football plays

A play in American football is a set of player and ball movements to either advance the ball (for offensive plays) or prevent the advancement of the ball (for defensive plays).Main article: Play from scrimmage
A play begins in one of two ways:

A play from scrimmage begins when the ball is delivered from the center to a back, usually the quarterback.
A free kick (either a kick-off or a "free kick after safety") occurs. The play begins when the ball touches the foot of the kicker
Once the play begins, it will continue until one of the following events happens:

The ball carrier is down, usually defined as when any body part besides the hands and feet touches the ground.
The ball carrier's forward progress is stopped to the point where a stalemate occurs and it is clear that the ball cannot be advanced any farther, nor is he easily going down as defined above.
The ball carrier steps out of bounds.
A forward pass touches the ground before it is caught (an incomplete pass). The ball touching the ground in other situations (called a fumble) does NOT end the play. In the case of a fumble, the play still continues until one of the above conditions is met.
When the play ends, the ball is set for the next play. For the first three instances above, the ball is set at the point of its maximum forward progress. That means that if a runner is driven back in the process of a tackle OR is ruled down by lack of forward progress, the ball is placed as close to his opponent's goal line as he had gotten before being driven back. If he runs backwards of his own volition, the ball is marked where he goes down. In the case of an incomplete pass, the ball is placed at the previous line of scrimmage.

Play then resumes as described above.

The offensive team must have seven players on the line of scrimmage at the start of a play. Those players may be positioned at any place along the line of scrimmage (which extends all of the way across the playing field).

The defensive team may position as many as 11 players on the line of scrimmage. Usually, there are from 3 to 8 defensive players on the line of scrimmage.
the football plays are everything in football. The football plays are football. The football plays make the game.

free blog of football

In this blog i am allowed to talk about anyrthing i want in football. today i will be talking about the equipment of football. there are many pieces of equipment to protect the valuable players in football. There it consists of equipments worn by football players for the protection of the body during the course of football games. Basic equipments worn by almost all football players include a helmet, shoulder pads,
gloves, shoes, and thigh and knee pads. Neck rolls, elbow pads, mouth guards, hip pads, tailbone pads, rib pads, and other equipments may be worn in addition to the aforementioned basics. Football protective equipment is made of synthetic materials: foam rubbers, elastics, and durable, shock-resistant, molded plastic. Football protective equipment has remained consistent in use for decades with some slight modifications made over the years in design and materials. The assignment and maintenance of football gear belongs to the team equipment manager.

The professional football helmet consists of several distinct parts: the shell, jaw pads and air bladders, face mask, chin strap, and mouth guard. The shell is constructed of hard plastic with thick padding on the inside, a face mask made of one or more metal bars, and a chinstrap used to secure the helmet. Helmets are a requirement at all levels of organized football, except for non-tackle variations such as flag football. Although they are protective, players can and do still suffer head injuries such as concussion

The shoulder pads consist of a hard plastic outer shell with shock-absorbing foam padding underneath and are the most intricate pieces of equipment a player wears. The pads fit over the shoulders and the chest and rib area, and are secured with various snaps and buckles. Shoulder pads give football players their typical "broad-shouldered" look, and are fitted to an adult player by measuring across the player's back from shoulder blade to shoulder blade with a soft cloth measuring tape and then adding 1/2 inch. For comfort, shoulder pads are sometimes worn in conjunction with a shoulder pads cushion of foam rubber over a cotton half-tee.
Jerseys. The front and back of the jersey are usually nylon, with spandex side panels to keep it taut. The goal is to make it difficult for an opposing player to grab hold of the jersey and use it for leverage. To help this process: Jerseys have an extension at the bottom that wraps around from front to back to keep the jersey tucked in. Jerseys have a wide strip of Velcro at the rear that mates with Velcro inside the waistband of the pants. Many players apply two-sided carpet tape to their shoulder pads so that the jersey sticks to the pads. The players individually choose which of these features (if any) they will use. Each professional football player is usually equipped with a set of practice jerseys as well as four game jerseys. Players will change jerseys at half time if it is raining. Jerseys will usually have a variety of patches affixed to the shoulders or other parts of the garment. Patches may depict the American flag, the team logo, or other significant information
The role of an equipment manager has become an important one for football teams. The equipment manager has two main areas of responsibility: first, fitting each player on the team with a customized array of equipment that will provide maximum protection against injury, and, secondly, being responsible for the logistics of handling many pieces of equipment on a daily basis -- keeping it repaired and in stock, and moving the equipment for road games.

