[OT] Can anyone help me understand Football?

[Hardhead]

I posted this originally on a football website, and got no useful responses. So, I figured I'd post it here, where there might be some others who went through the learning process I'm currently going through.

I've never been a big football fan, but this year a few friends roped me into playing fantasy football with them (to make the number of teams even) and that, coupled with the Panther's doing well (I live in North Carolina), has awakened in me an interest in the game.

However, I just don't know much football. I know the basics that anyone growing up in America knows: The Quarterback usually throws. Wide Recievers usually catch. Running backs run. I know the basic penalties, what the line of scrimmage is, et cetera. But once you get past that, I'm a complete idiot. What is a tail back? What is a full back? What is a half back? Why are they called half- full- and quarter backs? What are the basic formations? What do they look like, so I can recognize them? When is a fullback eligable as a reciever? Why do offensive lines sometimes get called for false starts when one guy twitches, but other people on the line can run around in the backfield? What are the names of the positions of the people doing this stuff?

These are questions whose answers are basic knowledge to my friends, but I don't have the foggiest notion (and I feel dumb asking them). And there are probably lots of other questions I don't even know to ask.

So, my question is, can anyone point me to a good guide to football that explains things simply and effectively? I need a crash course in football, but most web sites seem to assume I already know the basics. Help!

 

[stevelabny]

if u did a google search and checked nfl.com and found nothing...sorry youre toast.

i learned football watching it by myself. for years.
most people learn from their dads or uncles or some other older football fan.

tail back and half back are just fancy names for the running back. i'm sure they originally had something to do with the formations and such but now on tv theyre interchangeable with running back. the full back is the other bigger stronger running back who is usually used to block for the running back by running through the hole in the line first, or in short yard situations where they want a tank instead of a finesse guy.

as for the basic formations...wait, there it is..one of the things that can best teach you formations and plays is MADDEN the video game. he'll tell you all about i-form (qb,rb,fb lined up like a capital I) and shotgun (qb stands 5or7 steps back) and the other formations in practice mode.

a fullback is always eligible as a reciever. its the linemen who arent "unless they report for eligibility" i dont think ANYONE understands what the requirements are to reporting.

some offensive players can move before the snap. the wrs, rbs and tes. the linemen cant move once theyre in the "set" or "3pt stance" position. theres also a rule about how many guys have to be on the line of scrimmage at a certain time and restrcitions on how many guys can move related to that.

the offensive line is a center, two offensive guards (left and irght) and two offensive tackles, they have them in the right order in the graphics before the game starts.

NOBODY knows all the rules to football.
think of it like baseball. theres ALWAYS some stupid little rule that youve never seen come up before. except in baseball they wind up being important. in football they almost never are.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

I really liked Football for Dummies by Howie Long.

 

[Ranger REG]

However, I just don't know much football. I know the basics that anyone growing up in America knows: The Quarterback usually throws. Wide Recievers usually catch. Running backs run. I know the basic penalties, what the line of scrimmage is, et cetera. But once you get past that, I'm a complete idiot.

If you know the basics, then you're all right. Anything after that, and you're in fan/expert territory.

A good place to start is this web site: www.football.com

Other site: www.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/rsfc/intro

As for an offensive lineman being an ineligible receiver, he can only be an eligible reciever if he is not too far advanced from the line of scrimmage to catch a forward pass.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Well, there are 11 men per side, one of whom is the goalkeeper (and he is allowed to handle the ball, but only within his area) and the other ten have various positions. The game is played in two 45-minute halves and enjoys rapid popularity amongst most nations in the world. And I do mean rapid.

It is most notably distinguished from Rugby in that Rugby is a game for thugs played by gentlemen, and football is a game for gentlemen played by thugs. (old saying)

Was that what you meant

 

[Crothian]

The best way is to watch football. ESPN.com has a series called Football 101 that is alo very informative.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Unfortunatly, no one can be...told, what Football is. You have to see it for yourself...

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Are we talking American traditional football, American XFL football, American arena football, European football (wasn't there a European league for a while?), Canadian football (I'm sure I've heard of one), or what most of the world calls football (soccer)?



Just kidding... I know diddly about NFL football, or any of the others I listed.

 

[Shadowdancer]

I love the misinformation on eligible and ineligible receivers.

On offense, you just have 7 men on the line of scrimmage. No more, no less. The last guy on either end of that line is known as an end, and is an eligible receiver. The other five are ineligible receivers. Yes, sometimes it may look like there are more than 7 men on the line, but those men are actually a step or two back off the line and are considered to be in the backfield.

In the NFL, to make things easier for the refs and fans, players at certain positions wear certain uniform numbers so that eligibility can be verified quickly. The numbers 1-49 are reserved for people in the backfield, and 80-89 is for ends -- tight ends and split ends. This is usually followed in college and high school, but not always.

If someone is wearing an ineligible number, i.e. 78 or 54, and he comes into the game and will be lined up at an eligible position, he must report to the ref first. This is so the ref can let the defense know that someone wearing an ineligible number will be lined up in an eligible position, and is therefore eligible to catch a pass.

This also applies to people who are wearing an eligible number who will be lined up at an ineligible position. They also must report to the ref.

If you don't report in to the ref, it's a penalty.

This usually only happens on special teams -- when punting or kicking a field goal or extra point -- or in goalline or short-yardage situations, when you might want a big lineman to play on the end of the line or as the lead blocker out of the backfield to give you more blocking power. But these extra linemen, since they are lined up in an eligible position, can run with the ball or catch a pass, or even throw a forward pass.

You also, say on a punt, could have a fullback lined up as a blocker in the line at an ineligible position. If they punting team ran a fake punt, they couldn't throw a pass to the fullback on that play, even though he is usually an eligible receiver, because he is playing an ineligible position.

 

[Shadowdancer]

I'll be happy to answer any more questions about football, but it will cost you a $10 donation to help save EN World per question.


Just kidding (about the donations).