ARIZONA STATE COLLEGE FOOTBALLERS IN ACTION AT THE LENSBURY (Photo Special, courtesy of ASU)
PHOTO SPECIAL COURTESY OF ARIZONA SUN DEVILS
Arizona State’s college football team and officials are settling into The Lensbury before their big Union Jack match against Kansas Jayhawks at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, billed as The Transatlantic Showdown.
The Arizona Sun Devils, officials, coaches and massive entourage have virtually taken over the riverside club in preparation for the first ever college football clash in the UK with over 100 players in the squad and a full party of over 200.
The Lensbury offers state of the art training facilities but its proximity to Teddington High Street also allows them to venture out to the pubs, restaurants and cafes.
Last night several members of the team dropped into The Builders Arms where they chatted to the regulars, explained the rules of the game and sampled the local beer.
The core goal of American football is to score more points than the opposing team by advancing the ball into the opponents end of kicking it through the poists.
- Players: Two teams of 11 players each are on the field at a time, divided into offence, defence, and special teams. They play with a oval-shaped ball slightly smaller than a rugby ball.
- Duration: A game lasts 60 minutes, split into four 15-minute quarters, with a halftime break
The Field and Scoring
- Field: Played on a 100-yard field with a 10-yard end zone at each end.
- Touchdown (6 points): Scored by running or catching the ball in the opponent’s end zone.
- Extra Point / Conversion (1 or 2 points):Attempted right after a touchdown by kicking through the goalposts (1 point) or running/passing into the end zone (2 points).
- Field Goal (3 points): Scored by kicking the ball through the goalposts during regular play.
- Safety (2 points): Awarded to the defence if they tackle an offensive player in the offense’s own end zone.
Downs and Movement
- Downs: The offence has four tries (downs) to gain 10 yards by running or passing.
- First Down: Gaining 10 yards earns a fresh set of four downs.
- Turnover: If the offence fails to gain 10 yards in four plays, or if the defence intercepts a pass or recovers a fumble, the opposing team gets the ball.