A typical football game lasts around 3 hours. There are 4 quarters of 15 minutes each. After the second quarter there is a 12 minute half-time. The clock is stopped after the play has ended and the attacking team has 40 seconds to snap the ball ( start a new play ). If the game is tied at the end of the fourth quarter there is an extra time played. The extra time is a 15-minute period in which the first team to put points on the board wins the game, that is way it's called "sudden death". If no team has scored the game ends in a tie unless it's a knock-out game ( such as the play-offs ) when the procedure continues until there is a winner. |
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The attacking team has two ways of advancing the ball, they can either run with it or pass it. When the offence decides to run the quarterback, which is the most important offencive player, hands-off the ball to the runner. In order for the run to be successful the rest of the team has to keep defence away from the runner by blocking them. If the ball falls from the runner's hands the ball is "alive" meaning that anyone that reachs first to it gets possession. That is called a "fumble" and is a running backs' worst fear. |
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