Hakeem Abdullahi
College English
Mrs. Elder
4 December 2014 The Game of Football Football is a very physical game but it is also a very fun one. There may be many of the rules in football but studying can increase our ability to know those rules. There are many concepts to football such as tackling, running, covering, passing, kicking, blocking, and catching. All these things listed can win or lose the game. In football there is a total of twenty-two starters eleven on offense and eleven on defense. The thing about football is playing with three people is just the same as playing with eleven so it makes it a game to play with at least six players. The game of football originated from both soccer and rugby in the late 1800’s. In order to play football understanding the rules is very important because there are things that are not allowed. In football there are a couple of rules that are key to know such as no holding, no hands to the face and, also no late hits on the quarterback. A holding call will cost the team a five yard penalty but those five yards can determine whether or not the first down is reached or not. A hand to the face call is a fifteen-yard penalty either back or forward depending on if the call is against the defense or the offense. A late hit is a fifteen-yard penalty and an automatic first down along with a five to ten thousand dollar fine in the National Football League. Football has lots of running so it is very important to stay hydrated especially when it is hot outside. Hydration is a big part of football because when it is hot outside and you do not have enough water in an athlete’s body he will become dehydrated which can lead to a heat stroke. Our bodies are 75 percent water and if we don’t keep that percent up then it could lead to unhealthy situations. Hydration is such a underrated thing because it could potentially kill. In order to play the game of football a total of forty-four players is needed. Once the forty-four players are gathered then the selection process will begin. Each team captain will choose between the best players lined up. After the players are selected the teams will choose what position each player plays. There are a couple positions in football. Starting with offense the positions are: A quarterback, one running back, one fullback, two wide receivers, one tight end, one left tackle, one left guard, one center, one right tackle, and one right guard. The defensive positions are: two defensive ends, two defensive tackles, one middle linebacker, one right outside linebacker, one left outside linebacker, two cornerbacks, and two safeties. There are tons of formations to use but most teams go with a four-three setup. After the teams have been selected then the choosing the plays comes into effect. Choosing play can be difficult but making it work to the best of the team’s ability is most important. If the team has strong running backs then running the ball will be the best option for the team. If the team has a strong-armed quarterback and fast receivers then passing the ball is probably the best option if the team wants to be successful. Some teams will have a balance of both running and passing and that could be the best type of team because the defense will be on their heels not knowing what is coming next. Play calling can be difficult for the defenses because one wrong call and BOOM the other teams scores. Playing aggressive could end up leading to higher scores for the offense. If the defense plays conservative they might be too worried about not giving up the big play but end up giving the big play anyways so it’s important to be a balanced calling team. For defense it is important to have the mental toughness to go hard every play and to plan on going on the field many times throughout a game. Scoring is the second most important part of football. Scoring is important because it truly determines whether or not the game is won. There are many ways