1st and 10, 2nd and 9, 3rd and 12, stuff like that.
I'm pretty sure that the first number means what down it is. And someone else told me that the second number is how many yards till another first down. If you get another first down, does the number automatically change on the first number? Because when I play football with cousins, since we don't have a "yarded field" we just do one play is FIRST DOWN, second is SECOND DOWN, like that. EXPLAIN.
2007-02-25 09:29:30 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Football (American)
In the NFL you have four downs to gain ten yards, or the other team obtains posession.
Everytime you get a first down, the start of the next play becomes first and ten
The 1st number is the down it is, which can either be 1st, 2nd, 3rd (or 4th in the NFL but not the CFL)..
The second number is how many yards you need to pick up a "fresh set of downs" or another first down.
It is possible to lose yards or get a penalty and for it to be 1st and 15 or something like that as well.
If there are LESS than 10 yards between you and the endzone then they refer to it as first and goal, because it is impossible to pick up another first down.
2007-02-25 09:36:58 · answer #1 · answered by Mitch L 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When you get a 1st down--you have to get 10 yards to get the other 1st down (and keep the drive alive.)
There are a few special cases:
When the offence gets a penalty on the first down (that doesn't include a 'loss of down' within the penalty), then they might have 1st and 15--and, if twice, 1st and 20.
When something similar to this happen to the defense, then there can be 1st and 5.
There is also the 1st down that happens within 10 yards to get a touchdown, in that case it's 1st and goal (on say...the 7 yard line, etc.)
The whole point is this: the offence has 4 downs to get the 10 yards ('a 1st down'). If they fail to do this after 3 downs, they very often will punt. This gets the football 40 to 50 yards down the field so that the opposing team is farther away from scoring. During desperate situations, offenses will chose to 'go for it' on 4th down--often a very key play in the game and a very big risk.
2007-02-25 09:41:53 · answer #2 · answered by Jeff W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first number is the down, and yes the second number is how many yards until the next first down. When you get the first down it automatically will be first and 10 against, unless there is some foul that applies after the down and don't ask me what that would be.
There are only FOUR downs. If you don't get a first down in the first 3 tries you either Punt, Kick a Field Goal(depending where you are) or GO FOR IT. If you don't get the first down when you go for it then it will be a turn over on downs.
2007-02-25 10:10:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, the 1st number is what down it is, and the 2nd number is how many yards to go for a first. They have 3 downs to get a first, or they can go for it on 4th down, but usually they punt, because if they don't make it it's a turnover. Once you get a first down, it automatically goes to 1st and 10, or 1st and GOAL.
2007-02-25 09:34:28 · answer #4 · answered by The12thMan 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the first number is down. The second number id yards needed for another first down, or Touch Down.
If, say it is 2nd and 8 and the RB runs for, say, 9 yards. It becomes 1st (down) and 10. If he runs 55 yards it is 1st and ten.
The only exception is near the goal line. If there are, say, only 8 yards before a touch down, it is not 1st and ten. It is often called 1st and goal at the, say, 8 yard line.
2007-02-25 11:53:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your on the right track , the first number is the tries to get the down , the 2nd number is the yards to go ,you have four tries to make a down and a down is 10 yards. Every time you don't make the down it goes 1st and 10 or 2nd 5 and so on until you make the down . If you make the down you go back to 1st and 10 but if you don't make the down in four tries you have to kick the ball back to the other team or do an off sides kick and try to get the ball back .
2007-02-25 09:45:45 · answer #6 · answered by Donna D 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You are correct with your first two sentences.
If you get a first down, there is 10 yards to go to get another first down. The number of yards to go will change depending on penalties, yardage gained, or yardage lost.
Whenever you get a first down it is always 10 yards to go unless you are closer to the goal line than 10 yards. Then it's called 1st and goal.
2007-02-25 09:35:10 · answer #7 · answered by mark 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1st ,2nd ,3rd and 4th are the down you have and the 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10 are how many yards you need to get a first down. Say it is 3rd and 3 and yopu go 3 or for yars it will be a first and 10 at that spot. But say you only get 1 yard and it is 4th down you can punt it or go for however if you go for it and fail you'll lose the ball and give it to the other team
2007-02-25 09:37:01 · answer #8 · answered by meanmachine4242 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
how do u not know this.. 1st and 10 means 1st down and 10 yards till another first down. and wen u get a first down the first number changed back to 1 cuz u get 4 downs per 10 yards and if u dont get the first down within 4 plays then u turn the ball over to the other team.. most teams opt to punt on 4th down and long or theyll go for it on 4th down and short..
2007-02-25 09:34:20 · answer #9 · answered by joe s 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1st # is what down it is and 2nd # is how many yards there are to a new down. if it's 3rd and 11, that means that it's 3rd down and 11 yards to go to a new set of downs
2007-02-25 10:43:56 · answer #10 · answered by TITANS FAN 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