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General Rules:

The winner of a game is the team that scores the most points by the end of the game.
The duration of the game is 60 minutes divided in 4 quarters. Usually a game lasts about 2 hours and a half because the time is stopped often.

There are many ways to score:

• Touchdown or TD (6 points) - - Place a player of our teamin in the opponent's End Zone.
• Field Goal (3 points) - Kick the ball through the opponent's goal posts.
• Safety (2 points) - Tackle an opponent in his own End Zone.
• * Point After Touchdown or PAT(1 or 2 points). It is possible to add points to the board after a touchdown. To score again a touchdown adds 2 points or to kick the ball through the goal posts adds one point. Usually teams opt for the 1 point as it is probable to succeed than the 2 points transformation. (The 2 points is usually attempted when the team really needs the points)

How to score? This is a base of the sport! It is a sport of field gain or field protection! There are many options to move forward. It can be done by air or on the ground.

• On the ground: A player runs with the ball as far as he can until he is tackled down. Rugby is similar but there is a subtle difference: the teammates can help the runner to progress forward but blocking the opponents. This small difference brings so much strategy excitement.
• By air: A player, with the ball, stays back while his teammates get open to receive the pass. (the most spectacular actions are the long passes) The player that stays back is protected by 5 bodyguards while the other players attempt to get open to recieve the pass. Players from the other team try to either cover the recievers or to pass through the bodyguards to get to the player that stays back.

A football team is composed of 3 squads: the offense, defense and special team. It is very rare that a player takes part in both offense and defense.

• The offense has the possession of the ball and tries to score
• The defense has the task to defend against the aggressors.
• Special team, enters for special plays like kickoffs. This squade is made off backup players usually

How does a game start?

A kickoff is done (By the way this is how you start the play after any score as well). The recieving team gets into position, the other team shoots the ball the farther possible in the field of the opposing team, a member of the receiving team catches the ball and attempts to go the farthest toward the field of his opposing team with the help of his teammates
During that time the team that shot now tries to tackle the ball carrier as soon as possible preventing him from gaining too much terrain. The special team does take of this part of the game (the most violent hits are made during that time) Once the ball carrier is tackled, the special team gets out. The recieving team is replaced by the offense (it has the ball) and the kicking team is replaced by the defense (it will defend its zone).

and now read about:

The equipment