Football. 5th Edition. by Howie Long with John Czarnecki

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3 Football 5th Edition by Howie Long with John Czarnecki

4 Football For Dummies, 5th Edition Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ , Copyright 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) , fax (201) , or online at Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL WHERE APPROPRIATE. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at , outside the U.S. at , or fax For technical support, please visit Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print on demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e books or in print on demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at For more information about Wiley products, visit Library of Congress Control Number: ISBN (pbk); ISBN (ebk); ISBN (ebk) Manufactured in the United States of America

5 Contents at a Glance Introduction... 1 Part I: Getting Started with Football... 5 Chapter 1: America s Greatest Game...7 Chapter 2: Meet Me on the Gridiron...17 Chapter 3: Them s the Rules (And Regulations)...31 Part II: Go, Offense! Chapter 4: The Quarterback, Football s MVP...61 Chapter 5: The Passing Game...77 Chapter 6: Hitting the Ground Running...91 Chapter 7: The Offensive Line at Work in the Trenches Chapter 8: Examining Offensive Plays and Strategies Part III: The Big D Chapter 9: These Guys Are Huge: The Defensive Line Chapter 10: The Secondary: Last Line of Defense Chapter 11: Delving into Defensive Tactics and Strategies Part IV: Meet the Rest of the Team Chapter 12: Special Teams, Masters of the Kicking Game Chapter 13: Coaches, General Managers, and Other Important Folks Part V: Football for Everyone Chapter 14: Armchair Quarterbacks and Other Fabulous Fans Chapter 15: Youth Leagues and High School Football Chapter 16: College Football Where It All Started Chapter 17: Taking a Look at the NFL (And Other Professional Leagues) Chapter 18: Playing Fantasy Football Part VI: The Part of Tens Chapter 19: The Ten (Or So) Greatest Defensive Players of All Time Chapter 20: More Than Ten Top Non Quarterback Offensive Players...313

6 Chapter 21: The Ten Greatest Quarterbacks of All Time Chapter 22: The Ten Greatest Coaches in the History of the Game Appendix Index

7 Contents Introduction... 1 About This Book...2 Foolish Assumptions...2 Icons Used in This Book...3 Beyond the Book...4 Where to Go from Here...4 Part I: Getting Started with Football... 5 Chapter 1: America s Greatest Game... 7 Why Football Is the Best...8 Who s Playing Football...9 How Football Began...10 Camp defines the rules...10 Grange helps spread the popularity of pro ball...11 How the Football Season Is Set Up Today...13 How Television Helped Increase Football s Popularity...15 Why Millions Cheer Each Year for College Football...15 What Makes the Super Bowl Number One...16 Chapter 2: Meet Me on the Gridiron The Big Picture: Stadiums...17 Getting Down to Business: The Field...18 Field dimensions...18 The marks on the field...19 The playing surface...21 Goalposts and other on the field equipment...23 Looking at That Funny Shaped Ball...24 Meeting the Cast of Characters...25 What Football Uniforms Are All About...26 The jersey...26 Helmets and face masks...28 Pads...29 Shoes and cleats...29

8 vi Football For Dummies Chapter 3: Them s the Rules (And Regulations) The Ins and Outs of the Game Clock...31 The Coin Toss and Kickoff...33 Downs Plus Yardage Equals Excitement...35 Scoring Points...36 Touchdowns...36 Extra points and two point conversions...37 Field goals...38 Safeties...39 The Role of the Officials...39 Referee...40 Umpire...41 Head linesman...41 Line judge...41 Back judge...42 Field judge...42 Side judge...43 Familiarizing Yourself with Referee Signals...43 Penalties and Other Violations...49 Looking at 5 yard penalties...49 Surveying 10 yard penalties...52 Recognizing 15 yard penalties...54 Identifying specific pass play penalties...56 Disputing a Call: The Instant Replay Challenge System...57 Part II: Go, Offense! Chapter 4: The Quarterback, Football s MVP Taking a Look at the Quarterback s Job...61 Determining What a Quarterback Needs to Succeed...63 Arm strength...64 Accuracy...64 Competitiveness...64 Intelligence...65 Mobility...65 Release...66 Size...67 Vision...67 Quarterbacking Fundamentals...68 Settling into the stance...69 Dropping back...69 Handing off...70 Getting a grip...71

9 Table of Contents vii Reading a Defense...71 Calling Plays and Audibilizing...74 Acing Quarterback Math...75 Chapter 5: The Passing Game Getting to Know the Passing Game...77 Recognizing the Role of Receivers...78 Achieving the proper stance...80 Lining up correctly...81 Catching the ball...81 Beating man to man coverage...81 Defining Important Passing Terms...83 Looking at Passing Patterns...85 Getting into the Shotgun Formation...88 Chapter 6: Hitting the Ground Running An Overview of the Ground Game...92 Meeting the Men Who Play the Ground Game...93 The halfback, a team s principal ball carrier...93 The fullback, protector of the halfback...94 Recognizing that Running Backs Come in All Sizes and Shapes...94 Exploring Running Back Fundamentals...95 The basic skills...96 The job description...97 The stances...99 The number one priority Lining Up: The Formations Walking 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...122

10 viii Football For Dummies Chapter 8: Examining Offensive Plays and Strategies 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 Wearing out a defense with the no huddle offense 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 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...160

11 Table of Contents ix 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 The Problem of Pass Interference and Illegal Contact 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 front front eagle Dallas Flex Zone blitz Over/under Cover two (and Tampa two) Tackling Tricky Situations Stopping a superstar Stopping the two point conversion Stuffing short yardage...204

12 x Football For Dummies 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...249

13 Table of Contents xi Keeping Up with Your Favorite Teams The NFL Network and the NFL Redzone Channel Internet sports sites Fantasy football sites Twitter Mobile apps 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 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 College Football Playoff The selection process The semifinals The national championship game 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...281

14 xii Football For Dummies 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 television 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...311

15 Table of Contents xiii Chapter 20: More Than Ten Top Non Quarterback Offensive Players Jim Brown Earl Campbell Dave Casper Mike Ditka and John Mackey John Hannah Don Hutson Hugh McElhenny Jim Parker Walter Payton Gale Sayers Art Shell Gene Upshaw Chapter 21: The Ten Greatest Quarterbacks of All Time Terry Bradshaw Tom Brady John Elway Otto Graham Peyton Manning Dan Marino Joe Montana Fran Tarkenton Johnny Unitas Steve Young Chapter 22: 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 Appendix Index

Football. 5th Edition. by Howie Long with John Czarnecki

Football. 5th Edition. by Howie Long with John Czarnecki Football 5th Edition by Howie Long with John Czarnecki Football For Dummies, 5th Edition Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030 5774, www.wiley.com Copyright 2015 by