American Football - Overview

American Football is a minority game in this country much like most American sports e.g. baseball or ice hockey, although there is actually a professional league up and running with a lot teams and university teams!! We even have our very own Leicester Lightning Uni team and the Loughborough Aces Uni team!! Other than that if you want to play contact you have to go to Milton Keynes for under 18 and after that to Coventry or Birmingham. American Football is generally played on a 100 yard pitch with 10 yards touchdown areas at each end. Each pitch has two goal posts at either on at each end rather like rugby. To start with, one team kicks the ball to the opposing team from the ground like a conversion in rugby. The opposing team catches the ball and runs as far up the pitch as he can before he gets tackled. The team with the ball then gets 3 chances to get the ball 10 yards up the pitch; each time you get tackled it counts as a down. 3 downs and you have a choice go for a field goal, punt or try for a new set of downs. The most heard of position in American Football is QB or Quarter Back, who gets to throw the ball or run with it, so he has the most important job. A touch down is worth 6 points with a conversion adding an extra point and a field goal worth 3 points.

At the time of writing Leicester does not have a contact team (except unis) although it does have a Flag Football team which is similar to contact.. just without the contact! Instead you have to rip a belt off the opposing player to complete a tackle.

- Feature by Joseph