Rules guide
Football in five minutes
American football looks complicated from the stands, but almost everything follows from one idea: the offense gets four tries to move the ball ten yards. Gain the ten yards and the count starts over. Fall short and the other team gets the ball. This guide covers the rules you meet in 3D Football and a few habits that win games.
The field
The field is 100 yards between the goal lines with a 10-yard end zone at each end, and 53⅓ yards wide. Yard lines are painted every five yards and numbered every ten, counting up from each goal line to the 50. The short marks down the middle are the hash marks; every play starts between them. The goal posts stand on the end lines with the crossbar 10 feet off the ground and the uprights 18½ feet apart.
Downs and the first down
Each play is a down. The spot where the ball sits before the snap is the line of scrimmage (the blue line in the game), and the spot ten yards ahead is the line to gain (the yellow line). "2nd & 4" means it is the second try and four yards are still needed.
- Reach or pass the yellow line on any down and you earn a new set of four downs.
- A play ends when the ball carrier is tackled, steps out of bounds, slides, or a pass falls incomplete.
- On 4th down most teams punt (kick the ball away) or try a field goal rather than risk losing the ball on the spot. In the game, P punts and G kicks a field goal.
Scoring
| Touchdown – carry or catch the ball in the end zone | 6 |
|---|---|
| Extra point – kick after a touchdown | 1 |
| Field goal – kick through the uprights | 3 |
| Safety – tackle the ball carrier in his own end zone | 2 |
After a score the team that scored kicks off. In 3D Football the extra point is a timing kick: hold the button, let go when the power bar sits in the green zone, and aim between the uprights.
Who plays where
Offense
- Quarterback (QB) takes the snap, hands off or throws. Most plays run through his decisions.
- Running back (RB) lines up beside or behind the QB, takes handoffs and catches short passes.
- Wide receivers (WR) line up wide and run routes. They are the fastest players on offense.
- Tight end (TE) lines up next to the line and both blocks and catches.
- Offensive line (OL): five big blockers who form the pocket on passes and open holes on runs.
Defense
- Defensive line (DL): rushers who push into the backfield. The ends keep the QB from escaping outside.
- Linebackers (LB) stand a few yards back, stop runs and cover short passes. Sometimes they blitz.
- Cornerbacks (CB) cover the wide receivers, either man to man or in zones.
- Safeties (S) are the last line deep in the middle and help against both runs and long passes.
Penalties you will see
- False start / Offside – moving across the line before the snap. 5 yards.
- Holding – grabbing an opponent to block or to stop a route. 10 yards on offense, 5 yards and a first down on defense.
- Pass interference – contact with a receiver before the ball arrives. The ball moves forward and the offense gets a first down.
- Roughing the passer and face mask – dangerous hits. 15 yards and a first down.
- Illegal forward pass – throwing after the quarterback has crossed the line of scrimmage.
Play-calling tips
- Short passes beat the blitz. When linebackers creep up to the line, a quick out or slant gets the ball out before the rush arrives.
- Run when the box is light. A nickel defense has an extra defensive back and one fewer linebacker; a power run attacks it.
- Lead your receiver. Throw to where he will be, not where he is. Deep balls hang in the air for two to three seconds, so aim well ahead of a streaking receiver.
- Protect the ball. Your runner tucks the ball in the arm away from the nearest defender and covers it with both hands just before contact, but a hard hit can still knock it loose.
- Set up your blocks. On a run, follow your linemen for a step before you pick the hole. On a kickoff return, the front line drops back to form a wall in front of you; run behind it and cut off a block.
- Feint, then go. A feint makes nearby defenders lean the wrong way while you jump a lane. Use it one or two steps before contact, not after a defender already has you wrapped.
- Scramble with care. Once the quarterback crosses the line of scrimmage he can no longer throw, and every defender comes after him.
- Take the angle on defense. Run to where the ball carrier is going. Chasing his back lets him outrun you.
How the game models real football
Defenders play their jobs: linebackers fill the hole at the line on a run, corners keep the runner inside, and safeties stay deep until the ball carrier is through the line, so a single missed tackle does not always mean a touchdown.
Player speeds come from average combine 40-yard times by position: a receiver covers 40 yards in about 4.4 seconds and peaks near 21 mph, while an offensive lineman takes about 5.2 seconds. Players accelerate hard from a standstill and level off near top speed, so a defender with a head start keeps it.
A thrown ball follows real projectile physics with gravity and a little air drag. Throw speed rises with distance up to the quarterback's arm strength, about 50 mph. A 10-yard pass is nearly flat and arrives in about half a second; a 40-yard pass climbs about six yards high and takes nearly two seconds; a throw past the quarterback's range falls short.
Ready to try it? Start a game.