http://www.footballamerica.com/home.jsp <----links
http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/footballequipme_sptd.htm

football has been around for many years. it has pleased many and broken some. it has made some fortunes and destroyed others. sometimes even illegaly, but it has been such a great, great sport. Many players have been reqruited to many teams from different states.
American football resulted from several major divergences from rugby, most notably the rule changes instituted by Walter Camp, considered the "Father of American Football". Among these important changes were the introduction of the line of scrimmage and of down-and-distance rules.[1][2][3] In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, gameplay developments by college coaches such as Eddie Cochems, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Knute Rockne, and Glenn "Pop" Warner helped take advantage of the newly introduced forward pass. The popularity of collegiate football grew as it became the dominant version of the sport in the United States for the first half of the twentieth century. Bowl games, a college football tradition, attracted a national audience for collegiate teams. Bolstered by fierce rivalries, college football still holds widespread appeal in the US.

The origin of professional football can be traced back to 1892, with William "Pudge" Heffelfinger's $500 contract to play in a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. In 1920 the American Professional Football Association was formed. This league changed its name to the National Football League (NFL) two years later, and eventually became the major league of American football. Primarily a sport of Midwestern industrial towns in the United States, professional football eventually became a national phenomenon. Football's increasing popularity is usually traced to the 1958 NFL Championship Game, a contest that has been dubbed the "Greatest Game Ever Played". A rival league to the NFL, the American Football League (AFL), began play in 1960; the pressure it put on the senior league led to a merger between the two leagues and the creation of the Super Bowl, which has become the most watched television event in the United States on an annual basis. I personaly love this sport and all it has been.

coach!

in football some say that the coach is sometimes the most important aspect of the game. He has to decide which plays are right, which are wrong what to do here, what to do the. He has to train the players and get them ready for pro material. Since 1920 there have been around 449 different head coaches in the NFL

First in our countdown to the coaches of football we have Bill Walsh Bill Walsh - (1979-1988) San Fransisco 49ers. Like Vince Lombardi Bill Walsh's over record is not overly impressive (92-59-1). But like Lombardi Bill Walsh achieved a great deal in his ten years as Head Coach of the 49ers. Under Walsh the 49ers won three Super Bowls (1981, 1984, and 1988) and appeared in the postseason seven times posting a 10 and 4 playoff record. In seven seasons as Head Coach the 49ers had just three losing records.

next at forth in our countdown we have the great Don Shula (1963-1969) Baltimore Colts, 1970-1995 Miami Dolphins. Don Shula took over as Baltimore Head Coach in 1963 and led the Colts to seven straight winning seasons. The Colts reached the NFL Championship three times under Shula winning it in 1968, though they would lose the Superebowl to the New York Jets. In his seven seasons in Baltimore Don Shula racked up a 71-23-4 record. Don Shula became the second head coach in Miami Dolphin history in 1970. In 26 seasons as Head Coach Shula led the Dolphins to 24 winning seasons and 16 playoff appearances. Under Shula the Dolphins appeared in five Super Bowls, winning two of them (1972,1973). In 1973 the Miami Dolphins finished the regular season with a perfect 14-0 record and won another thee games in the postseason to finish the season a 17-0 becoming the first and only team in NFL history to finish an entire season undefeated. Don Shula retired from coaching following the 1995 season with 328 regular season victories the most ever by a head coach. WOW

