Offensive Strategy
The team which has possession of the football is said to be “on offense.” Each team’s time on offense may also be refered to as a “drive.” On taking possession of the football, the team on offense has four tries (or “downs”) to advance the ball and achieve one of the following outcomes:
* Run the ball into the opposing team’s end zone, or throw the ball to a player standing in the opposing team’s end zone, thus scoring a touchdown (six points, plus an attempt to score a point after touchdown or two point conversion)
* Move close enough to the opposing team’s goal so that the team on offense can send in its kicking team and attempt to score a field goal (three points)
* Move at least ten yards closer to the opposing team’s end zone, thereby gaining a first down and beginning a new series of downs - in other words, allowing at least four more chances to advance the ball further or attempt to score.
When the offense fails to gain a first down and is not close enough for the kicking team to have a chance at a successful field goal, the team will usually choose to punt - kick the ball away - on fourth down. (See “Special Teams Strategy” below).
While scoring points is the overall objective, coaches and players may choose to execute certain types of plays based on a variety of factors, which may include: the type of defensive strategy the opposing team is employing; the health and experience of the players on both the offensive and defensive teams; the amount of time remaining before halftime or the end of the game; and the amount of points that either team would need to score in order to take the lead and win the game.
“Time management” - choosing plays based on the amount of time remaining on the game clock - is a key element of offensive strategy. For example, a team which is behind in points late in the game will go on offense wanting not only to score, but to score quickly. Passing the ball is a quicker way of moving toward the goal and scoring than running the ball, and passing plays also allow more chances to stop the game clock. Conversely, a team which goes on offense while leading in points toward the end of a game will want to keep the game clock running as much as possible, giving the opposing team less time to attempt a comeback. In such a case the team will likely choose running plays on offense, as these make it more likely that the clock will continue to run between plays, allowing less time for the opposing team to score if and when it regains possession of the ball.
One example of time management contributing to a win is the 21 November 2005 NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. With the score tied at 17 in the closing seconds of the game, the Vikings on offense made a first down well within field goal kicking range. On first down and second down, the Vikings’ quarterback knelt down (see “Downing a knee”), forcing the Packers to use their two remaining time-outs to stop the clock. On third down, the Vikings allowed the clock to run down to three seconds remaining before using their own time-out and sending in their kicker. Thus the Vikings ensured their survival: if the field goal try was unsuccessful, the game would continue into overtime and they would still have a chance to win the game. As it happened, the kick was made successfully just as the clock expired, and the final score was Minnesota 20, Green Bay 17.