Football is a team sport played by two teams on a large field. The goal is to score more points than the opponent. Teams score touchdowns by kicking a ball through the opponent’s goal posts.
A standard adult football game has two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half begins with a kickoff. After the kickoff, the defense will begin to defend against the offensive team’s offense. If the opponent fumbles the ball out of the end zone, the scoring team will call a “touchdown.”
There are four “downs” in a game, or the chances that each team will get ten yards. An offensive team can kick a field goal for one point, or run a play to score two. Depending on the competition rules, each team may be allowed to have a minimum of seven players.
A goalkeeper is the player who stands in front of the goal. Only the goalkeeper and the defense can play with the ball with their hands. However, the goalkeeper can only play the ball with his hands in the goal area, or the restricted area around the goal post.
Players on the defense try to block the opponent’s offense, or keep the ball out of the goal. When a ball is blocked or a tackle is made, the opposing team will receive a “corner kick” or “penalty kick”. These penalties can lead to negative yards for the offense.
Penalties are designed to prevent unfair advantages for a player. Examples of a penalty include tripping or pushing an opponent.