Football practice in the football field with assistant coach [Source: Photograph by BHHS student]Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States. There is something about well built, masculine men running around and tackling each other that attracts millions of Americans. An American football game is played by two teams, and each team can only put eleven players on the field at a time. The goal of the sport is to carry a ball shaped like a prolate spheroid across a 100 yard by 52 yard field without being tackled. To score points, a player must enter a 10 yard wide area called the “end zone” with the ball in hand. The game itself is divided into quarters, each quarter 15 minutes long. The offensive team (the side that currently has the ball) has four “downs” (chances or attempts at advancing the ball) in order to score “touchdowns” (scoring touchdowns is the main goal in American football, as scoring one grants 6 points). Additional points can be earned by kicking the ball after a touchdown or scoring into a field goal. The team that has the most points by the end of the fourth quarter wins the game.
Naturally, football is a very common sport played at high schools, including Beverly Hills High School. Currently, high school football season in California is ongoing, and there is a football game (home or away) nearly every Friday afternoon. Each football game involves the band and dancers cheering for the football team against their opponents. Because of all of the events that occur before, during, and after the game itself, the entire event lasts much longer than 15 min x 4 = 60 minutes. Although entertaining to watch , Beverly Hills High School Football Team is known for its recent poor performance in many games against other local high schools such as Culver City. In the most recent game, Beverly High Normans lost to Lawndale Cardinals with a score of 67-0. Despite the struggles, Norman football players are increasing their practicing time in order to stand ground against its rivals in future football games.
![Football practice in the football field with assistant coach [Source: Photograph by BHHS student]](http://www.jstudentboard.com/reporter/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/11-15-football.jpg)
