NFL football scores | NFL pool | NFL stats | NFL standings | football odds | NFL odds | NFL stats | NFL football pool | NFL football | NFL football odds |
||
The newest NFL site. History, Rules, Teams, News and much more... |
||
   |
Field and Players
The numbers on the field indicate the number of yards to the nearest end zone.The field is often called the gridiron because the markings on the field resemble a grill. The game is played on a rectangular field 120 yards (110 metres) long by 53 1/3 yards (49 metres) wide. The longer boundary lines are sidelines, while the shorter boundary lines are end lines. Near each end of the field is a goal line; they are 100 yards apart. A scoring area called an end zone extends 10 yards beyond each goal line to each end line. Yard lines cross the field every 5 yards, and are numbered from each goal line to the 50-yard line, or midfield (similar to a typical rugby league field). Two rows of lines, known as hash marks parallel the side lines near the middle of the field. All plays start with the ball on or between the hash marks. At the back of each end zone are two goal posts (also called uprights) that are 18.5 feet apart. The posts are connected by a crossbar 10 feet from the ground. Successful kicks must go above the crossbar and between the uprights. (At many fields the uprights and crossbar are attached by a curved bar to a post outside the field of play, to reduce the chance of players running into the supports. Each team has 11 players on the field at a time. However, teams may substitute for any or all of their players between plays. As a result, players have very specialized roles, and almost all of the 53 players on an NFL team will play in any given game. Thus, teams are divided into three separate units: the offense, the defense and the special teams (see below). In the NFL, players' jersey numbers are distributed according to a strict system (e.g. quarterbacks always wear between 1-19). |
|
|
|
||