Final Project

Bradley Moss

Kinesiology Readings 5301

An in depth look at the Rules, Fields, and Scoring of Football

Football is one of the most popular sports in America, that millions of people watch and play each year. The purpose of this blog is to give the reader a more in depth look and greater understanding of the game of football.

Playing Surface for Football

2A standard playing surface for a football field is a 120 yards in length and 53 ⅓ yards in width.  The end zones for the football field are 10 yards on each end of the rectangular field. In between the endzones is the field of play. The field of play consist of 100 yard markers on each width sides of the field.For every 10 yard marker there is a number marker in the field of play. These markers consist of the numbers in order: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, and 10. The standard playing surface for a football field also consists of the home teams logo at the center of the field in between the 50 yard dash marker. They also consist of the home team's colors and logos at each end zone. Each end zone consist of a yellow field goal post at the back of the endzone. Finally,  football fields have two different design types of playing surfaces.The first playing surface is called astroturf. This field is generally played inside a dome. Grass is the second type of surface that is used, and it is most commonly used on outdoor fields.

Basic Rules of Football:

There is an abundance of different rules that the reader needs to understand so they can follow the game and have a greater appreciation for it. To start, there are two teams that play each other at one time. At the beginning of the game there is a kick off from either the 30 or 40 yard line depending on what level the game is. For example, the high school athletes kick off from the 30 yard line. College and NFL level games kick off from the 35 yard line.  Wherever the returner gets tackled is where the line of scrimmage begins. The line of scrimmage is an imaginary line that separates the offense from the defense. After the kick off the game consists of an offense and a defense. The object of the offense is to get the ball to the defensive sides endzone. The object of the is to prevent the offense from getting the ball to their end zone. The offense has four downs to advance the ball  yards. If the offense does not reach the 10 yards after 4 downs it is considered a turnover on downs, and the other team will take over on downs. The offense does have an option to punt the ball to the other team during 4th down which would give that team better field position when their defense comes out.

How to Score in Football:

There are various ways to score in football. Below I have listed the official name of the scoring and how many points they are worth.

• Touchdown: A touchdown is worth 6 points. A team can achieve a touchdown by the ball carrier reaching the other team’s end zone.
• Extra Point: An extra point is worth 1 point. A team can achieve an extra point by kicking the ball though the field goal post after scoring a touchdown.
• Two Point Conversion: A two point conversion is worth 2 points. A team can achieve this by their ball carrier reaching the end zone from the defenses 2 yard line on the very next play after they score a touchdown.
• Field Goal: A Field Goal is worth 3 points. A team can achieve a field goal by having their kicker kicking the ball through the field goal post.
• Safety: A safety is worth 2 points. A team can achieve a safety when the defense tackles the offenses ball carrier in the offense's end zone.

References

1http://www.rulesoffootball.co.uk/(couldnt find the author)

2Professional (NFL) Football Field Dimension Diagram" Professional (NFL) Football Field Dimension Diagram | Court & Field Dimension Diagrams in 3D, History, Rules – SportsKnowHow.com. Internet Marketing Unlimited, Corp, n.d.26 Sep, 2016

http://www.sportsknowhow.com/football/field-dimensions/nfl-football-field-dimensions.html

An Indepth Look of the Quarterback Position in Football

The Quarterback position is arguably the most important position in football, as they touch the football every play and must find a way to lead their offense into the endzone for touchdowns. The following article will help give a more indepth look at the quarterback position as well as statistics they can achieve.

The Responsibility of the Quarterback

The Quarterback is one of the most popular positions in football. To start with the  responsibilities of the quarterback, he starts by gathering his offense in the huddle. While in the huddle, his job is to explain the upcoming play to his offense. After the offense receives the play from the quarterback, the offense will then line up at the line of scrimmage to oppose the defense. The quarterback will line up directly behind the center. During this period of time, a quarterback will observe the defense that is set to oppose his team. Upon  observing the defense, the quarterback will either stick with the play he called in the huddle or decide to change the play to give his offense  a better advantage. After hiking or receiving the ball from the center, the quarterback has a variety of options depending on what type of play was called. If it’s a running play then he would either hand the ball off to a running back or run the ball himself for as many yards as he can. The other option for a quarterback is to throw the ball. This is when a quarterback makes a forward pass to one of his receivers or running backs. This progression will continue until either the  offense scores a touchdown or, if the offense doesn't score a touchdown, they will  have to kick a field goal or punt the ball depending on where they are on the football field.

