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The Watcher
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 01:27 |
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OK
Start with England (where I am)
The FA is the governing body. It is the football association, the only one in the world to not be preceeded by its country's initial as it was the first.
The game is set up by a hierarchy of leagues
The premiership
Championship
Division one
Division three
Non league football (Various semi pro teams in various leagues about the country)
The Premiership is the top league. It consists of 20 teams who play each other twice in a season. Once at home, and once away. They are allocated 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. At the end of the season the points are tallied and whoever has the most wins. If there are teams who are on the same points then they are seperated by the goal differance, the difference between how many they have scored minus those they have conceeded.
The current teams are
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Birmingham City
Blackburn
Bolton
Charlton Athletic
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Liverpool
Manchester United
Manchester City
Middlesborough
Newcastle United
Norwich
Portsmouth
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspurs
West Bromwich Albion
Each year at the end of the season the three teams at the bottom of the table are sent down to the lower division called the Championship. Three teams from the championship come up to replace them. This keeps the league fresh and means teams have something to play for.
The championship is similar to the premiership except that there are 24 teams (so more games) and the top two teams get automatic promotion to the premiership. The 3rd to 7th (I think) space is occupied by teams who will play in the playoffs. The team to win the playoffs wins promotion to the premiership. This is very exciting to watch. This is the same in the championship and all lower divisions.
An important point here is that the Premiership is shown on Sattelite TV and thus teams playing here have massive exposure and a share of the TV money. The championship teams are not so lucky. A premiership team with massive overheads (salaries fro example) can face financial ruin by being relegated to the championship. A promoted team must gamble on either spending money on new expensive players (which might not work) or just keeping the same squad. Their first priority is in surviving the drop...
OK thats the leagues sorted out.
Now. There is the FA cup. This cup is a KO competition that involves ALL the teams from Non league upwards. This is a hell of a lot of teams. There is the dream that you and your friends local little team can get together and one day meet a premiership team... Thats what makes it a special cup.
Then there is the league cup which is between all the teams from division 2 upwards. It has less stature than the FA cup and was once seen as a trinket by premiership teams though recent years have forced them to take it seriously.
NOW
This scenario is matched in all countries in europe. In France, Spain, Italy, Germany etc etc the same scenario as I mentioned above (obviously with different names). They have their own FA's governing their leagues.
Above them all is UEFA. The Union of European Football Associations (or something like that).
Now the best teams in each country meet in UEFA's two competitions.
The first is the Champions league (formerly European cup). This is the very pinnacle of European football and the standard here is ridicolously high. This is where you watch all the best football. The Champions league consists of the top teams from each country in Europe.
See the national leagues themselves are ranked by UEFA and allocated Champions league slots. England, Spain and Italy have FOUR slots. So the top Four teams in the Premiership this year qualify for next years Champions league. The first two teams have automatic qualification, the second two have to play a qualifier to get into it. Other national leagues ranked not so high but UEFA have less slots for their teams and some have none. Those top teams from the leagues with no alocated slots have to play in the qualifiers too. In this way the Champions league is made up of all the best teams in Europe.
In the old days, about 15 years ago, it was just the CHAMPIONS of each league but for money making reasons it was expanded to include more teams. I like it, more exciting.
The second competition is simply called the UEFA cup. There are far more teams and this is a straight KO competition. This consists of the teams who either won the FA cup or the league cup (in their respective nations) or they finished in the few allocated slots beneath those who went through to the Champions league. It is a second rate cup to the Champions league but it means more european football.
See this might be funny for you to grasp lol, we talk about our team "getting in to Europe" It's funny because you see England is in Europe, what do you mean? But this simply means qualifying for either the Champions league or UEFA cup. In this way, those mid table teams in the domestic leagues ALWAYS have something to play for. Those at the bottom are trying to avoid relegation, those at the top are fighting to get into Champions league slots and automatic qualifiers, those in the middle are fighting to get into UEFA cup. Same thing in every country.
