When the ball is again a game - it all starts over again( helmet on the helmet, wall to wall).On the heads of all, without exceptions players, strong helmets, mouth - kapy, and only on the hands are wearing light gloves, because they are much easier to hold the ball and you can make a hard throw.
"Another game"
It is believed that American football is the brainchild of a slightly similar game - rugby, which Europeans brought to the New World in the last century. Residents of Europe tried to teach Americans the rules of their favorite game, but nothing sensible of this did not happen. Native Americans existed according to their own laws and did not intend to perceive in a pure form all that they were forced from without. It is for this reason that classical rugby could not get accustomed. However, the abandoned seeds gave their cobs. Americans changed this game in their own way, creating from it a completely new game, or endowed it with their character, their vision of the world and their spirit.
The birthplace of American football is generally considered to be Harvard University, in which the very first game was held in 1874.It is likely that the Americans tried to play rugby, but because of the banal ignorance of the rules, they got "American football", which eventually was included in the "Guinness Book of Records" as a game with the most complicated and complex rules.
Battle and Spirit
One game lasts for 60 minutes of clean time, which is divided into four parts for 15 minutes. After the second part, a 15-minute break follows. There are no restrictions on the substitutions that can be made throughout the match during the stops.
Usually the match is served by six judges and a support team consisting of five people. Each team has three timeouts during each part.
From each team on the field there are eleven people: from the team that owns the ball, only the attackers come out, and from the defenders only the defenders. Professional teams declare for each match up to 53 players. This is due to the fact that almost every player is directed to perform highly specialized tasks: each team has even such players who must only enter the ball into the game with the hand or foot or the players who only strike at the goal.
For playing American football, oval leather balls are used, which resemble a rugby game shell, but it is much smaller. The standard length of the field is 100 yards( 1 yard equals 91 centimeters).The entire field is divided by transverse bands into 10-yard sections. Near the gate of each team there are "scoring zones", which extend around the perimeter of the field. They are the main goal of each of the opposing teams( they need to carry the ball, which is sometimes a very difficult task).If the breakthrough is successful, such a game situation is called a "touchdown"( Thouchdown) and is rated 6 points. There are two options for achieving a touchdown: you need to run into the final zone with the ball or pass the ball to the player who is in this zone.
Realizing a touch-down team gets the right to an additional set of points. To do this, the ball is set in the 2-yard line and the player of the team has only one attempt to score the ball with the foot in the cherished gate. If the blow is accurate - the team gains extra points. It is also possible to risk and try to carry the ball into the end zone with the game and earn an additional two points. Thus, touch-down can bring the team from 6 to 8 points.
American football is a team game, which is very strict discipline. If at least one of the players fails to cope with the task assigned to him - the team is likely to fail in the match. Any violation of the rules is worth the team of precious yards, and the offender - his reputation as a professional player. Thus, for example, when players collide, according to the rules, it is necessary to behave in accordance with a kind of honor code that prohibits hitting a player who does not see you, and is also forbidden deliberately to maim.
However, for the sake of justice, we note the fact that the players on the field are not at all like polite gentlemen - otherwise the game would lose all its appeal to the audience. As in ancient times, the public demands "bread and circuses", which in this situation should be spectacular. Bloody clashes on the field, which can be regarded as a banal massacre, in America - it is normal and it is unlikely that anyone will be surprised. Players constantly break each other's ribs, crush jaws, and also with great pleasure choke with the mass of their bodies knocked down the striker.
The game, as it is
The team that has the first kick in the game( kick off) - it turns out with the help of a toss-up. In other words, with the help of a coin it becomes clear who will beat and who will stand the ball. Players of both teams line up opposite each other on the 30-yard line. The battering player( he is called a kicker) hits the ball with his foot, sending him to half of the opponent's field. The player who accepts the ball must take the projectile as far as possible from the opponent's zone. The players of his team try to help him by any means to carry out their task, clearing the way for him.
At the point where the player who was running with the ball was captured, again the attack of the issuing team begins. Obstacles and barriers, according to the rules of the game, can be done by all available means: throws, subcuts, shocks into the body or head blows. To forbidden methods are only the swing side or back, grips the mask, shocks in the back or rough cuts foot.
As you have already seen, American football has quite intricate rules and their full investigation is unlikely to fit in one article. For more visibility - consider a typical segment of events that occur on the fields during the game.
For example, one of the teams starts an attack from the 20-yard zone. It has only four attempts( 4 downs) to pass a minimum of 10 yards towards the enemy zone. During the first down the ball receives a midfielder and immediately goes to a breakthrough. Defenders of opponents knock him off his feet at around 26 yards. The attacking team remains to carry the ball only 4 yards, for which there are three more attempts.
After receiving the ball from the center, quarterback( the main point guard) - throws a shell to one of the attackers. In the event that the attacker failed to catch the ball and he fell to the ground - the game starts back from the 26-yard point. The third down is played and the attacking team still needs to go four yards. The quarterback again folds and this time if the attacker has managed to fix the ball in his hands and passes with him to the 35-yard line, where he is pushed out of the field or knocked down. This attempt gives the attackers 9 yards, which is more than enough. Now the attackers are again the first attempt( down) and the next target is the 45-yard line.
