and where they should be on that play, each coach has a specific area they focus on (tackling, defense, offense, special teams), observers sit above the crowd looking down to strategize with the coaching staff, the head coach has to bring all of this orchestration into a win, and the quarterback ("the captain") has to put the coach's vision ("the general") into action on the 'field of battle.'
There are countless formations and plays both defensive and offensive. I never realized how complex my favorite sport is lol. This video covers the game on an EXTREMELY basic level. There are so many tactile variations that can be employed as well as specific rules for every situation
Chris, I’m not expert but even I was a little confused by some things in this video. In other words I don’t think this is the best video to learn football for someone who doesn’t know the rules to begin with. One of the main things to understand is about the rules about downs. The offense of Team A has four tries (downs) from the line of scrimmage (the blue line on TV-it’s where the row of much of the defense players line up and where the ball starts from) to get a least 10 yards and if they don’t the other team (Team B) gets to be the offense. If Team A manages to get over 10 yards before the fourth down, then they get another four tries (downs) to get another 10 yards. And it can go on and on and on from there but usually it doesn’t and either Team A gets a lot of yards or they about to try their fourth down and they are afraid they are not going to make the 10 yards needed. If they are a long ways away from the goal line for a touchdown, they will punt the ball to Team B so Team B needs to travel a long way to get a touchdown when they are on the offensive. Other commenters know the rules better than I and can explain the rules better but the whole thing about 4 tries to get the 10 yards is very important to know. Keep up the great work, Chris!
Been a huge nfl fan for a while, and he looks so happy and excited to learn instead of most of the other Europeans I meet who just call it “stupid fake football” He seems like such a great guy
George carlin football vs baseball, very funny stuff. college football is huge, there are 8 college football stadiums that are over 100K. dont forget basketball hockey and my sport baseball.
Don't confuse soccer with football. It's a completely different game. You need to watch some games to understand it. It'd help if you watch with some people who do know the game and can answer your questions. And yes, football is a very physical game, more of a collision sport. The players are far bigger then you think and far stronger. Do keep checking into this amazing sport.
He's looking for analogies with what he's familiar with. There's still a lot of analogies even if soccer, rugby union, rugby league, American football and Canadian football have all become like grampa's axe due to rule changes since they each emerged from traditional football games.
It is often said that football is a contact sport. Duffy Daugherty, a famous coach at Michigan State, once said "Not true. Dancing is a contact sport, football is a collision sport"
the four 15 minute quarters take about 4 hours to finish. my husband loves football. I hate it. so he watches it on another tv while I'm watching another tv. he has season tickets to our local team, so he goes to all the home games.
Chris I Love American Football 🏈 ❤. But I like College football better than the NFL. College boys play harder because they want to make it to the NFL. I Love my Old University Auburn University War Eagle 🦅 !!! ❤❤❤
The special teams is probably most confusing for people who haven’t watched the sport. Punting, kickoff, field goals, and extra points. That’s the other 11 players you were confused about. As for the reason the offense kicks the ball away on 4th down, think of it this way- your option is to try and get the 1st down, but if you miss it, the other team gets it RIGHT there. Depending on where you are at on the field, that could basically be handing the other team points. Punters are a special position that kick the ball away on 4th down with skill- they will try to make the other team’s offense have to start with the worst position possible. That’s your other option- kick it to give the other offense a worse chance, and rely on your defense to get you the ball back. This is the third phase of the strategy of football- field positioning and special teams.
College football is basically just a lower tier of professional football these days. The best players still get paid but not nearly as much as they do in the NFL. American football is a very violent game, but you're right, because the players get to see the formation of the other team before the ball is snapped, the plays become increasingly complicated as players age and advance through the sport.
The college players are not yet paid for playing or by the universities. Some of them may be paid through image licensing and endorsement deals and thew whole thing is a mess of new proposals, lawsuits and big money.
Hello Chris. Glad you're interested in American football. Not sure if all questions were written so here's my answers to some: Like soccer, there is offsides. When the offense is putting the ball in play, the wide receivers cannot be at the end zone waiting for the ball. There is an invisible line where the ball is before being put in play, offense has to stay behind that line (the ball) and same with defense. If someone crosses it, it is an offsides penalty. There are many different formations for offense and defense depending on how the coach is teaching but it's usually consists of 4 linemen and three linebacker formation or a 3 linemen and 4 linebacker formation. I'd recommend youtubing NFL top lists and you can see some action packed videos and also learn more on the game.
The rule book for football is so complex that fan of 60+ years (and a self-professed "rules geek") - me - can be surprised. Five years ago I first learned of the one-point safety rule. It's a valid way to score a single point and has happened at least twice at the college level in the past 20 years.
A few things: If you fail to convert on 4th down, the other team gets possession of the ball at your current position on the field. For this reason, teams usually punt the ball on 4th down rather than risk it and try avoiding 4th down in the first place. Exceptions to this are when the down and distance is favorable (like 4th down & 1 yard to go) and when field position is favorable (like deep in your opponents territory). If you’re deep enough that’s when you go for a field goal unless you are down multiple scores late in the game. This is where games get a lot more risky and chaotic. The clock stops when a pass is incomplete or when the ball carrier runs out of bounds before being tackled. If you’re tackled in bounds, the clock continues to run. There are two clocks to pay attention to. The game clock and the play clock. The game clock is self-explanatory. The play clock tells you how many seconds you have left before you need to snap the ball. If the offense fails to snap the ball before the play clock runs out, it’s a delay of game penalty. The best way to understand is to watch a few games. It’s a mostly easy game to understand unless you want to know what a catch is. This seems to be a subject on which nobody can agree. This has led to some extremely high leverage plays where a catch has been ruled incomplete to the bewilderment of fans. Teams’ entire seasons have ended on such dubious calls. Another one people can’t figure out is pass interference. Different refs will call this very differently. Holding is a penalty that literally happens on every play, but there’s an art to not getting caught. Fans will complain for days about a missed holding call. It’s hilarious. Anyway, I recommend watching a game or several. I think the NFL is back in Germany again this year. If you have the chance to go, you really should. Football is a different pace and type of excitement/stress compared to futball. Both extremely entertaining in different ways. What I like about football is you have time between plays to think about strategy and what the team may or may not do. It’s fun when your prediction comes true. Even more fun when you guess right the defense guesses wrong (assuming you’re rooting for the offense) 😃
A few have already commented on penalties. As you can see from these, the range penalties can seem overwhelming, however the majority fall under to main categories 1) starting prematurely, before the snap that begins the play (false start; offsides; etc), and 2) some form of ‘holding’ (including interfering with or improperly impeding a pass receiver, a rushing defender, lineman, etc). There are others, including for infractions that tend to cause injury, but most of the penalties you routinely see can be categorized as one or the other - holding, or starting prematurely.
Your question about the offsides...There is a thing called the line of scrimmage. It is represented on TV by the blue line. It's where the ball went "Down" on the previous play. No player on either side of the team can cross the line of scrimmage until the center hikes the ball (gives the ball) to the QB (Quarterback) to start the play. As soon as the ball is hiked the players can start moving across the line of scrimmage. Therefore you can't have your receivers in the endzone (where touchdowns happen) until after the ball is snapped or hiked. Being offsides across the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped would cause a penalty and depending on if it was offense or defense that caused the violation, the ball moves up or down the field. QBs often try to draw the line offsides by calling fake snap calls, if the offending players jumps a bit past the line and then receives a penalty, often if the QB is fast enough he will still call for the snap. That is how they take advantage of a penalty. Teams get to choose to accept or decline a penalty, so if defense went offsides, and the QB snaps the ball, then a flag is thrown but the play is allowed to continue. If offense messes up and loses the ball or gets a down without producing results, they can "accept" the other teams penalty and they get to start back on first down as well as moving the ball forward. Often times the QB will take advantage of the "free play" and do a wild play that maximizes yards gained. If they're able to progress the ball forward do to a good free play they can "decline" the penalty which basically makes the play they made a valid play and basically its like the penalty never happened. As far as penalties go. There are several and many are nuanced but there are rules to how you can and can't hit a player. Obviously punching isn't allowed, unless you're punching the ball which some defensive players do to punch the ball out of the runners hands to force a fumble. A defensive player can't put hands to the offensive player's facemask, which is funny because if you're on offense and have the ball, you're able to put hands on the other player's face mask which is called a "stiff arm" if you're running and a defender is catching up to you. You can stick your arm out and push back against their facemask to cause them to have their entire head forced backwards, ruining their chances at a good tackle and/or slowing them down. There are a dozen rules on proper and improper hitting.
Watch the video, "The Greatest 98-Yard Drive in NFL History" You'll get a good idea of game time, first downs, scoring etc. And this is one of the most famous drives in NFL history.
I loved playing Soccer and Ice Hockey. Not everyone in America likes American Football, or Basketball, or Baseball. Kudos to you trying to learn American Football.
This is definitely a very rudimentary explanation of American football. The complex strategy involved is what attracts me to it, and even after 30 years of watching I learn new things pretty regularly.