See getting into Europe means your team can reap massive financial rewards, you get to see them play teams from other nations... and in the transfer market where players are bought and sold at the end of a season, the better players will not want to go to teams who are not in Europe. To attract the better players and improve your team, you need to be in Europe.
The above descriptions apply only to Europe. Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America, Carribean-Central-North America all have their own organisations and the domestic leagues are arranged differently. The world governing body that oversees all these organisations is FIFA, the Federation of Football Associations.
International football
Simple concept really. A country represented by all the best players from that nation. I mean citizens passport holders. Thierry Henry plays for Arsenal, an English Club but he is French and represent France in National football. The player can play for a club anywhere as long as he is from that country.
For example, the Brazillian team has players based in (playing for club teams in)Brazil, Spain, Italy, Portugal, England and more.
The African nations and the Copa America are held every two years, and the European championship every four. They are quite self explainatory, but the tournament has a limited number so... teams must play qualifiers all year round to make it to the tournaments.
The World cup is the biggest thing is world sport. Bigger than the olympics. There is nothing bigger. This is every four years. Teams play qualifiers to get there and this in itself is quite dramtic. Brazil are the masters of world football as they have lifted the trophy FIVE times...
Because qualifiers are being played ALL the time (even during the domestic club season), players are sometime unavailable for their clubs, or they may be travelling far and become fatigued or they may pick up injuries representing their countires... These international fixtures are not very poplar with Club coaches LOL. Add to that the fact the nations also play many many friendlies.
The funny thing about internationals is that you have players who week in week out are big big rivals and enemies at their clubs yet every now and then they have to play on the same team. Sometimes against their normal teammates
Heres an example Man Utd and Arsenal. Big bitter rivals, always scuffing and snarling and generally not liking each other and yet... Both teams have French and English internationals So when France play England, Man Utd's Mikael Silvestre and Arsenal's Patrick vieira are now teammates facing, Man Utd's Gary Neville and Arsenal's Sol Campbell... When you see the things they say and do to each other during the season and then are pally pally in the internationals.... Its funny. This is just a small example mind.
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 01:54 |
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Rivalries
You might be interested in some of the big rivalries in world football.
Internationally
Brazil v Argentina Local neighbours, South Americans with big tempers and strong rivalry.
England v Argentina Big big hatred trust me. It stemmed from a particulaly bad natured game decades ago but just built up and up. The war in the 80s didnt help either. England hate Argentina even more than they do the Germans (which believe me is saying something!!!!)
Holland v Germany Second world war beef, no explaination needed. Also a very bad game in the late 80s with Rikaard spitting of Rudi Voller (now both coaches lol)
England v Scotland Local neighbours really, England conquered Scotland more than half a bloody millenia ago but the rivalry is still there. It means far more to the Scots than the English who are usually too busy hating Argentina and Germany.
Nigeria v Jamaica weird really though it is in NO way as bad tempered as the others, this is a more friendly rivalry and stems from the fact that they are the two biggest ethnic groups in the UK population (that's why its weird). They play a game every few years in England and its a massive day out, you get a street covered in green (the national flags of both countrys). Great fun. They call it NIJAM or more properly the unity game...
Domestically
Boca Junior v Rio de Plate (Argentina) One of the craziest in world football. Its a game between the team representing the rich and one representing the poor. http://www.footballculture.net/teams/feat_buenos.html
Arsenal v Man Utd (England) From a bad game in the 80s really, then a big brawl in the early 90s with 20 men fighting. Since then the two teams between them basically won everything in the premiership with Man Utd winning the lions share. From the media war where the two managers slag each other off in the week building up to the game to the crazy tackles and intense rivalry between the fans (read around the boards LOL) this is a biggie. Not really a violent one though.
