In football, the offense must move the ball ten yards down the field every four plays to keep possession of the ball. Each one of these plays is referred to as a down. A fourth-down represents the last attempt to gain the ten yards needed to keep possession of the ball. If a team fails … Read more
A blocked punt in football occurs when players on the punt return team are able to get their hand on the ball immediately after it has been punted. If a punt is blocked and ends up behind the line of scrimmage either team can recover it. If it passes the line of scrimmage only the … Read more
An eligible receiver in football is a player that can legally catch a forward pass from the quarterback. Eligible receivers line up one yard off the line of scrimmage or are the furthest outside player on the line of scrimmage on their side of the field. To remain an eligible receiver must also be sure … Read more
A free kick occurs after a team concedes a safety. The team must then complete a free kick to give the other team possession of the ball. Free kicks take place at a team’s twenty-yard line and can be punted drop kicked, or place kicked. Many fans believe that after a fair catch a team … Read more
Spearing in football is a tackling technique in which a player puts their arms by their sides and launches their body like a spear initiating contact with their helmet. Spearing is an incredibly dangerous tackling technique and carries a great risk of injury. There is not a specific rule in the NFL regarding spearing but … Read more
Illegal touching in football is a penalty that can be called when a receiver steps out of bounds and fails to re-establish himself in bounds OR when a player on the kickoff team touches the ball before it travels ten yards. Illegal touching of a forward pass Assessing this penalty on forward passes is the … Read more
An extra point in football refers to a team lining up to score one or two points after a touchdown. One extra point is earned via a short kick. While two extra points are earned if the offense can reach the endzone in one attempt from the two-yard line. Extra points in football are attempted … Read more
The vast majority of NFL players play college football in order to get their foot in the door of the NFL. But are you able to play in the NFL without attending college at all? Any player is able to enter the NFL so long as you have been out of high school for three … Read more
An illegal shift in football is one of those obscure penalties that gets called every now and again in the NFL. The trouble is, it is so infrequently called that fans usually don’t know what this infraction is called for. An illegal shift in football can be called for three different reasons Two players go … Read more
If you have watched a coin toss in football you have likely heard the term defer, trouble is many fans do not know what this term means. To defer in football means your team’s decision to kick or receive the ball will be postponed until the second half. In other words, the deferring team will … Read more
