Football is a game where eleven men try to force the ball back of the opposing players’ goal line by various efforts in running with it or in kicking, while the opposing team meanwhile, by throwing the runner or by pushing him back, try to prevent any gain being made.  Each team is allowed a certain number of attempts to make a certain distance and, if they fail to do this the ball becomes the property of the other team to make a similar attempt.  Each of these attempts is called a “down,” and, according to the rules, after three attempts, if the runners have failed to gain the required distance, the ball is given to their opponents.  In practice it is customary for a team to kick the ball on its last down and thus to surrender it just as far from its own goal line as possible.  The distance that must be made in three downs according to the present rules is ten yards.  Sometimes a team will not kick on its last down because the distance remaining to be gained is so little that the quarter-back feels sure that one of his men can make it, but this is an exception.  When ten or more yards are gained the ball becomes at first down again and the team has three more attempts to make another ten yards figured from where the ball was finally downed.

The ultimate object of “rushing the ball,” as this play is called, is to place it on the ground behind the enemy’s goal line, which is called a “touchdown.”  Sometimes a team will succeed in getting the ball almost over the goal line and then because of the superior resistance of its opponents will find that it can advance it no further.  It is then customary for one of the players who has had practice in drop kicking to attempt to kick what is called a “goal from the field” or “field goal.”  This play counts less than a touchdown in the score, counting but three points, while a touchdown counts five, but many a game has been won by a field goal.

Football scores between evenly matched teams who play scientifically are usually low, one or two scores in a game being all that are made.  It frequently happens that neither side will score, but, unlike baseball, the game does not continue after the time limit has expired, but simply becomes a tie game.  The game is divided into four periods of fifteen minutes each.  There are resting periods of three minutes each between the first and second and third and fourth periods, and fifteen minutes between the second and third periods.

At the beginning of the game the two opposing captains toss up a coin and the winner of the toss has the choice of goals or of the ball.  His decision will be governed by the position of the sun and the wind conditions, two very important things in football.  After each score the sides change goals, however; so the choice is not so important unless the game happens to be scoreless.

At the first play the ball is placed in the centre of the field and is kicked off, a man on the opposing team trying to catch it and to run back as far as possible before he is tackled and the ball “downed.”  The next lineup takes place at this point and the game proceeds until a score is made.  After each score the ball is put in play just as at the beginning of the game.