To help some of you that are new to the game I will be including a section each week on Football 101.  This is a basic introduction to football taken from various sources on the internet.  I hope you find this information helpful.

Timing
Games are divided into four quarters (8 minutes for Freshmen, Sophomore and Juniors, and 10 minutes for Seniors), separated by a 8 or 10 minute break at halftime. There are also short breaks at the end of the first and third quarters as teams change ends of the field after every quarter.

At the end of the first and third quarters, the team with the ball retains possession heading into the following quarter. That is not the case before halftime. The second half starts with a kickoff in the same way as the game began in the first quarter. However, whichever team kicked off in the beginning of the game will NOW receive The Kickoff in the second half.

Each offensive team has 40 seconds from the end of a given play until they must snap the ball for the start of the next play, otherwise they will be penalized.

The clock stops at the end of incomplete passing plays, when a player goes out of bounds, or when a penalty is called. The clock starts again when the ball is re-spotted by an official.

If a game is tied at the end of regulation NCAA Rules govern overtime play.

The Players
Each team has 3 separate units:
The offense which is those players who are on the field when the team has possession of the ball.
The defense are the players who line up to stop the other team's offense.
Special teams, which come in on kicking situations (punts, field goals, and kickoffs).
Only 11 players are on the field from one team at any one time.

The Kickoff
A game starts with the kickoff. The ball is placed on a kicking tee at the defense's 40-yard line, and a special kicker (a "placekicker") kicks the ball to the offense. A kick return man from the offense will try to catch the ball and advance it by running. Where he is stopped is the point from which the offense will begin its drive, or series of offensive plays.

A lot of teams will try what's called an on-side kick. This is when the kicker tries to kick the ball so it will bounce and travel just over 10 yards. If the ball goes 10 yards it is considered a live ball and if the kicking team recovers the ball then they take possession (The kicking teams offense comes on the field) of the ball.

First Downs
All progress in a football game is measured in yards. The offensive team tries to get as much "yardage" as it can to try and move closer to the opponent's end zone. Each time the offense gets the ball, it has four downs, or chances, in which to gain 10 yards. If the offensive team successfully moves the ball 10 or more yards, it earns a first down, and another set of four downs. If the offense fails to gain 10 yards, it loses possession of the ball. The defense tries to prevent the offense not only from scoring, but also from gaining the 10 yards needed for a first down. If the offense reaches fourth down, it can punt the ball (kicks it away). This forces the other team to begin its drive further down the field.

To be continued next week...