Throughout the 20th century, the FIFA organization grew in membership and influence, and its leadership became increasingly concerned with regulation and competition. Its leaders did little to promote football in developing countries, and it did little to explore its business potential in the postwar economic boom. But in the 21st century, more than 200 nations are members of FIFA. In the United States, football is played in NFL, college, and high school leagues, while in Latin America players often have long term contracts with clubs.
The goal of the game is to advance the football into the opponent’s end zone, or “end zone” as it is known. The football is played on a field that is 120 yards long and 53-1/2 yards wide. The field is divided into three quarters, with each quarter containing a goalpost and a yard line. Each team has a playbook of dozens or hundreds of plays. The team that scores the most points wins the game. There are several types of scoring, including touchdown, field goal, and touchdown conversion. To score a touchdown, the team catches or runs the ball across the goal line. There is also a touchdown conversion, which is an attempt to kick the ball over a crossbar, equivalent to an extra point.
To advance the ball, the offensive team has to run or pass the ball 10 yards in four plays. If the team fails to advance the ball, the offense turns the ball over to the defense, which can either punt or kick the ball from its own end zone. The defense then attempts to block the ball, preventing the offense from advancing the ball. When a block occurs, the team is penalized with a penalty. Some penalties allow the offense automatic first down.
Several penalties can result in safety, which is a penalty worth two points. Safety is scored when the offensive player is tackled or fumbles the ball in the end zone. This can occur after a sack, a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, or a blocked kick. Other penalties include pass interference, illegal gripping or holding, and pass interference. In the NFL, pass interference occurs when a defensive player contacts an offensive player on a play, preventing a forward pass.
The offensive team can also intentionally punt the ball to the defending team, which is called a punt. After a punt, the defending team can then kick the ball downfield to the offense on the next play. There is a penalty called a delay of game, which occurs when a team fails to begin a new play after a specified time period.
A safety is also a penalty, which is awarded when the offensive player fumbles the ball out of the end zone. If a fumble is recovered, the team can run the ball until it is tackled. Alternatively, the team can run the ball until it forces the ball out of bounds.
The offensive team is called the “offense” and the defensive team is called the “defense”. Each team has a playbook of a few dozen to hundreds of plays. The playbook contains rules and strategy for each of these plays, including how to run the ball, pass the ball, and kick the ball.
