In
this lesson you will learn a few facts about American football.
You will decide if women should be allowed to play football on the survey below and
leave a comment in the discussion section.
Hi. In the classroom today you will learn a few facts about American
football.
Basics
American football is known in the United States and Canada as
football.
It is a competitive team sport known for mixing strategy with
physical play.
The game is played on a football field.
A football field is 100 yards long from goal line to goal line and
160 feet wide.
Each end of the football field contains an area called the end zone
which extends 10 yards past both goal lines.
At the back of each end zone are goalposts.
The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball
into the opposing team's end zone.
The ball can be advanced by carrying it, a running play or by
throwing it to a teammate, a passing play.
Players
At any time during a football game, there are 22 players on the
field.
This includes 11 offensive players, and 11 defensive players.
The offensive players work together to try and advance the football
into the opposing team's end zone.
The offense includes a quarterback, who coordinates the players and
either hands the football, or throws the football, to a teammate in
order to advance the ball.
The quarterback can also run with the ball.
The offense also includes running backs who can either run with, or
catch the football.
The offense also includes wide receivers who usually catch the
football.
The defensive players work together to keep the offense of the other
team from scoring or advancing the football into their end zone.
The defense includes players in various positions on the field.
Playing
The team who is on offense gets four chances, or plays, to advance
the ball forward at least 10 yards.
Each chance is called a down.
If the offensive successfully moves the ball forward 10 yards, they
get four more chances.
This continues until the offense advances the ball into the opposing
team's end zone or they give up possession of the football.
The offense gives up possession of the football in any of the
following ways.
The offense scores points.
The offense is unable to advance the ball forward 10 yards in four
chances.
The offense is unable to advance the ball forward 10 yards in three
chances and decides to punt, or kick the ball to the opposing team.
The offense fumbles the football which means an offensive player
running with the ball loses control of the ball and a player on the
other team obtains possession of the football.
The offense gets intercepted which means the opposing team catches a
pass from the quarterback intended for one of the offensive players.
The offense misses a field goal attempt.
An offense can gain or lose yards depending on the success of each
play.
An offense or a defense can lose yards from a penalty, which is a
punishment for violating a rule on the field.
A penalty results in the loss of 5, 10, or 15 yards for the
offending team.
Points
Points can be scored in a variety of ways.
You can carry the ball over the opponent's goal line for a touchdown
which is worth six points.
You can catch a pass beyond the opponent's goal line for a touchdown
which is worth six points.
You can kick the ball through the goal posts at the opponent's end
zone after a touchdown for an extra point which is worth one point.
You can carry, or pass the ball over the opponent's goal line after
a touchdown for a two point conversion which is worth two points.
You can kick the ball through the goal posts at the opponent's end
zone for a field goal which is worth three points.
You can tackle an opposing ball carrier within his end zone for a
safety which is worth two points.
The winner is the team with the most points when the game time
expires.
Time
A football game begins with a coin toss to determine which team will
control the football.
The football is then kicked to the receiving team to officially
begin the game.
A football game typically has four quarters with each quarter
lasting 15 minutes for a total actual playing time of one hour.
The football game is over if, after one hour of play, one team has
outscored the other team.
In the event of a tie, another 15 minute quarter is added, called
overtime, to determine the winner.
The first team to score any points in overtime is the winner.
National Football League
The top teams in the National Football League compete in the
playoffs and then finally in the Super Bowl.
In the Super Bowl, the top team from the American Football
Conference competes against the top team from the National Football
Conference.
The Super Bowl is usually played at the end of January or the
beginning of February.
It is one of the most watched television events of the year.
The television Advertisements are almost as popular
as the football game.
Until next time.
Watch the video
Super Bowl Advertisement #1 - Bud Light Immigrants, in the Classroom.Video Explanation
- Comedian Carlos Mencia is teaching his English
students the correct way to ask someone for a Bud Light (beer) in
the classroom. He then tells the students that if someone asks any
of them for a Bud Light, they should say “No Speak English” so they
can keep the Bud Light for themselves. Try to understand as much of
the video as possible. Use a
dictionary
to look up words you do not understand.
Watch the video
Super Bowl Advertisement #2 - Bud Light Immigrants, in the Bar. Video Explanation
- Comedian Carlos Mencia takes his students out to
a bar to teach them the correct way to pick up (ask out for a date)
women. He says that American chicks (women) love men with foreign
accents. Try to understand as much of the video as possible. Use a
dictionary
to look up words you do not understand.
Watch the video
Super Bowl Advertisement #3 - Improving Office
Productivity. Video Explanation
- The C.E.O. (Chief Executive Officer) of Felcher
& Sons hires a professional football player (Terry Tate) to help
improve office productivity. Try to understand as much of the video
as possible. Use a
dictionary
to look up words you do not understand.
Watch the video
Super Bowl Advertisement #4 - Getting The
Baseball Back. Video Explanation
- Some kids are playing baseball in their
backyard. The ball gets hit over the fence and into the neighbor’s
yard. The problem is the neighbor never returns anything that goes
into his yard. The kids send over a bag of potato chips to try and
entice the neighbor into returning the baseball. The neighbor likes
the potato chips so much, he returns everything he collected over
the years, including M.C. Hammer, a famous singer. The kids keep
everything but do not want M.C. Hammer and decide to throw him back
into the neighbor’s yard. Try to understand as much of the video as
possible. Use a
dictionary
to look up words you do not understand.
Watch part of
the movie
A League of Their Own. A 1992
comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the
real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).
This is not a football movie but might help some of you answer the question below, Should
women be allowed to play football?
American football is a very tough and difficult game to
play. Decide if women should be allowed to play football
on the survey below and leave a comment in the
discussion section.
Posting a comment is GOOD
ENGLISH WRITING PRACTICE and the perfect way to
express your thoughts. Be sure to include which country
you're from in your comment.
In
this lesson you will learn a few facts about American football.
You will decide if women should be allowed to play football on the survey below and
leave a comment in the discussion section.
Should
women be allowed to play football?
