American football Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

American football - Essay Example The game evolved as new of rules were set including the introduction of the snap, the downs concept, the neutral zone and legalization of the forward pass. The introduction of the snap caused the unexpected development of the â€Å"block game† where a team would keep hold on the ball indefinitely to keep the other team from scoring. To prevent this practice from becoming the norm, a rule change was necessary. There was the introduction of three downs or tackles to advance the ball five yards or forfeiture of ball control to the other team. The rule probably stopped the game from becoming boring and fading into the confines of other less popular sports. Rules were also developed to specify field size and a scoring system to be used by teams during play. It clear from the evolution and revision of the rules and guidelines of the game that American foot was growing to be a popular sport among many people. Professional football was first recorded when William heffelfinger was paid 500 Dollars to play a game in 1892. After that, it became apparent that there needed to be rules to govern how people handled this aspect. Fortunately, there was the rise of the NFL that has reigned over the game for a long time. Despite its disadvantages, professional play may have improved the standard of the game by making sure that only the best players compete professionally. In a team, there are three major backfield positions, namely the quarterback, the halfback and the fullback. The quarterback leads the offense and calls the plays. He usually takes the snap and may hand off the ball, throw it or run with it. Consequently, quarterbacks have sometimes been seen as the most important players in the team. The halfback or tailback usually carries the ball during running plays. He may also be a receiver. A fullback primarily acts as a blocker but may sometimes act as a runner the for short distance situations. The center leads the