Barcelona v Real Madrid (SPain) During the Spainish cival war when Franco was in power, he gave his seal of approval and patronage to Real Madrid. They were and remain the team of the establishment. They represent the elite. Barcelona were the Catalan team and the team of the rebels... they would hold Catalan flags up during the games (illegal at the time). Also Real Madrid poach Di Stefano from under the noses of Barcelona. He led Real Madrid to four (I think) European cups and established them as the greatest team in Europe. Barcelona have always hated them. Recently about four years ago, portuguese star Figo switched from Barcelona where he had been their darling to Real Madrid in a direct transfer... When he returned with Real to play Barcelona, he was showed with abuse and objects, one of which included a pigs head!!!
Rangers v Celtic (Scotland) Dont know if you are aware of British history and the sectarian violence over the centuries between Catholics and Protestants. Many times different rulers would switch religion of the whole nation obliterating and killing thousands of those of the other religion. We are talking burnings at the stake and all sorts.... Think of bloody Mary and you get the idea. Same thing as in Nothern Ireland. One city (one of the most impoverished and crime ridden in UK) Two big teams. One blue (protestant) one green (Catholic). You figure out the rest LOL
There are many many more I can think of off the top of my head, most of them are local derbies. These ALWAYS inpire passion and intense rivalry between fans, from Liverpool v Everton to Lazio v Roma, Milan v Internazionale, Portsmouth v Southampton... it just goes on and on LOL
Maybe cockneybouy can add some details.
Last edited on Wednesday March 9th, 2005 01:57 by The Watcher
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 02:20 |
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PLAYERS
Ill list some of the best players for you to look up. Add your own if you think I missed em out.
Historically
Pele (Brazil)
Zico (Brazil)
Diego Maradona (Argentina)
George Weah (Liberia)
George Best (Northern Ireland)
Garrincha (Brazil)
Di Steffano (Argentina)
Eusebio (Portugal)
Johan Cryuff (Holland)
Franco Baresi (Italy)
John Barnes (England)
Bobby Charlton (England)
Franz Bechenbuaer (Germany)
Marco van Basten (Holland)
Michell Platini (France)
Ruud Gullit (Holland)
Jimmy Greaves (England)
Recent years
Paulo Maldini (Italy)
Roberto Carlos (Brazil)
Ryan Giggs (Wales)
Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
Zinedine Zidane (France)
Roberto Baggio (Italy)
Alan Shearer (England)
Ronaldo (Brazil)
Edmundo (Brazil)
Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
Josep Guardiola (Spain)
Marcel Desailly (France)
Fernando Hierro (Spain)
Dennis Bergkamp (Holland)
Edgar Davids (Holland)
Jaap Stam (Holland)
Tony Adams (England)
Roy Keane (Eire)
Luis Figo (Portugal)
Ian Wright (England)
Airiel Ortega (Argentina)
Oliver Khan (Germany)
Gary Neville (England)
Jocelyn Angloma (France)
Claude Makelele (France)
Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
Pavel Nedved (Czech republic)
Lilian Thuram (France)
Eric Cantona (France)
Romario (Brazil)
David Seaman (England)
Hrsto Stoichkov (where was he from?? cant remember but he was damn good)
Hagi (Romania)
David Beckham (England)
Andriy Schevchenko (Ukraine)
Thierry Henry (France)
Rivaldo (Brazil)
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Holland)
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cockneybouy
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 03:18 |
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DrunkMonkey wrote: PLAYERS
Ill list some of the best players for you to look up. Add your own if you think I missed em out.
Historically
Hrsto Stoichkov (where was he from?? cant remember but he was damn good)
...............Bulgarian from memory.
Just come in DM and we're off to bed will contribute a lil tomorrow.......Impressive work....
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safetyblitz
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 04:51 |
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Cool I wondered how the playoffs worked. I have watched the EPL for 3 years and figured it out, but the CL league is rarely on and the guys do a terrible job of explaining it. They start talking shootout and people in the US start thinking Guns LOL
Oh we have some of those old players here in the MSL like Hagi and Stoichov, I think Matthaues too. This is the pasture that the old players come to when they are too old to play at high levels LOL
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safetyblitz
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 15:47 |
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DrunkMonkey wrote:
Rivalries
You might be interested in some of the big rivalries in world football.
