I recently joined the local football team here in the town I live in and while it's not a big sport here in Sweden I do enjoy it alot.
Needless to say I am not all that up to speed on rules etc and while I've searching/googling I mostly encounter broad basic information and general info and it's come to the point where I am reading the same things over and over again "the WR catches the ball and runs to the endzone"

So I figured I'd ask people who have alot more info of the sport and the question is: What book/s do you think are the better to read regarding learning football?

One of the worst problems with this game is that there is no single set of rules that everyone plays by. The hash marks for instance that determine just how far toward the side of the field the ball can be placed before the snap changes from the high school level to the collegiate level to the professional level (they get closer with every jump up...). Don't even get me started on the A-11 offense since that can only be used at the high school level and even then it's only in certain states due to the wording of certain rules.

 

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I think the best way to learn the game is to actually just watch it.

There is probably a football for dummies type book out there somewhere if you really wanted to read.

 

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Well this will be a good start for you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football
It is generic but load to high heaven with links of everything you would want to read more about , for instance
Wide Receivers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_receiverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_receiver
Nearly everything can found to be linked there for hours of reading .

Next depending on which rules of American football they play by get a taped game ( usually a championship )
Print out all the things you want to watch for , then watch the game . For instance printing everything about wider receivers then watch the game paying close attention to that position ( use pause and rewind alot ) . Then perhaps play the game again watching everything the quarterback does with everything printed out about the QB on hand .
-- The reasoning for such is in American football you have 11 guys all doing a specific job in the 3-6 seconds between the hike and the whistle . It is impossible to see what every single position is doing in that length of time . Nearly every position comes down to things like do you start with your left foot or right foot and do you step forward , step backward or stand your ground .
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First place to probably start would be what position or positions do you play and your age . Much of this also figures things as height , weight , 40 yard sprint times ect ect ???

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Of course this is generic football , but eventually you may get into the more complex schemes such as the ' west coast offense '
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_offense http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_offense
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Just brings up another GREAT idea to learn the game . Purchase Madden Football ! It is fairly close to realistic .

Thanks for the tips, I've read through wikipedia a couple of times and looked at the position I'm placed for now (TE).

Current problem is I got the playbook and playcards just chugged at me and I gotta get up to speed on what all the wording is and such because the rules and terms for everything is what hinders me the most.

Even in professional American football the wording even for those with 20 years experience takes time . Every coach words things differently which makes it more difficult for other teams to pick up on the plays . You will hear how Pro players spend 4 hours a day studying film as well as eating and sleeping with their playbooks for an entire summer .
The position you have been placed in is a hybrid of two positions . That of offensive lineman and wide receiver . In the old days TE were pretty much only blockers but in the current day have evolved into viable receivers . They tend to be taller and heavier than a typical wide receiver but quicker ( not to be confused with fast ) reflexes and better hands than a offensive lineman .
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Now believe it or not , most professional football players are actually avid players of the video game Madden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madden_NFL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madden_NFL
All plays in the NFL are near identical so once you have learned the play backwards and forwards it is just a matter of learning a new name for it be it ' Tango 981 ' or ' Tiger Orange go go ' could both mean TE screen pass with WR going deep . Best to get Madden , find the play that matches the one in your book and mentally re-assign a name to it . It has 200 of them . I doubt your book is that thick .
It is also pretty good about fouls to learn . But for probably better insight you could try http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/digestofrules http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/digestofrules
I would look at
Position of players at the snap
Use of hands arms and body
Protection of the passer

Notables against a TE
Offsides
False start
grabbing facemask
holding
illegal shift ( fail to pause ) or formation (less than 7 men on the line )
illegal motion
offensive pass interference
tripping
clipping
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Hopefully the above helps you . Football is like a duck on the pond . On the surface it looks calm , smooth and spontaneous but beneath it is complex , cerebral and paddling furiously . Hundreds of hours of intense study make those 5 seconds between the snap and whistle look seamless and fluid .
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NOW when all else fails , you may get more accurate and specific answers to you questions in this forum
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Football-Instruction-2069/ http://en.allexperts.com/q/Football-Instruction-2069/

A-11 offense is 1.) a misnomer (not everyone is actually an eligible receiver) and 2.) An advanced fake punt over and over.


As a TE you're going to want to know routes (most have similar names in systems) and blocking. If all else fails, ask for help from your teammates.

 

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I coach American football so I will try to help as I can...

The Tight End position is mainly one of a blocking nature. You're more/less a 2nd Tackle on the outside of the offensive line. More often than not, in a run heavy offense, your job is going to be blocking down on a Tackle, crack blocking a Line Backer or blocking out on a Defensive End.
Most of your pass routes will probably be "check down" routes, which means running a short hook route and sitting in the soft spots of a zone defense or running a 5 and in/out across the field and being the Quarter Back's "check down" option, or his last option to dump the ball off to in the event that his primary receivers (Split End and Flanker) are not open, or I guess if you are open and a play can be made to get you the ball.
Some plays are designed for the TE, too. A good offensive coordinator or a good QB will be able to read a defense and take advantage of any chinks in the armor, so to speak, which will usually mean (for the TE) taking advantage of the middle of the field being open in certain zone and man to man coverages.

In a pass heavy offense, the TE's role becomes much more involved. He will spend his time blocking on the line for the QB, sure, but he will spend just as much time (sometimes more depending on his talent and the defense) running routes and, again, taking advantage of the zone and man to man defenses.

As a TE you will have to know every play in the playbook. Split Ends and Flankers tend to have it easy on running plays but the TE will need to know (and be heavily involved in) both the running and passing game. The position of TE is more of a support role than one of a playmaker role like primary running backs and receivers. It's an unglorified and often thankless job, much like a lineman, so get used to that.

Feel free to ask any questions you have or PM me if you need to.

- Huges

 

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Thanks a lot for the tips, it's a good read and I'll be sure to come back if I got more info.

I got Madden already and we play alot plus I've managed a superstar TE for it
Plus I found a book called "the physics of football" and while it's pretty old it has some good points for tackling and blocking procedures.


We have some pre-season games in March/April so up until then we got indoor play-practice so the plays will come from that I hope and the playbook studies we'll have.

this! and you should become a Colts fan that way you can see how a offense should run. in all seriousness the more your watch, the more you will learn..its not that complicated of a game and a lot of the analysts do a great job of explaining...except for Dan Dierdorf....he is just terribad.

 

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