[Dummies 01] • Football For Dummies · 4th Edition by Long, Howie -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Introduction

About This Book Conventions Used in This Book What You’re Not to Read Foolish Assumptions How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Football 101 Part II: Go, Offense! Part III: The Big D Part IV: Meet the Rest of the Team Part V: Football for Everyone Part VI: The Part of Tens Part VII: Appendixes

Icons Used in This Book Where to Go from Here

Part I: Football 101

Chapter 1: America’s Greatest Game

Why Football Is the Best Who’s Playing Football How Football Began

Camp defines the rules Grange helps spread the popularity of pro ball

How the Football Season Is Set Up Today How Television Helped Increase Football’s Popularity Why Millions Cheer Each Year for College Football What Makes the Super Bowl Number One

Chapter 2: Meet Me on the Gridiron

The Big Picture: Stadiums Getting Down to Business: The Field

Field dimensions The marks on the field The playing surface Goalposts and other on-the-field equipment

Looking at That Funny-Shaped Ball Meeting the Cast of Characters What Football Uniforms Are All About

The jersey Helmets and face masks Pads Shoes and cleats

Chapter 3: Them’s the Rules (And Regulations)

The Ins and Outs of the Game Clock The Coin Toss and Kickoff Downs Plus Yardage Equals Excitement Scoring Points

Touchdowns Extra points and two-point conversions Field goals Safeties

The Role of the Officials

Referee Umpire Head linesman Line judge Back judge Field judge Side judge

Familiarizing Yourself with Referee Signals Penalties and Other Violations

Looking at 5-yard penalties Surveying 10-yard penalties Recognizing 15-yard penalties Identifying specific pass-play penalties

Disputing a Call: The Instant Replay Challenge System

Part II: Go, Offense!

Chapter 4: The Quarterback, Football’s MVP

Taking a Look at the Quarterback’s Job Determining What a Quarterback Needs to Succeed

Arm strength Competitiveness Intelligence Mobility Release Size Vision

Quarterbacking Fundamentals

Settling into the stance Dropping back Handing off Getting a grip

Reading a Defense Calling Plays and Audibilizing Acing Quarterback Math

Chapter 5: The Passing Game

Getting to Know the Passing Game Recognizing the Role of Receivers

Achieving the proper stance Lining up correctly Catching the ball Beating man-to-man coverage

Defining Important Passing Terms Looking at Passing Patterns Getting into the Shotgun Formation

Chapter 6: Hitting the Ground Running

An Overview of the Ground Game Meeting the Men Who Play the Ground Game

The halfback, a team’s principal ball carrier The fullback, protector of the halfback

Recognizing that Running Backs Come in All Sizes and Shapes Exploring Running Back Fundamentals

The basic skills The job description The stances The number one priority

Lining Up: The Formations Walking You through the Basic Running Plays

Chapter 7: The Offensive Line at Work in the Trenches

Looking Down the Line

Centers Guards Tackles

The Lineman Physique: Fat Guys Doing the Job Understanding the Keys to Successful Offensive Line Play

The proper stance A solid base Leverage Toughness Repetition

Uncovering a Lineman’s Worst Offense: Penalties Getting Acquainted with Blocking Terms

Chapter 8: Examining Offensive Plays and Strategies

Understanding That Offense Begins with Players Zeroing in on Specialized Pass Offenses

West Coast offense Shotgun offense

Looking at Some Newfangled Offenses

The wildcat The spread The pistol

Beating a Defense

Battling a 3-4 front Running against a 4-3 front Defeating the four-across defense Beating press coverage Passing against a zone coverage Selecting an offense versus a zone blitz Throwing the post versus blitzing teams

Gaining Better Field Position

Throwing a field position pass Opting for possession passes Moving downfield with play-action passes

Surveying Offenses for Sticky Situations

Deciding whether to gamble on fourth-and-1 Making a first down on a fourth-down gamble Running a quarterback sneak Doing the two-minute drill

Scoring Offenses

Making the best run play on the goal line Scoring inside the opponent’s 10-yard line Going for two-point conversions

Disguising a Successful Play

Part III: The Big D

Chapter 9: These Guys Are Huge: The Defensive Line

Those Big Guys Called Linemen

Looking closely at the D line Identifying types of defensive linemen Understanding what makes a good defensive lineman Delving into D-line lingo Unlocking the keys to a defensive lineman

Linebackers: The Leaders of the Defense

Figuring out what linebackers do Dealing with the senses Naming all the linebackers

Defensive Alignments Sacks, Tackles, and Other Defensive Gems

Chapter 10: The Secondary: Last Line of Defense

Presenting the Performers

Cornerbacks Safeties Nickel and dime backs

Studying Secondary Tricks and Techniques

Doing a bump and run Staying with a receiver Stemming around

Making a Mark: A Good Day in the Life of a Defensive Back Examining the Two Types of Coverage (And Their Variations)

Man-to-man coverage Zone coverage Eight men in the box The Nickel 40 defense

Chapter 11: Delving into Defensive Tactics and Strategies

Choosing a Base Defense Examining the Different Defenses

4-3 front 3-4 front 3-4 eagle Dallas 4-3 Flex Zone blitz 46 Over/under 4-3 Cover two (and Tampa two)

