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The Game

Image by Ryan Reinoso
Image by Dave Adamson

American football can seem complicated, however, the
fundamentals of the game are very easy to understand and follow.

Here is our guide to the basic rules of the game,

including the flow of play and the methods of scoring.

Basic Game 
Structure

Downs

Scoring

  • Normal play consists of two teams of 11 players on field (one on offense the other on defense) competing during four 15 minute quarters.

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  • There are usually three ‘time-outs’ per half for each team, with a 12 minutes half-time interval.

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  • The purpose of the game is to move the ball into the opposition's ‘end zone’, either by running with the ball until tackled, or by passing the ball to a teammate downfield, towards the end zone.

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  •  Although there are only 11 players from each side on the field at any one time, a team is actually made up of 45 players. The key player on each side is the quarterback who attempts to dictate play.

Downs are the part of the game which often needlessly confuse newcomers. They are actually fairly straightforward. In a nutshell, the rule is as follows:
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  • They have four chances, or downs, to gain those 10 yards and if the advance the ball that far, the count resets and the team earns another set of four downs to try go a further 10 yards.

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  • If the offensive team fails to move these 10 yards within four downs, possession is then given up and the defensive side gets their turn to play offense. Teams will usually kick for a field goal or downfield to the defending team on the fourth down to try and salvage some point before they lose possession.

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  • The team in possession of the ball (offense) needs to move the ball forward by at least 10 yards while they are on offense. This is why the pitch has clearly marked yardage lines on it.

The ultimate aim in American football is to score more points than the opposition.​

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  • Touchdown (6 Points)
    A touchdown is scored when a team crosses the opposition's goal line with
    the ball, or catches or collects the ball in the end zone.

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  • Field Goal (3 Points)
    A team will usually attempt these on the fourth down - if the kicker is close
    enough to the end zone to kick the ball through between the upright posts.

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  • Extra Point (1 Or 2 Points)
    An extra point is earned by kicking the ball through the uprights after a
    touchdown (it’s similar to a conversion in rugby). Two points are earned by
    taking the ball into the end zone again, but since it is more difficult, most
    teams opt to take the 1pt.

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  • Safety (2 Points)
    The defensive team can gain 2 pts if they tackle a member of the offensive
    team with the ball in their own end zone.

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© 2022 Bahamas Federation of American Football

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