App for American football rules

[From A Buick 8]

Ok i will admit, i know nothing about football. My son is playing high school football and i am looking for an app that will help with the rules.

 

[Death-T]

There is iReferee (a bit poorly rated) and Sports Rule Books which are both free apps, but the better and more straight-forward app solution to what you're looking for is American Football -Understanding the Game, which cost 99 cents. It's easy to understand (for Football newbs if you will) and has pictures and everything. You can also go to http://www.nfl.com/rulebook to read the NFL rule book, and this page also has a free PDF download which you can read on your iDevice.

The penalties which are levied against players for certain offenses as well as a few other subtle rules vary slightly across the NFL, college football, and generic high school football, but the basic rules of the game are still the same no matter what. Once you've watched a number of games you'll easily understand the most basic rules and strategy of the game, while the different penalties (holding, pass interference, face mask, illegal formation, etc) can take a while to soak in.

 

[From A Buick 8]

There is iReferee (a bit poorly rated) and Sports Rule Books which are both free apps, but the better and more straight-forward app solution to what you're looking for is American Football -Understanding the Game, which cost 99 cents. It's easy to understand (for Football newbs if you will) and has pictures and everything. You can also go to http://www.nfl.com/rulebook to read the NFL rule book, and this page also has a free PDF download which you can read on your iDevice.

The penalties which are levied against players for certain offenses as well as a few other subtle rules vary slightly across the NFL, college football, and generic high school football, but the basic rules of the game are still the same no matter what. Once you've watched a number of games you'll easily understand the most basic rules and strategy of the game, while the different penalties (holding, pass interference, face mask, illegal formation, etc) can take a while to soak in.

Thank you, i do not mind paying for a good app. So how close does high school football mirror the NFL rules, i assume it is close.

 

[Death-T]

They're the same really--nothing truly game changing. I don't pretend to know a whole lot about high school football in and of itself, but if you can follow pro or college ball then you'll have no problem with the high school games. There are a few differences such as shorter quarters.

Here's a list of the most notable discrepancies between high school and pro/college ball from Wikipedia.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) establishes the rules of High School Football in the United States.

Two states, Texas[1][2] and Massachusetts,[3] use NCAA playing rules except as shown below.

With their common ancestry, the NFHS rules of high school football are largely similar to the college game, though with some important differences:

• The four quarters are each 12 minutes in length, as opposed to 15 minutes in all other forms of the game. (Texas uses the NFHS 12-minute quarter; Massachusetts uses 12-minute quarters except in playoffs, where they are 10 minutes because of the possibility of playing three games in 10 days.)

• Kickoffs take place at the kicking team's 40-yard line, as opposed to the 35 in college and the NFL. (Both Texas and Massachusetts have adopted the NFHS rule.)

• If a ball crosses the plane of the goal line on a missed field goal, it would be a touchback and the opposing team will start at the 20-yard line.

• Any kick crossing the goal line is automatically a touchback; kicks cannot be returned out of the end zone.

• Pass interference by the defense results in a 15-yard penalty (and automatic first down), regardless of where the foul occurred (unlike the pro ranks where the ball is placed at the spot of the foul).

• The defense cannot return an extra-point attempt for a score.

• The use of overtime, and the type of overtime used, is up to the individual state association. The NFHS offers a suggested overtime procedure based on the Kansas Playoff, but does not make its provisions mandatory.

• At least one unique high school rule has been adopted by college football. In 1996, the overtime rules originally utilized by Kansas high school teams were adopted by the NCAA.

• Most Canadian schools use Canadian football rules adapted for the high school game. The exception is British Columbia, which uses NFHS rules as used in the United States.[4]

As you can see, the only differences are a few changes in quarter length, kickoff line, and some penalties are slightly different or more severe to protect student safety and the like. There are few procedural differences between high school and pro football. You can get a good feel of the game yourself if you tune in to a game on TV or even play a demo of Madden or something, though that sort of thing will probably bore you if it's not your cup of tea. lol.