American Football Guide

Strategy
Each team has a playbook with hundreds of plays. Some plays are very safe and likely to get
only a few yards. Other plays have the potential for long gains but at a greater risk of a loss of
yardage or a turnover. Generally speaking, running plays are less risky than passing plays.
However, there are relatively safe passing plays and risky running plays. To fool the other team,
some passing plays are designed to resemble running plays and vice versa (trick play, play
action). Many hours of preparation and strategy, including watching the tape by both players and
coaches,​ ​go​ ​into​ ​the​ ​days​ ​between​ ​football​ ​games.
Turning​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​over
The​ ​offense​ ​maintains​ ​possession​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​unless​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​following​ ​things​ ​happens:
1.) The offense fails to get a first down— i.e., they fail to move the ball forward at least 10 yards
in​ ​four​ ​downs.
2.) The offense scores a touchdown or field goal. The team that scored then kicks the ball to the
other​ ​team​ ​via​ ​a​ ​kickoff
3.)​ ​The​ ​offense​ ​punts​ ​the​ ​ball
4.) When a defensive player catches a forward pass it is called an interception, and the player
who makes the interception can run with the ball until the player is tackled or forced out of
Bounds.
5.) An offensive player drops the ball (fumbles) and a defensive player picks it up. As with
interceptions,​ ​a​ ​player​ ​recovering​ ​a​ ​fumble​ ​can​ ​run​ ​with​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​until​ ​tackled​ ​or​ ​forced​ ​out​ ​of
bounds.​ ​Lost​ ​fumbles​ ​and​ ​interceptions​ ​are​ ​together​ ​known​ ​as​ ​turnovers.
6.) The offensive team misses a field goal attempt. The defensive team gets the ball at the spot of
the​ ​kick.
Yanks​ ​Guide​ ​-​ ​The​ ​#1​ ​Guide​ ​to​ ​American​ ​Football
Copyright​ ​©​ ​2017