Quarterback Statistics

The following  statistics  are achievable for a quarterback:

• Pass attempts - the  number of times a quarterback throws the ball
• Passing yards - the total yards that the quarterback passes the ball for.
• Completion percentage - The percentage that the quarterback completes his passes.
• Touchdown Passes - The quarterback completes a pass in the endzone.
• Interceptions - The quarterback completes a pass to the other team.
• Rushing yards - The number of yards  the quarterback gains by running the ball.
• Rushing Touchdowns - The number of times the quarterback runs the ball into the endzone.
• Total QBR - a guide that rates the quarterback's passing performance. 0 being the worst and 158.3 being the best possible score.

Conclusion

As you can see,  the quarterback is one of the most important positions in football. The quarterback position requires a true leader to be successful. If the quarterback lacks leadership skills the team is doomed to fail.

Refrences

http://www.dummies.com/sports/football/offense/the-quarterbacks-job-in-a-football-game

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_quarterback_rating

An Indepth Look of the Quarterback Position in Football

The Quarterback position is arguably the most important position in football, as they touch the football every play and must find a way to lead their offense into the endzone for touchdowns. The following article will help give a more indepth look at the quarterback position as well as statistics they can achieve.

The Responsibility of the Quarterback

The Quarterback is one of the most popular positions in football. To start with the  responsibilities of the quarterback, he starts by gathering his offense in the huddle. While in the huddle, his job is to explain the upcoming play to his offense. After the offense receives the play from the quarterback, the offense will then line up at the line of scrimmage to oppose the defense. The quarterback will line up directly behind the center. During this period of time, a quarterback will observe the defense that is set to oppose his team. Upon  observing the defense, the quarterback will either stick with the play he called in the huddle or decide to change the play to give his offense  a better advantage. After hiking or receiving the ball from the center, the quarterback has a variety of options depending on what type of play was called. If it’s a running play then he would either hand the ball off to a running back or run the ball himself for as many yards as he can. The other option for a quarterback is to throw the ball. This is when a quarterback makes a forward pass to one of his receivers or running backs. This progression will continue until either the  offense scores a touchdown or, if the offense doesn't score a touchdown, they will  have to kick a field goal or punt the ball depending on where they are on the football field.

Quarterback Statistics

The following  statistics  are achievable for a quarterback:

• Pass attempts - the  number of times a quarterback throws the ball
• Passing yards - the total yards that the quarterback passes the ball for.
• Completion percentage - The percentage that the quarterback completes his passes.
• Touchdown Passes - The quarterback completes a pass in the endzone.
• Interceptions - The quarterback completes a pass to the other team.
• Rushing yards - The number of yards  the quarterback gains by running the ball.
• Rushing Touchdowns - The number of times the quarterback runs the ball into the endzone.
• Total QBR - a guide that rates the quarterback's passing performance. 0 being the worst and 158.3 being the best possible score.

Conclusion

As you can see,  the quarterback is one of the most important positions in football. The quarterback position requires a true leader to be successful. If the quarterback lacks leadership skills the team is doomed to fail.

Refrences

http://www.dummies.com/sports/football/offense/the-quarterbacks-job-in-a-football-game

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_quarterback_rating

An Indepth Look at the Wide receiver position in Football.

In previous blogs, we have looked at the quarterback and the running back position in football. In this blog we will take a better indepth look at the wide receiver position as well as the possible statistics they can achieve.

A closer look at the Wide Receiver Position

To start let’s look at where the wide receiver lines up at the line of scrimmage. This is actually pretty flexible depending on the type offensive formation. Normally they will line up on either side of the offensive line on or off the line of scrimmage. There can be anywhere from 1 to 5 receivers on the field at a time. When the ball is snapped and it is a passing play, it is the receiver's responsibility to run the correct route down the field. Once the route is ran they may or may not get an opportunity to catch the ball. It depends on if the quarterback sees him open and decides to pass the ball to him. As the routes that a receiver can run, these can be endless. A lot of it depends on the abilities of the receiver. For example if you have a receiver with blazing speed the coach of the team might have a lot of deep routes for him to run.This will give that type of receiver an opportunity to play to his strengths. On the opposite end a team might have a receiver might not have the greatest of speed but he could be extremely quick with good hands. Therefore to take advantage of his skill a team might throw a lot of quick and shallow pass to him and see if he can out maneuver and linebacker and safeties out of the slot.