You need to watch all the Nascar highlights of the truck series Xfinity series in Cup series from Daytona up to Kansas and will be doing Darlington throwback weekend this weekend also...
LOL!!! There's a TON of things you can't do! - No tripping -No punches -No holding of guys who DON'T have the ball -No blocking in somebody's back -No crossing the line of scrimmage (blue line you see at 10:50 BEFORE the ball is snapped (passed to the QB) -No grabbing the facemask -No hitting the receivers when the ball is in the air (before the ball arrives) -No forward movement by the offense BEFORE the ball is snapped. 1 guy can be moving (in motion) parallel to the line when the ball is snapped. - Any shifts of offensive formation have to be completed with all guys set and still for 1 full second before the snap (except the 1 motion man - if there is one). - No hitting somebody by leading with your helmet. -No hitting the Quarterback in the head (intentionally or otherwise) - No "horse-collar" tackles (can't grab the back of the collar and pull someone down that way). - Defenders can't intentionally block the receiver's view of the ball with your hand without ANY attempt to play the ball (knock the ball away). - No "excessive force" or unnecessary force (hitting a guy when he's out of bounds; or striking him after the play) -- Personal Foul. - No blocking below the knees. -and much, much more.
To answer your question at 4:43, there are different defensive schemes or configurations (yes, like the different configurations on a soccer team) depending on the in-game situation and what the defense anticipates the offense is trying to do. You have standard 4-3 or 3-4 base configurations where this is an arrangement of either 4 linemen and 3 linebackers or 3 linemen with 4 linebackers (some of the most versatile defensive players and are comparable to midfielders) either of these configurations then has 4 players remaining on the defense to guard against long offensive plays and/or guard the wings of the field. This group is called the secondary (short for secondary defense) and it consists of corner backs and safeties who are usually responsible for protecting against passing plays The secondary defense is similar fullbacks in soccer with a primary duty of guarding long attacks downfield though they sometimes can be involved further up-field. For example, any number of players on the defense can be used to blitz (or rush) the quarterback on any given defensive play to try to either tackle him apply pressure to his attempts to pass the ball. Defenses will often mix up which player on the defense is running the blitz to keep the offense guessing where the pressure is coming from. Other defensive configurations include nickel, dime, goal-line, prevent and perhaps some others I might not be thinking of at the moment. The configurations can get pretty sophisticated and I recommend that for more advanced learning about the game after you have gotten more accustomed to the basic rules.
You have a lot of good questions. A "down" lasts from the time that the ball is put into play (typically by the Center "hiking" the ball to the Quarterback) until the ball carrier is tackled, or the ball goes out of play (either by going out of bounds, or if a pass is incomplete). Yes, there is more than 1 type of defensive formation, this can vary depending on a number of variations - and some teams will change the type of formation they use during the game.
It's definitely a very tactical game on a lot of levels. For example, if one team knows that the other team has a defender (safety or cornerback) who is a younger player or has been injured, they will tend to throw more frequently to receivers in that area, trying to exploit the imbalance in the match-up between receiver and defender. Play calling is a key element; coaches and players study videos of the other team in action to determine which formations and plays will work best against that team's defense (and vice-versa). It all comes down to intricate, rapid, choreographed play performance, in which highly trained, talented players have to execute their roles in split-second decisions, with thousands of pounds of collective force. It's brutality rendered into dance.
I played 15 years of soccer but also played American Football. American Football is a violent and tactical game. When you talk about fouls in Soccer, there are really only a couple, basically illegal shoulder tackle, illegal slide kick, offsides. That's really about it. In American Football there is literally a "rule book" Some examples, there is offsides, you have many illegal tackles, pass interference, basic things like don't punch someone...it goes on and on. So yes, American Football looks just like a bunch of men hitting each other, but it is way more complicated than that. One last note, in Soccer you usually have one coach on the sideline maybe a couple assistants and then you have your trainer or trainers that aren't at least in the States at the game. In American football you have a coach, a assistant head coach which usually is one of three coordinators, and then position coach's for each position which is normally around 7 at least. Sometimes these coach's have assistants too. Some also have Senior Advisors as well which are usually older former Head Coach's that advise the Head Coach. So yea, much more complicated than Soccer. Not saying that as a dig on Soccer. Soccer is a very fluid and always moving game. American Football is a chess match with some very big and fast guys, and slow fat ones to protect the QB.
There are many different formations but in defense you'll usually see either a 3-4 or 4-3 base. Lately as the game has become more pass oriented defenses have started to use what we call a nickel base which adds more defensive backs to cover the additional receivers. This makes the defense harder to pass on but more susceptible to the run
It took me about 20 years watching American football (as an american8 before I picked up on all the nuances. Once you see enough, you can call penalties before the flag is thrown and the ref stops play. Also, understanding what NOT to do during a play is just as valuable as knowing what they’re supposed to be doing.
I love how the simple idea of two teams and a ball advancing across a field have permutated to soccer/football, American football, rugby, Australian Rules football etc.
11:00 Your point about it being very technical is very true. Most people in the US dislike Soccer (Football) because the strategy is hard for us to follow when you compare it to how technical and complicated Gridiron (American) Football can be.
12:34 what you said about the free kicks is a pretty good comparison. Every down there is a grand strategy that requires all eleven players to do their job perfectly for like 4 seconds
Chris - You could check out these videos: Most Athletic Plays in NFL history NFL Craziest "Superhuman" Moments Biggest Football Hits Ever Top 5 Catches in NFL History There are many more including funny "mic'd' up" videos where you can hear what the players are saying.
8:15 any tackle behind the line of scrimmage (The line where each play is starting from) results in the same loss of yards whether it’s a quarterback or not, it’s just called a sack when it’s a quarterback for statistical purposes.
Strategically, soccer, hockey, basketball are like checkers and Football is like chess. There's that much more strategy involved in (real) football. It's so much more entertaining to watch then the constant back and forth with the other games.
You can make substitutions at any time in American football, and players can enter and exit the game after each play. Many teams have 2-4 players that can play each individual position in case of injury or substitution. That’s why there is 46 players but only about 25 distinct positions.
The reason the offense kicks the ball away on 4th down is because, if they fail to get those 10 yards after their 4 downs, then the ball is turned over to the other team at that spot. If they kick it, then the ball will go much farther down the field and give them the chance to tackle the person who caught the ball before he can get anywhere near were the ball was last held by the kicking team. So, it gives the kicking side's defense much more room on the field to try and stop the other side from advancing. Sometimes, if there is very little distance from where the ball is to that 10 yard mark they need to get the next set of 4 downs, then they will try to get there without kicking it away. It really just comes down to how far away from that 10 yards you needed to get, you are.
im here late but i love football, played for 12 years but I remember being a little kid and being clueless about the sport. So fouls are many and can take a lifetime to learn. The major ones are the one's that put players health in jeopardy. Clipping - When an offensive player blocks a defensive player in the back. This could lead to a player ejection. Standard is loss of 15 yards and a down. - Chop block - When a defensive player is being blocked or is engaged with an offensive player and another offensive player hits the engaged defensive player below the waist. 15 yard penalty and loss of down. - Offensive holding: when an offensive player uses his hands to impede the movement of a defensive player; typically an offensive lineman holds a defensive player to stop him from getting to the ball or QB. I don't know if you're much of a gamer but I've learned the rules for soccer and hockey both by playing video games of the sports.... I'm sure playing Madden or the new College Football game would help your knowledge a ton.
not sure how many people below have written this, but to answer some of your questions towards the end, there is a penalty for "unnecessary roughness" which is for either doing something that is likely to cause injury or hitting someone after they no longer have the ball. the reason teams don't simply have all their receivers run to the end zone every play is because it is impossible to predict the positions of the defense by the time the throw would get there leading to a 50/50 toss up on who ends up with the ball, though when behind with little time left on the clock it isn't rare for them to do it anyway (this play is called a Hail Mary and you can look up highlights of them) you also have to throw it because if you punt it (kicking on 4th down) only the defense is allowed to recover the ball, if the offense touches the ball the defense takes possession at the spot they touched it. there are different formations usually changed every play attempting to counter the formation of your opponent one thing the video didn't touch on very well is blitzing which is when the defense sends most of the players after the quarterback in an attempt to tackle the quarterback before he has a chance to throw the ball (this play is another reason the previously mentioned Hail Mary play is not possible to do all the time)
Played mostly American football, but a bit of rugby at school and soccer when a nipper. All come from a common origin in the UK and diverged about 125 years ago. Been a UK NF L fan since 1984.
Chris - it's important to understand that each 'play' or 'down' begins with ALL of one team on ONE side of the 'scrimmage' line, and ALL of the other team on the OTHER side of the line; each and every 'play' or 'down'. A play or down 'ends' when the ball is grounded or player carrying it 'tackled to the ground'.
I mean its tough to say... When Messi Suarez Neymar were at Barca that seemed organic. But AF quaterbacks and receivers/TEs also have 'read routes' which i would equate to when a winger knows to push it and the CF delivers a through ball
Thanks!
