The Ball : a football is an avoal ball about twelve inches or thirthy centimeters long. It is also called « the pigskin »
The Field : the football field is 100 yards or 91 meters long from goal line to goal line. It is divided by 5 yard lines. The 50 yard line is in the center ; each team defends one side of this center line. Thirty feet behind the goal lines are the goal posts. They are 20 feet high with a crossbar 10 feet above the ground.
Scoring : Points are scored in two ways : a touchdown counts six points. It is made when the ball is carried over the other team's goal line. A field goal counts three points. It is made when the ball is kicked over the crossbar of the goal post from anywhere on the field.
The players : there are two teams of eleven players each. The eleven players alternate according to whether the team has the ball, the offense, or whether it is defending its goal, the defense. There is a referee and three other officials who watch to seee if the rules are broken. If they are, penalties are called.
Timing : the game consists of four quarters which each last fifteen minutes. There are short breaks between the first and second and third and fourth quarters. Between the second and third quarters there is a long break known as half-time.
The game : the objective of each team is to get the football across the opposing team's goal line or goal post.