Rules, History, and Development Football is a very popular sport in the United States. It is played on playgrounds and in schools all around the country. Touch football developed in the late 19th century, as an alternative to tackle football, which required a lot of equipment. A number of variations of football were developed so that all you needed to play was a ball and a field. These variations include two-hand touch, where you have to touch the ball carrier with two hands; one-hand touch; and another method of one hand below the waist. None of the three games described involve tackling, thus eliminating the use of shoulder pads, helmets, and other safety equipment. The rules to these games included only limited blocking, or no blocking at all. Flag football developed off of the “touch” football games as a concrete way of determining where the ball is down. In flag football, the ball carrier is down when a flag is pulled from the ball carrier’s belt. Flags can be tucked into pockets, and handkerchiefs can be substituted for manufactured flags. These new rules meant that argument could not be made about whether or not the defender touched the ball carrier or not. The flag was either there or it wasn’t. It, also, made it easier

asier for coeducational play in schools and playgrounds. Football is a popular fall sport that has become part of our culture in the United States. It can be an excellent coeducational activity too. Middle School or Junior High is when football should be introduced to youngsters, as it is more difficult to understand than some of the more basic games. Boys, tend to be more skilled in the areas of development needed to play football such as throwing, catching, and kicking. Girls don’t seem to have as much opportunity. If girls are taught the skills necessary to play football at an early age, they will have more success as they grow older. All youngsters should have an opportunity to learn the game, and become informed observers. Touch and flag football have become lifetime sports for some participants, mostly men. Football skills develop eye-foot and eye-hand coordination, along with coordination, running speed and agility, and strength. Football isn’t a great source of cardiovascular activity however, because it requires only short bursts of energy. The objective in football is to carry or pass the ball into the opponent’s end zone for a touchdown, and in defense, keep the other team from scoring in the end zone that your team defends. There are various rules to the different types of football that are played today. The ball may be moved forward by either passing or running. The ball carrier is stopped when he/she is ruled down (either by touch or by snatching a flag depending on the style of football). The team with the most points in the allotted time wins unless there is a tie. Ties can be decided by playing until there is a winner, or the team with the most first downs during play. Touchdowns count as six points, and are made by passing or carrying the ball over the goal line. A safety is worth two points, and is accomplished when you tackle an opponent in their own end zone. A field goal counts as three points (if allowed). A conversion (also called a point after try) is another means of scoring, and counts as one point if the ball is kicked through the field goal posts, or two points if the ball is passed or ran across the goal line after a touchdown. Most flag football fields do not have goal posts, making kicking conversions or field goals impossible. Blocking with the shoulders is usually allowed. Players may not block using their hands, and must not leave their feet to block. Some rules do not allow any blocking with physical contact, and use a screen instead. A screen is set when a player stands in the way of a defender who is running toward the ball carrier as to get in their way. The defender must then go around the player setting the screen. No pushing is allowed in this type of play. Play starts with a kickoff (a punt or placekick), usually taken from the 20 yard line or quarter yard line. The receiving team goes to offense after receiving the ball, and the kicking team is on defense. After each touchdown or field goal, play resumes with a kickoff by the team that scored. Teams can retain the ability to control the football by either gaining 10 yards in 4 downs, reaching the second yard marker in 4 downs, or reaching the next closest line if the field is marked in quarters, depending on the rules you wish to use. If there are no marks on the field, then a team can be forced to score in 4 downs. If one team can’t score in 4 downs, then the other team takes over possession from where the other team left off. A team can choose to punt the ball if they don’t think they can make a first down, and must announce that they are going to punt. The defense can not rush the kicker in an attempt to block the kick, and offense can not cross the scrimmage line until the ball is kicked. Fumbled balls are ruled dead, and possession is retained by the fumbling team. Playing time consists of two 20-minute halves, four 10 minute quarters, or whatever the time is allotted. Field conditions for flag and touch football shou