Endzone

1. 01

   Setup

   Two teams of two to five players. Mark a field about twenty yards deep and any comfortable width, plus one endzone about five yards deep at one end. Mark the four field corners and the two front corners of the endzone before play. One football is the only equipment. Both teams attack the same endzone; the defense's goal line is the only goal line.

1. 02

   Objective

   The offense starts every drive at the twenty and has four downs to score a touchdown. Touchdowns are worth seven. First team to twenty-eight points wins.

How it's played

1. 03

   Four downs, no first downs

   Every drive is four downs from the twenty. There are no first downs and no yardage to gain — the only way to keep the ball is to score. A down ends when the ball carrier is touched, when a pass hits the ground, or when the ball carrier steps out of bounds. A ball that touches the ground is dead where the previous down started; the offense does not keep its yardage between downs — every down snaps from the twenty.

2. 04

   Two-hand touch

   The ball carrier is down when a defender touches them with both hands at the same time, anywhere between the shoulders and the knees. One hand is nothing. Tackling, holding, and shoving are not allowed.

3. 05

   Turnovers

   Possession flips immediately on an interception or when the offense fails to score in four downs. There are no run-backs: an interception is dead the moment it is caught. Either way, the new offense starts its own drive at the twenty, attacking the same endzone.

4. 06

   Play clock

   The offense has thirty seconds from the end of one down to snap the next. If the clock expires before the snap, it is delay of game and the offense loses that down. Endless huddles are the death of this game; the clock exists so nobody has to be the one to say so.

1. 07

   Touchdowns

   A touchdown is worth seven points and scores when the ball, in a player's possession, crosses the front line of the endzone — the plane rule: the ball crossing counts even if the carrier's feet have not. A catch made inside the endzone with any part of one foot down is also a touchdown. There are no extra points. After a touchdown the other team takes over on offense at the twenty.

1. 08

   No kicking

   There are no field goals, no punts, and no kicking of any kind. Fourth down is always a live play for the endzone. A team that kicks the ball forfeits the down.

1. 09

   Winning

   First team to twenty-eight points — four touchdowns — wins. If both teams agree before the game, play timed halves instead and the higher score at the end wins; ties are settled by one sudden-death drive each.