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.

Moving the Ball
A play begins with the snap. At the line of scrimmage (the position on the field where the play begins), the quarterback loudly calls out a play in code and the player in front of him, the center, passes, or snaps the ball under his legs to the quarterback. The quarterback can throw the ball, hand it off, or run with it.

The Run
There are two main ways for the offense to advance the ball. The first is called a run. This occurs when the quarterback hands the ball off to a running back, who then tries to gain as many yards as possible by eluding defensive players. Running plays can be very simple such as straight hand off up the middle. They can also be more complicated where the quarterback may fake a hand off to one back and then hand of to another back. The quarterback is also allowed to run with the ball. The clock does not stop at the end of a running play unless the ball carrier is forced out of bounds or there is a penalty. This is where the phrase "Run the clock out" comes from.

These terms are typical used when describing running plays: Dive, Lead, Counter, Sweep, and Reverse.

The Pass
The other alternative to running the ball is to throw it. Or as they say in football, pass it! Usually, the quarterback does the passing, though there are times when another player may pass the ball to confuse the defense. Actually, anyone on the offensive team is allowed to pass the ball as long as the pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. A pass is complete if the ball is caught by another offensive player, usually the "wide receiver" or "tight end." If the ball hits the ground before someone catches it, it is called an incomplete pass.

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.

The Tackle
The defense prevents the offense from advancing the ball by bringing the ball carrier to the ground. A player is tackled when one or both of his knees touch the ground. The play is then over. A play also ends when a player runs out of bounds.

Turnovers
While trying to advance the football to the end zone, the offense may accidentally turn the ball over to the defense in one of two ways:

THE FUMBLE - When the ball carrier or passer drops the ball, that's a fumble. Any player on the field can recover the ball by diving on it or he can run with it. The team that recovers a fumble either gets or retains possession of the ball.

THE INTERCEPTION - An aggressive defense can regain possession of the ball by catching (intercepting) passes meant for players on the other team.

Both fumble recoveries and interceptions can be run back into the end zone for touchdowns.

To be continued next week...