Key Wide Receiver Statistics

Now that we have taking an indepth look at the receiver position. We will now take a look at key statistics that the wide receiver can accumulate in football.

• Catch - This is when a receiver catches a ball past the line of scrimmage.
• Receiving yards - This stat is accumulated depending on how many yards the receiver gets during and after catching the ball.
• Receiving Touchdown -  A receiver can earn this statistic by either catching the ball in the endzone or catching the ball and running into the endzone.
• Drop - A negative statistics, This is when a receiver drops the pass that is thrown his way.

References

http://football.about.com/od/positionprofiles/a/How_to_Play_Wide_Receiver.htm

http://football.calsci.com/Positions6.html

An Indepth Look at the Offensive Line in Football.

It was once said that to build a team it all starts with your offensive line. The reason this is said is that if you have a strong line that can pass block and run block effectively it can make your entire offense  run that much better. During this blog  you will  gain a better understanding of what an offensive line can do for an offense.

Position Names

The offensive line contains a group of 5 members that collectively each person need to do their job to make the group effective. The positions lineup from left to right are as following left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle. When scouting offensive line there is a few traits according sb nation that teams should look for when building a great offensive line.  One  It clearly states that a scout will look for  line that has great strength. They also state that this doesn’t necessarily mean weight room strength. The strength that they are look for is foot in the ground and hold your position strength. It is also explained that an offensive lineman needs to have the right kind of attitude to play the position as a lines attitude can trickle down to the entire team. The final thing that is said is that a lineman  need to be effective  and have balance and footwork. A lineman needs these  quality because it goes with athleticism. If you have a lineman with qualities they can be very good at run blocking and getting to the next level in their blocks.

Responsibilities for an offensive lineman

There are two main responsibilities for being an offensive line and the first one is called pass blocking. In pass blocking the lineman need to build a pocket for the the qb to throw in . To do this the need to hold their position and not let the defense get behind them. The second responsibility for the offensive lineman is to run block. The main goal in run blocking is to create holes for the running back to run through and gain yards. The lineman can do this in a couple different ways. The first way is man blocking scheme where the line will block straight up with defensive line and create a whole that way. The other way is a zone blocking scheme where the line will gravitate toward a specific zone for the running back to run through.

References

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/4/10/5579326/nfl-draft-2014-evaluating-offensive-linemen

http://football.about.com/od/positionprofiles/a/Offensive_Lineman.htm

A closer look at the defensive lineman position

Picking up where we left off, the next position on the list is the defensive lineman. Defensive linemen can lineup in a couple of different ways. We will first look at the base 4-3 defense. In this defense the defensive lineman will line up from left to right as followed: left defensive end, left defensive tackle, right defensive tackle, and right defensive end. The next defense that we will take a closer look at is a base 3-4 defense. This defense lines up from left to right as followed: left defensive end, nose tackle and right defensive end.

The differences between the 4-3 and 3-4

1There is a couple of differences between the base 4-3 and the base 3-4. To start, like stated before in the previous paragraph, the number of defensive line and linebackers are different in each defense. In the 4-3 there are are 4 defensive line and 3 linebackers. In the the base 3-4 defense there are 3 defensive line and 4 linebackers. The other main difference in the defense, is the way the defenses are designed to get pressure on the other team's quarterback. In the base 4-3 defense, it is generally the defensive lineman's job to create pressure and get to the quarterback. While the linebacker are there to stop the run and protect against the passing. Now as for the base 3-4 defense, the defensive line doesn’t really create as much pressure. Their main responsibility is to occupy gaps so that the outside linebackers can run freely and get to the quarterback.

Relevant Statistics

2The following is the possible statistics that a defensive lineman can achieve in football.

Tackle: This is achieved when a defensive line tackles the ball carrier.

Sack: This stat is when the lineman tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage

Force Fumble: When a defensive lineman strips the ball away from the the ball carrier before the ball carrier is considered down.