OMG Thank you soo much 🥰
@@Chrisb.reactsthere are a lot of different formations used by both offenses and defenses. common defensive ones are 4-4 4-3 3-4 (referring to lineman and linebackers) a nickel package implies 5 combined safeties/cornerbacks and a dime implies 6. on goal line defenses will often put more d lineman in
You can't kick the ball to another player to get a touchdown. But there's many other kinds of fun trick plays that happen once and a while.
Yes, teams punt it when the have to on 4th down to prevent the opposing team from getting good field position, and usually if they have enough yards to get on a 4th down that it's just not likely they'll get a first down. Of course, if it's the very end of the half or game, or there's only a yard or two, they'll "go for it" on 4th down and not punt.
Yes, a safety is a good reason not to go into your own end zone but sometimes you have no choice if you start a play on something like your own 1 yard line, usually after you lose yards in the beginning of your possession. You can either punt or press your luck and hope you don't get tackled and get a safety. QBs will usually just rush the play and pass quickly to avoid getting sacked in their own end zone and they have up to 3 tries before they will punt.
Clock - managing the clock is one of the most important hallmarks of a good coach and QB. The game clock runs while the team is running up depending on how the last play ended, and depending on the league. In pro football and also college (I think), it stops on an incomplete pass or at the end of the half and end of game if the runner runs out of bounds or if a first down is made but in all cases only until the referee has placed the football. It also stops after a timeout. The play clock is a clock that times the team, and starts after play ends or when the ball is placed in cases the game clock is stopped. If the offensive team lets their play clock run out before they start the play, then they get penalized with "delay of game"
A German-American invented American football.
Think the game of Chess and Rugby.
Chris, by now you may have learned much more. There is one thing I did not hear that makes Football different from every other sport - it is the only one that is structured and not primarily reliant on the players' reactions to the ball. The offense's plays are scripted with each of the 11 having a specific task, moving to a specific spot or attacking a particular defender. The defense also has plays to stop what is expected, yet here, it does involve more reaction to the movement of the offense.
Listening to your first reaction I understood your confusion as many rules are not mentioned. Almost all of them are to stop players from getting unfair or uncompetitive advantage or unsafe dangerous play. You did see the violence is greater than in all other games besides rugby, so the players wear a lot of protective gear. (Knee and head injuries are common because of so many bodies colliding on each play.)
I think the best way to learn the game is to watch a full game in the company of someone who knows it well and whenever you have a question your experienced companion can explain what just happened and why.
Yes, I’ve suggested to these reaction channels to have someone knowledgeable to watch the reaction with. Also could do a live stream.
Maybe. I’ve been watching football with my European wife for 25 years and she still doesn’t get it.
I agree, best to watch a game with someone who knows the game. They can explain all the different defensive formations from man to man coverage, zone coverage to the anti run...They can also go over the holes/gaps in the line and who would have responsibility where.... The line men may have to cover 1 or 2 gaps at a time, the line backers depending how many you have could have to float going left and right on the field unless there is 3 or 4 backs then there primary area to cover would be smaller..... As you can see it can get very complex so best to watch it where you can pause to ask what happened and where you can go back to get it explained... I played football from 11 years old to 18.. My first school I was a lineman, then I moved to a new area and played a WR and then linebacker.. Tho we had so many folks in that I did not get to play much so I got most my time in Special teams on kick offs..
I completely agree with you and add in watching a recorded game or using some sort of streaming service or dvr device so that you can phase the game for longer explanations.
@@andrewward5891that’s because the girl brain can’t always compute the info lol jk
Every single play is a game of chess, a foot race, and multiple wrestling matches and sometimes the pieces get concussions.
yeah coaches are pretty much playing chess. And the players are like chess pieces but they get injured/ mess up and will occasionally disobey the chess player's decisions. its like chess but u aren't sure if ur gonna succeed in ur move or if ur team will be in the ER for weeks on end
I just recently joined the NFL (GO HAWKS!) and to make myself more familiar I tried Madden. Yeah it does like playing chess but you gotta think about the move in seconds or you get broken bones and losing 20 yards at best
@@anxiousseal556WHY WHY WHY THE SEAHAWKS!!! lol
@@Soggy_Potato21 because I used to live in the PNW and there’s no team from Oregon lmao
@@anxiousseal556 Aah I see. Well best of luck next season!
A European guide to american football is a good one to watch
lol, and the edited game highlights were awful examples.
Common fouls include: This is when an offensive or defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage before the play has begun. On offensive it may be called a false start. On defense it may be called encroachment.
A player can't grab ahold of another player who does not have the ball.
It is illegal to grab an opponent's face mask.
Once the ball is thrown a defender can't make contact with the intended receiver until he catches the ball. The defender can try to knock the ball away or intercept the pass, but he must do so without making contact with the intended receiver.
A defender can't lead with his helmet while making a tackle or make helmet-to-helmet contact (that's a newer rule added to make the sport safer for players).
the offense has 45 seconds after each play to begin the next one. If they fail to begin the next play within 45 seconds a delay of game penalty is assessed.
*These are simplified examples of some of the most common fouls.
Thank you I'm an American but only watch football when forced to (in other words husband is watching football)
To get deeper into it the offense has more rules to go by than the defense. Offense must have 7 players on the "Line of scrimmage" (LOS) or line they are starting from. If they do not this is an illegal formation. Penalty
Offensive linemen, usually the 5 really big inside players on the line, are ineligible recievers. Jersey #s 50-79. They can not catch the ball or be downfield when the ball is thrown unless they report before the play and announce that specific play they are eligible. If the ball is thrown forward but is caught behind the LOS those linemen can be downfield but cannot be the player that catches the ball. Only eligible receivers can catch the ball unless the ball is thrown backwards to them. Anyone can catch a backwards pass.
The last player on each side of the ball that is on the LOS is an eligible receiver unless they have an ineligible jersey #. They will align outside those big 5 inside players. So that gives us 5 linemen, the inside big guys and 2 receivers or TE on the ball, 7 total on the ball or LOS. Those players also cannot move once set unless there is an offensive shift. If they shift they must reset (not move for at least 1 full second) before the ball is snapped.
The other 4 players are off the ball. If they line up on the ball and are not the farthest player outside on the LOS they are "covered" meaning they are ineligible to go downfield to receive the ball. This usually is not done intentionally unless the offense is running some kind of trickery. These 4 players off the ball can motion around the field behind the LOS or on the offensive side but cannot be moving forward when the ball is snapped. Only 1 player in motion at a time unless it is a shift then everyone must be set still for 1 second before the snap. These 4 off the ball players usually consist of 2 receivers 1 running back and a quarterback. Of course they can be substituted for other positions like 3 receivers 1 QB, or 2 TE 1 reciver 1 QB etc etc. Depending on the scheme the offense would like to run.
When the offense does substitute these players on and off the field they have to allow the defense to be able to make their own substitutions in a timely manner, or this is a penalty on the offense. This penalty occurs when an offense breaks their hudle and a guy runs on the field from the sideline after the hudle broke. If the offense does not hudle and they make substitutions they have to allow the defense to be able to get make their substitutions before snapping the ball. This is why sometimes you will see defensive players taking their time to get off the field because the offense cannot snap the ball until they are off if the offense did not hudle and made an offensive substitution. If they do, it is a penalty on the offense for illegal substitution. This keeps the offense from running guys on and off the field running around everywhere then quickly snapping the ball to confuse a defense and not allowing them to substitute and match their players how they would like according to the offensive players on the field. In a no hudle hurry up offense when time is running out the offense wont make substitutions for this reason or the defense can take their time running precious time off the clock.
It is a big game of chess. Offense brings out the horses what will the defense do? Offense shifts or motions to get an advantage they want how will the defense adjust and counter?
Offense can only pass the ball forward once. Qb cannot throw the ball if he passes the LOS unless it is backwards. Players can throw the ball backwards but is is risky because if it hits the ground it is a fumble and the defense can recover the ball for a change of possession to their team.
The defense does not have most of these restrictions. They can line up how they would like and move all around, but it is wise for them to try and match up players with the offense. Not wise to leave a little speedy player on a big TE for example.
Defense does have substition rules like a player cannot run on the field after a play has started for obvious reasons. Other penalties for defense have already been mentioned I think in other answers.
I am sure there are others but it is getting late and I go to bed now. GN
@pocompade Good lord Man! Are you writing for an upcoming documentary? (Since you can't hear my tone of voice, I assure you-all joking aside-that I am genuinely impressed that you took the time to write such a long and in-depth explanation).
Sort of on the offsides thing. Offsides is where a player (offense or defense) lines up across the line of scrimmage, Neutral zone infraction is where a defender crosses the line of scrimmage before the play starts, and Encroachment is where they cross the line of scrimmage before the play starts and either have a clear shot at the Quarterback or touch another player. A false start does not require crossing the line of scrimmage just movement that could be mistaken for the starting of the play.
