How to play American Football in Minecraft

After reading the article below, would you want to try playing American football in BC?

  • No, I don't like sports.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .

Vernalsole1355

Citizen
Vernalsoul1355
Vernalsoul1355
Hey everyone, Vernal here again.

Some of you may remember be saying this, but I actually know a way to play American Football in Minecraft, and I thought it'd be cool to share it with you guys. Note, the original idea is not mine, however I've made some slight modifications to it.

TL;DR - In Minecraft football, 2 teams of players attempt to move the ball down the 80 block field, in 10 block increments (4 attempts to move 10 blocks), by "passing" (shooting a bow & arrow) the ball to another player, or to yourself, and running down the field to the end zone before being "tackled" (punched twice). You score points by a Touchdown (6 points, getting the ball into the endzone), Field Goal (3 points, shooting the arrow between a set of uprights at the back of the endzone), or a Safety. (2 points, tackling the player with the ball in their own endzone). You can also attempt a PAT (1 point, short field goal), or a 2PT conversion (2 plays, attempt to get the ball in the endzone from 2 blocks out of the endzone) Games can be played 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, 5v5.

If you want the more in-depth explanation, continue reading. Otherwise, your good to comment.

So, what is American Football?
American Football is a game involving 2 teams, typically consisting of 11 players on the field at the same time (the same as soccer, or European football). The goal of the game is to take the ball, known as a football (not a soccer ball), down the field to the other team's "endzone" (10 long block space added to the ends of the field) to score points. The team with the highest score after 60 minutes of play wins the game.


[HOW ITS PLAYED]

The real life game involves either throwing (aka passing) or running the football across the field to the other team's endzone. However, in Minecraft, there is nothing you can use to throw, and there are no balls. So, how do we get around this? Simple. A Bow using Spectral Arrows can be used to replace the football. You can "pass" the "ball" (the arrow) to another player by shooting them, or yourself with the bow, and taking off. The person with the football will be lit up for everyone to see. Here are some more specific rules.

In Minecraft Football, games are typically played 3v3. However, it can be played 2v2, 4v4, and 5v5. You can also play 2v1, 3v2, 4v3, and 5v4, but the defense will be down a man. This isn't a major issue though in Minecraft football, more on that in a minute.

There is no set time limit for Minecraft football, and how you divide that time up is up to you. You can do two 20 minute halves, four 10 minute quarters, it's up to you. However, it is typically played in four 8 minute quarters.

A Minecraft field is typically 80 blocks long by 34 blocks wide. An extra 10 blocks are added in length at the ends of the field. These are the "endzones". There is a line that runs across the field every 10 blocks. In American football, in order to keep possession of the football, you must move the ball at least 10 blocks down the field on 4 tries. Each "try" is known as a "down" (for example, the 1st play after you've moved the ball 10 yards is called a "First Down". 2nd play is "Second Down", and so on.)

There are 2 main ways of doing this. You can either "pass" the "ball" by having the Quarterback (more on positions next) shooting the bow & arrow and hitting one of his Wide Receivers, or you can "run" the "ball" turning around and shooting his Running Back, or shooting himself with the bow & arrow and running with it. This is the job of the offense. The defense's job is to stop the offense from doing this. They do this by "tackling" the person with the "football". This is done in Minecraft by simply punching the player who has possession of the ball (the person who had been shot) twice. Once they have been hit twice by a defender, the play is considered "dead", and the Quarterbck must start the next "try" from where the offensive player was "downed" (where he was when he got hit the second time). This block immediately in front of the spot where the Quarterback stand is known as the "Line of Scrimmage". Neither team may cross this line until the ball is "snapped" (until the Quarterback says Hike). In 2v2 or 3v3 games only, the defense may not cross this line for 4 seconds after the ball has been snapped.

If the offense fails to move the across the required 10 yards after 3 tries (or 2 tries in cases of 3v3 or 2v2), they may choose to "go for it" (attempt to move the ball across the required 10 yards one last time), or "Punt" the ball. If the offense "goes for it", and fails to get the required 10 yards, then the defense is awarded possession where the offensive player was tackled. If they choose to "Punt" the ball, a special player, known as a "Punter" will use the bow & arrow and attempt to shoot it so it will land as far away from where the Punter is as possible, but not going into the defense's endzone. The defense is given possession where the arrow lands. (A defensive player may however attempt to catch the arrow and run the ball into the other team's endzone. If the arrow is caught, the offense must tackle that player)