Fumble recovery: This can be achieved when the defensive lineman recovers a forced fumble.

Interception:( A very rare statistic for a defensive lineman) This can be achieve if a defensive lineman catches a pass thrown from the other team.

Refrences

1http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/is-there-an-answer-to-the-3-4-vs-4-3-debate/

2http://www.fftoday.com/stats/playerstats.php?Season=2015&GameWeek=&PosID=50

An In Depth Look at the Linebacker Position in Football.

The Linebacker position

The linebacker position in football has brought us some amazing athletes  in the nfl. Players such as the Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker Ray Lewis and the Chicago Bears’ linebacker Brian Urlacher. They are  both extremely  talented players that have made some of the most amazing tackles you will ever see on a football field. That being said, I am pleased to talk about one of my favorite positions in football, the linebacker. Beginning with the number of linebacker positions and what they are called.  As stated  in the previous blog on defensive lineman, this all depends if the defense is a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. In a 4-3 defense there are 3 linebackers on the field, positioned from left to right: left outside linebacker, middle linebacker, and  right outside linebacker. In a 3-4 defense there is 4 linebackers. These linebackers are positioned on the field from left to right:, Left outside linebacker, left inside linebacker, right inside linebacker and  right outside linebacker.

4-3 vs 3-4

Next to discuss the differences in linebackers in a 3-4 and a 4-3 defense. In a traditional 4-3 defense the linebacker position will rarely blitz the quarterback. The main responsibility of the linebackers are to stop the run. The other main responsibility  is to cover the pass , especially if  a zone defense is being played. If the defense is in man the  linebacker will generally cover the running back or a tight end position. In a 3-4 defense the linebacker responsibility differs from a 4-3 defense.. The outside linebackers in the 3-4 defense are mainly designed to create pressure on the quarterback. The more sacks they get the better.The inside linebacker won't blitz as much but they generally have the same responsibilities as the middle linebacker in the 4-3 defense.

Relevant Stats for linebackers

The following is the most relevant stats for the linebacker position.

Sack- This is when the linebacker tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

Tackle- This stat is achieved when the linebacker tackles the ball carrier anywhere on the field.

Force Fumble- This is when a linebacker strips the ball from the ball carrier before the ball carrier gets tackled to the ground.

Fumble Recovery - This stat can be achieved when the linebacker recovers a live ball from a forced fumble.

Interception -  This is when the linebacker catches a pass from the quarterback before it hits the ground.

References:

1http://football.about.com/od/howtoplaycoach/a/How_to_Play_Linebacker.htm

2http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/is-there-an-answer-to-the-3-4-vs-4-3-debate/

The Defensive Back Position

In this article we will look at the defensive back position in football. To start we will discuss how many defensive backs there and where they actually line up on the defensive side of the ball behind the linebackers in football. In a standard 4-3 defense there are 4 defensive backs on the field at a time. From left to right they line up as follow. Left cornerback, Free safety, strong safety, and right cornerback. There can also be a fifth defensive back that can come in. They will usually replace a linebacker. This position is called a nickel cornerback.

Defensive Back Responsibilities

1The defensive back position responsibilities will vary depending on the position. Starting with the cornerback they are covering the wide receivers. They will normally be in a press coverage and they will stay with the receivers through the entire play in hopes of deflecting or intercepting the ball thrown by the quarterback. Next we will look at the safety position. Their primary responsibility is provide support for the cornerbacks. A free safety will normally either anticipate a short pass or play deep and provide help for the corners for a long deep pass. Not only will the strong safety do the same task they can also help in run support.

Key Statistics for defensive back

Like in previous blogs will discuss the key statistics for the defensive back.

• Tackle - This stat can be achieved when the defensive back tackles the ball carrier to the ground
• Force Fumble -  The stat can be achieve when a defensive back strips the ball from the ball carrier before the ball carrier is considered down.
• Fumble Recovery - This stat is achieved when the defensive back recovers a fumble committed by the other team.
• Interception -  This stat is achieved when the defensive back catches a pass from the other team's quarterback.
• Pass deflection -  This can be achieved when a defensive back knocks down the  pass that is thrown by the quarterback.

Conclusion

In conclusion after reading this article, I hope the reader will have a greater understanding of what a defensive back is and their responsibilities.