Internationally
Brazil v Argentina Local neighbours, South Americans with big tempers and strong rivalry.
England v Argentina Big big hatred trust me. It stemmed from a particulaly bad natured game decades ago but just built up and up. The war in the 80s didnt help either. England hate Argentina even more than they do the Germans (which believe me is saying something!!!!)
Holland v Germany Second world war beef, no explaination needed. Also a very bad game in the late 80s with Rikaard spitting of Rudi Voller (now both coaches lol)
England v Scotland Local neighbours really, England conquered Scotland more than half a bloody millenia ago but the rivalry is still there. It means far more to the Scots than the English who are usually too busy hating Argentina and Germany.
Nigeria v Jamaica weird really though it is in NO way as bad tempered as the others, this is a more friendly rivalry and stems from the fact that they are the two biggest ethnic groups in the UK population (that's why its weird). They play a game every few years in England and its a massive day out, you get a street covered in green (the national flags of both countrys). Great fun. They call it NIJAM or more properly the unity game...
Now Holland vs Germany was funny when I saw Ruud talking about how bad Germany was and that they had to beat Germany for pride and to avenge their wrongs LOL I was thinking that Ruud, it is a game LOL Even the german players seemed befuddled on that one.
I figured that Argentina and England were rivals since the Falklands War War and soccer seem to be just intertwined around each other.
Most matches should be like NIJAM, but I guess it is easy for these two because they have not started wars with each other. I have watched a Brazil v Argentina match in the qualifiers and man you talk about some horrendous fouling. THere is never anything beautiful about the game when these two play.
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The Watcher
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 16:26 |
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Could one of you guys do a simmilar thread for me explaining the ins and outs of American football please??
Start from the basics... I mean how the game is actually played. That sort of thing.
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Pele
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 17:37 |
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Rivalries,
TURKEY VS ENGLAND .
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 17:38 |
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I played football(American), starting Defensive back for my high school, sadly our season only ended after 6 games.
When it comes to watching I think American Football is alot more exciting but when playing(I've played soccer b4) I think it's about the same.
Anyways just my two cents.
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cockneybouy
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 17:40 |
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DrunkMonkey wrote: Could one of you guys do a simmilar thread for me explaining the ins and outs of American football please??
I've only got a few seconds but thats all it'll take..........NFL?.....They kick off..They Stop..The Adverts start "from your local sponsor"...the match ends..somehow slipping in 1 Hours Play in-between the Adverts and Studio Analysis...
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 17:44 |
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safetyblitz wrote:
I figured that Argentina and England were rivals since the Falklands War War and soccer seem to be just intertwined around each other.
......In 1966 World Cup which England Won..In England..lol.....They Beat Argentina 1/0 In The Quarter-Finals....The Aregentinians were called "Animals" by the English Manager at the tiime Sir Alf Ramsay....for some reason they didn't like it....I saw the game the comment was an insult to Animals....the durty cheating pieces...(Thats QUITE enough of that Cockneybouy!...Ed...)....
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 17:53 |
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Safety
you see? ^^^ and that was an English man toning it down... ask an Argentina fan what he thinks of England LOL
CB
Who would you say is a bigger rival for England? Argentina, Scotland, or Germany?
I mean the one that winds the media and the crowd up most. As an England fan, who would you most like to beat in a world cup final??
I remember when England beat Germany 5-1 LOL LOL They were selling shirts and mugs with the score on it in big letters ha ha ha selling the DVD of the game, people had pictures of the scoreboard showing 5-1 on their phones lol lol... great result for England no doubt, but I bet those fans would love it EVEN MORE if they could beat Germany in a penalty shoot out semi final eh?