@@pygmyhorde1821 Yes a false start could be something like a lineman being in his "set stance" and may then lift his heal up or turn his foot.. Dose not need to line up in the LOS or on the wrong side of it as that would be off sides as you are on the wrong side of the line before the snap..
Thanks for taking an interest in my favorite sport! American Football is indeed a little complicated, and the common complaint from overseas is that there's too much stopping and starting, but once you being to understand it a bit better, you'll realize it's a VERY strategic game and a lot of fun to watch.
If you think football is complex, baseball is 10x more subtle and complex, it takes a lifetime to fully understand what is going on.
@@brettbuck7362 funny joke. a lifetime? lol. hit ball, catch ball, throw ball to base. sooooo complex.
@@brettbuck7362 Not to throw any shade at baseball, I love both baseball and football, and baseball is definitely strategic in that pitcher rotation and batting lineup are decided based on certain factors pertaining to the opposition. But the only tactical aspect is the battle between the pitcher and the batter. Once the ball is in play it comes down to fielding which is all skill based. Football is far more strategic and tactical, you adjust defensive formations and plays based on the tactics and strategy the opposing offense has used in previous games to better match up and be more effective at defending. Then you do the same thing with the offense, and you have to account for the fact that on every single play run by both offense and defense, every individual player has a pre-planned tactic to use for every individual play and the variations of each individual formation. Once the ball is in play it's then purely about athletic skill and proper execution of the each designed play. Then you have your strategic decisions to make, what play to call, whether to run or pass, play zone, blitz, or stunt, and whether to kick the ball away or gamble on a 4th down try which is largely determined by distance to the first down marker or goal line, or should you try for a field goal or go for it, should you kick the extra point or try for two, which are all strategic decisions based on the current situation. Both sports are awesome and feature athletes who are playing at the highest level of ability but, how do you tell me you've never played football without telling me you've never played football......
@@SVanTha If that is all you think is going on, you don’t understand it - at all.
Gridiron football (one of the proper names) isn't complex at all, the rule book is only 220 pages....
The reason teams often decide to kick it away on 4th down (Punt) is because they don't believe there is a good chance their offense can make the required yardage on their last down and would give the other team the ball back MUCH closer to their objective. By punting it away. You are still giving them possession but making them have to travel MUCH further to score. Sometimes your offense may not have momentum or may be being out coached/played by the opposing teams defense. This helps inform the decision to punt on 4th down as well. The biggest factor on whether or not to punt is field position though. (Where the ball was last downed) Even if it's only 4th and inches. You probably aren't going to go for it if you are on your own 10 yard line because if you don't get it.. Only 10 yards for the opponent to score and they are already in Field Goal Range.
Bro wrote a hole essay
@@Nz_harrison Only took me like 2 mins. I enjoy other people getting into American Football. My fav sport.
MUCH closer to their objective NO NO NO -much FARTHER to their objective-the punting teams goal line.
you cannot advance the ball by kicking. kicking the ball gives up possession. yes, you are free to throw the ball as far as you can down the field, but you'll find that 1) your QB will have a very short time to throw since the defenders are always charging at him and 2) one third of the defense, the "secondary", is designed to stop deep throws like that.
On-side kicks are still a thing although they are effectively banned in the NHL in 2024. They are more common in other leagues and Canadian football leagues allows forward kicks like in rugby.
@@mikehermen3036 I would hope the NHL banned on-side kicking, that has to be rough on the puck AND the skate blades...
However, you may take a dropkick (ball must bounce off the ground before being kicked)as an attempt to score a field goal(3 pts). But it will result as a change of possession if the try does not go through the goalpost. I have oversimplified this explanation. Wikipedia does have pages regarding the rules of football. Free kicks are rare in US Football but are more common in Canadian Football.
I meeeeean you can sorta advance the ball by kicking if you're playing against someone like the Jets or Browns and they muff a punt....
@@ZyggyZero: Free kicks haven't been used since the 1950s, which is the dropkick your talking about.
As for the onside kick being banned, I haven't heard of that being banned in the NFL.
I really like your enthusiasm and zeal for learning a North American sport. A year ago, two British guys (DN Reacts) on RUclips knew nothing about our North American sports and today they're VERY knowledgeable and passionate. Yes, American football is VERY tactical. It has a unique rhythm with the start-stop action. It allows for player substitutions, play selection, down-distance assessments, etc. Stoppage also creates opportunities for television advertising, creating revenue for the league and player salaries. Stoppage also allows fans to refresh their food and beverages, creating more revenue. You seem like an intelligent young man who will quickly figure it out and become a knowledgeable and passionate fan, too.😊😊😊😊
Thank you :) I wil definitly watch more of it :)
I need football for dummies, along with Football (soccer), and basketball. I have an obsession with Espn, so I go back and forth with it. I even watch Golf and Horse racing. I admit I as a 16 and 17yr old, I used to place "bets" on Jai aLai along with my friends.
@@Chrisb.reacts You have a curious mind and are intelligent. this game is up your ally.
Dammit, THANK YOU for being one of the few folks on the internet who's trying in good faith to be a welcoming person. There are so few left, and it's starting to break me.
@@Chrisb.reactsawesome! watch either “A europeans guide to american football” or “best plays in college football”
You are correct. American football is very tactical on each play. Kind of like a set piece in European Football. Or, if you have any RPG experience, it can be compared to a turn-based (Japanese) RPG in which the offense always has the initiative.
The offense has dozens of plays they can utilize. The head coach will tell the quarterback which play he wants the team to execute. The quarterback then tells the rest of the offense what play they are going to execute during a huddle. All players know what their individual assignment is for each play bc they have done it over and over in practice.
The defense will determine their strategy based on what formation the offense lines up in prior to the start of the play. Part of a defensive player's practice involves watching videos of the their opponents from previous games. This helps them recognize their opponent's tendencies.
That and the defense will adjust their personnel to the personnel that the offense has on the field. The QB also has a set amount of plays that he can change to just prior to the snap if he feels like the defense is well set up to stop the current play and can also have individual receivers change their routes to take advantage of what he sees from the defense pre snap. I suppose I really take for granted how complicated the game can be..
@cobra7282 I'm glad you mentioned audibles and personnel changes. I tried to come up with a comment that explains things as simply as possible, but I kept having to changeit bc there is just way too much info to try and cram into a RUclips comment🤣
Also to answer the question he asked on defenses when it comes to the personal .
There two primary defensive personal configurations referred to as 4-3 and 3-4 ... 4-3 uses 4 lineman (defensive ends/defensive tackles) with 3 linebackers. The 3-4 uses 4 linebackers with 3 lineman ( defensive ends/nose tackle).
To explain all the difference between the two would take a long time but to make it simple the difference is in 3-4 the linebackers are rushing the QB more often where in the 4-3 that job is more on the defensive end.
Fun fact the 3-4 was developed for the skill set of Lawrence Taylor by the coach if the NY Giants.
@@seancooney8799: Not true. The 3-4 is actually used to limit runs and short passes to prevent first downs.
The reason is that in an end-game scenario, such as when a Dime Prevent package is used, the 3-4 allows another linebacker to be used as short zone defense.
The other reason for the 3-4 is that by having one less lineman on defense, the linebackers can get trickier with blitz routes and make an offensive line make mistakes.
Often, the decision between a 3-4 and a 4-3 defense is where your talent is (or, the talent you seek depends on what formation you intend to run).
A 3-4 lives and dies by its nose tackle's ability to take on multiple blockers, while a 4-3 needs a fast and smart middle linebacker to handle all the space in the center.
The really bad thing about a Safety (2 points) is that the Offensive Team that just got tackled in their own End Zone has to kick the ball away to their opponent. So it's like double humiliation.
The quarterback is always the quarterback. There 3 quarterbacks on the entire team. The starting qb who is the main starter, the 2nd string quarterback who comes in if the starter gets hurt or needs a break or is playing badly. And the 3rd string qb usually comes in if qb is hurt or his team is winning by a lot of points, the coach will put in the 3rd string to let him get some playing time. Hope this makes sense.
There are trick plays in which the ball is snapped to a running back who can either run or pass. Running backs, however, don't have the same skills of passing and directing the team as the quarterback.
The quarterback is not always playing the quarterback position, but he or she must be on the field. For instance, the Bears had a lineman called the Refrigerator that would line up in the quarterback position and was used to get short yardage by running the back in a quarterback sneak type play. The actual quarterback was in some wide receiver type formation.
We're getting into the territory of invalid formations, lateral rules and eligible receivers (a quarterback may lateral the ball and then after moving forward a certain yardage become an eligible receiver, any player the steps out of bounds is an ineligible receiver).... There's a lot of very specific rules around this area. By the way, any player can play any position legally for a play. That's why a punt fake can have the guy who usually plays the kicker be the quarterback for that play.
That's also why you sometimes see a snap past the usual quarterback to a running back while the guy who is usually the quarterback become an eligible receiver as a receiver.
So long as the players are in a valid formation, anyone can be any role for a play.