References

http://football.about.com/od/howtoplaycoach/a/What_is_a_Defensive_Back.htm

http://www.dummies.com/sports/football/defense/the-positions-in-a-football-secondary/

Special Teams in the NFL

Now that we have looked at the offensive and defensive side of the ball, we are now going to look at the special teams. Special teams can be broken down into key areas: kickoffs and kickoff return teams, punt and punt return teams, and finally the field goal and extra point units.

Kickoff and Kick Return Teams

The kick off and kick return teams come into play at the beginning of the game after the coin toss or after one team score points. The team that kicks off will kick off from their 35 yard line. The kicker is the player who kicks off. If the kicker kicks the ball through the back of the endzone it is considered a touchback and unreturnable. The ball will be placed at the return team's 25 yard line. If the kickoff team kicks the ball and it is returnable, the kick returner will return it until he gets tackled. After he gets tackled the kick return’s offensive team will take over.

Punt and Punt Return Teams

The punt and punt return team’s come on the field when the offense fails to pick up a first down and are too far back to kick a field goal. When this happens, the punt and punt return teams come out. The punt team consist of a punter and ten other guys. When the ball is snapped the punter will punt the ball to the punt return team. The punt return team has a defense and a man back waiting on the punt. This position is called the punt returner. Like before in the kick off teams, if the punter punts the ball through the back of the endzone the ball will be placed on the punt return teams 20. If the ball is returnable then the punt returner will return the ball until he gets tackled. The ball will be placed for the offense wherever the returner gets tackled.

Field Goal and Extra point teams

The field goal and extra point teams will come on to field when there is a scoring opportunity on the field. The extra point unit will come on the field directly after a touchdown. The team will bring out the kicker to kick essentially a field goal from the 15 yard line. The one difference is that if he makes the kick the team will receive 1 point for the kick. The field goal unit will take place when a team does not end up making a touchdown but are close enough to kick a field goal. Generally even the best kickers in the NFL will have a limit of about 50 to 55 yards to try to attempt a field goal, anything longer the team will more than likely punt the ball. If the kicker does make a field goal it is worth 3 points.

References

http://www.dummies.com/sports/football/special-teams/how-a-team-returns-the-kickoff-in-a-football-game/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickoff_(gridiron_football)

NFL Season

The past nine blogs we have taking a indepth look at all the various positions in football. Now that the reader has a better understanding of these positions, we will now take a look at  how an NFL season works. This way the reader can understand the game from the preseason all the way to the super bowl.

Season Length

A typical NFL season begins with the preseason. In this preseason, each team will play 4 other teams. During this 4 game stretch a team will figure out who will make the roster. Also in this 4 game stretch it is worth noting that these games do not count when heading into the regular season. After the preseason each team will enter the regular season. During regular season games each team will play 16 games in 17 weeks. The one week that the team does not play is recognized as that team's bye week. After  the 17 weeks in play the top 6 teams with the best records in each conference will make the playoffs. The top 2 teams in each conference will get a bye. The playoffs work as a single elimination tournament until their is only 2 teams left, one in each conference. After the playoffs get down to two teams, the final game that is played is called the super bowl. The winner of the Superbowl is considered the super bowl champions. After the game the winner will receive the vince lombardi trophy as their reward for winning. The best player of that game will also receive a super bowl MVP trophy.

Conferences and Divisions

Now that we have discussed how a NFL season takes place from beginning to end will take a look at how the teams are broken down. To begin with, there are a total of 32 teams in the NFL. These 32 teams are broken down into two conferences. The two conferences are called the NFC and AFC. Each conference has a total of 16 teams. Breaking down even further each conference has 4 divisions. The divisions are broken down as follows: AFC north, south, east, and west. The NFC is broken down into north, south, east and west as well. There are 4 teams in each division. For the most part, teams are placed in the division where they are located geographically on the United States Map. Now that you have an understanding of how the teams are broken down i'll discuss how these teams make the playoffs more specifically. For example let's look at the NFC. Each division winner (the team with the best record in their division) will make the playoffs. The top 2 division winners (the top 2 teams are the division winners with the best record) will receive a bye. The other 2 teams will play a wild card team. The wild card teams are the next 2 teams with the best record that arent division winners. The AFC works the same way.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_regular_season

http://www.nfl.com/