What's encroachment in American Football?
83999
Encroachment occurs when a DLine enters the neutral zone causing an offensive lineman to move.  While merely entering the neutral zone is no foul, if that entering causes an olineman to move a penalty is rewarded.  If the Dline completely crosses the neutral zone and either does not get back onside before snap, or is running unabetted to QB, Offsides is called. \n\nBecause Encroachment only occurs if a Olineman moves, its good stratergy for an Olineman to move on the reaction and cause the penalty, however, if the Defensive player has not actually entered the neutral zone, the Olineman has just false stated, this fact keeps Olineman from moving on every Dline movement
848817
You answered your own question when you spoke of the position of the receiver's feet. The sideline is exactly what it is, out of bounds! It's not considered the field of play, therefore gains are measured by ESTABLISHED POSITION and POSSESSION inbounds as opposed to a ball breaking the plane of the goal line in player possesion. The front edges of the goal lines are 100 yards apart. If the player's feet had to be in the end-zone for a score to count, then it wouldn't be a 100 yd. long field, would it?
542976
Defense\n\n\nDefensive linemen- Try to stop whoever has the ball\nDefensive Backs- Make sure the rtecivers dont get the ball and stop them from scoring.\nLine Backers- Help the linemen and defensive back stop the run and sometimes the throw.  \n\nOffense\nQuarterback- snap the ball and get it either to a reciever or the running back.\nRunning back- run with the ball or sometimes catch it. Recievers- Run a route to catch the ball and run with it.  (they also block on run plays)\nOffensive linemen- protect whoever has the ball
956882
As in that scene in 'Remember the Titans'?\n\nThey were referring to the strong side of the Defense.  The strong side is where the offense has a tight-end in for an extra blocker.  It's usually where the bigger linebacker or extra safety is lined-up.
770551
Hi there...\n\nHere is the answer I found from the Word Detective site:\n\nThe use of "gridiron" as a metaphor for the football field, and, by extension, to the game itself, dates back to 1897. The original "gridirons" were just that: grids made of iron, used to cook fish or meat over an open fire. Early on in the history of football, someone in the cheap seats high in the stadium must have noticed that the parallel yardlines marking the field resembled a "gridiron," and so the metaphor was born. The first use of this sense of "gridiron" in print came in an account of the annual Harvard-Yale game carried in the Boston Herald.
547409
The reason it is called Football is it was origonally played using the foot. Early on in American Football, they did not Pass the football. The primary methods of advancing the ball was the running play, Drop Kick and the underhand toss(like Rugby). The Drop kick was simular to the punt and a receiver would run down the field and try to catch it. The reason for not passing was the shape of the football. More like a Rugby ball it was very difficult to hold in one hand. \n\nWhen the League changed the shape of the football, close to the shape of todays College balls, the forward pass was born. Not by plan, but in desperation. The play went bad and the handoff to the Fullback didn't happen. The Quarterback wanted to get rid of the ball so he wouldn't be sacked for a loss of yards. He overhand threw the ball to another player on his team, who advanced the ball several yards. Since there was no rule against this technique, it was allowed to stand, and the Forward Pass we know today, was born.
735585
It is my experience that the quicker player play the outside linebacker position.  They provide the outside containment. There is more room to run and more room to cover in case of a pass play.  The bigger player has the middle of the field to cover and stop hard runs up the middle.
622522
It's the same as football without the tackling. Don't worry about playing it, its' really easy. The way you're down in flag football is if someone grabs the falg off of you. Which is around you're waist, so the only thing you should be worried about is a guy or 2 accidently touchin&#92;g ur butt going for the flag. don;t worry, it's really easy.
191216
This may help you:\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28soccer%29#The_Laws_of_the_Game
862124
Zone blitz. Have one of your DEs back into coverage and blitz two of your LBs. Very confusing to the opposing QB.
824837
Here is a simplified definition of American football.\n\nThe object of football is to score as many points as you can.  The team on offense, tries to score the points by getting the ball into the endzone.  They do this by either throwing or handing the ball to a player on their team.  The offensive player with the ball tries to run into the endzone for the score.  The defense tries to prevent this from happening by tackling the offensive ball carrier.  \n\nEach time the offense gets the ball into the endzone, they get 6 points.  After this score, a touchdown, a kicker tries to make an extra point by kicking the ball through the goal posts.  If the offense cannot get the touchdown, or move the ball ten yards forward in 3 tries, on the 4th try they can try to have the kicker kick the ball through the goal posts for 3 points.  If they are too far away, they must punt the ball to the defense, who will become the offense.\n\nThere are 11 players on offense, and 11 on defense.  \n\n(This is my first post, so I don't know how good this will be, but I hope it helps.  I left out many of the more detailed and complicated rules to explain the basic gameplay.)
989874
This section is American football, you should probably put this question in the pansy football section. Thanks.
261366
One of the more baffling inconsistencies in NFL stats is the way the distances for punts and place kicks are calculated.  Punt distance is measured from the line of scrimmage to the point at which the ball is either caught or downed.  \n\nPlace kicks (field goal attempts) are measured from the point at which the ball is spotted and kicked, usually from 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage.  Since the goal posts are 10 yards behind the goal line, you also have to add 10 yards to the kick.  Thus, if the line of scrimmage is the 30, you add 7 and 10 to get a distance of 47 yards for the kick.
44572
The veer is one of the nastiest plays to defend against because of the possibilities. However if you can stop it if you have fast lineman and your linebackers can make good quick tackles. Then its a matter of persuing them and having the far side end contain incase of a possible reverse (very unlikely but you never know) and the rest of the lineman shift down teh line to prevent a cut back, then teh lineback must stay in between the quarterback and the running backs running lane because this will force the quarterback to make a desicion to dump it off of keep it. However, because the defensive line is sliding down the line, the lineback can cheat a bit towards the running back because if the quarterback keeps it then the line will get him. If he dumps it off, the linebacker will be there to tackle him right away. They only flaw in this would be if the linebacker reads the play wrong and thinks the quarterback is just keeping it leaving the running back wide open.
769769
It doesn't "mean" anything.  It's part of the QB cadence.  The offense starts the play on a certain count, say 3, after the QB yells hut 3 times.  That's a crude explanation, but it's accurate.  It ensures the offense moves at the same time.  If the offense moves at different times it will get false start penalties on every single play.
706211
American/National Football Conference\n\nAs for touchdown.\n\nAmericans Football is a derivation of rugby, and in that you still have to touch the ball down to score a try.\n\nFor some reason the Americans changed the name from try to touchdown THEN DECIDED YOU DON'T HAVE TO TOUCH THE BALL DOWN\n\nAnd they wonder why they are seen as a bit strange in much of the world.
950449
it's when an offensive player tries to keep a defensive player from getting to the person with the football to tackle them. he can push and shove the player to do this but he cannot grab or tackle them, that is called offensive 'holding', and it's a 10 yard penalty.