Football, a name that resonates with many people worldwide, is a complex game. It has many complicated rules, regulations, and strategic situations that teams and players can take advantage of. How many of these exciting football facts do you, along with millions of other fans, know?
From Super Bowl legends to the protective helmets players wear, this article will dive deep into the different rule variations, the history of the game, and uncommon football situations that don’t necessarily happen in every game.
Here’s our pick of 10 football facts that you may not know about. Let’s engage in this thrilling sport and dive into the list.
Fair Catch Kick
A fair-catch kick is an unfamiliar rule often called in any football game. The rule states that when a team fair catches a punt, they are eligible for a “fair catch kick.” Even seasoned fans might find this confusing.
How is this possible?
This is when a team gets a chance to kick an uncontested field goal for a chance at 3 points. Here are the details:
- The return team needs to call for a clear fair catch, and successfully catch the football
- Once the ball is caught, the special teams unit will then come onto the field to attempt a field goal
- The defense can not rush the kicker. However, they can return a fair catch kick for a chance to score a touchdown. Essentially as soon as the ball is kicked, it is played like a field goal.
Learn more about the fair catch kick here.
Pop Warner Is One Of The Biggest Innovators
Pop Warner, a name most will relate to the youth football league, was a major innovator in football. Most of these 10 facts of football that you’re going to learn about, were started because of Pop Warner.
Glenn Scobey “Pop” Warner went on to create many notable additions to the game, such as:
- Single and Double Wing Formations
- 3 Point Stance
- Huddle
- Spiral Pass and Spiral Punt
Below, for fans and people new to the game alike, are some of the famous play designs that he created, which are still used in the game today:
- Trap Play
- Bootleg Play
- Naked Reverse
- Screen Pass
A former player and a famous coach – Glenn, was one of the great innovators of the game of football. Notable for his wins in the college ranks, Pop Warner coaches for the following teams:
- University Of Georgia
- Cornell University
- Carlisle University
- Pittsburgh University
- Stanford University
- Temple University
Picking Up a Touched Punt By Punt Team
This rule is rarely taken advantage of. If a member of the punting team touches the football (in the air or when it is rolling), the receiving team may pick up the football and try to pick up as many yards as possible with no consequences.
If the player fumbles the ball, the team will not lose possession. The kicking team is already technically “downed” (when they touched the player in the air or when it was rolling). Therefore the receiving team can take the ball back from where it was initially touched.
Here is an excellent explanation from coachfore.org for fans and people who love the sport:
“Rule 6-2-5 states that: If any K player touches a scrimmage kick first (and before the ball has come to rest), R (receiving team) may take the ball at the spot of first touching, or any spot if there is more than one spot of first touching, or they may choose to have the ball put in play as determined by the action which follows first touching. The right of the R to take the ball at the spot of first touching by K is canceled if R feels the kick and thereafter during the down commits a foul or if the penalty has been accepted for any foul committed during the down.
So, the scenario might be that the punted ball lands on the ground, takes a hard bounce off of a kicking team coverage man, and then your punt returner picks it up before it has come to a rest. That returner can run the football back.
It is not dead upon first touching. The ball is still live. Since it says that the receiving team can “put the ball in play as determined by the action which follows first touching,” you can choose to take the results of the return your returner got or take the ball at the spot of first touching.
Notice that the choice is canceled if there is a penalty on the return. This is a great rule to know and teach your kids because there is no harm, and no risk for you to pick up the ball and run! If your returner fumbles the ball on his run back, you can still maintain possession by choosing to take the “first touching.”
To further clarify this rule, the officials’ “Case Book” states:
6.2.5 Situation A: K1 attempts to down a punt beyond the neutral zone, but his touching only slows it down. The bouncing ball is subsequently recovered by R1, who advances 25 yards but then fumbles, and K2 recovers. RULING: R may either take the results of the play or retain possession by taking the ball at the spot of K1’s first touching.”
Dick Lebeau Invented the Zone Blitz
We see it as a routine on Saturdays and Sundays. A linebacker or a defensive back will show blitz and a lineman will drop into zone coverage.
This is known as a “zone blitz.” This blitz was made famous by an iconic American, Dick Lebeau (former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator and the Tennessee Titans).
Lebeau, known for his creative schemes, helped pioneer what would be known today as the “fire” or “zone” blitz.
