"This is the first football history to chronicle year by year how playing rules developed the game. Football - a four-dimensional game of rushing, kicking, forward passing, and backward passing - has had more playing rule changes since its inception than any other sport. The Anatomy of a Game follows football rules from the game's European roots through its beginning in the United States to its position as the number-one spectator sport in the 1990s. Highlighted are details of the crisis years that changed the character of the game, with coaches and rules committee members the featured players. David M. Nelson, who served on the NCAA Rules Committee longer than Walter Camp, provides personal insight into all Rules Committee meetings since 1958, as well as an appendix - chronological and by rule - listing every change since 1876." "Ever since the first two human beings kicked, threw, or batted an object competitively, there have been playing rules. Games are mentioned in the Bible, and the Romans brought football's forerunner to Britain, from where it was exported to the United States. It was in the United States that college students decided to make their game rugby rather than soccer. Although the students invented United States football and made the first rules, their ruling power was eventually lost to the faculty, administrators, coaches, rules committees, and the NCAA." "Beginning as a brutal sport, football survived several crises before and after the turn of the century, eventually becoming respectable. The 1931 injury crisis split the high school and college rules and the same year the professionals went their own way, with rules largely based on spectator appeal." "Today the sport is a national treasure primarily because of its playing rules, over seven hundred in total, which make college football unique among the world's team sports. Moreover, football remains an American game, never having the same impact in other countries as do baseball and basketball." "Rules make the game, but people make the rules. Football survived the major crises that threatened the game because committee members adhered to the precepts that had governed football since its inception. The game began with an attempt to have a consistent code of justice, personal accountability, and equality. In some sense the playing rules are a type of moral precept that explains in the simplest terms what can and cannot be done. The Football Code, which first prefaced the rules in 1916, makes the game - more than any other sport - a moral one because it sets standards for coaching, playing, sportsmanship, and officiating."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"Football : steps to success covers every aspects of the game, from position fundamentals to offensive and defensive strategies. Football .... presents straightforward instruction on essential skills, such as passing, receiving, tackling, blocking, kicking, and punting.."-- Back cover.

So You Think You Know Football? is the motherlode of NFL rules and their interpretations. Whether you know everything about on- and off-field rules or are a true novice, Austro deftly illustrates the ins and outs of the NFL rulebook using examples from actual games. Test your inner referee with questions about the correct call and how slight changes might affect the ruling. Do you know why spiking the ball immediately to stop the clock is not considered intentional grounding, while hesitating a few seconds then spiking the ball is? See if you would have made the right call in a game played between the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders on November 27, 2011—with additional quiz questions from other games involving similar controversies. Keep this book right next to your favorite football-watching chair to consult during the game and visit ThinkYouKnowFootball.com to stay updated on interpretations affected by rule modifications.

The fun and easy way to tackle football basics and enjoy America's most popular sport Since the last edition of Football For Dummies, new stadiums have been built, new stars have ascended, and records have been broken. This new edition has been revised to reflect today's game, giving football fans up-to-the-minute information on all the rules and regulations, positions, plays, and penalties. Featuring coverage of the newest stadium technologies, revised greatest players and legends, and pro-football must-do experiences, it also includes expert advice on training and gearing up for those who play the game. The complete fan's updated guide to football Revised material on new players, stadiums, and strategies Written by football legend Howie Long and revered analyst John Czarnecki From peewees to the pros, this hands-on, friendly guide covers the nuts and bolts of football for fans of all ages and experience levels.

A new official does not need any other book but this one to work from. This book takes the complex information in the rules and breaks it down for laymen. The information paints a visible picture of a fast paced game so as it is easy to understand. With this book a new official is able to see the scenarios on the field in a modern and easy view. I have taken this book along with the national book and given it to football coaches and, who after reading Football Rules- Simply Stated, have thanked me for doing so. They could not believe the simplicity but yet thoroughness of the work. Thom Pickens North Florida Officials Association Secretary Without Football Rules: Simply Stated I would not be the official that I am today. Having played, I thought that I knew everything there was, however, McPhilomy showed me a complete new world. The author’s ability to phrase the rules so that they can be learned quickly and easily is unmatched from other works that I have read. It is Simply Stated that gave me the keys to be a successful official, working high school ball, and built my rules knowledge foundation as I move up to the college ranks. I also use Simply Stated to train new high school officials. I highly recommend Simply Stated for any official or fan who wants a clear and concise view on the rule and how it should be interpreted. I use Simply Stated as the basis for my high school rules study every year, and will for years to come. Football Rules: Simply Stated is THE primer on high school rules and should be a part of every official’s professional library. Kellum F. Sowers North Florida Officials Association Vice President, Training Officer 2006 Rookie of the Year