Table of Contents
Introduction 6
Chapter 1 Playing the Game 7
Where Did Football Come From? 8
Rules of the Game 10
You Can Play Too 12
Skills for Every Type of Player 13
Is Football Safe? 14
Backyard Football 16
Chapter 2 The National Football League 21
A Brief History of the NFL 22
Another New League and Expansion 23
Bigger and Bigger and Bigger 24
The NFL Championship Game 26
Who Are These Teams, Anyway? 27
The Bosses 28
Be a Part of the Action 31
Chapter 3 The Super Bowl 35
The Origins of the Super Bowl 36
Playoffs 36
The Biggest Event in America: The Super Bowl 40
Chapter 4 College Football 51
What Is the NCAA? 52
College Football Compared to NFL Football 53
How College Football Is Organized: Conferences 56
Determining a National Champion 59
Bowl Games 60
The Best College Football Rivalries 61
College Football Beyond Division I 65
Chapter 5 High School Football 67
There's a Team for Everyone 68
The Off-Season-Getting in Shape 68
Scouting the Opponent 72
The Week Before a Game 72
State Championships 74
Chapter 6 Offensive Football 75
What Is the Offense? 76
The Quarterback 77
The Offensive Line 80
The Running Back 85
The Wide Receiver 86
Offensive Schemes: Formations and Methods of Attack 89
The Read Option and the Run-Pass Option 92
Fooling the Defense 93
Chapter 7 Defensive Football 95
Defense! Defense! 96
The Defensive Line 97
The Linebacker 98
The Secondary 100
The Two Major Defensive Alignments 102
Defensive Strategies 104
The Specialists: Kickers, Punters, and Blocking the Kick 107
Chapter 8 Fantasy Football and Other Fan Favorites 113
How Does a Fantasy League Work, Anyway? 114
Manage Your Fantasy Draft with Skillful Strategy 115
The Pro Football Hall of Fame 117
Chapter 9 Behind the Scenes 121
The Bosses on the Practice Field: The Coaching Staff 122
Who Makes You Look Good: The Equipment Manager 123
All-Around Helper: The Team Manager 126
OW!: The Athletic Trainer 127
Keeping a Clean Game: The Officials 129
The Scouts 133
Appendix A Football Facts and Records 135
NFL Team Records 136
College Team Records 136
The Heisman Trophy 137
Appendix B Glossary 138
Appendix C Puzzle Answers 140
