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Football 101

Getting Cheerleaders Into the Game!

Football season is here… being married to a lifelong football fanatic there is no mistaking when football season begins!  The TV is tuned to ESPN non-stop and you can bet that my husband can be found at a football stadium, somewhere in the state, on Friday night for high school games and on Saturdays for a college game!

While it isn’t a life line, football is very important to me also… but in a very different way.  Having watched most of my games from the sideline, cheering on my team… I still see football from a cheerleader’s point of view.  And, I’ll have to admit that it is often hard to keep up with all of the calls, penalties, and rules.  Last Saturday, as we sat cheering on our team, I found myself taking a break from watching the cheerleaders to catch parts of the game! As I continued to lean over to ask my husband “What Happened?” or “Why did they do that?”  I decided I wanted to learn more about the sport so that I could better enjoy my football experiences. 

I thought it would be appropriate to share with my fellow cheer and dance athletes some of the basics of the game of football.  Here are some of the things that all cheerleaders and dancers should know to enable them to do their job of cheering on their team.  After all, that is the real reason we are there!

Here are some terms to make sure you’re on your ‘A Game!’ 

  • Defensive Back-Defensive backs generally try to keep receivers from making catches. Safeties and  corner backs are the two positions that make up the defensive backs.
  • Defensive End- A defensive player who lines up at the end of the defensive line.
  • Defensive Line- The defensive players who line up on the line of scrimmage opposite the offensive linemen. A team's first line of defense.
  • Delay of Game- A penalty called on a team for either letting the play clock expire before snapping the ball, having too many players on the field, or calling a time out after having already used all they were allotted by rule.
  • End Zone- A 10-yard section stretching the width of the field at both ends of the playing field. (Going into this area results in a touchdown!!!)
  • Extra Point- After a touchdown, the scoring team is allowed to add another point by kicking the football through the uprights of the goalpost.
  • Face Mask- A foul for grabbing an opponent's face mask.
  • Field Goal- A scoring play worth three points that involves a place kicker kicking the ball through the uprights of the goalpost in the opponent's end zone from anywhere on the field.
  • First and Ten- Refers to a situation where a team has a first down with ten yards to go to get another first down.
  • First Down- The first play of every series.
  • Halfback- An offensive player who lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays.
  • Hand off- The act of giving the ball to another player.  A handoff generally refers to an act between the quarterback and running back, but can actually be performed by any two members of a team.
  • Incomplete Pass- A forward pass that touches the ground before being caught or that is caught while the player is out of bounds. After an incomplete pass, the football is spotted back at the previous line of scrimmage.
  • Interception- A pass that is caught by a defensive player, giving his team possession of the ball.  Also known as a pick off, or pick.  After an interception, the player that caught the ball can then advance it toward the opponent's end zone.
  • Interference- Illegally hampering a player's opportunity to catch a pass.
  • Kickoff- A free kick that puts the ball into play at the start of the first and third periods and after every touchdown and field goal.  A football game always starts with a kickoff.
  • Linebacker- A defensive player who lines up behind the defensive linemen and in front of the defensive backfield. The linebackers are a team's second line of defense.  Most teams employ defenses that use either three or four linebackers.
  • Offensive Holding- A foul in which an offensive player keeps a defender from advancing by grasping him with his hands or arms. Offensive linemen are allowed to use their hands as long as they keep them to the inside of a defenders body, but if they get to the outside of the defender's body, it is a penalty. Offensive holding results in a 10-yard penalty against the offending team.
  • Offside- A penalty that occurs when any part of a defender's body is beyond his line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.  An offside infraction results in a five-yard penalty against the offending team.
  • Punt- A kick made when the punter drops the ball and kicks it while it falls toward his foot.  A punt usually occurs on fourth down and is designed to drive the other team back as far as possible before they take possession of the ball.
  • Punt Return - Running the ball back toward the punting team after it's been punted. On a punt return, the player receiving the ball has the option of running the ball back or calling for a fair catch.
  • Quarterback- The offensive player who receives the ball from the center at the start of each play before either handing it to the running back, throwing it to a receiver, or running with it himself.  The quarterback is usually the player in charge of running the offense on the field. He is also the guy that usually informs the offense of the play while in the huddle.
  • Reverse- A play in which the running back receives a handoff from the quarterback and then runs laterally behind the line of scrimmage before handing off to a receiver running in the opposite direction.  A reverse is often used against a defense that has a tendency to over pursue.
  • Running Back- An offensive player who runs with the football.  Also known as a tailback, halfback, fullback, and wingback.
  • Rush- To run from the scrimmage line with the football or to put pressure on the quarterback in an attempt to tackle him or force him into a bad throw.
  • Safety- A two-point score by the defense that occurs when one of its players tackles an opponent in possession of the ball in his own end zone.  Can also mean a defensive player who lines up in the secondary between, but generally deeper than the corner backs.
  • Special Teams- The group of players who are on the field during kicks and punts.  Special teams play on field goal and extra point attempts as well as punts and kickoffs.
  • Too many men on the field- Each team is allowed just 11 men on the field during a play. Having more than 11 is illegal.  If a team has too many men on the field, a delay of game is called, resulting in a five-yard penalty.
  • Touchdown- (Just in case…)A scoring play in which any part of the ball, while legally in the possession of a player who is in-bounds, crosses the plane of the opponent's goal line.  A touchdown is worth six points, and the scoring team is given the option of attempting to add one or two bonus points on the next play.
  • Wide Receiver- An offensive player who lines up on or near the line of scrimmage, but split to the outside. His primary job is to catch passes from the quarterback.  Also known as a receiver, wide out, split end, and flanker.
  • Yardage- The amount of yards gained or lost during a play, game, season, or career. Yardage is determined by how far the ball is advanced from the line of scrimmage, not from the point where the ball carrier receives the ball.
  • Zone Defense- Coverage in which the secondary and linebackers drop away from the line of scrimmage into specific areas (zones) when defending a pass play. In a zone defense, each player on the defense is responsible for a certain area of the field.

Become familiar with these terms and you will be ready to 'tackle' your next game!

 

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