| Bibliographic Entry | Result (w/surrounding text) |
Standardized Result |
|---|---|---|
| Safonov, Alexei. Physics 218 [ppt]. University of California. | "1 football field = 100 yards" | 91.44 m (without end zones) |
| Beginner's Guide to Football. NFL Enterprises, 2008. | "The field measures 100 yards long and 53 yards wide." | 91.44 m (without end zones) |
| "Football." The Wonderland of Knowledge. 6th ed. Wonderland of Knowledge Corporation, 1954. | "The game is played on a field 100 yards long and 160 feet wide." | 91.44 m (without end zones) |
| NFL Football Field Dimensions Diagram. SportsKnowHow, 2004. | "Length:360 feet or 120 yards Width: 160 feet of 53 ⅓ yards" |
109.73 m (with end zones) |
| Stern, Hal S. American Football [pdf]. Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine. December 24, 1997 | "American football, which we shall call football from this point on, is played by two teams on a field 100 yards long with each team defending one of the two ends of the field (called goal lines)." | 91.44 m (without end zones) |
"Let's get a football game started." If you were to say that to a European, holding a pigskin (another name for a football), they might look at you funny: just as you would look at them if they came to you holding a soccer ball. The reason for this is that although the word may be the same, its meaning is totally different. To American football is a word we all know; referring to a sport where 22 guys in uniform try to get the football past the opposing teams goal line. However, in Europe football is actually played with your feet and you try to kick the ball into the other teams net: We like to call that "soccer".
In America, the rules of football are pretty complicated. You get four downs (or chances) to progress every 10 yards (9.1 m); which is easier said than done. If you fail to do so, the ball is turned over to the other team and they make a go for your goal line. It becomes pretty difficult to score when you have 11 steroid induced men running at you with the intention of knocking you to the ground. However, if you do happen to score, that is called a touchdown awarding you six points and a chance for a seventh which is acquired through goal kick.
The field on which this enticing game is played is: 100 yards (91.4 m) long and 160 feet (48.8 m) wide plus 10 yards (9.1 m) on each end for the end zones. The position where you catch the ball (usually near your goal line) to the opposing goal line is a long way to go, and with the ovoid shape of the ball it becomes extremely difficult to regain possession once it has been lost because the ball bounces around in every which way.
For those who can follow, the game is exhilarating both to watch and play. As for those who can't, there's always golf.
Aleksandr Rozovskiy -- 2008