@@ScottLovenberg Only certain numbers are eligible receivers and ball carriers. Notifications must be given for non eligible numbers to be receivers and ball carriers.
@@orlock20 D'oh! I forgot that. You are entirely correct. Which reinforces that there are a lot of specific rules.
Where you are on the field is not the position you play.
The position you play on the team determines where you are on the field. A location which for many positions varies with each play.
So, a Lineman is a Lineman. They will never be substituted for a Wide Receiver.
You were wondering where the missing 13 players are, they are "the Bench", or second string.
Full contact sport... expect injuries.
Not entirely accurate. Sometimes a “lineman” can be put in a receiver or running back position for certain plays. If they score, we colloquially term those as “fat guy touchdowns” 😂😂
@@gsmegaphone additionally, the lineman in question has to notify the referee to be eligible to receive a pass.
A quarterback can throw the ball down the field as far as he can in hopes that one of his receivers can catch it in the end zone for a touchdown...this is called a "Hail Mary" pass, and because the chances of success are so low it's done only when it's the last play of the game and there's no other alternative to losing it. When it IS successful, the play will become immortalized as a great moment for that team and the quarterback.
Beyond this, the easiest way to learn American football is to simply watch a game. The referees explain penalties, the commentators cover most of the rest (if they're worth a darn), and since you'd likely be watching a recorded game anyways, you can always pause and look something up.
The BEST way to wrap your head around the game, in my experience, is if you can get your hands on a radio broadcast of one and match it with a television feed. Radio broadcasts just by their nature have to describe everything that's going on, and mixed with the visual it really cements what's happened into a solid idea.
The radio will be 5 seconds ahead of the broadcast on tv
That definitely is a great way. That’s what helps new watchers is that little stop in between plays where commentators replay what happens and it is truly helpful for new fams
I would suggest older games if you learn that way. The rules don't change much overtime, and commentators in say the 70s seem to be more focused on what's going on and why, whereas many modern sportscaster seem to assume you already know.
American football (AF) evolved from soccer and rugby but developed into a completely different sport. The first AF game was played in 1869 between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton, using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time.
It didn’t evolve from them, all three evolved roughly contemporaneously. There were many varieties of football, with local customs and rules being different. Over time they coalesced into three main varieties, becoming more standardized and regulated along the way. Along with these there varieties there exists some others, like Australian Football, Gaelic Football, and Canadian Football.
1. Both the offense and defense do use a lot of different formations. Teams will sometimes use more wide receivers on offense. Sometimes defenses will use more cornerbacks. The only mandatory rule is that both sides must have 11 players on the field. Also, teams do use different formations for strategic purposes. For example, if a team knows that their opponent has been struggling to defend passes, then they will start passing the ball more often.
2. There are offsides and illegal formation penalties. If an offense or defense is not lined up properly, then they will be penalized. Those penalties are usually 5 yards against the side that committed the infraction.
3. I am an American and I love American football. It is such a fun game. It is not a very difficult game to learn. And I highly recommend it if anyone is interested.
It's a very complicated game, but the constant "stop and go" action creates many opportunities for those who don't know to figure out, or be explained to about, what has happened on the previous play. It's a bunch of little, but important, details that add up to what the entire game has to offer.
@@TheRayzerBandit It's an 80/20 sort of game, for the most part. 80% of the time, only 20% of the complexity is in play. Many of the rules describe very specific situations (like precisely what is and isn't considered an incomplete pass versus a fumble following a catch).
On offense, the numbers on their jerseys matter and have to ask for an exemption every time the offense wants to use a player with the wrong number series. Only certain player numbers can go past the line of scrimmage for a pass.
Correction: The only rule is that each team can have NO MORE than 11 players on the field. They can run a play with 10 or fewer if they want.
Chris, I recommend you watch and react to “Best College Entrances Part 1” to see how massive College Football is in American. There are a number of college football teams that have over 100,000 seat capacity. It’s a fun video to see how dedicated college football fans are and how massive the attendance is. Looking forward to seeing more reaction videos from you.
Hi Chris, I'm an old American Football coach, Love to hear your take on my favorite sport. And yes, there is A LOT of strategy and "faking" that occurs. Every coach tries to be innovative, and figure a way to do something new that the defense has never seen before.
And defensive coaches do the same. They disguise their defenses sxhemes to confuse the QB and force a mistake.
The 1985 Chicago Bears came up with the Four Six defense which dominated the league. Then it was up to offensive coaches to figure out how to attack and break the four six.
Yes, there are hundreds of different formations for different situations, this gave a good basic explanation. The quarterback is always the quarterback, it's a special skill
Not always. They can be treated as receivers or running backs on some plays. You're right in the fact that there's really never more than one QB on the field at the same time, though.
@@SGTsnick3 There's no specific rule that says you can't have two players officially listed on the roster as quarterbacks on the field at the same time, but it would be very weird. I can think of a few uses that might confuse a defense, but probably not enough to justify eliminating an eligible receiver position, or setting aside the time to practice such gimmicky plays.
There's also the wildcat formation, which may not have a rostered quarterback on the field at all (having a running back or receiver taking the snap).
The quarterback is whoever receives the snap from the center.
Your best bet will be to watch an actual game with someone who knows how the NFL works. We can try and explain enough, but it doesn't make sense until you actually watch a game. That's how you learn the best.
That's how it worked for me. I grew up having no interest in football until years later, while having beers at the bar with my brother during Monday Night Football, he explained what was going on.
American Football is very much a blending of warfare, chess,, and marginally constrained chaos. 😁
Soccer, football, and rugby share similar roots. Legend has it that American football began when a member of a soccer team picked up the ball and ran with it. In rugby a touchdown is actually a touchdown. After crossing the goal line the ball carrier must actually touch the ball to the ground before the score is actually made. There are basically three times when the offense will kick the ball. One is after a touchdown and it's official name is Point After Touchdown, or PAT. The second is a field goal. This can occur on any down but is usually attempted on 4th down when the offense decides it is too risky to try and get a 1st down and opts for a field goal. The 3rd is called a punt. This occurs when the offense has too far to go to make a first down and is too far away to make a field goal. The goal of the punt is to put the opponent as far away from your own goal as possible.
You forgot kickoffs
And the free kick, but that’s a very rare occurrence
And the most successful punt is downed by the kicking team within just a few yards of the end zone the kicking team was trying to get to. The receiving team is then on offense and forced to back into their own end zone to either hand off the ball or pass it. If the player with the ball is tackled withing the end zone, the defending team scores 2 points. The offense may try a quarterback sneak to gain a yard or two to prevent a safety, but you've only gained a yard or two on one of your downs. You need to average about 3½ yards on each down or you end up kicking the ball away, usually from within your own end zone and may suffer a Safety anyway if your kicker is tackled with the ball in the end zone. "Field Position" is SO important, but it's never entirely up to you. Even the best teams are sometimes starting a drive or a series of down inside their own 5 yard line, or 95 yards away from scoring. The more downs you use on a drive, the more likely your drive is going to fail. The game clock continues to run after most plays (an incomplete pass stops the clock), but unlike British football, it's up on the scoreboard for all to see. The officials some times add back a few seconds if the clock ran when it shouldn't have (penalties stop the clock as soon as the ball is on the ground, of if it hasn't been hiked yet as soon as the flag is thrown and the official as blown his whistle) but it's clear how much time is left.
5:26 American Football is a complex game. 75% strategic. It's like Chess.
Chess where the chess pieces are living beings who get brain damage. But otherwise, a great game! I am not a sports fan in general, but I recognize American football as being a superior game to soccer.
75% strategic, and 75% muscle, lol (at least when you're playing well)
Nothing replaces COMPLETE DOMINATION!!! 😂😂😂
Yes Sir, like chess. After each down, the situation is reviewed and next offense play is determined. That’s why I like football.
- NBA, soccer, baseball, hockey, all seem to be a chaotic, without a real strategy.
I have heard it describe as high speed chess(The play calling and making), followed by high speed poker(reading the offense and defense, adjusting positions, calling audibles etc.), then violence(the athletic part). Repeat as necessary. Sounds about right to me.
American Football always felt more like chess to me. There they have defensive formations to fight offensive formations. Every down is the chance to turn the game around in their favor. The anticipation between each play is exciting.
I often refer to it as “violent chess” 😂
Passing the ball nearly the entire length of the field into the end zone has a name - it's the "Hail Mary pass".
Not exactly.
Brother it warms my heart seeing this. Thank you so much for learning about this sport. I played it for the majority of my young life. Also this shows how much I take for granted my knowledge about football. When I see someone new learning it, the rules are really strange lol. Again thank you and much respect.
Here's the thing with penalties. Every time there is a foul/penalty one of the officials on the field will throw a yellow flag. They will then explain to the audience what the foul was and by which player. Then the announcers will show you a replay of the foul and explain what the player did that caused the foul.
OK so basically, when the offense kicks the ball away for the opposing team to score, its not to give them the ball for fun, its so that they get the ball farther from the area they need to score in, in other words, they kick it away so that their opponents have a disadvantage.
