As a result, teams facing fourth down will usually choose to either kick a field goal, if they are close enough to the posts, or else ‘punt’ the ball downfield, ensuring their opponents take possession closer to their own goal line.
In order to do so, the team’s quarterback will usually either throw the ball downfield to a receiver, or hand the ball off to his running back, who will attempt to carry the ball forwards.
NFL rules for dummies: The basics on how American Football works and overtime explained for Super Bowl 2025 All eyes are on New Orleans this weekend for Super Bowl LIX, which is the conclusion of the NFL season although many other questions are set to be answered apart from American football.
Similar to most team sports, the objective is to work the ball down the field towards your opponent’s goal line in order to score.
Teams get four attempts – known as ‘downs’ – to move the ball a total of at least 10 yards up the field.
