Like the European football, American football has two 11 member teams, and that’s what is only similar between both the games. The gameplay technique parts its way from the European football. A team that has the possession of the football is called as offense. This team tries to take the ball down the field by running with the ball or throwing it. A goal is considered scored when the player crosses the line of the goal and gets into the area called end zone.

The opposite team (which also has 11 players) is called the defense. Being the defending team, it tries to stop the opponent team from scoring a goal by trying to make it give up the possession of the ball. If the opponent team (that is running with the ball) gives up the possession and the defending team scores, then in the next round offensive and defensive teams switch roles. This happens back and forth, until four quarters of the game have been played.

Game time
The game is divided into four quarters, with each quarter being 15 minutes long. The half-time (which is end of 2 quarters) is separated by a 12-minute break. There are also 2 minute breaks at the end of first and third quarters. The second half starts with a kickoff in the same way the game had begun in the first quarter. At the end of first and third quarter, the team with the ball retains possession and advances into the following quarter.
The clock stops when the player goes out of bounds, and when a penalty is called. The clock starts again when the ball is re-spotted by the official.
The team gets penalized if they are unable to snap off the ball for the start of the next play. Each team when playing offensive has 40 seconds for doing so.
If the game is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, a 15-minute over-time period is played, this is called as sudden death. Sudden death is where the first team to score wins. The possession of the ball is determined by a coin toss

Field size
The field spans to 100 yards in length and 53 yards in width. There are little white markings on the field, they are called as yard markers that help the players and officials and spectators alike to keep the track of the ball. The important part of the field is called as the end zone. It is an additional 10 yards (at each ends of the field). When the team with the possession of the ball enters this end zone and does a touchdown, they score points.

A football player requires all round athleticism irrespective of their field position. There would be certain aspects that may be more important to one position than another. It still plays a key role in developing core strength and abilities of a player.

The best workout regime for a football player is the one that help the player build up maximum strength, speed, agility, endurance, and explosiveness.
The best system is to use a 5X5 program. This allows the body to exert maximum force spread across multiple sessions. A 20 to 40 second of rest between each set is advisable to let the muscles breathe and avoid muscle fatigue.

Make sure that you make every muscle of your body work. When athletes target only a specific muscle, they often end up with injuries, during the workout sessions or on the field.

The basic outline of this workout session is 3 days of weight lifting for upper body, lower body, and full body explosiveness. Keep one day reserved for plyometrics (jump training) and another day for speed and agility work.

Upper body workout
The upper body workout consists of flat bench press, inclined dumbbell press for chest, rows for strengthening the back, shrugs to strengthen the deltoids, and military press for shoulders.

Lower body workout
Lower body workout usually involves strengthening the legs and lower back. Doing dead weight squats and front squats improves and strengthens the quadriceps (thigh muscles). Deadlifts helps in improving lower back posture and strengthening it at the same time. Leg curls strengthen your hamstrings and makes them lean at the same time. Calf raises work on strengthening your calf muscles. The last two exercises can be done on weight machines.

You can incorporate push press, power cleans, snatches and abs to add explosiveness.

Workout to increase speed, agility, and acceleration
Do a warm up (like jogging and dynamic stretching) of at least 5 minutes.

Acceleration
Do sprints and uphill sprints of 3X10m, 2X25m, and 2X20m respectively.

Speed
Increase the length of sprints to 4X40m and 3X60m to work on the speed.

Agility
A 4X20m shuttle which involves sprinting from one marker back to another corner. Do these in receptions.

It is important to keep in mind that you rest and recover before you begin another sprint. This will help you attain 7080% of what you accomplished in your previous run.

Ball control is the foundation of playing football. A football player can only master the technique of controlling the football if he or she is able to properly coordinate various parts of their body. There are a number of variations and combinations and methods that help in terms of controlling the ball.
A younger player develops his or her techniques with these set foundations that enable and motivate them to play the sport better and experience all the joy the sport can bring.
Here are a few techniques
Running with the ball:
When a player is running well with the ball, he or she should be to control it all times. This comes with good balance and excellent stability. Keeping the head up while running with the ball allows continuous flow of receiving information and modifying your movements to adapt to the play. Dribbling is the movement the player makes with the ball when faced by an opponent or an obstacle. It allows the player to keep the possession of the ball and eliminate one or more opponent at the same time.

