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Canadian football is a sport in which two teams of twelve players each compete for territorial control of a field of play 110 yards (100.58 metres) long and 65 yards (59.43 metres) wide, with end zones 20 yards (18.29 metres) deep. At each goal line is a set of forty-foot (12.2 metre) high goalposts two uprights joined by a crossbar 18.5 feet (5.64 metres) long which is ten feet (3.05 metres) above the goal line. The goalposts may be either H-shaped (both posts fixed in the ground) or of the tuning-fork design (supported by a single curved post behind the goal line, so that each post starts ten feet (3.05 metres) above the ground). The sides of the field are marked by white sidelines, the goal line is marked in white, and white lines are drawn laterally across the field every 5 yards (4.57 metres) from the goal line.
Play of the Game
Teams advance across the field through the execution of short, distinct plays, which involve the possession of a brown oblong ball with ends tapered to a point and painted with one inch-wide stripes. Players advance the ball by carrying it in the arms or passing it to another player (only one forward pass permitted per football play). Three attempts, or downs, are allowed to move forward ten yards, or the team with the ball must relinquish the ball to the other team.
Kickoff
Play begins with one team kicking off by place kicking the ball from its own 35-yard line. The receiving player then attempts to advance the ball, play stopping when his knee or elbow is forced to the ground (a tackle), when a touchdown (see below) is scored, or when any other player who has obtained possession of the ball is tackled. The next play then starts from scrimmage. The imaginary field-wide line on which the ball is placed following a tackle is called the line of scrimmage. For a scrimmage to be valid the team in possession of the football must have seven players, excluding the quarterback, within one yard of the line of scrimmage. The defending team, however, must stay a yard or more away from the ball. Play begins when the centre passes (snaps) the ball backward through his legs to the quarterback or to a punter. If the quarterback receives the ball he may then advance with the ball, pass it laterally or backwards to a teammate, punt the ball, place the ball on the ground for a place kick, or, remaining on his team's side of the line of scrimmage, pass it to a teammate who is closer to the line or on the other side of it (a forward pass). Play ends as on the kick-off. If the punter receives the ball he usually punts it, but may use any of the options which the quarterback has. After a punt, play may also end when a single (see below) is conceded by a player on the receiving team.
Each play constitutes a down, and the team must advance ten yards towards the opponents' goal line within three downs or forfeit the ball to their opponents. Once ten yards are gained a new series of three downs is begun. When teams have not gained ten yards in two downs they usually punt the ball on third down or try to kick a field goal (see below), depending on their position on the field.
Other kicks
Canadian football distinguishes three ways of kicking the ball:
- Place kick – Kicking a ball held on the ground by a teammate, or, on resuming play following a score, placed on a tee.
- Drop kick – Kicking a ball after bouncing it on the ground; although rarely used today, it has the same status in scoring as a place kick.
- Punt – Kicking the ball after it has been released from the kicker's hand and before it hits the ground)
On punts and field goal attempts (but not kickoffs), members of the kicking team, other than the kicker and any teammates who are onside (behind the kicker at the time of the kick), may not approach within five yards of the ball until it has been touched by the receiving team.
Scoring
Methods of scoring include:
- Touchdown – Achieved when the ball is in possession of a player in the opponent's goal area, or when the ball in the possession of a player crosses or touches the plane of the opponent's goal-line, worth 6 points
- Conversion – A scrimmage play from any point between the hash marks on or outside the opponent's five yard line. Attempted after scoring a touchdown, either by kicking an extra point (worth one point), or by scoring with a carrying or passing play (worth two points). This is known as a convert or two-point Conversion.
- Field goal – Scored by a drop kick or place kick (except on a kick-off) when the ball, after being kicked and without again touching the ground, goes over the cross bar and between the goal posts (or goal posts produced) of the opponent's goal (worth three points).
- Safety – Scored when the ball becomes dead in the possession of a team in its own goal area, or touches/crosses the dead-line or side-line-in-goal as a result of the ball having been carried, kicked, fumbled or otherwise directed from the field of play into the goal area by the team scored against, or as a direct result of a kick from scrimmage having been blocked in the field of play or goal area (worth two points).
- Rouge – Scored when the ball becomes dead in possession of a team in its own goal area or when the ball touches or crosses the deadline, or side-line-in-goal, and touches the ground, a player, or some object beyond these lines (worth one point). Also awarded from a missed field goal causing the ball to go out of play, or conceded by the defence.
Although rouge (French: red) is the proper term, in popular use it is often called a single. In early Canadian football rules a single point was deducted from a team failing to advance the ball from the end zone. If a team had no points, this put them "in the red," with a negative score.
Resumption of play
Resumption of play following a score is conducted under procedures which vary with the type of score.
- Following a touchdown, play resumes with the scoring team kicking off from its own 35-yard line (45-yard line in amateur leagues).
- Following a field goal, the non-scoring team may choose for play to resume either with a kickoff as above, or by scrimmaging the ball from its own 35-yard line.
- Following a safety, the scoring team may choose for play to resume in either of the above ways, or it may choose to kick off from its own 35-yard line.
- Following a rouge, play resumes with the non-scoring team scrimmaging from its own 35-yard line.
League play
Canadian football is played at several levels in Canada. The professional league in which the sport is played is the nine-team Canadian Football League (CFL), and its champion is awarded the Grey Cup, the oldest trophy in professional football. At the university level, teams play in four conferences under the auspices of Canadian Interuniversity Sport; the CIS champion is awarded the Vanier Cup.
Semi-professional leagues have grown in popularity in recent years, with the Alberta Football League becoming especially popular. The Canadian Major Football League is the governing body for the semi-professional game.
History
Canadian football was originally called rugby football, and is a descendant of rugby union football as played in the 1860s and 1870s by the Montreal Football Club and at McGill University. It is from this varsity play that the game now known as American Football entered the United States, as McGill challenged Harvard University to play.
For a discussion of differences between Canadian and American football see: Comparison of Canadian and American football
The Canadian Football League was known under various names throughout its history including the Canadian Rugby Football Union, and the Canadian Rugby Union. The Canadian Rugby Football Union, original forerunner to the current Canadian Football League was established in 1884.
As the rules of American football are very similar to Canadian football, the CFL has maintained a close relationship with its American counterpart, the National Football League (NFL).
The CFL regular season begins in June, and play-offs are be completed by mid-November. In cities with outdoor stadiums such as Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Regina, low-temperatures can seriously affect the outcome of a game.
See also
External links
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