Tools · Rules at-a-glance · Football — Tackle

Tackle football: rules at-a-glance

Four downs to gain ten yards, four quarters, contact at every position. The rules of tackle football in five minutes.

Field/court setup

100-yard rectangular field with end zones at each end. 50-yard line at midfield. Hash marks at each yard line. Goal posts at the back of each end zone.

Game length

Four 12-minute quarters at HS (some states use 10). Four 15-minute quarters at college and NFL. Clock stops on incomplete passes, out-of-bounds, change of possession, scores, and timeouts. Halftime in the middle.

Scoring basics

— Touchdown (TD): 6 points. Ball crosses the goal line in possession.
— Extra point (PAT): 1 point for a kick after TD, 2 points for running/passing it in from the 2-yard line.
— Field goal: 3 points. Kicked through the uprights from anywhere on the field.
— Safety: 2 points. Defense tackles the offense in the offense's own end zone.

Calls you'll see

— First down: offense gains 10+ yards in 4 downs. New set of 4 downs.
— Holding: offensive lineman grabs a defender to block. 10-yard penalty.
— Offsides/false start: pre-snap movement violations. 5-yard penalty.
— Pass interference: defender prevents the receiver from catching the ball before it arrives. Spot foul (HS); 15 yards (college/NFL varies).
— Personal foul: late hit, helmet-to-helmet, unnecessary roughness. 15 yards. Targeting in college/HS = ejection.
— Roughing the passer: hit on the QB after the throw or low/high in the helmet. 15 yards + automatic first down.
— Intentional grounding: QB throws to nowhere to avoid sack. Loss of down + spot of foul.

Three things parents most often get wrong

— Pass interference is judgment. The contact has to happen while the ball is in the air and the receiver has a play on it. Refs call this differently at every level.
— Targeting at HS and college means ejection. The rule is strict: any contact above the shoulders to a defenseless player. Can be reviewed and overturned.
— Roughing the kicker is real. Touching the punter or kicker after the kick is a 5-yard penalty (running into) or 15 yards (roughing).

A few youth-specific notes.

Youth football rule variations. Many youth football leagues (Pop Warner, AYF) use modified rules — minimum number of plays per player, weight limits at younger ages, kickoff modifications, mandatory rotation, etc. Read your league’s specific rules.

Concussion protocols. Every state has a concussion law for HS football. Same-game return-to-play after a suspected concussion is prohibited; written clearance required from a licensed health care provider before return. See the body hub on concussion.

Heat acclimatization. Most state athletic associations require modified practice structure for the first 5-14 days of preseason football. Helmets only day 1-2, helmets + shoulder pads day 3-5, full pads no earlier than day 6. Two-a-days never on consecutive days.

Equipment. Helmet must meet NOCSAE standards. Mouthguard required. Pads (shoulder, hip, thigh, knee) required at most levels. Cleats — molded plastic at HS and below; metal allowed in some college/pro contexts.

Pitch counts equivalent. Football doesn’t have pitch counts but does have practice load management. The American Sports Medicine Institute recommends limits on contact practice time per week. NFHS encourages “thud” or non-tackling practice for skill work.

Last updated April 2026.