Controlling the ball:
The controlling movements focuses on direct control of the ball and gathering control over the ball while moving ahead in the field. Speed is of essence in this play. Juggling the ball increases the dexterity of the football player and helps keep the ball in control.

Passing the ball:
Being an essential part of team-play, it is action of passing the ball (with foot) to a team-mate. Being one of the core component of the game, passing allows the team to keep the possession of the ball in the same team, change the direction of play, counter-attack, and provide a decisive or final pass. A type of short or long pass, called crosses usually leads to a shot. They generally serve as the last pass before the football player can score a goal. This brings us to the next part, shooting.

Shooting:
The main objective of shooting the ball is to kick-dispatch the ball into the opponent’s goal. It is a cumulation of an attack, which is what football is all about tackling your opponents all the way to take one final shoot at the ball and score a goal. Shooting the ball requires skills, how well the player can kick-shoot the ball with accuracy. Physical stamina, power coordination, balance, determination, audacity, and self-confidence play a vital role in this technique.

Athletics is a niche that thrives on the alignment of the mind with the body. When you are into athletics, it is important to ensure that your sports gear, training, and various other aspects are taken care of, so that you can perform your best on the field. There are many kinds of activities that make up the field of athletics. You can try football, basketball, track, and field as well as other sports that require your full concentration and stamina. If you have recently started to train, then it would be a good idea to follow these tips to become a pro athlete.

Training: The number of hours that you put into training will dictate how well you do when it comes to the actual game or match. This is due to the fact that constant training will teach your body to move in a certain way so that you get it right as a matter of habit when you are in a game. Also, with the right coach and training, you will also get inputs that will further refine such movements and help you preempt any opposing moves. This comes with an experienced coach by your side, so you should do your research before you start going to a certain coach.

Join a group: Joining an athletic group for your sport and game can help you improve it to a great degree. Also, you can get the right kind of motivation by hearing stories of optimum performance on the field. This will help you improve your game so that you get the best out of your mind and body on the field. Further, you can also seek out help when you are stuck at a certain aspect of the game that you are into.

Get the right sports gear: This is another area that will need your attention so that you are comfortable and secure when you are performing on the field. With the right sports gear like uppers, lowers and shoes as well as other items of clothing, you can ensure that your body’s movements are well supported and not restricted. Also, with the right kind of shoes, you can actually avoid accidents and injuries as well as wear and tear on the muscles and ligaments. You should invest in the right kind of clothing and shoes, which should be replaced every few months if you are keenly active in athletics.

Pre-performance strategy: Even the most seasoned athletes have a pre-performance strategy, which they carry out with the help of various measures for motivation and to keep their focus on the game. From meditation to training and listening to certain types of music just before the game, there are a number of things you can do so that you are in the best frame of mind to give everything to the game in hand. This kind of a strategy varies from person to person.

When you are in the field of athletics, there are a number of things that will contribute to a productive performance. This includes the kind of food that you eat, the kind of training that you have indulged in, the level of stamina that your body has and a number of other things. The kind of sportswear that you choose to wear as an athlete will also have a bearing on the kind of performance that you manage to put in. Why is this important? This is important because you need to be able to move comfortably without any kind of hindrance so that you can get all the moves and motions right while you are on the field. Plus, you also need to be secure so that the risk of accidents is eliminated. Come and have a look at this guide for getting the best sports gear.

Brands: When you are choosing your athletic wear, you would do well to remember that quality is one of the main things that you need to look for. This is due to the fact that the best brands would have catered for all kinds of sports, eventualities of injuries and other kinds of movements. Brands like Reebok, Adidas, New Balance and others have create various shapes, sizes and fits of uppers, lowers and shoes that have been specifically engineered for various kinds of sports. You should choose from the best brands possible so that you eliminate the risk of discomfort while on field.