But when I went to Germany, the people there were far more focussed on Holland, who they REALLY dont like.
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 17:55 |
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Could one of you guys do a simmilar thread for me explaining the ins and outs of American football please??
Start from the basics... I mean how the game is actually played. That sort of thing.
LIKE YOU CARE DRUNK,
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 18:00 |
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LOL BELE
No seriously... I might, if someone explained it to me.
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 18:22 |
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GOOD LUCK,
YOU ASK FOR IT ,
Players-Substitutions
1. Each team is permitted 11 men on the field at the snap.
2. Unlimited substitution is permitted. However, players may enter the field only when the ball is dead. Players who have been substituted for are not permitted to linger on the field. Such lingering will be interpreted as unsportsmanlike conduct.
3. Players leaving the game must be out of bounds on their own side, clearing the field between the end lines, before a snap or free kick. If player crosses end line leaving field, it is delay of game (five-yard penalty).
4. Offensive substitutes who remain in the game must move onto the field as far as the inside of the field numerals before moving to a wide position.
5. With the exception of the last two minutes of either half, the offensive team, while in the process of substitution or simulated substitution, is prohibited from rushing quickly to the line and snapping the ball with the obvious attempt to cause a defensive foul; i.e., too many men on the field.
Field
1. Sidelines and end lines are out of bounds. The goal line is actually in the end zone. A player with the ball in his possession scores a touchdown when the ball is on, above, or over the goal line.
2. The field is rimmed by a white border, six feet wide, along the sidelines. All of this is out of bounds.
3. The hashmarks (inbound lines) are 70 feet, 9 inches from each sideline.
4. Goal posts must be single-standard type, offset from the end line and painted bright gold. The goal posts must be 18 feet, 6 inches wide and the top face of the crossbar must be 10 feet above the ground. Vertical posts extend at least 30 feet above the crossbar. A ribbon 4 inches by 42 inches long is to be attached to the top of each post. The actual goal is the plane extending indefinitely above the crossbar and between the outer edges of the posts.
5. The field is 360 feet long and 160 feet wide. The end zones are 30 feet deep. The line used in try-for-point plays is two yards out from the goal line.
6. Chain crew members and ball boys must be uniformly identifiable.
7. All clubs must use standardized sideline markers. Pylons must be used for goal line and end line markings.
8. End zone markings and club identification at 50 yard line must be approved by the Commissioner to avoid any confusion as to delineation of goal lines, sidelines, and end lines.
(Click on the picture to enlarge)
The battleground of football takes place on a rectangular field of real grass or artificial turf whose dimensions are 53 1/3 by 100 yards. Surrounding the rectangle are thick, white borders that are at least 6 feet wide called boundary lines. The white line running parallel to the field(running horizontally in the diagram) are called the sidelines while the white line at the widths of the field(running vertically in the diagram) are called the endlines.
the endzone the number's triangle points to. Between each yard line and 70 feet 9 inches in bounds from each sideline are hash marks which define where all plays must start. The area between the sideline and a hash mark is called the side zone where plays cannot start. If a play ends on a side zone, then the ball is automatically centered between the hash marks to keep the ball as centered to the field as possible.
Along the widths of the field are 53 1/3 by 10 yard endzones in which balls are advanced by the currently designated offensive team to score touchdowns. Both sides get to "own" an endzone to protect on defense and the opposite endzone, belonging to their opponent, is where the ball is to be advanced to on offense.
Beyond the endzone is a goalpost in which the ball is kicked through for either a field goal or an extra point. Note how the base is padded to prevent injury if and when players accidentally collide into it.
[url=http://www.football.com/rulesabc/pre-game.shtml#Reasons When the Game Clock is Stopped]reasons[/url]. The quarter ends when game-clock counts down to zero, though any play still unfolding when the clock finishes will be seen until its completion.
After the first two quarters of the game, also known as "the half," there is a 12-minute intermission called the "halftime" for players and spectators to rest. Sometimes, this is also the time when some sort of entertainment occurs to keep the crowd attentive.