Typically running out of the 3-4 defense, Lebeau would send linebackers through multiple blitz packages and drop athletic linemen into space. This would confuse the quarterback and make him think a receiver was open when in fact, he wasn’t
Adding the pass rush wasn’t what was intended, but it confused blocking schemes and quarterbacks. This led to tremendous innovations in American football.
Fair Catch a Kickoff
Teams all across the world are getting creative with their kickoffs. One kickoff, in particular, that is gaining popularity is the “Sky” kickoff. A team will kick the ball in the air and try to recover it before hitting the ground.
One way to defend against this is to call for a fair catch. This neutralizes the sky kick and will give your team a good field position.
Teams in American college football (or high schools that play by NCAA rules) have been fair catching kickoffs inside the 20-yard line. This helps teams who don’t have a great return game get the ball automatically at the 25-yard line. Even great teams at returning kicks can salvage some field position by waving for a fair catch inside the 20.
Read more about fair catch on a kickoff here.
Establishing One Foot Out of Bounds On a Kickoff
This play is often utilized by smart returners with a good grasp of the field. When a ball is kicked off, a player can put one foot out of bounds and the other inbounds if it is rolling to the sideline. This positioning signifies that the player is “out of bounds,” resulting in a “kick out of bounds” penalty.
This is a rare occurrence in football, but it can help you salvage some field positions. If the return team has one deep returner, it will take him a few seconds to get over to a ball rolling close to out of bounds.
Placing one foot out of bounds and reaching to gather possession will automatically render a flag to be thrown. Field position is everything in football; getting the kicking team to rekick or take the ball at a designated field position may help save the game!
This play was made popular by Ty Montgomery from the Green Bay Packers.
Rules Of Blocking A Punt
Often when a punt is blocked, it will have enough momentum/carry to go past the line of scrimmage, or it will go behind the punter and carry backward. The rules of advancement change depending on where the ball is.
In front of the line of scrimmage: If the ball is blocked and it travels past the line of scrimmage, it is treated like a normal punt (the same goes for if the ball is tipped)
Behind the Line of Scrimmage: Both teams may advance the blocked kick to their advantage if the ball is blocked behind the line of scrimmage.
It’s good for the punt return team to know these rules because touching the ball when it goes past the line of scrimmage could result in a muff. When in doubt, treat it like a normal punt rolling on the ground. Teams often use the word “poison” for everyone to get away from the ball.
A-11 Offense Uses 11 Wide Receivers
There is an offense that will make you take a second look. It’s called the A11 offense. What is so special about it? It features 11 wide receivers on the field and no lineman.
How is this possible? It is all based on the quarterback’s alignment. There is a rule that states that when the quarterback is seven or more yards behind the line of scrimmage, he is in a punting formation.
Because he is considered a punter, it is assumed that they are in a punting formation, which means that any number can play Center, Guard, or Tackle. Coaches have taken this to the next level and using this as their full-time formation. You can read more about the A-11 offense here:
The Clock Stops After The First Down (College & HS)
In the NFL, College, and High school, the clock stops when a player goes out of bounds, a pass is incomplete, a change of possession after a score, and when an injury occurs.
However, the clock also stops after a first down for a brief second in high school and college games. The clock stops temporarily while the chains are set.
The referee then blows the whistle to wind the clock. This is important because teams can get a first down, get in a formation, and spike the ball to stop the clock without wasting much time.
This is also why the last minute of a game is faster-paced in the NFL and why timeouts play an influential role.
Driving 60 yards in college to win the game is much easier to do (from a clock management perspective) than in the NFL. That’s why we see more hail-mary attempts in the last minute of the game than long field goal attempts.
Only One State Plays By College Rules In High School
Massachusetts and Texas are the only two states that play by NCAA rules. The rest of the country (like teams from Ohio or Florida) play by local rules or by NFHS rules.
As of 2019, Massachusetts no longer plays by NCAA rules. They have chosen, as a state, to play by NFHS rules. Texas now remains the lone state that plays by NCAA rules.
Now that you’ve learned these 10 interesting facts don’t stop there!
Football Facts Recap
Football is one of the most popular sports in America because of it’s exciting plays, physical contact and the rollercoaster of emotions that come with it.
If you enjoy learning about football and want to improve your football IQ even more, we recommend you check out our Ultimate Football Guide. It has everything you need to improve your football knowledge to an expert level.
Thanks for reading, and we hope you learned a thing or two! What’s your favorite fact listed above? Let us know in the comments below!