Measurements: One of the most important things that you need to understand while you are on the field is the measurements and dimensions that your body has. You will have to get the measurements taken for your foot along with the skin of arch and the size of the big toe so that you have the best fit for the same. The size of your chest, waist and the length of your legs will also help you in deciding which uppers and lowers would be best suited for you. Measurements are important because if your garments are too tight or too loose, they end up becoming a deterrent on the field, thereby distracting you from the task on hand. So, ensure that you get your measurements done and try on the clothes before you buy them for your physical pursuits.

Protection and comfort: There is much comfort in knowing that you have managed to eliminate much of the risk that comes with performing high octane athletics. Choosing clothing that fits your body well and ensures that you are not distracted enough to fall prey to injuries is one of the first things that you must do as an athlete. This also includes your shoes. You should choose clothing that is best suited for that particular activity so that you can be comfortable when you are in the middle of a game or a match.

Above ground pool liners have changed with due course of time. A couple of decades ago there was only one type of pool liner and they came only in one type of color other than solid blue.
Today there are a variety of above ground pool liners. They come in different colors and patterns. Here is a brief description of some types of above ground pool liners.

Overlap liners
Overlap liners are set in the pool when any excess liner hangs over the wall. This makes the liner visible from outside the pool. Setting an overlap liner that has patterns printed on requires a little effort as the pattern should be uniform at the waterline.

Advantages of overlap liners
One of the major advantages of overlap liners is that they are slightly less expensive than their counterparts. An above the ground pool liner has a deeper center and requires more surface area to be covered by the liner.

J hook liners
J hook liners have thick piece of vinyl at the top that is U shaped. It is designed in such a way that it hooks at the top of the wall so the rest of the liner hangs down. This arrangement covers the inside of the pool.

Unibead liners
Unibead is short for universal bead pool liners. It has the same thick vinyl that is U shaped at the top of the liner. The unibead is designed for both Unibead and the J hook type. When using a unibead liner as beaded liner, you are required to make a small cut and tear off the U-shaped vinyl all the to the top of the liner.

Beaded liners
Beaded liners are called so because these liners have a thick bead of vinyl at the top of the liner. The arrangement fits into a track and the liner then hangs down into the pool. Thee bead tracks are usually available in four-foot pieces and they can vary easily attach to the top of the pool’s wall. Once the tracks are on the wall, the beads can be fed to the liner along a channel.

Expandable liners
Expandable liners are not expandable than any other type of liner. As they are made with the exact same vinyl material as the other liners. The only difference is that regular overlap liners are made of 60 of vinyl and expandable liners are made out of 72 of vinyl material.

Summer is here again. Opting for above the ground pool for summer time can be fun. You just need to select the right liner for your pool. It might seem a daunting task at first but can be absolute fun if you have all the supplies and installation material in place. With the right information, you are capable of installing an above pool liner. Replacing your own pool to a above the ground pool liner can be an easy weekend project if you measure, buy, and install your own pool liner. It can also save you lots of money as you are not hiring any outside help.

Here is a step-wise procedure of how you can make your own above pool liners.

Draining the pool
A high capacity pump can be used to drain out the water from the pool. Cut the liner from the base using a knife when almost all of the water is pumped out of the pool. There would be small amount of water that would be pooled on the base, keep pumping the water out.

Uninstall the liner
Once all the water is drained out of the pool, cut the liner into sections using a razor knife. Roll them up and toss them over the wall of the pool. For overlap liners, you will have to release the top rails before you can release the liners from the wall. Refer your own pool liner manual and look for specific instruction for this step.

Prep the floor and wall
Smooth out all the heel divots, waves, and uneven areas if you have a sand bottom under your liner. You can add new sand on the floor.

Install a new liner
Look out for the weather before installing a new liner. Warm weather is the best for installing a new liner. With temperatures ranging between 65 to 75 degree Fahrenheit, the liner would stretch more easily. Keep in mind that overlap liners and beaded liners both have different procedures for installation.

Use a vacuum pump to set the liner
Though optional, this step can be very helpful in preventing wrinkles on the new liner. Use a duct tape and a cardboard on the outside of the pool in order to seal the wall returns. Use sufficient duct tapes.

Fill the pool
Before you fill the pool, make sure that the top rails are all reassembled to its original structural design. Monitor that there no wrinkles redevelop and the floor is maintained smooth. Overlap liners should be made sure their liners are not overstretched.