Tackling Tricky Situations

Stopping a superstar Stopping the two-point conversion Stuffing short yardage

Part IV: Meet the Rest of the Team

Chapter 12: Special Teams, Masters of the Kicking Game

Finding Out Who’s Who on Special Teams Understanding What’s So Special about Special Teams Placekicking

Kicking off Returning the kickoff Kicking field goals and PATs Blocking field goals and PATs

Punting

Setting up and kicking the ball Meeting the key performers on the punt team Reviewing punt rules Punting out of trouble Examining the dangerous art of punt returning

Chapter 13: Coaches, General Managers, and Other Important Folks

A Team’s Fearless Leaders: The Coaches

Discovering who does what on the coaching staff Exploring the different coaching styles and philosophies Looking into what coaches do when they’re not yelling on the sidelines

The Team’s Public Face: The Owners An Owner’s Eyes and Ears: General Managers The People Responsible for Finding Talent: Scouts Keeping Players Strong and Healthy: Trainers and Team Doctors

Part V: Football for Everyone

Chapter 14: Armchair Quarterbacks and Other Fabulous Fans

Deciphering the Announcers’ Slang Following a Game on Television or Radio

Watching a game on television Listening to a game on the radio

Attending a Game

Picking the best seats Knowing what to focus on Enjoying the halftime show

Keeping Up with Your Favorite Teams

The Internet Magazines Newspapers

Visiting the Football Halls of Fame

Chapter 15: Youth Leagues and High School Football

Determining When to Start Playing Signing Up Your Kids for Youth Football

Pop Warner and similar programs Punt, Pass & Kick The NFL’s USA Football Player Academy

Realizing What Sets High School Football Apart

Rule differences Style of play Player lineups

Making the Most of the High School Game

Players Coaches Parents

Thinking Ahead to a College Football Career

Chapter 16: College Football — Where It All Started

Why People Love College Football Big, Medium, and Small

Big-time schools Small college powers

Examining College Conferences The Bowl Championship Series

Understanding the basics of the system Seeing how the BCS teams are selected Considering the controversy surrounding the BCS

Those Father Figures: College Coaches The Heisman and Other Trophies All-American and Other All-Star Teams

Chapter 17: Taking a Look at the NFL (And Other Professional Leagues)

The Birth of Pro Football Dividing the Ranks: The NFL Conferences Getting to Know the Pro Football Schedule

The regular-season games The playoffs The Super Bowl

Building a Team: It’s More than Drawing Straws

Drafting players out of school Trading to get who you want Going the free agent route

Status Is Everything: Determining Player Designations The Business of Professional Football

Show me the money: Player salaries The salary cap levels the playing field Collective bargaining agreements Big business and the TV connection

Making the Players’ Health a Priority Peeking at Other Pro Leagues

Chapter 18: Playing Fantasy Football

Exploring How Fantasy Football Leagues Work Figuring Out How to Play

Starting a league Choosing a fantasy football site Drafting a team Filling out your roster Managing your team after the draft Figuring your point total and winning

Finding Information to Help Your Team Considering Tips for Fantasy Football Success

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 19: The Ten (Or So) Greatest Defensive Players of All Time

Doug Atkins Dick Butkus Kenny Easley Joe Greene Jack Ham and Ted Hendricks Mike Haynes Ken Houston Sam Huff and Ray Nitschke Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen Jack Lambert Dick “Night Train” Lane Bob Lilly Gino Marchetti

Chapter 20: More Than Ten Top Offensive Players

Terry Bradshaw Jim Brown Earl Campbell Dave Casper Mike Ditka and John Mackey Otto Graham John Hannah Don Hutson Hugh McElhenny Joe Montana Jim Parker Walter Payton Gale Sayers Art Shell Gene Upshaw

Chapter 21: The Ten Greatest Coaches in the History of the Game

Paul Brown Joe Gibbs George Halas Jimmy Johnson Vince Lombardi John Madden Bill Parcells Knute Rockne Don Shula Bill Walsh

Chapter 22: The Ten Best Teams of All Time

Chicago Bears (1940–1943) Cleveland Browns (1946–1955) Dallas Cowboys (1992–1995) Green Bay Packers (1965–1967) Miami Dolphins (1970–1974) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1946 and 1947) Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1980–1985) Pittsburgh Steelers (1974–1979) San Francisco 49ers (1984–1989) Washington Redskins (1982–1991)

Chapter 23: The Ten Most Intense College Football Rivalries

Alabama versus Auburn Army versus Navy California versus Stanford Florida versus Georgia Harvard versus Yale Lafayette versus Lehigh Michigan versus Ohio State Minnesota versus Wisconsin Notre Dame versus USC Oklahoma versus Texas

Part VII: Appendixes

Appendix A: Football Speak Appendix B: Get Your Tickets Here

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Big 12 Big East Big Ten Conference USA (C-USA) IA Independents Mid-American Conference (MAC) Mountain West Conference (MWC) Pacific 12 (Pac-12) Southeastern Conference (SEC) Sun Belt Conference Western Athletic Conference (WAC)

Cheat Sheet

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