The easiest way to select the ball is to not let the opponent pass 10 treasured yards in all ways. If after four attempts the attackers could not overcome the necessary distance - the ball passes defending at that point, the rival striker was stopped. Quite often after three unsuccessful downs, the attack itself gives the ball. At this point, a special player called a "panter" appears on the field, who receives the ball from the center and hits it with his foot, sending as far as possible into the enemy zone: now the defenders will have to start attacking actions from the depth of their zone. During the game, the defenders can also take possession of the ball, intercepting it during the pass. Also, if the player carrying the ball drops the yoke, then any player( defender or forward) from the opposing team can pick up the projectile. Also, defenders can tear or knock the ball out of the hands of attackers.
Almost all game combinations are brought to automaticity. Just one gesture or one word and everyone understands what needs to be done. There is no place for independent activity. All players take their position and fulfill the task assigned to them. The defending players try not only to push out of the field or knock off the striker running with the ball, but also to stop almost all the other members of the opposing team who are trying all the ways to help their partner go as far as possible.
Quarterbacks are the brain of an attack, because they decide what to do on the field, where to run to the attacker and who to throw the ball. This is the only player in the team who has the privilege of receiving direct commands from coaches through special headphones. The central linebacker( Linebacker) is analogous to the quarterback during the defense of the team. With his help, coordination of all actions of the players of protection is carried out. Usually this is a strong, experienced football player with a 2 meter growth and under 140 kilograms of weight, which perfectly "sees the whole game."
Some team members during the game do not touch the ball at all, because their main goal is to scatter opponents who try to interfere with the striker with the ball, like puppies. Almost all such players are in the team precisely because of their ability to "die" to fight on the field, honestly practicing their bread. In each match, they are laid out for all 200%, waving their fists and crushing the jaws of rivals left and right. It should be noted that in the NFL( National Football League) there are enough players who are ready to sacrifice most of their teeth for the place in the main team.
Throughout the game, co-ordinate the actions of the team can up to 18 coaches, each of which looks exclusively for their group of players.
More detailed and clear about the rules of the game you will be told the video:
Game - national symbol
Today, almost all teenagers dream of becoming professional football players. First of all, this is prestige. Secondly, for them the doors to all elite educational institutions will be opened. Also do not forget about a lot of money. Well, at the end, there will be a fairly high probability of a profitable marriage, since American girls, crazy in this sport, will quickly give in as a potential spouse - a person who has some value in the society of peaceful coexistence of rational mind and pumped muscles.
It's not by chance that the fathers of pretty girls are always interested in the extradition of the sports achievements of potential suitors. The most popular questions are: "Generally played or not?", "Standing in the attack or in defense?" If you gave the ball - it means that this man is refined and there is a high probability that he can give slack. If he ran, shoving all around, that would hit the ball - very reliable, albeit uncouth. As a rule, rational Americans very rarely give their daughters in marriage for the first.
It is very important in understanding this game to see how the people of America themselves relate to this game. Each match is a big and spectacular holiday. Beautiful young girls( cher-leaders) lead the audience in the stands, which never remain empty. In a matter of seconds, during the break, the sports arena is transformed into a kind of scene for acrobatic stunts and sports dances. Those who have seen - know what an amazing spectacle. It not only makes the rostrums rapturously to the whole district, but also quite strongly affect the athletes themselves, raising their morale.
However, do not forget that this show, which involves everyone who is present at the stadium. There is no difference, a match will be held in a megacity or in a small town. Everywhere there are their idols, to which the audience pay their respects. And always welcome as national heroes. On the eve of any match, the air radiates all these emotions and passions. At some point, it seems that the whole world turned upside down and all the other events in it - just a fuss.
Starting from the school team, any teenager wants to get into the main team of the college, which is going to enter. But when around a huge number of different colleges, and vanity and pret in the outside - you can try to play as best as possible, that you would be seen by one of the NFL teams, and subsequently they were invited to play under their banners. But this is already the highest aerobatics, which is not given to everyone. After all, there is already a selection with their own, sometimes very stringent, rules. Games in strong and ambitious people, who are so ardently worshiped by fans, quite often acquire very distorted forms. If you are in the Premier League - you become an idol for many people, than everything is explained. American football is, to some extent, an indicator of the national spirit of the population, as well as a kind of school of life, which teaches constant striving for success in the career and ethics of competition.
To confirm the above words, we give a fairly simple example: in 1985, an amazing miracle coincided with the dates of the official finals of the NFL and the inauguration of the President of the United States of America, Reagan. After much thought, the White House decided to postpone the inauguration one day in advance, and the date for the Super Bowl was decided to remain unchanged.
"Super Bowl"
This word for all Americans is like a magical spell. All tickets are bought up long before the finals."Scalers"( speculators in our language) are almost triumphant, anticipating the huge profits that those unfortunate people who could not get the coveted tickets in time will bring them. The whole country freezes, there are practically no people on the street, the whole population sticks to the TV screens, enjoying this exciting action.
A large number of TV companies of different countries conduct live broadcasts from the stadium. However, domestic viewers can not see the broadcast data, which is rather sad. Since even in China there is always a live broadcast, although this kind of sport can hardly be called national in the country of the rising sun. It is possible that American football is destined to win the hearts of all mankind, like other popular sports all over the world.
What is American football? If you ask this question to the average resident of our country, then you can hardly get a clear answer: someone heard something or saw, but nothing more. However, the very essence is constantly eluding us. American football is something more than a regular sport. Spectacular and bright show in combination with these men - will not leave anyone indifferent( neither the match itself and the players, nor eccentric girls from the support group).
