A coin toss determines which team gets choice of receiving or kicking off the ball to start the game or which endzone they wish to defend. At the start of the second half, the team that lost the coin toss gets the same choice.

At the end of the 1st & 3rd quarters, the team’s change ends.

The game begins with a kick-off from the kicking team’s 35 yard line (30 yard line NFL). All players are to be behind the kicking line at the time of the kick. The receiving team must be at least 10 yards away from this line.

If the kick goes directly out of the bounds, the receivers can start with the ball where it went out of bounds or 30 yards beyond the kick off line. If the ball touches a receiving team member and then goes out, the play starts from that point.

Each team has 12 players on the field at a time (11 players NFL). The offensive team has 20 seconds (45 seconds NFL) to start play. Both the offensive and defensive squads line up at the line of scrimmage, from which the ball is snapped to start each play. The offensive team must have 7 players lined up on the line of scrimmage, who can not move until the play starts. Other players must be lined up 1 yard behind these 7 players, and they can move as they wish, as long as they stay 1 yard from the line of scrimmage.

The offensive team tries to advance the ball by throwing it forwards (from behind the line of scrimmage) or running it forward. Backwards or lateral passes are also permitted. A receiver must have both feet in bounds to record a legal catch. If the receiver is pushed out of bounds by a defender, while in the air, but would have landed in bounds on their own, the catch is ruled legal.

A ball carrier must be tackled (brought down to the ground) for the play to stop. If a ball carrier falls on his own and is not touched by defenders, he may get up and keep running. During each play, offensive players can block defenders to protect their passer and ball carrier. The defense can knock down or intercept passes, tackle the ball carrier or knock him out of bounds. A ‘sack’ is when the quarterback is tackled before he can make a pass.

The offensive team has 3 chances (4 in the NFL) to gain 10 yards. If they do so, they are awarded another 3 downs and so on. The offensive team may also be awarded a first down due to a defensive team penalty.

If the offensive team has not gained 10 yards, they may punt the ball away on their final down to put the defensive team at a territorial disadvantage at the start of their new set of downs. The player receiving the ball must catch it or the kicking team may run down field and recover the ball. In the NFL, the receiver may catch the ball and try to advance it, let it roll dead or call for a fair catch (by waving his arms over his head) - meaning the receiver will catch the ball but not advance it, and the defending team may not try to tackle him unless he drops the ball (fumbles).

A change of possession will occur when the defense recovers a fumble, intercepts a pass, stops the offense from making 10 yards in 3 downs (4 NFL), or maintains control of a punt or kickoff.

The game consists of 4 quarters each lasting 15 minutes. The clock stops upon a change of possession, an in complete pass, when the ball goes out of bounds, on a penalty, when three minutes remain in each half (2 minutes in the NFL), a scoring play or a time out.

Each team is permitted 1 time-out per half allowed during the last 3 minutes of each half ( 3 time-outs per half in the NFL, useable at any point in the half).

If time expires while a play is in progress, the quarter does not end until the play is completed. If the defense commits a foul on the last play of the period, the offensive team may run another play.

Scoring occurs as follows; - a touchdown scores 6 points ( when a ball carrier carries the ball over the opponents goal line, or breaks the plane of the goal line, catches the ball within the endzone or gains possession of the ball in the endzone. - a field goal score 3 points (place kicking or drop kicking the ball within the goal posts). If unsuccessful, the ball is given to the opposing team at their 20 yard line or the line of scrimmage, which ever is farthest from the defending teams endzone -1 point for a conversion kicked through the posts (from the 5 yard line in the CFL) -2 points for a conversion run or passed into the endzone from the 2 yard line -2 points for a safety; when the defense tackles or otherwise downs the ball on or behind the opponents own goal line - or when a blocked punt goes beyond the goal line. -In the CFL 1 point for ‘A rouge’ (also called a single) is awarded to a kicking or punting team (Team A) if an opposing player (Team B): (i) catches or recovers a punt or a missed field goal in his own end zone but is prevented by Team A from returning the ball back out onto the field of play, or (ii) elects to drop to one knee while still in the end zone before having returned the ball to the field of play, or (iii) elects to run with the ball from the end zone out of bounds rather than enter the field of play.

OTHER TERMS

Fumble - when a player possessing the ball loses possession of the ball while the play is on-going (live)

Onside kick - when the kicking team tries to recover the ball after it travels 10 yards or touches a member of the opposing team

Out of bounds - when a player or ball touches the boundary lines or the ground beyond them The playing field is 110 yards long, plus two 20 yard end zones and 65 yards in width. (NFL = 100 yd long, plus two 10 yd end zones, Width is 53.5 yards.) The field is lined width wise every 5 yards, with every 10 yards being numbered.

Unlimited substitutions are permitted in each game, during dead ball situations (ball not in play).

Some common fouls and their penalty include; Delay of game - not putting the ball into play in the allotted time - 5 yard penalty Encroachment - when a defensive player is within the 1 yard neutral zone from the line of scrimmage - 5 yards False start - when an offensive player is in a set position and moves in such a way as to signify the snap of the ball - 5 yards Holding - using the arms to hold, grab, hang on to, encircle or restrict a players movement except for the ball carrier - offensive 10 yards, defensive 5 yards and automatic first down Illegal contact - when a defending player contacts an opposing player beyond 5 yards from the line of scrimmage (incidental contact & tackling the ball carrier are exceptions)- 5 yards and automatic first down Offside - when a player or any part of him is beyond the line of scrimmage when the ball is put into play - 5 yards Pass interference - hindering the progress of an opponent who has a chance to catch a pass once it is thrown, such restrictions end once the ball is touched - 10 yards offensive, defensive results in an automatic 1st down where it occurred Declining a penalty - when the offended team chooses not to have the penalty assessed to the opponents, and play continues as it normally would

Others include; 15 yard penalties - blocking below the waist , clipping (blocking an opponent from behind), grabbing the facemask, piling on (after a dead ball), roughing the passer (hitting the passer after he has passed the ball), roughing the kicker (purposely contacting the kicker without making contact with the ball), punching, kicking, kneeing an opponent, unnecessary roughness (eg tackling someone out of bounds or after a play has ended), unsportsmanlike conduct (eg use of abusive language or taunting motions, standing on a teammate to block a kick).

10 yard penalties - tripping an opponent 5 yard penalties - too many players on the field