What Is American Football (Tackle)?

American football is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players on a 100-yard rectangular field. The objective is to advance the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kick it through the goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of four quarters wins.

The game is divided into plays. The offense has four attempts (downs) to move the ball at least 10 yards. If they succeed, they get a new set of four downs. If they fail, possession changes. Games last about 60 minutes of game time (four 15-minute quarters) but take roughly 3 hours in real time due to stoppages.

This variant covers standard tackle football as played in the NFL, college (NCAA), and high school leagues.

How to Play American Football

Field and Equipment

• Field: 100 yards long plus two 10-yard end zones. The field is 53 1/3 yards wide.

• Ball: An oval (prolate spheroid) leather or composite ball.

• Players: 11 per side on the field at any time.

Game Structure

• 4 quarters, each 15 minutes (12 minutes in high school).

• Halftime between the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

• A coin toss determines who receives the opening kickoff.

Basic Flow

1. Kickoff: The game begins and resumes after scores with a kickoff from the kicking team's 35-yard line.

2. Downs: The offense has 4 downs (attempts) to advance the ball 10 yards. Gaining 10 yards earns a new first down.

3. Plays: On each down, the offense can run (carry the ball) or pass (throw the ball forward). Each play begins with a snap from the center to the quarterback.

4. Turnovers: Possession changes via a punt (voluntary on 4th down), turnover on downs (failing to gain 10 yards in 4 attempts), interception (defense catches a pass), or fumble (ball carrier drops the ball and defense recovers).

Scoring

Play	Points
Touchdown (TD)	6
Extra Point (PAT kick)	1 (after TD)
Two-Point Conversion	2 (after TD)
Field Goal (FG)	3
Safety	2 (awarded to defense)

Key Rules

• Forward pass: Only one forward pass per play, and it must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage.

• Penalties: Infractions (offsides, holding, pass interference, etc.) result in yardage penalties.

• Out of bounds: The clock stops when a ball carrier goes out of bounds (in the NFL, only in the final 2 minutes of each half; college: always).

Overtime (NFL)

If tied at the end of regulation, a 10-minute overtime period is played. Each team gets at least one possession unless the first team scores a touchdown. In the playoffs, play continues until a winner is determined.

Winning

The team with the most points at the end of regulation (or overtime) wins.

Scoring & Ranking

Point Sources

• Touchdown: 6 points

• Extra Point (PAT): 1 point after a touchdown

• Two-Point Conversion: 2 points after a touchdown

• Field Goal: 3 points

• Safety: 2 points (awarded to the defensive team)

Recording a Match

Minimum record

• Final score for each team (e.g., 28-17).

Recommended record

• Final score per team.

• Quarter-by-quarter scores for richer analysis.

Tiebreaking

Regulation ties go to overtime. Record the final score after overtime concludes.

How to Log an American Football Match

1. Select the Tackle variant.

2. Add both teams as the two sides.

3. Enter each team's final score (integer).

4. The system ranks by highest score.

Note: If the game went to overtime, record the final score after overtime. The system treats the final score as the definitive result.