At Third in our countdown we have Paul Brown - (1946-1962) Cleveland Browns, (1968-1975) Cincinaty Bengals. Paul Brown was named the first head coach in bengals historyin 1946.when they were a member of the All American Football Conference (AAFC), a rival of the NFL. In four seasons in the AAFC the Cleveland Browns won four Championships and lost just four games. In 1950 when the AAFC merged with the NFL the Cleveland Browns won the NFL Championship. From 1950-1957 the Browns would appear in seven NFL Championship games winning the title three times (1950, 1954, 1955). In 17 years as Head Coach of Cleveland Paul Brown posted a 158-48-9 record during the regular season while going 9 and 5 in 14 postseason games. Under Paul Brown Cleveland had only one losing season. In 1968 Paul Brown became thethe principal owner, general manager, and coach of the Cincinnati Bengals who were than a member of the American Football League. Brown would coach the Bengals for eight seasons (1968-1975) leading the team to the postseason three times. He retired from coaching following the 1975 season with an overall record of 213-104-9

Second to last in my countdown but still great we have Tom Landry, - (1960-1988) Dallas Cowboys. Tom Landry was hired as the first Head Coach in Dallas Cowboys history. The expansion Cowboys would finish 0-11-1 in their first year under Tom Landry. The Cowboys showed gradual improvement under Landry until they finally had a winning season in 1966 with a 10-3-1 record. It would be the first of 20 consecutive winning seasons the Cowboys would have under Tom Landry, which is still an NFL record. Under Landry the Cowboys would reach the postseason 18 times winning two Super Bowl Championships (1971, 1977) and appearing in three others. Landry still holds the NFL record for most postseason wins with 20 wins. His 250 regular season wins ranks third all-time in history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. These coaches keep getting better and better.

Finnaly in our countdown we have one of the best coaches that has ever played. He has been through alot and so have the others. They have all been great coaches, but as the best one yet we have the great Vince Lombardi, - (1959-1967) with the Green Bay Packers, and (1969) Washington Redskins. with his 96-34-6, you might not be all that impressed. After all he ranks only 36th all-time in wins for a head coach. But in the nine years he coached the Packers he never had a losing season. In 1959 Vince Lombardi took a Packer team which had finished 1-10-1 the previous year and led them to a 7-5 record.being a bears fan even i must say that is impressive. It would be the worst record the Packers would achieve under Lombardi. In 1960 Lombardi led the Packers to the postseason for the first time in since 1944. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship game. It would be the last postseason game the Packers would lose under Lombardi. The Packers went to the postseason six times under Lombardi and compiled a 9-1 record winning five NFL Championships including the first two Super Bowls. Lombardi retired following the 1967 season but returned to coaching in 1969 when he took over the Washington Redskins. He led the Redskins to their first winning season since 1955 with a 7-5-2 record.

http://www.sportspool.com/football/coaches <----- link to facts on all coaches copy to url vince lambardi

Tom landry

The line backer

A Linebacker (LB) is a position in football that was invented by football coach fielding yost of the University of Michigan . Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards (4 m) behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen. Linebackers generally align themselves before the ball is snapped by standing upright in a "two point stance" (as opposed to the defensive linemen, who put one or two hands on the ground for a "three point stance" or "four point stance" before the ball is snapped). three point stance or 4 point stance

In our countdown to the greatest linebacker we have 5. The top five begins with, in fifth place, Mke Singletary. Mike was a second round draft pick for our own Chicago Bears in 1981. He played for an amazing 11 seasons. He finished his career at the top of his team with an impressive 1,488 career tackles, 885 of which were solo efforts. A constant force on defense, he missed playing just two games, both in 1986. He also recorded 7 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries.