The goal of football is to score the most points by the end of the game. There are several ways of doing this. You can score a Touchdown (the person with the football makes it into the endzone, by crossing the line at the inside edge of the endzone.), "kick" a Field Goal (have a player "kick" (shoot) the bow & arrow between a set of goal posts at the far line of the endzone. This can be done from anywhere on the field.), or a Safety (the defense tackles the offensive player with the football inside the offense's own endzone.) A Touchdown is worth 6 points, a Field Goal is worth 3 points, and a Safety is worth 2 points. After a Touchdown, a team may also attempt a "Point After Try" (PAT, a short Field Goal worth 1 point), or a 2 point conversion (The offense attempts to pass or run the ball into the endzone again from 2 blocks out, worth 2 points.)

The defense, however, can take possession away from the other team before the offense scores. In Minecraft football, the only way this can be done is by "Intercepting" the ball, in which a defender "catches" the "ball" (is hit with the arrow) that was intended for a Wide Receiver to catch. The play is not dead until the defender who intercepted the ball is tackled, in which case they may run the ball back to the offense's endzone and score a Touchdown themselves.

[POSITIONS]

There are several positions in Minecraft football. Here is a brief summary of each position.

-Offense-

Quarterback (QB) - The player "throwing" the "ball" (Shooting the bow & arrow).

Wide Receiver (WR) - The player(s) "catching" the "ball" (being hit by the arrow), and running it towards the endzone.

Offensive Lineman (4vs4/5vs5) (OL) - The player responsible for protecting the Quarterback or the ball carrier from the defense by "blocking" (punching) a defensive player. (All players are allowed to block, however) This is the only player not allowed to catch the football. More on that later.

Running Back (4vs4/5vs5) (RB) - The player who starts behind the Quarterback. The Quarterback may "hand-off" (immediately turn around & shoot) the Running Back in order to quickly get the ball off and try to catch the defense off-guard. The Running Back may also catch the ball like a WR normally would. More on what a "normal" catch is later.

-Defense-

Defensive Lineman (DL) - The player responsible for rushing the Quarterback in an attempt to tackle him before he "throws" the football, or tackling the Running Back.

-Linebacker (LB) - This player(s) responsibilities vary from play to play. They can rush the Quarterback, tackle the Running Back, or "guard" (attempt to block from "catching" the "football") a Wide Receiver.

-Safety (S) - This player(s) is responsible for "guarding" a Wide Receiver. If the Quarterback or Running Back gets bye both the Defensive Lineman and the Linebacker(s), it is the Safety's responsibility to tackle the ball carrier.

-Other-

Kicker - This player is solely responsible for "kicking" Field Goals, and Point After Tries.

Punter - This player is solely responsible for punting the ball.

[PENALTIES]

Like all sports, there are "fouls". However, instead of being known as "fouls", they are known as "Penalties". Each penalty can cost the team of the player who committed the penalty anywhere from 5 to 15 blocks, and in the case of a defensive penalty, an automatic offensive first down. Here is a list of penalties and how many blocks it costs.

False Start - The offense crosses the Line of Scrimmage before the ball is snapped. 5 blocks forward from original spot.

Offsides - The defense crosses the Line of Scrimmage before the ball is snapped. 5 blocks backward from original spot.

Holding - An offensive or defensive player punches a player more than 2 times. 10 blocks forwards from original spot./auto 1st down (defensive infraction) or 10 blocks backwards from original spot. (offensive infraction)

Pass Interference - After the Quarterback has shot the arrow, An offensive or defensive player (typically a Receiver or Safety) who are attempting to catch the same arrow punches the other player. The ball becomes placed at the spot of the foul/auto 1st down (defensive infraction), 15 blocks backwards from original spot. (offensive infraction).

Kick-Catch Interference - If a defensive player attempts to catch a Punt, that player must be allowed to do so. If an offensive player punches a defensive player before the arrow lands, this is considered Kick-Catch interference. 15 blocks forward from the spot where the arrow landed.

In all cases, a team may either "accept" (take the result from the penalty), or "decline" (stick with the result on the play) the penalty. For example, if you run the ball 15 yards, but a defensive player is called for Holding, your best bet is to "decline" the penalty. You do this because "accepting" the penalty means you would move up 10 yards from the original spot because of the penalty, but declining it means you keep the result of the play, which is moving 15 yards from the original spot.


And that's the basics of American football. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via here on the forums, DMs on the Discord, or in-game.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:

kl_22

Citizen
Hey everyone, Vernal here again.

