NFL 2010 Season Thread

[SammyG]

Originally Posted by Fallen Angel Ok, can someone confirm my beliefs in what I think is going on here please, it would be much appreciated. What I have gathered is - Coin flip determines kickoff, team who catchs it runs as far as possible towards the goal line (touchdown zone) when the player holding the ball is tackled play begins there. - Players line up on the line of scrimmage and must be ten yards from each other, with 5 people on the line, 5 back and the QB - The snapper snaps the ball back to a player behind (doesnt have to be QB, can be a hand off I think its called) - Have to gain 10 yards within 4 downs to gain a new 1st down - Can run the ball or pass the ball for the ten yards - 11 players to a side - Touchdown is 6 points, a tackle of player in touchdown zone is 2 points (safety) and after a touchdown they get a chance to 1) Kick a field goal (from how far out?) for 1 point 2) Make another TD (from 10 yards out I think) for 2 points? or is it 3? If the positions could be defined as well, I would love that

1. Touchdown zone= Endzone. It's where you gotta go to get 6 points. After that you get a chance to kick an 18 yard field goal which is an extra point, you get 1 point for that. For a 2 point conversion, you get the ball at the two yard line and try to score another touchdown basically, you get 2 points if you get that.

2. Line of scrimmage is where the play starts, yes. There needs to be a minimum of 5 men on the line, yes, but you can also include a Tight End or two on the sides too. 5 men in the back does not happen, no. Teams can either have 1,2,3,4,5 receivers, depend on the formation they go in. Teams with potent passing attacks, like GB for example, often go into 5 spread formations (five receivers). Other teams that run, can have 5 men on the line, the QB, a fullback, and a running back lined up in a I formation, with 3 receivers. Remember, 11 on offense, 11 on defense. There is no rule that tells you how many men you should have in the backfield, but you usually won't see more than 3 (shot gun formation with dual running backs in there)

QB-Quarterback (guy the ball is snapped to )
HB/RB- Running Back (guy that gets handoffs from the QB)
WR- Wide Receiver (guys that catch the ball thrown to them from QB, although running backs get thrown to as well.)
TE- Tight End, they receive passes as well as get placed on the offensive line to block for the quarterback/running back to create time for the quarterback and create holes for the running backs to run through.

LG, LT, C, RG,RT= Left Guard, Left Tackle, Center (snaps the ball), Right Guard, Right tackle. All of these guys are on the offensive line and help protect the quarterback, or make holes for the running back.

Defensive tackles, Defensive Ends are on the defensive line, and try to get to the quarterback, or tackle the running backs, basically stop the opposing team's progress.

Linebackers line up behind the defensive line and are there to back up the defensive line. They are usually the hardest hitters in the game. LAURINAITIS BABYYY.

Cornerbacks cover the wide receivers and try to prevent completions from occuring, or they try to intercept the pass, which means they catch the ball from the quarterback and run the other way.

Safeties play deep in the defensive backfield usually, and are safety valves for any deep passes the quarterback might throw. They are there to help the cornerbacks with coverage, or they can blitz the quarterback. I dunno, it's tough to explain everything in football, I just gave you a basic rundown I believe.

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by SammyG There needs to be a minimum of 5 men on the line, yes, but you can also include a Tight End or two on the sides too.

There needs to be 7 men on the line of scrimmage. The offensive tackles have to be "covered", either by a tight end or wide receiver.

What that means, Fallen Angel, is that you have your five offensive lineman. You have the center (the player who snaps the ball to the quarterback), two guards, one to each side of the center, and two offensive tackles, one to each side of the center. That is 5 men that will always be on the line of scrimmage. However, the two tackles, the outermost offensive line players, must be "covered" by another player to their outside shoulder. This could be a tight end or wide receiver. These players will line up at the line of scrimmage, on the line, to "cover" the tackle. Basically, the offensive tackle cannot be the farthest player to the outside in an offensive formation. There must be a tight end or wide receiver on each side that lines up on the line of scrimmage.

There can't be more than 7 players on the line either. For example, if two wide receivers line up on the right side of a formation, one of those players must be on the line of scrimmage, and the other will generally line up exactly 1 yard behind the line of scrimmage.