Yes, tactics are very important. It's a large field that hosts a game. Eleven defenders cannot possibly guard the entire field. They practice all sorts of deception to try and fool the offensive players as to where the individual defenders will move once a play begins. Unlike rugby, offensive players are allowed to block any defenders who are trying to approach a running back and make a tackle, so a common offensive tactic is to trick the defense by moving blockers around to try an gain an advantage in manpower at the point where the ball carrier is heading. On defense, the linebackers are a lot like the midfielders in soccer. They can push forward, and pull back, depending on the play the offense is running. When it becomes apparent it is a pass play, the linebackers will sprint back to help defend against the pass, or they may push forward to try to tackle the QB before he can release the pass.
One thing that is fairly common, and maybe a bit hard to understand for a newcomer fan, is the number of runs up the middle of the field. It can be boring to watch. But a defense which is overly concerned about giving up yardage on pass plays can spread itself too thin trying to guard the entire field, and the offense can focus on blocking for run plays. If an offense can gain at least 4 yards every time it runs the ball, it will gain first downs all day long and score every offensive possession. Defenses usually plan to make stopping the run game their first priority. But that can leave them vulnerable to the passing game.,
The players are huge men. Some of the wide receivers might be "small", maybe 5'7" and 170 lbs., but generally these are abnormally big, muscular men. The linemen in particular can easily be 6'6" and 380 lbs. They cannot be slugs, either. They have to be able to run to get to points on the field where the play is happening. One common criticism of the game is that it is not for everybody, just as basketball is not easy for short people. Similarly, men of this size can do tremendous damage to the bodies of the guys they collide with, or do damage to themselves, too. Many of the arcane rulse that may be difficult for a newcomer to understand are there to try and protect the health of the players. Imagine being blindsided by a 260 lb. linebacker running at 20 mph. There ought to be a rule, and there is.
The rules of the game do allow for all sorts of offensive and defensive formations, but that's a little tough to explain or show in a brief video, but most teams run a limited set of offensive and defensive schemes. It is tough to get 11 guys committed to running a choreographed play or defensive scheme.
Watching the game you’ll pick up the rules quickly and how the game is played. It’s really fun to watch. I learned just by watching. This was before it was so easy just to look up info on the internet 😂 but even still, the best way to learn is simply by watching.
In soccer the clock runs continuously. In American football, the clock starts and stops often, depending on the play being run. Each team also gets 3 time outs per half, 6 for the game. The team that manages the clock to their advantage increases the odds that they will win the game.
I started watching Football when I was 7 years old. I immediately fell in love with it. If a 7-year-old can grasp all of the nuances and rules so can you. Just watch a few games. As a side note: Football used to be more brutal with fewer rules. But it is more flashy and watchable today.
There are rumblings of the NFL expanding into Europe. Although it's somewhat a pipedream for fans, analysts talk about the potential enough to warrant real discussion over it. There's even lists out there of potential cities that are most likely to land an expansion team, one of which would be Munich.
The most likely destinations for EU teams would actually mostly be in German cities. More so, the cities in areas that have, or are near, US military bases. It's less of a pipedream than it has been in the past, the NFL just went about getting the game over there enough for it to become familiar to them in the wrong ways that is still profitable for the league to continue doing so. These international games, as annoying and disruptive as they may be for Americans, are actually a great way to showcase the sport to gain interest.
American Football is probably the most tactical sport in the world. Every single play is its own set piece. The most important player isn't a player, it's the coaches calling the plays, trying to outmaneuver the opponent with different formations and tactics. The downside of this, compared to other similar sports, is that American Football is constantly stopping and starting. Sometimes you just want to shout "GET ON WITH IT" lol
I think something the video creator should have talked about that would have answered some of your questions. After the kickoff, the team on offense lines up where the player was tackled for their first set of "downs". This is called the line of scrimmage. One side of the line is offense, the other defense. Until the ball is "hiked", if either sides moves over the line of scrimmage then that is a foul and they would be penalized. For offense, they would go backwards so that would ADD yards to the 10 yards needed for a new set of downs, thus making it harder for them to get them. IF the defense moves before the call is hiked, then they would be get a foul and the ball would be moved forward for the offense, thus making it EASIER to get a new set of downs. So the offense or defense can set up anywhere on their side of the line of scrimmage. So, as an example if the QB is sacked, they lose yardage and that makes it harder for them to get a new set of downs. So you can have situations like 1st and 10...or 2nd and 15....
Think of it as watching a battlefield.
The breaks let the fans go to the frig for a beer or stacks. It's easy to catch up with.
If the ball goes out of bounds or a pass is not completed, then the clock stops.
If you fail to gain 10 yards using the 4 Downs, then the opponent gets the ball at that location. This called a "turnover on downs". This does not happen very often. If the offense has used 3 downs and failed to gain 10 yards and is too far from the goalposts to kick a field goal for 3 points, they will almost always kick the ball away to the opponent on the 4th Down, called a punt, to push the opponent further away from the goal line. The only time a team will try to gain 10 yards using the 4th Down is if they are very, very close to getting 10 yards (within inches) AND they are far away from their own goal line.
There should be a whole video for you to watch about all the penalties, offensive and defensive formations (you can play the PS2 EA Maddens to learn most of this, or current EA Maddens) and a more detailed explanation of the rules already discussed. BTW, it's awesome that you like the challenge rule, and that you want it to be used in soccer, that's hilarious
Yes, "clock management": it takes just over three wrist-watch hours to get one game-clock hour of "play" done.
Thank you.
I love your energy, Bruv, keep up the GOOD WORK.
November 10, 2024. Carolina vs. NY Giants in Munich at Allianz stadium. NFL returns to Deutschland.
Seeing the NFL live is wonderful.
I'm glad you're happy to be seeing that one, but it gets so much better than those two teams lol
You should react to an actual game, either college or NFL would be great!
Ive lives here all my life and more of a baseball guy- barely understand football, but just like soccer its fun to watch because anything can happen and the athleticism is amazing
One thing that this video didn't really discuss that I think was throwing you off is once the game starts with a kickoff the teams have their endzone to defend the offense pushes towards the other teams goals but if the doesn't believe that they can make the first down they will decide to punt the ball (rather than give it to defenders right there) down the field to increase the distance the other team has to try to go to get to the endzone they have to get to. That's why the offense will kick the ball.... feel like I might have just made it more confusing lol.
It's a good idea to find a player or team that you can follow. It makes it easier to learn because you feel like you have a stake in it in a way.
The other side to the game being violent iss that it is a very tactical game. Each play is like a chess move, just using players. Also, I think the rosters are more like 56 players, with each position have 1 or 2 backups for injuries, different play packages, etc.
In 2023 (and I think still in 2024), the active roster was 53, but only 48 could dress for the game. In years prior, only 46 could dress. In addition, teams have a 16 player "practice squad" that does not count against their roster. Players are often promoted from the practice squad to the active roster to replace injured players (injured like out for weeks).
The beauty of American football is that there is a lot of strategy in the game. That is why other teams use code words or other secret language to keep the other team from getting wise to their strategy. It is very much a game that mimics old school military strategy where you out flank your opponent and trick them into thinking you are doing one thing instead of another and then lobbing missiles in hope to hit a target and of course brute strength to punch your way through the enemy (defense). Every player has to know all of the plays and where they should be on that play, each coach has a specific area they focus on (tackling, defense, offense, special teams), observers sit above the crowd looking down to strategize with the coaching staff, the head coach has to bring all of this orchestration into a win, and the quarterback ("the captain") has to put the coach's vision ("the general") into action on the 'field of battle.'
You should do the same for the NBA, NHL and MLB.
There are countless formations and plays both defensive and offensive. I never realized how complex my favorite sport is lol. This video covers the game on an EXTREMELY basic level. There are so many tactile variations that can be employed as well as specific rules for every situation
American football is chess with giants.
Very fast, very violent giants. 🇺🇸🏈
@@WilliamJohnson-h2b 😂
there is actually a 1 point safety but is so rare its never happened in the NFL and on twice in college football.
Chris, I’m not expert but even I was a little confused by some things in this video. In other words I don’t think this is the best video to learn football for someone who doesn’t know the rules to begin with. One of the main things to understand is about the rules about downs. The offense of Team A has four tries (downs) from the line of scrimmage (the blue line on TV-it’s where the row of much of the defense players line up and where the ball starts from) to get a least 10 yards and if they don’t the other team (Team B) gets to be the offense. If Team A manages to get over 10 yards before the fourth down, then they get another four tries (downs) to get another 10 yards. And it can go on and on and on from there but usually it doesn’t and either Team A gets a lot of yards or they about to try their fourth down and they are afraid they are not going to make the 10 yards needed. If they are a long ways away from the goal line for a touchdown, they will punt the ball to Team B so Team B needs to travel a long way to get a touchdown when they are on the offensive. Other commenters know the rules better than I and can explain the rules better but the whole thing about 4 tries to get the 10 yards is very important to know. Keep up the great work, Chris!
