American footballrules!

Hi Im doing a presentaition about the subject abowe and was wondering if I could get some help.

For now I only have one question but I might add some later on and If you like you could just tell me some of the rules in general.

When a team advances the ball and has the four atempts to do so, when do the game ends? I think it is when the ball or the player carriing the ball gets out of bounds. WHat is that? And from where do they start, from the next tenyard line or from the line closest to where they got stopped?

First - there's a kick-off to the other team.  They run the ball until they are tackled, go out of bounds, or score a touchdown.

Then there are the plays.  They have four tries (or DOWNS) to advance 10 yards.  Every ten yards, the "downs" get reset.  Of course each play can end with a tackle, going out of bounds, or a touchdown.  (Out of bounds is when the player or the ball leaves the boundary lines of the field, much like soccer.)  They start again where this happens.

The game is timed - one hour; which is broken up into 4 quarters (15 minutes each).  The game ends when the clock runs out.

I hope that helps a little.  I'm not an expert on football, but those are the basics.

SteveM:"Then there are the plays.  They have four tries (or DOWNS) to advance 10 yards.  Every ten yards, the "downs" get reset."

So if  you run ten yards towards the opponents goal the game breaks? Or can you continue running until you're tackled,going out of bounds or scores a tuchdown? If the second is right then what if I run like 25 yards and then is tackled. Have I only gained 10 yards, is it 20 yards or can I get 30 yards for that? 

The second is right. You gain however many yards you get before you are tackled.

So I gain 20 yards?

And from where do they start, from the next tenyard line or from the line closest to where they got stopped?

No, if you run 25 yds. you gain 25 yds. it doesn't have to be on a multiple of 10. It becomes first down where ever the person was tackled. Look here to help answer your questions: http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/beginnersguidetofootball

Thanks!

But Im still not sure... Doesent they start at one of the lines, so if I gain like 22 yards there is no line they still start there?

That is right. They start where ever you are down. Even if that is 22.3856 yards, that's where the ball starts.

How do they know that, I mean dont you start in the middle of the field?
And after that they get to start four times on that spot 22.3856 yards from the original line? And have to earn 10 or more yards to get that chance again?

You start the play from where the player was tackled (or went out of bounds).  I f he gained at least 10 yards, the team gets a first down, but he gets all the yards he gained.

Let's say we start at the 20 yard line.  The play starts, and the ball is thrown.  The receiver catches it and runs to the 50 yard line, where he is tackled.  The team gained 30 yards, and they get another first down (they crossed that line 20 yards ago). 

There are referees who watch the plays and point to where the runner was down, and there are specific rules that explain what that means (for example, if his knee goes down - that's considered tackled).

When they run another play, the quarterback may only run 4 yards this time.  Now we have second down and 6 yards to go (for a first down), and the play resumes at the 46 yard line (after the 50 yard line, the numbers run backward...there is no 54 yard line, except in Canadian Football, where the field is 110 yards long instead of 100.)

Thanks, thats well explained!

I think I understand.

As a related question, is anyone who sees this post a participant in any variety of football?