Unlike the end of other quarters, the end of the second quarter(i.e. the end of the half) signifies a 'semi-restart' of the game. Normally when a regular quarter ends, the game-clock is reset and the next play continues as if there was never an official break in the game. So if a team was to remain as the offense after the last play before the end of a normal quarter, then the same team continues on with the next play at the start of the new quarter.
After halftime is over, which ever team started as the offense at the beginning of the game automatically becomes the defense at the start of the third quarter(a.k.a. the second half) and vice versa. Moreover, the teams switch sides on the field so that their the endzones they defend become the opponent's endzone.
delay of game."
Ties Lead to Overtimes. In the event that both teams have scored an equal number of points after the fourth quarter ends, a "tie" is declared, there is a three minute intermission, and 15 minutes is added to the game to allow the additional plays. This period known as "sudden-death overtime" ends when one of the teams first scores any point and that scoring team is declared the winner of the entire game. If no points are scored on either sides by the end of the 15-minute overtime, then another overtime is declared and the whole routine occurs again.
holding". Also, for various safety reasons, blockers are not allowed to make direct contact below the waste of any defensive players except when a player named the offensive lineman blocks a defensive player known as a lineman at the line of scrimmage.
Run Blocking. A specific kind of blocking, run blocking is typically an important part of offensive plays in which the ball is advanced by having the ball carrier run forward. When a particular running play has the ball carrier run through a group of defensive players, the blockers will block and push the defense out of the ball carrier's path if possible to create a "hole." Sometimes if the ball carrier is running out in the open, blockers will provide lead defensive support against incoming defenders.
Pass Blocking. Another specific type of blocking is the one to protect the player who has the ball during a plays involving throwing the ball. As soon as the ball is in play, the blockers try to hold back defensive players "rushing" to tackle the ball carrier and on certain plays even create a safe region around the defensive rushers called a pocket to give the thrower time to pass the ball.
Ball Running. During a running play, it is imperative that the ball-carrier is highly skilled in this area of football to insure the maximum advancement of the ball. Like a mouse being chased by a mob of hungry cats, the ball carrier must use his athleticism to avoid the defense while trying to move the ball towards the endzone. He can try to quickly change direction as a defensive player approaches to create a false impression on his intended direction of travel; or if an opponent becomes close enough to be a physical threat, the ball carrier can do what is known as "stiff arming" or "straight arming"; that is, he can push the defender away with his free hand.
Passing the Ball. In most plays, it is the quarterback that passes the ball to a teammate labeled the "receiver." As one of the more difficult skills in the sport, passing a football requires the thrower to make the ball spin as it flies through the air(called a "spiral") so that it can land  accurately. Passes that reach the receiver are called "complete" passes while those that are not caught are called "incomplete" passes. The worst case of thrower-inaccuracy occurs when the ball is "intercepted" and caught by a player on the other team because the receiver was surrounded by two or three defenders(called "double-" and "triple-coverage"). That is why the thrower not only has to be able to throw accurately, but he must also be able to predict where a moving receiver will be once the ball reaches him.
Receiving the Ball. Catching a passed ball is essentially what receiving is all about. In order to be passed to, the receiver must evade his defenders to minimize the chance of an interception taking place without being lost to the thrower's sights. Typically, the receiver will run a pre-planned "pass patterns" or "routes" that will hopefully throw-off his defender(s) and allow the passer to predict where the ball should be thrown to. Once the thrower recognizes that particular receiver as the best candidate of catching the football, the ball is passed.
The actual reception of the ball requires great skill as well. The receiver must be able to maintain his evasion tactics while focusing on catching the ball. Once the ball is securely caught, the receiver must then be ready to hold on to the ball if a defender will tackle him suddenly. If the receiver leaps and catches the ball really close to the sidelines, he must additionally try to land both of his feet or any part of his body inbounds for the catch to be considered complete. If a defender knocks the receiver out of bounds but he would have made a complete reception in bounds otherwise, then the pass is considered complete as well.