Been a huge nfl fan for a while, and he looks so happy and excited to learn instead of most of the other Europeans I meet who just call it “stupid fake football” He seems like such a great guy
George carlin football vs baseball, very funny stuff.
college football is huge, there are 8 college football stadiums that are over 100K.
dont forget basketball hockey and my sport baseball.
It’s way more strategic than most other sports. That is why there is so much time taken between each play~after each play they are strategizing!
Don't confuse soccer with football. It's a completely different game. You need to watch some games to understand it. It'd help if you watch with some people who do know the game and can answer your questions. And yes, football is a very physical game, more of a collision sport. The players are far bigger then you think and far stronger. Do keep checking into this amazing sport.
He's looking for analogies with what he's familiar with.
There's still a lot of analogies even if soccer, rugby union, rugby league, American football and Canadian football have all become like grampa's axe due to rule changes since they each emerged from traditional football games.
It is often said that football is a contact sport. Duffy Daugherty, a famous coach at Michigan State, once said "Not true. Dancing is a contact sport, football is a collision sport"
❤ American futball is so weird for me. I don't understand at all what is going on. 😂But I watch this
Best way to understand football, is to watch it with someone who knows the game.
the four 15 minute quarters take about 4 hours to finish. my husband loves football. I hate it. so he watches it on another tv while I'm watching another tv. he has season tickets to our local team, so he goes to all the home games.
Chris I Love American Football 🏈 ❤. But I like College football better than the NFL. College boys play harder because they want to make it to the NFL. I Love my Old University Auburn University War Eagle 🦅 !!! ❤❤❤
Also there're only 32 NFL teams and many states don't have a team but have one or more college teams and the loyalty runs deep
Yeah, over half the states don't have an NFL team.
The special teams is probably most confusing for people who haven’t watched the sport. Punting, kickoff, field goals, and extra points. That’s the other 11 players you were confused about.
As for the reason the offense kicks the ball away on 4th down, think of it this way- your option is to try and get the 1st down, but if you miss it, the other team gets it RIGHT there. Depending on where you are at on the field, that could basically be handing the other team points. Punters are a special position that kick the ball away on 4th down with skill- they will try to make the other team’s offense have to start with the worst position possible. That’s your other option- kick it to give the other offense a worse chance, and rely on your defense to get you the ball back.
This is the third phase of the strategy of football- field positioning and special teams.
College football is basically just a lower tier of professional football these days. The best players still get paid but not nearly as much as they do in the NFL.
American football is a very violent game, but you're right, because the players get to see the formation of the other team before the ball is snapped, the plays become increasingly complicated as players age and advance through the sport.
The college players are not yet paid for playing or by the universities. Some of them may be paid through image licensing and endorsement deals and thew whole thing is a mess of new proposals, lawsuits and big money.
Hello Chris. Glad you're interested in American football. Not sure if all questions were written so here's my answers to some:
Like soccer, there is offsides. When the offense is putting the ball in play, the wide receivers cannot be at the end zone waiting for the ball. There is an invisible line where the ball is before being put in play, offense has to stay behind that line (the ball) and same with defense. If someone crosses it, it is an offsides penalty.
There are many different formations for offense and defense depending on how the coach is teaching but it's usually consists of 4 linemen and three linebacker formation or a 3 linemen and 4 linebacker formation.
I'd recommend youtubing NFL top lists and you can see some action packed videos and also learn more on the game.
This is the worse american football rules video. You need to watch a different one. There's so much more to learn.
The rule book for football is so complex that fan of 60+ years (and a self-professed "rules geek") - me - can be surprised. Five years ago I first learned of the one-point safety rule. It's a valid way to score a single point and has happened at least twice at the college level in the past 20 years.
I'm pretty sure the weirdest possible final score would be 10-1.
Or maybe, 9-4 in overtime.
Really a very bad explanation. There has to be better ones.
A few things:
If you fail to convert on 4th down, the other team gets possession of the ball at your current position on the field. For this reason, teams usually punt the ball on 4th down rather than risk it and try avoiding 4th down in the first place. Exceptions to this are when the down and distance is favorable (like 4th down & 1 yard to go) and when field position is favorable (like deep in your opponents territory). If you’re deep enough that’s when you go for a field goal unless you are down multiple scores late in the game. This is where games get a lot more risky and chaotic.
The clock stops when a pass is incomplete or when the ball carrier runs out of bounds before being tackled. If you’re tackled in bounds, the clock continues to run.
There are two clocks to pay attention to. The game clock and the play clock. The game clock is self-explanatory. The play clock tells you how many seconds you have left before you need to snap the ball. If the offense fails to snap the ball before the play clock runs out, it’s a delay of game penalty.
The best way to understand is to watch a few games. It’s a mostly easy game to understand unless you want to know what a catch is. This seems to be a subject on which nobody can agree. This has led to some extremely high leverage plays where a catch has been ruled incomplete to the bewilderment of fans. Teams’ entire seasons have ended on such dubious calls.
Another one people can’t figure out is pass interference. Different refs will call this very differently. Holding is a penalty that literally happens on every play, but there’s an art to not getting caught. Fans will complain for days about a missed holding call. It’s hilarious.
Anyway, I recommend watching a game or several. I think the NFL is back in Germany again this year. If you have the chance to go, you really should.
Football is a different pace and type of excitement/stress compared to futball. Both extremely entertaining in different ways. What I like about football is you have time between plays to think about strategy and what the team may or may not do. It’s fun when your prediction comes true. Even more fun when you guess right the defense guesses wrong (assuming you’re rooting for the offense) 😃
A few have already commented on penalties. As you can see from these, the range penalties can seem overwhelming, however the majority fall under to main categories 1) starting prematurely, before the snap that begins the play (false start; offsides; etc), and 2) some form of ‘holding’ (including interfering with or improperly impeding a pass receiver, a rushing defender, lineman, etc). There are others, including for infractions that tend to cause injury, but most of the penalties you routinely see can be categorized as one or the other - holding, or starting prematurely.
Your question about the offsides...There is a thing called the line of scrimmage. It is represented on TV by the blue line. It's where the ball went "Down" on the previous play. No player on either side of the team can cross the line of scrimmage until the center hikes the ball (gives the ball) to the QB (Quarterback) to start the play. As soon as the ball is hiked the players can start moving across the line of scrimmage. Therefore you can't have your receivers in the endzone (where touchdowns happen) until after the ball is snapped or hiked. Being offsides across the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped would cause a penalty and depending on if it was offense or defense that caused the violation, the ball moves up or down the field. QBs often try to draw the line offsides by calling fake snap calls, if the offending players jumps a bit past the line and then receives a penalty, often if the QB is fast enough he will still call for the snap. That is how they take advantage of a penalty.
Teams get to choose to accept or decline a penalty, so if defense went offsides, and the QB snaps the ball, then a flag is thrown but the play is allowed to continue. If offense messes up and loses the ball or gets a down without producing results, they can "accept" the other teams penalty and they get to start back on first down as well as moving the ball forward. Often times the QB will take advantage of the "free play" and do a wild play that maximizes yards gained. If they're able to progress the ball forward do to a good free play they can "decline" the penalty which basically makes the play they made a valid play and basically its like the penalty never happened.
As far as penalties go. There are several and many are nuanced but there are rules to how you can and can't hit a player. Obviously punching isn't allowed, unless you're punching the ball which some defensive players do to punch the ball out of the runners hands to force a fumble. A defensive player can't put hands to the offensive player's facemask, which is funny because if you're on offense and have the ball, you're able to put hands on the other player's face mask which is called a "stiff arm" if you're running and a defender is catching up to you. You can stick your arm out and push back against their facemask to cause them to have their entire head forced backwards, ruining their chances at a good tackle and/or slowing them down. There are a dozen rules on proper and improper hitting.
Watch the video, "The Greatest 98-Yard Drive in NFL History"
You'll get a good idea of game time, first downs, scoring etc. And this is one of the most famous drives in NFL history.
I loved playing Soccer and Ice Hockey. Not everyone in America likes American Football, or Basketball, or Baseball. Kudos to you trying to learn American Football.
This is definitely a very rudimentary explanation of American football. The complex strategy involved is what attracts me to it, and even after 30 years of watching I learn new things pretty regularly.
You need to watch all the Nascar highlights of the truck series Xfinity series in Cup series from Daytona up to Kansas and will be doing Darlington throwback weekend this weekend also...
LOL!!! There's a TON of things you can't do!
- No tripping
-No punches
-No holding of guys who DON'T have the ball
-No blocking in somebody's back
-No crossing the line of scrimmage (blue line you see at 10:50 BEFORE the ball is snapped (passed to the QB)
-No grabbing the facemask
-No hitting the receivers when the ball is in the air (before the ball arrives)
-No forward movement by the offense BEFORE the ball is snapped. 1 guy can be moving (in motion) parallel to the line when the ball is snapped.
- Any shifts of offensive formation have to be completed with all guys set and still for 1 full second before the snap (except the 1 motion man - if there is one).