Some of you may remember be saying this, but I actually know a way to play American Football in Minecraft, and I thought it'd be cool to share it with you guys. Note, the original idea is not mine, however I've made some slight modifications to it.

So, what is American Football?
American Football is a game involving 2 teams, typically consisting of 11 players on the field at the same time (the same as soccer, or European football). The goal of the game is to take the ball, known as a football (not a soccer ball), down the field to the other team's "endzone" to score points. The team with the highest score after 60 minutes of play wins the game.

[HOW ITS PLAYED]

The real life game involves either throwing (aka passing) or running the football across the field to the other team's endzone. However, in Minecraft, there is nothing you can use to throw, and there are no balls. So, how do we get around this? Simple. A Bow using Spectral Arrows can be used to replace the football. You can "pass" the "ball" (the arrow) to another player by shooting them, or yourself with the bow, and taking off. The person with the football will be lit up for everyone to see. Here are some more specific rules.

In Minecraft Football, games are typically played 3v3. However, it can be played 2v2, 4v4, and 5v5. You can also play 2v1, 3v2, 4v3, and 5v4, but the defense will be down a man. This isn't a major issue though in Minecraft football, more on that in a minute.

There is no set time limit for Minecraft football, and how you divide that time up is up to you. You can do two 20 minute halves, four 10 minute quarters, it's up to you. However, it is typically played in four 8 minute quarters.

A Minecraft field is typically 80 blocks long by 34 blocks wide. An extra 10 blocks are added in length at the ends of the field. These are the "endzones". There is a line that runs across the field every 10 blocks. In American football, in order to keep possession of the football, you must move the ball at least 10 blocks down the field on 4 tries. Each "try" is known as a "down" (for example, the 1st play after you've moved the ball 10 yards is called a "First Down". 2nd play is "Second Down", and so on.)

There are 2 main ways of doing this. You can either "pass" the "ball" by having the Quarterback (more on positions next) shooting the bow & arrow and hitting one of his Wide Receivers, or you can "run" the "ball" turning around and shooting his Running Back, or shooting himself with the bow & arrow and running with it. This is the job of the offense. The defense's job is to stop the offense from doing this. They do this by "tackling" the person with the "football". This is done in Minecraft by simply punching the player who has possession of the ball (the person who had been shot) twice. Once they have been hit twice by a defender, the play is considered "dead", and the Quarterbck must start the next "try" from where the offensive player was "downed" (where he was when he got hit the second time). This block immediately in front of the spot where the Quarterback stand is known as the "Line of Scrimmage". Neither team may cross this line until the ball is "snapped" (until the Quarterback says Hike). In 2v2 or 3v3 games only, the defense may not cross this line for 4 seconds after the ball has been snapped.

If the offense fails to move the across the required 10 yards after 3 tries (or 2 tries in cases of 3v3 or 2v2), they may choose to "go for it" (attempt to move the ball across the required 10 yards one last time), or "Punt" the ball. If the offense "goes for it", and fails to get the required 10 yards, then the defense is awarded possession where the offensive player was tackled. If they choose to "Punt" the ball, a special player, known as a "Punter" will use the bow & arrow and attempt to shoot it so it will land as far away from where the Punter is as possible, but not going into the defense's endzone. The defense is given possession where the arrow lands. (A defensive player may however attempt to catch the arrow and run the ball into the other team's endzone. If the arrow is caught, the offense must tackle that player)

The goal of football is to score the most points by the end of the game. There are several ways of doing this. You can score a Touchdown (the person with the football makes it into the endzone, by crossing the line at the inside edge of the endzone.), "kick" a Field Goal (have a player "kick" (shoot) the bow & arrow between a set of goal posts at the far line of the endzone. This can be done from anywhere on the field.), or a Safety (the defense tackles the offensive player with the football inside the offense's own endzone.) A Touchdown is worth 6 points, a Field Goal is worth 3 points, and a Safety is worth 2 points. After a Touchdown, a team may also attempt a "Point After Try" (PAT, a short Field Goal worth 1 point), or a 2 point conversion (The offense attempts to pass or run the ball into the endzone again from 2 blocks out, worth 2 points.)

The defense, however, can take possession away from the other team before the offense scores. In Minecraft football, the only way this can be done is by "Intercepting" the ball, in which a defender "catches" the "ball" (is hit with the arrow) that was intended for a Wide Receiver to catch. The play is not dead until the defender who intercepted the ball is tackled, in which case they may run the ball back to the offense's endzone and score a Touchdown themselves.