Defensive Skills
Tackling. To end a play and keep the ball-carrier from advancing, tackling is employed by the defense. It is the duty of every defensive player to be able to master this skill of physically forcing the ball carrier to the ground. The best tackling technique is when a defender wraps his arms around the ball carrier's legs to prevent further movement. Tackling the upper body is legal as well, but the ball carrier can push him away; or if the carrier is particularly strong, he can continue advancing while dragging his defender along. Tackling players without a ball is illegal and is called a "holding foul".
Pass Coverage. When the offense executes a passing play, pass coverage is the act of running with potential receivers and preventing the pass to be completed by the defense. This skill is particularly difficult because he must keep close to the receiver who in turn is trying to evade him.
If the defender touches the receiver before the ball is close enough to be caught, a "passing interference" foul is called against the defense. The exception to this rule is made during the beginning of a play--the defender can touch the receiver once if they are within ten yards from where the ball started at the start of the play.
The best thing for a defender to do is to catch a passed ball himself resulting in an interception. In order for him to do this, he must be able to anticipate where the ball will land without getting in the receiver's way. Once he intercepts the football, both sides automatically switch roles between offense and defense and the catcher of the ball will try to advance the ball towards the endzone.
Kicking Skills
Punting. The act of kicking the ball is called punting which is an often employed skill designed to:
- Advance the football as close to the endzone as possible(without having the ball land out of bounds) on fourth down to make the other team start as far from their goal as possible.
- Give the team punting the ball time to run down the field and stop the ball carrier from advancing the caught ball.
The first objective is accomplished through the combination of kicking the ball hard enough so that it will go very far without sacrificing accuracy. If the ball lands out of bounds, the punt must be redone. If the ball touches inbounds first and then lands out of bounds, where the ball first left the field is where the next play will occur. Balls kicked so far that they are caught in the endzone by the other team give them the option of beginning the next play at the closest twenty yard line in which the ball was caught.
Field Goal Kicking. Especially on fourth down or other plays with very little time left the play, field goal kicking allows teams to score three points if the kicked ball flies through the goalpost of the endzone The kicker must be able to kick hard and accurate enough to compensate for distance from the goalpost, the angle in which the kick must be made(where the ball is kicked may not necessarily be lined up to the goalpost), and other environmental conditions like wind.
[url=http://www.football.com/rulesabc/pre-game.shtml#Offensive Positions]offensive[/url] and [url=http://www.football.com/rulesabc/pre-game.shtml#Defensive Positions]defensive[/url] "units"--whole sub-teams that specialize in either earning points, deterring their opponent from gaining ground, or "[url=http://www.football.com/rulesabc/pre-game.shtml#Special Teams]special teams[/url]" that perform only kicking plays. However, there can only be 11 players on the field per team at any given time, so when the ball changes possession, one would often see players rushing on and off the field as the needed roles change. The NFL allows a maximum of 45 players who are actually eligible to play. The extra players beyond the offensive, defensive, and special team units serve as the backup players in the event some players become incapacitated from injuries.
The following are a list of positions typically designated to football players and their job descriptions:
Offensive Positions
Quarterback(QB)--In most cases, the quarterback is the leader of a football team. A quarterbacks is like the platoon Sargent who follows and adds to the tactics used in each play. This occurs when the QB recognizes that the defense's play will render the offense's planned play ineffective. He would then call an "audible" to quickly revert to another play. The play begins when the QB shouts the proper "cadence" or "snap counts" signaling the ball to be "snapped"--i.e. a quick hand-off to the quarterback.
Most of the time, balls are passed by this player so he must be a skillful thrower. As a well-rounded player, the quarterback must also be fast enough to avoid incoming defenders(called "rushers" in general) whose sole purpose is to take him down. If he does make contact with the defense, he must be strong enough to resist being tackled or merely be able to handle a tackle. In addition, the QB must be able to make quick decisions because of the variability that can exist in each play.