- No hitting somebody by leading with your helmet.
-No hitting the Quarterback in the head (intentionally or otherwise)
- No "horse-collar" tackles (can't grab the back of the collar and pull someone down that way).
- Defenders can't intentionally block the receiver's view of the ball with your hand without ANY attempt to play the ball (knock the ball away).
- No "excessive force" or unnecessary force (hitting a guy when he's out of bounds; or striking him after the play) -- Personal Foul.
- No blocking below the knees.
-and much, much more.
To answer your question at 4:43, there are different defensive schemes or configurations (yes, like the different configurations on a soccer team) depending on the in-game situation and what the defense anticipates the offense is trying to do. You have standard 4-3 or 3-4 base configurations where this is an arrangement of either 4 linemen and 3 linebackers or 3 linemen with 4 linebackers (some of the most versatile defensive players and are comparable to midfielders) either of these configurations then has 4 players remaining on the defense to guard against long offensive plays and/or guard the wings of the field. This group is called the secondary (short for secondary defense) and it consists of corner backs and safeties who are usually responsible for protecting against passing plays The secondary defense is similar fullbacks in soccer with a primary duty of guarding long attacks downfield though they sometimes can be involved further up-field. For example, any number of players on the defense can be used to blitz (or rush) the quarterback on any given defensive play to try to either tackle him apply pressure to his attempts to pass the ball. Defenses will often mix up which player on the defense is running the blitz to keep the offense guessing where the pressure is coming from. Other defensive configurations include nickel, dime, goal-line, prevent and perhaps some others I might not be thinking of at the moment. The configurations can get pretty sophisticated and I recommend that for more advanced learning about the game after you have gotten more accustomed to the basic rules.
You have a lot of good questions. A "down" lasts from the time that the ball is put into play (typically by the Center "hiking" the ball to the Quarterback) until the ball carrier is tackled, or the ball goes out of play (either by going out of bounds, or if a pass is incomplete).
Yes, there is more than 1 type of defensive formation, this can vary depending on a number of variations - and some teams will change the type of formation they use during the game.
It's definitely a very tactical game on a lot of levels. For example, if one team knows that the other team has a defender (safety or cornerback) who is a younger player or has been injured, they will tend to throw more frequently to receivers in that area, trying to exploit the imbalance in the match-up between receiver and defender. Play calling is a key element; coaches and players study videos of the other team in action to determine which formations and plays will work best against that team's defense (and vice-versa). It all comes down to intricate, rapid, choreographed play performance, in which highly trained, talented players have to execute their roles in split-second decisions, with thousands of pounds of collective force. It's brutality rendered into dance.
Hilarious that you mentioned it, but yes, sometimes they do punch each other in the helmet. It makes no sense, but it does happen. 😂
Penalties, also called fouls, can be 2 full videos, one for offensive penalties and one for defensive.
I played 15 years of soccer but also played American Football. American Football is a violent and tactical game. When you talk about fouls in Soccer, there are really only a couple, basically illegal shoulder tackle, illegal slide kick, offsides. That's really about it. In American Football there is literally a "rule book" Some examples, there is offsides, you have many illegal tackles, pass interference, basic things like don't punch someone...it goes on and on. So yes, American Football looks just like a bunch of men hitting each other, but it is way more complicated than that. One last note, in Soccer you usually have one coach on the sideline maybe a couple assistants and then you have your trainer or trainers that aren't at least in the States at the game. In American football you have a coach, a assistant head coach which usually is one of three coordinators, and then position coach's for each position which is normally around 7 at least. Sometimes these coach's have assistants too. Some also have Senior Advisors as well which are usually older former Head Coach's that advise the Head Coach. So yea, much more complicated than Soccer. Not saying that as a dig on Soccer. Soccer is a very fluid and always moving game. American Football is a chess match with some very big and fast guys, and slow fat ones to protect the QB.
It is so interesting to see your questions about America and hear about what is confusing for you
There are many different formations but in defense you'll usually see either a 3-4 or 4-3 base. Lately as the game has become more pass oriented defenses have started to use what we call a nickel base which adds more defensive backs to cover the additional receivers. This makes the defense harder to pass on but more susceptible to the run
It took me about 20 years watching American football (as an american8 before I picked up on all the nuances. Once you see enough, you can call penalties before the flag is thrown and the ref stops play. Also, understanding what NOT to do during a play is just as valuable as knowing what they’re supposed to be doing.
“Why don’t they just always pass for the in zone?”
*Laughs in Baylor Bear*
I love your content. You are fun to watch.
Check out the video of the Immaculate Reception. Also check out the video of James Harrison's interception and 100- yard runback for a touchdown.
I love how the simple idea of two teams and a ball advancing across a field have permutated to soccer/football, American football, rugby, Australian Rules football etc.
And then you realize that soccer, hockey and lacrosse are essentially the same sport.
that video covered the basics, there's a LOT more to the game. I'd elaborate but I'd literally be here all day lol.
11:00 Your point about it being very technical is very true. Most people in the US dislike Soccer (Football) because the strategy is hard for us to follow when you compare it to how technical and complicated Gridiron (American) Football can be.
12:34 what you said about the free kicks is a pretty good comparison. Every down there is a grand strategy that requires all eleven players to do their job perfectly for like 4 seconds
Chris - You could check out these videos:
Most Athletic Plays in NFL history
NFL Craziest "Superhuman" Moments
Biggest Football Hits Ever
Top 5 Catches in NFL History
There are many more including funny "mic'd' up" videos where you can hear what the players are saying.
8:15 any tackle behind the line of scrimmage (The line where each play is starting from) results in the same loss of yards whether it’s a quarterback or not, it’s just called a sack when it’s a quarterback for statistical purposes.
Strategically, soccer, hockey, basketball are like checkers and Football is like chess. There's that much more strategy involved in (real) football. It's so much more entertaining to watch then the constant back and forth with the other games.
You can make substitutions at any time in American football, and players can enter and exit the game after each play. Many teams have 2-4 players that can play each individual position in case of injury or substitution. That’s why there is 46 players but only about 25 distinct positions.
The reason the offense kicks the ball away on 4th down is because, if they fail to get those 10 yards after their 4 downs, then the ball is turned over to the other team at that spot. If they kick it, then the ball will go much farther down the field and give them the chance to tackle the person who caught the ball before he can get anywhere near were the ball was last held by the kicking team. So, it gives the kicking side's defense much more room on the field to try and stop the other side from advancing. Sometimes, if there is very little distance from where the ball is to that 10 yard mark they need to get the next set of 4 downs, then they will try to get there without kicking it away. It really just comes down to how far away from that 10 yards you needed to get, you are.
im here late but i love football, played for 12 years but I remember being a little kid and being clueless about the sport. So fouls are many and can take a lifetime to learn. The major ones are the one's that put players health in jeopardy. Clipping - When an offensive player blocks a defensive player in the back. This could lead to a player ejection. Standard is loss of 15 yards and a down. - Chop block - When a defensive player is being blocked or is engaged with an offensive player and another offensive player hits the engaged defensive player below the waist. 15 yard penalty and loss of down. - Offensive holding: when an offensive player uses his hands to impede the movement of a defensive player; typically an offensive lineman holds a defensive player to stop him from getting to the ball or QB. I don't know if you're much of a gamer but I've learned the rules for soccer and hockey both by playing video games of the sports.... I'm sure playing Madden or the new College Football game would help your knowledge a ton.
not sure how many people below have written this, but to answer some of your questions towards the end,
there is a penalty for "unnecessary roughness" which is for either doing something that is likely to cause injury or hitting someone after they no longer have the ball.
the reason teams don't simply have all their receivers run to the end zone every play is because it is impossible to predict the positions of the defense by the time the throw would get there leading to a 50/50 toss up on who ends up with the ball, though when behind with little time left on the clock it isn't rare for them to do it anyway (this play is called a Hail Mary and you can look up highlights of them) you also have to throw it because if you punt it (kicking on 4th down) only the defense is allowed to recover the ball, if the offense touches the ball the defense takes possession at the spot they touched it.
there are different formations usually changed every play attempting to counter the formation of your opponent
one thing the video didn't touch on very well is blitzing which is when the defense sends most of the players after the quarterback in an attempt to tackle the quarterback before he has a chance to throw the ball (this play is another reason the previously mentioned Hail Mary play is not possible to do all the time)
Played mostly American football, but a bit of rugby at school and soccer when a nipper. All come from a common origin in the UK and diverged about 125 years ago. Been a UK NF L fan since 1984.
Chris - it's important to understand that each 'play' or 'down' begins with ALL of one team on ONE side of the 'scrimmage' line,
and ALL of the other team on the OTHER side of the line; each and every 'play' or 'down'.
A play or down 'ends' when the ball is grounded or player carrying it 'tackled to the ground'.
I mean its tough to say...
When Messi Suarez Neymar were at Barca that seemed organic.
But AF quaterbacks and receivers/TEs also have 'read routes' which i would equate to when a winger knows to push it and the CF delivers a through ball