[POSITIONS]

There are several positions in Minecraft football. Here is a brief summary of each position.

-Offense-

Quarterback (QB) - The player "throwing" the "ball" (Shooting the bow & arrow).

Wide Receiver (WR) - The player(s) "catching" the "ball" (being hit by the arrow), and running it towards the endzone.

Offensive Lineman (4vs4/5vs5) (OL) - The player responsible for protecting the Quarterback or the ball carrier from the defense by "blocking" (punching) a defensive player. (All players are allowed to block, however) This is the only player not allowed to catch the football. More on that later.

Running Back (4vs4/5vs5) (RB) - The player who starts behind the Quarterback. The Quarterback may "hand-off" (immediately turn around & shoot) the Running Back in order to quickly get the ball off and try to catch the defense off-guard. The Running Back may also catch the ball like a WR normally would. More on what a "normal" catch is later.

-Defense-

Defensive Lineman (DL) - The player responsible for rushing the Quarterback in an attempt to tackle him before he "throws" the football, or tackling the Running Back.

-Linebacker (LB) - This player(s) responsibilities vary from play to play. They can rush the Quarterback, tackle the Running Back, or "guard" (attempt to block from "catching" the "football") a Wide Receiver.

-Safety (S) - This player(s) is responsible for "guarding" a Wide Receiver. If the Quarterback or Running Back gets bye both the Defensive Lineman and the Linebacker(s), it is the Safety's responsibility to tackle the ball carrier.

-Other-

Kicker - This player is solely responsible for "kicking" Field Goals, and Point After Tries.

Punter - This player is solely responsible for punting the ball.

[PENALTIES]

Like all sports, there are "fouls". However, instead of being known as "fouls", they are known as "Penalties". Each penalty can cost the team of the player who committed the penalty anywhere from 5 to 15 blocks, and in the case of a defensive penalty, an automatic offensive first down. Here is a list of penalties and how many blocks it costs.

False Start - The offense crosses the Line of Scrimmage before the ball is snapped. 5 blocks forward from original spot.

Offsides - The defense crosses the Line of Scrimmage before the ball is snapped. 5 blocks backward from original spot.

Holding - An offensive or defensive player punches a player more than 2 times. 10 blocks forwards from original spot./auto 1st down (defensive infraction) or 10 blocks backwards from original spot. (offensive infraction)

Pass Interference - After the Quarterback has shot the arrow, An offensive or defensive player (typically a Receiver or Safety) who are attempting to catch the same arrow punches the other player. The ball becomes placed at the spot of the foul/auto 1st down (defensive infraction), 15 blocks backwards from original spot. (offensive infraction).

Kick-Catch Interference - If a defensive player attempts to catch a Punt, that player must be allowed to do so. If an offensive player punches a defensive player before the arrow lands, this is considered Kick-Catch interference. 15 blocks forward from the spot where the arrow landed.

In all cases, a team may either "accept" (take the result from the penalty), or "decline" (stick with the result on the play) the penalty. For example, if you run the ball 15 yards, but a defensive player is called for Holding, your best bet is to "decline" the penalty. You do this because "accepting" the penalty means you would move up 10 yards from the original spot because of the penalty, but declining it means you keep the result of the play, which is moving 15 yards from the original spot.


And that's the basics of American football. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via here on the forums, DMs on the Discord, or in-game.

Cheers!

Vernal this sounds like a really cool idea but I would suggest adding a short tldr to the top? I was familiar with football already but I was quite confused throughout the article and did not want to read the whole thing. Just a short summary, like spectral arrows instead of ball, 2 teams, the field is 80 by 34 blocks, touchdown = 6 points, field goal = 3 points, and safety = 2 points, and other important information for game play would make it easier to read.
 

Vernalsole1355

Citizen
Vernalsoul1355
Vernalsoul1355
EDIT: Added TL;DR.

Remember to vote on the poll for this post. This will help me determine if I should proceed with my efforts to bring the sport to BusinessCraft or not.
 
Last edited:

Vernalsole1355

Citizen
Vernalsoul1355
Vernalsoul1355
UPDATE: I have been looking around, and I have found a suitable plot of land available for rent in Westridge. If positive support for this continues, I will rent out that plot of land, build a pop-up field, and host lessons (maybe even a few scrimmages).

So BE SURE TO VOTE on the poll!
 
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