In plays that do not have the QB passing the ball, the quarterback himself is not allowed to receive any "forward passes"--passes that result in the ball advancing towards the endzone.
Running Backs--Also known as the "backs", these positions can be separated into both "halfback"(HB) and "fullback"(FB) The two "backs" share similar responsibilities of starting each play close to the quarterback and either block incoming rushers or they have the ball "handed-off" to them in which they will typically run with it. Halfbacks usually tries to avoid contact with the defense in running plays but fullbacks, with their bigger physiques, will try to run through a pack of linemen to score that extra yardage for a first-down or a touchdown.
Wide Receiver(WR)--Obviously, their primary job is to run far away in a certain pattern to elude their defenders and then catch a passed ball. Usually, receivers are fast and quick--they can change their direction with great ease to throw off their defenders--as well as being able to demonstrate great finesse to receive balls that are positioned in a way that makes it hard for them to catch.
Offensive Linemen(OL)--Linemen are the ones who are lined up against the defense and are closest to the ball before play starts. They represent the 'defense of the offense'--their job is to block the rushers from coming in and knocking out the quarterback. Moreover, they can push the defense away a particular area to create a "hole" in which the ball carrier can slip through and run forward. Like the quarterback, OL are not permitted to catch forward passes too.
Tight End(TE)--The player in this position are a hybrid of linemen and wide receivers. He is positioned between the the two and they block and receive on certain plays. Given the nature of the job, the TE must obviously be bigger than wide receivers but they have to be able to catch a ball when the time comes. Since there is only one TE, he can be positioned on either sides of the linemen; the side he is on is called the "strong side" and the other side is called the "weak side."
Defensive Positions
Defensive Linemen(DL)--These guys are out to get the QB or whoever initially has the ball--and that's all they are focused on. Of course, before that happens, they must contend with the offensive linemen so they must be the biggest and strongest defensive players there is.
Linebackers(LB's)--As the versatile defender, linebackers either cover offensive players that get past the linemen or they run with wide receivers to prevent a completed pass. Three or four players can serve in this role but they must have a balance of speed, strength, and quickness.
Defensive Backs(DB's)--As the last line of defense, DB's cover the rear of the rest of the team. This position breaks down to the "safeties" and "cornerbacks"(CB's) which delineate their positions: the safety is centered to the ball while the cornerbacks plays on either sides of the safety. The DB's must be able to predict what a ball carrier will do to intercept and neutralize him as quickly as possible during running plays or they must be able to interpret where the QB will pass the ball to make an interception or at least stop the receiver from advancing any further.
Special Teams
Place Kicker(PK)--This player is the kicker with the least amount of pressure since he is the one who does all the kickoffs and tries to earn the team's point-after-touchdown. It has become prevalent nowadays that PK's kick with the instep of their foot as the approach the ball from the side--they are called "soccer-style" kickers.
Punter(P)--The punter kicks the ball so he must be be able to catch the ball as it is snapped to him, kick it high and long for "hang-time" and distance, respectively, without compromising accuracy.
Holder(H)--His job is to receive a snap and hold the ball on the ground for the place kicker to kick. This is usually the other job the backup quarterback has since he is experience in receiving snaps.
Kick Returner(KR)--During kickoffs or punts, he is usually the player who will catch the ball and try to advance it as far as they can. The players in this position are built for raw speed and quickness when they try to make "runbacks."
TOO MANY RULES, AMERICAN STYLE!
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Pele
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 18:30 |
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ANY MORE QUESTIONS,
Last edited on Wednesday March 9th, 2005 18:31 by Pele
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The Watcher
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 18:43 |
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Yeah
How is the league organised??
btw
you cheated
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Miss Brighter Days
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Posted: Wednesday March 9th, 2005 19:01 |
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