In the US there is a game called soccer, that is called football everywhere else, so football in America needs to be called American football. On each play of an American football game, both sides must have eleven players on the field. There might only be eleven players on the field at a time, but there are many more than that on the team. A football team can be very tough to make, depending on the level of competition and the number of people trying out.
At the high school level, that means smaller schools will usually accept almost all who try out, within reason. For someone who is good enough, the competition doesn’t matter, but for some, it is determined by the number trying out. To understanding the game of football, it is a matter of knowing all of the individual positions.
Linebackers are part of the defensive backfield, which are there in order to play behind the defensive line. All players on the defense are important, but maybe the linebackers are the most valuable.
The linebackers have the most responsibilities, needing to cover receivers, stop the running backs, and also, at times, rush the quarterback. The fast defensive backs are the last line of defense, breaking up passes, and stopping the running backs. While the defensive backs stop the run sometimes, their main job is to keep passes from being completed. These defensive backs will key on any receivers and do what is necessary to interfere with the pass or stop the receivers after pass completion. At the start of every play, regulations require the presence of seven players lined-up on the scrimmage line for the offense. Otherwise, the wide receivers, tight ends and running backs can fluctuate. It is contingent upon the specific play that’s been issued. You will see that a good deal is riding on the yards required for a first down. The offense must advance no less than ten yards with the onset of the first play. Now, they fight for the next first down and are given four downs, or plays, to get there. You will usually see a pass play when they have lost turf and need to manage twenty yards for a first.
Once you understand how to play, American football is a great pastime with many variables every play. Quarterbacks and coaches can manipulate the plays from down to down making the game exciting. Once you understand, or can at least somewhat predict what the other team is going to do, you can call the right play to counter their efforts. The blitz is usually executed by linebackers or defensive “backs” that lead the charge. If the situation is critical, or close, a blitz will be called when there is an anticipation of a pass. The defense must use a blitz from time to time, although this makes them weak downfield which is dangerous if the quarterback is accurate. Sometimes there are rules among the 3 levels that are the same, or some that overlap. Therefore, there should be no issues at all when a player makes the transition from one level to another. But when you are learning how to play football, your best source of information will always be your coach.
