Rules Field
Tap any part of the field, or pick a term below the diagram, to see what it means.
End zone
The scoring area beyond the goal line, at each end of the field. Carrying or catching the ball there scores a touchdown.
Goal line
The line that marks the front of the end zone. The ball must cross the opponent's goal line for a touchdown.
Red zone
The space from the defending team's 20-yard line to the goal line. An offense is considered to have a high probability of scoring when it enters the red zone, because it is within field goal range for kickers and only has a short distance to go to score a touchdown.
Line of scrimmage
An imaginary line across the field that neither team can cross until the ball is snapped and the play has started. It is also where the ball is spotted after a play or a penalty, so it moves from play to play. The diagram shows an example at midfield.
Neutral zone
The space the length of the football between the offense and defense before the snap. No player other than the center may have any part of his body in the neutral zone until the ball is snapped (the center can be over the ball in order to snap it). Entering the neutral zone early, or being in it at the snap, is a five-yard penalty.
The area behind the line of scrimmage where the quarterback is protected from rushing defenders. It is more strictly defined as the area between the two tackles, the players at each end of the offensive line. The offensive line protects the quarterback here so he has time to pass the ball to an open receiver.
Strong side
The side of an offensive formation that has more players at the line of scrimmage. This usually means the side the tight end (TE) lines up on, like the bottom of this diagram, but it can refer to a number of different alignments.
See who lines up where: Offense positions › Defense positions ›