Next in our countdown of the top five we have the great Jack Lambert. He was soon recognized as the premier linebacker of his era. Lambert had all the necessary ingredients – intelligence, intensity, speed, quickness, range, durability – and he used them all to his best advantage. Even though he was the youngest starter on the Pittsburgh defensive unit, many felt that Lambert's presence was the final ingredient needed to turn that unit into a dominant one. Intimidating, he helped to shape and reinforce Pittsburgh’s famed “Steel Curtain.” Lambert amassed 28 career interceptions, 1,479 career tackles (1,045 solo), and (officially) 23½ sacks
Lambert was handed the starting middle linebacker job as a rookie and never relinquished it until he retired following the 1984 season. Lambert was smart and fast.

The next amazing player in our fantastic countdown to the top is, 4th in the countdown is Ray Lewis. He was a second round selection of the Steelers in 1974.At the conclusion of the 2009 season, Lewis has career totals of 1,770 total tackles (1,349 solo), 14 forced fumbles, 105 passes defended, 94.5 tackles for loss, 36.5 sacks, 16 fumble recoveries, 28 interceptions, one safety and two touchdowns in 194 games. Lewis has been selected to eleven NFL pro bowl games, a record for an Inside/Middle Linebacker, in his fourteen seasons and led the NFL in tackles five times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004).

Next in our countdown at second to last place we have Dick Butkus. Butkus was drafted in the first round by both the denver Broncos and his hometown team, the Chicago Bears. He signed with the Bears and did not play professionally with any other team. He was selected to eight Probowls and was all-league six times. In his rookie season, Butkus led the Bears in tackles, interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries, and regularly led the team in these categories throughout his career. Butkus recovered 27 fumbles in his career, a NFL record at the time of his retirement. He was one of the most feared players of his era and even appeared on the cover of Sports illustrated in 1970 with the caption "The Most Feared Man in the Game." He had one of his most productive seasons in 1970 with 132 tackles, 84 assists, 3 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. He was forced to retire after multiple knee injuries in 1973.

Now we have the best, the greatest, the king of linebackers Lawrence Taylor.
Taylor recorded 142 sacks, 1,088 tackles, 33 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and nine interceptions during his career and was selected to play in 10 Pro Bowls. However, statistics can never justify the impact Lawrence Taylor made on professional football. He literally changed the game and the way the outside linebacker position would be played forever more. Off the field issues aside - and he had plenty - Taylor is hands-down the best linebacker in NFL history. He was a truly amazing player when it comes to the linebackers.

The wide reciever

The wide receiver is a position in the offensive side. It is the key player to making passing plays. The wide receivers principle goal is to avoid, outmeneuver, or outrun the defense. The wide receivers are among the fastest and most agile players in the game of football. For the wide receivers to receive the pass they have to follow a pass route. the pass route is planed obviously before the play. Some receivers are perceived as a deep threat because of their flat-out speed, while others may be possession receivers known for not dropping passes, running crossing routes across the middle of the field, and generally, converting third down situations. A receiver's height and weight also contribute to his expected role; tall in height and light in weight are advantages at the receiver position.

• Split end (X or SE): A receiver on the line of scrimmage, necessary to meet the rule requiring seven such players at snap. Where applicable, this receiver is on the opposite side of the tight end. The split end is farthest from center on his side of the field.
• Flanker (Z or FL): A receiver lining up behind the line of scrimmage. Frequently the team's featured receiver, the flanker uses the initial buffer between himself and a defender to avoid jamming, legal contact within five yards of the line of scrimmage. The flanker is generally on the same side of the formation as a tight end. As with the split end, this receiver is the farthest player from the center on his side of the field. The flanker is probably lined up just like a split end except that he is just behind the line of scrimmage, being in the backfield and not on the line.
• Slot receiver (Y or SL): A less-formal name given to receivers in addition to split ends and flankers (for example tight-ends who line up wide). These receivers line up between the split end/flanker and the linemen. If aligned with a flanker, the slot receiver is usually on the line of scrimmage, and if with a split end, off the line of scrimmage. As with the flanker position, a featured receiver often takes a slot position with a split end to avoid jamming.

