American Football: King of the Bay Area

He cherished every minute, every second on the field! This was his dream, his youth—his life! For eleven long years, he had run, fought, and striven on this gridiron. Now that he had finally earned an opportunity, how could he possibly let it slip away?

Football. It was his number one choice!

American football actually shares many similarities with soccer. In both, one side attacks while the other defends, with the ultimate goal being to get the ball into the goal area to score. It’s just that the execution differs in the details.

In a football game, each team is divided into three units: the offense, the Defense Team, and the special teams. When one team’s offense takes the field, the other’s Defense Team comes on to face them. In other situations, such as after a failed offensive drive, for field goals, or during kickoffs, both sides will send out their special teams.

After the snap, the offense has four downs to advance the ball at least ten yards. If they succeed, they earn a new set of four downs and can continue their advance. If they fail, possession of the ball is turned over to the opposing team.

First, let’s talk about the offense. There are two primary ways to attack: passing and running.

The quarterback is the core player who directs the offense. He’s also the primary target for the defense, making him arguably the most important player on any team. After the snap, the players in front of the quarterback, known as the Offense Line, are responsible for blocking the defensive rush. This gives the quarterback enough time to survey the field and decide whether to run the ball or pass it.

A pass is when the quarterback throws the football, much like in basketball, to a teammate who is already running a route, with the goal of advancing downfield. A run, on the other hand, is when the quarterback hands the ball off to a nearby running back. The running back then clutches the ball tightly and charges, runs, and weaves through the mass of players to gain yardage.

During an offensive play, every player’s positioning, every block, every route, and every tactic requires precise coordination. The purpose of the Offense Line isn’t just to protect the quarterback; it’s also to open up running lanes for the running back and to give the Wide Receivers time to get open, all to achieve the ultimate goal of advancing the ball.

A professional team’s playbook can contain as many as 20,000 different plays.

Next is scoring. A football field is one hundred yards long, with scoring areas at both ends. Unlike in soccer, the ”goal” in American football is the End Zone. The End Zone is the same width as the field—just over fifty-three yards—and is ten yards deep.

During the game, if an offensive player carries the ball across the goal line, or catches a pass in the End Zone, it’s a score. This is called a Touchdown, and it’s worth six points. After a Touchdown, the scoring team gets an opportunity for an extra point. The special teams unit comes onto the field to attempt a kick from the thirty-five-yard line through the uprights at the back of the End Zone. A successful kick earns one more point.

There’s another scenario. An offense on its fourth down, having failed to gain the required ten yards after three attempts, might find itself close enough to the End Zone to be within field goal range.

In this situation, they can choose to go for it on fourth down. However, if they fail to gain the necessary yardage, possession is immediately turned over. Therefore, the offense can opt to forgo their fourth-down attempt. Instead, their special teams unit comes on to try and kick the ball through the uprights—similar to a free kick in soccer. If the kick is successful, the offense scores three points.

At its core, American football is just like soccer: advance, advance, and advance again. The goal is to get the ball across the goal line and score points.

Throughout the entire game, the quarterback is undoubtedly the heart and soul of the team.

For the offense, the quarterback commands the entire field, arguably a more critical role than a midfielder in soccer. The quarterback’s mental understanding, application, and execution of plays, his ability to read the defense, and his judgment of the on-field situation are the keys that determine the game’s outcome. For the defense, their entire game plan revolves around reading the opposing quarterback’s tactical decisions and containing the offensive storm he unleashes.

In soccer, the star player might be a striker, a midfielder, or a goalie. But in American football, the quarterback is always the center of attention, the absolute soul of the team.

In sports like soccer, basketball, and ice hockey, physical contact is a crucial element. American football is no exception—in fact, the physicality is even more intense. In this regard, however, the quarterback is a special case.

In a game, the quarterback stands behind a barrier: the Offense Line.

The Offense Line is responsible for blocking the Defense Team, forming a protective pocket to buy the quarterback more time for tactical decisions and pass selection. They absorb the vast majority of the hits and collisions. Only when this pocket collapses does the quarterback have to face direct physical contact.

Furthermore, modern football has numerous rules designed specifically to protect the quarterback and give him more room to operate. For example, certain types of illegal tackles are prohibited. After the quarterback has thrown the ball, no form of tackling or hitting is allowed unless he has intentionally run out of the pocket. Hits to the head or below the knees are also forbidden. Violating these rules results in some of the most severe penalties in the game.

So, relatively speaking, the amount of physical punishment a quarterback faces isn’t as intense. Generally, quarterbacks are not the most physically gifted players on the team; some might not even meet the team’s average in terms of raw athleticism.

Compared to raw physical attributes, a quarterback’s tactical decision-making, command of the game, and instinct for opportune moments are far more crucial. Likewise, his passing choices, throwing mechanics, and footwork are also much more important skills.

A great quarterback doesn’t necessarily have a powerful physique; he has powerful Tactical Awareness and outstanding passing ability. Similarly, a strong body can help a quarterback withstand contact, but it can’t help him complete a pass. This makes the quarterback a unique position, one that places a greater demand on intelligence and mental processing. Of course, a quarterback with excellent physical attributes is just the icing on the cake.

Back in high school, Lu Ke had played the quarterback position. Although he was physically lacking, his tactical knowledge, observational skills, and adaptability were outstanding—at least for his high school. But when he got to college, forget about a star position like quarterback; Lu Ke couldn’t even earn a regular spot on the roster, serving merely as a practice squad player.

’Now, with the chance to become a Rugby Superstar, did he even need to think about which position to play?’

”Quarterback,” Lu Ke said without a moment’s hesitation. ”Of course, it has to be quarterback!”