The basics
14 questions new fans ask, answered in plain English. Each answer links the rulebook or league page it comes from.
- The basics
- Scoring
- Positions
- Penalties and replay
- Clock, timeouts and overtime
- Kickoffs and punts
- The season and standings
- The draft
- Rosters and money
- Watching a game
- Fan etiquette and fun facts
How big is a pro football field?
The whole playing surface is 120 yards long (360 feet) and 53⅓ yards wide (160 feet). That includes a 10-yard end zone at each end, so there are 100 yards between the two goal lines.
Source: 2024 NFL Rulebook (NFL Football Operations) - unchanged basics: field, timing, timeouts · link to this answer
How many players are on the field at once?
Each team has 11 players on the field for every play. Teams can swap players freely between plays, which is why you see whole units run on and off.
Source: 2024 NFL Rulebook (NFL Football Operations) - unchanged basics: field, timing, timeouts · Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · link to this answer
What is a "down"?
A down is one play, from the snap until the whistle. The offense gets four downs (a "series") to move the ball 10 yards. If it makes the 10 yards, it earns a new set of four downs, called a first down.
Source: 2024 NFL Rulebook (NFL Football Operations) - unchanged basics: field, timing, timeouts · Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · link to this answer
What does "3rd and 7" mean?
The first number is the down (third of four). The second is how many yards are still needed to reach the "line to gain" for a new first down (seven). "1st and 10" is the start of a fresh series.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · 2024 NFL Rulebook (NFL Football Operations) - unchanged basics: field, timing, timeouts · link to this answer
What happens if the offense doesn't get 10 yards in four downs?
The other team takes over the ball where the play ended. That's called a turnover on downs. To avoid it, teams usually punt or try a field goal on fourth down instead of going for it.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · link to this answer
How long is an NFL game?
Sixty minutes of game clock, split into four 15-minute quarters. There's a 13-minute halftime between the second and third quarters and a short break of at least two minutes after the first and third quarters.
Source: 2024 NFL Rulebook (NFL Football Operations) - unchanged basics: field, timing, timeouts · link to this answer
Why does a 60-minute game take hours to play?
The game clock only runs during certain stretches. It stops for timeouts, scores, changes of possession, penalties, injuries, replay reviews and the two-minute warning. Between plays the offense also has up to 40 seconds to snap the ball.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · NFL Video Rulebook: Play Clock (NFL Football Operations) · 2024 NFL Rulebook (NFL Football Operations) - unchanged basics: field, timing, timeouts · link to this answer
How does each play start?
With a snap: the center passes the ball back between his legs, usually to the quarterback. Until the snap, no player can cross the line of scrimmage or enter the neutral zone.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · link to this answer
What is the line of scrimmage?
It's an imaginary line running across the field through the front tip of the ball before a play. The offense lines up on one side and the defense on the other, with a narrow neutral zone between them.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · link to this answer
When is a play over?
A play ends when the ball is dead. That happens when the ball carrier is down by contact (a defender's contact puts any body part other than hands or feet on the ground), runs out of bounds, a pass falls incomplete, or someone scores.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · link to this answer
Who are all the people in striped shirts?
They're the officials, a seven-person crew. The referee (white hat) is crew chief and announces penalties. The others watch the line of scrimmage, the sidelines and the deep part of the field.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · link to this answer
What ball does the NFL use?
Wilson makes NFL game balls, and the model is called "The Duke." The rulebook says a ball must weigh 14 to 15 ounces.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · 2024 NFL Rulebook (NFL Football Operations) - unchanged basics: field, timing, timeouts · link to this answer
What are the goal posts like?
The goal posts stand behind each end line. The crossbar is 18 feet, 6 inches wide and 10 feet off the ground, and the uprights reach 35 feet above the crossbar. Kicks must go between the uprights and over the crossbar.
Source: 2024 NFL Rulebook (NFL Football Operations) - unchanged basics: field, timing, timeouts · link to this answer
What do the lines and numbers on the field mean?
Yard lines are painted every five yards across the field, with numbers marking the distance to the nearest goal line. Short hash marks every yard help officials spot the ball.
Source: Football Terms (NFL Football Operations) · link to this answer