First in our countdown in fifth place we have Marvin Harrison.With 927 career catches for 12,331 yards, Harrison could - and most likely, will - pass every wide receiving record not held by Jerry Rice.

next in our countdown we have Cris Carter. Twice, Carter caught 122 passes in a season (1994, '95), the first time establishing an NFL record for catches in a season (which was beaten a year later) and became the second player in history to reach 1000 career catches. Love him or loathe him, Cris Carter is one of the best wide receivers in NFL history.

Next in our countdown at third place we have Lynn Swann. Swann played in the nfl since 1974 when he was drafted. Swann - a three-time All-Pro - only played nine seasons with the Steelers and had career marks of 336 receptions for 5,462 yards and 51 touchdowns.

In second place we have Lance Alworth. In 11 seasons, nine with the Chargers, Alworth caught 542 passes for 10,266 yards for an impressive career average of 18.94-yards per catch and 85 touchdowns. During his nine seasons with the Chargers, the graceful receiver averaged more than 50 catches and 1,000 yards per season.

Finally in our countdown to the est reciever, in first place we have Jerry Rice.
The 16th pick in the 1985 draft, Rice has compiled career numbers of 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns. He also helped the 49's win superbowl titles in 1989, 1990 and 1995. Rice also caught at least one pass in 274 consecutive games from 1985 through 2004-another nfl record. Jerry RiceLance Alworth

Quarterbacks, the best of the best

The quarter back position. they are the star players sometime. Some say they are the leaders of the team. I think we all know that if the quarterback does not have an amazing sense of teamwork, agility and skill. I will be judging the quarter backs on their total amount of yards passed, ran and touchdowns scored. In this countdown towards the greatest i will begin at 5.

At 5 in our countdown i will begin with Fran Tarkenton. Frank played football for 17 years in which he played in 246 NFL regular season games. he completed 3,686 out of 6467 total passes. this is about 67% of his passes which were completed. He lead his team to the superbowls in 1976 but he has never won a superbowl. From 1961 to 1966 he played for the Minnesota vikings. He then switched to the New York giants from 1967 to 1971. He then returned to the Vikins for the remainder of his career and retired in 1978.



At number four in our countdown we go over Johnny Unitas. Johnny Unitas played in 211 regular season games he completed 2830 out of 5186 pass attempts. He threw 40,239 yards and 253 interceptions. he started his football career 1956 with the Baltimore colts. there he spent seventeen of his eighteen seasons. he ended his career with the San Deigo chargers.


At three in our countdown we have John Elway. He started at 1982. He played 16 seasons of football. all of them where with the Denver broncos. He lead the broncos to 5 Superbowls but won 2 of them. He threw 51,475 yards. He threw 300 touchdown pases and 266 interceptions. He threw 4,123 passes out of 7,250 attempts.

At number three in our countdown we have John Elway. John Elway played in 234 NFL regular season games, completed 4,123 out of 7,250 pass attempts, threw for 51,475 yards, threw 300 touchdown passes and 226 interceptions. Elway has appeared in the Pro Bowl nine times, and won the MVP award in 1987.

At number two in our countdown we have Joe Montana. Joe Montana was drafted in the third round by the 49'ers in 1979. He spent thirteen seasons with the 49ers before spending two ears with the kansas city chiefs.Joe Montana played in 192 NFL regular season games, completed 3,409 out of 5,391 pass attempts, threw for 40,551 yards, threw 273 touchdown passes and 139 interceptions.

And finally first in our countdown we have the great Dan Marino. Dan Marino was a first-round draft pick for the Miami Dolphins in 1983. He spent seventeen seasons as quarterback of the Miami Dolphins and broke almost every passing record possible.Marino played in 242 NFL regular season games, completed 4,967 out of 8,358 pass attempts, and threw for 61,361 yards, threw 420 touchdown passes and 252 interceptions. Marino made nine appearances in the Pro Bowl, and won the MVP award in 1984

Dan MArino