131-718: The Hertfordshire Cheetahs (formerly the Watford Cheetahs and Chiltern Cheetahs ) are an American football team based in Watford , including a senior kitted team (contact) competing in the BAFA National Leagues (BAFANL), Under 16 and under 19 kitted teams (contact) a women's kitted (formally the Hertfordshire Tornadoes) team and The Hertfordshire Cheetahs Flag Football 11U, 14U, and 17U Flag football (non-contact) teams playing in
262-422: A gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following a touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage
393-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
524-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
655-638: A 13-0 season they earned promotion to the Premier league in 2024 The Chiltern Cheetahs were formed in the summer of 1986 by a group of friends based in Amersham , Buckinghamshire. With some outside help, the team developed and they played their first friendly on 30 November 1986—a 0–9 defeat to the St Albans Kestrels played at the home of Chesham United football club in front of 1800 spectators. A further three pre-season matches were played after
786-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
917-724: A Youth Kitted team with help from the local youth and community authority. Before the season kicked off proper in April, the Cheetahs were transferred back to the Eastern Conference of BAFA's Community League to be reunited with their old rivals from Kent, Norwich, Bedfordhire, Essex and Milton Keynes, who themselves spent a season with the Cheetahs in the West Conference joined them back in the East. The season began with
1048-627: A cheerleading squad and flag team. Growing numbers of younger players in the Senior squad has also led to one of their players representing the Great British Student Lions in their recent victory over their Finnish counterparts. Early season results included a narrow loss (14–12) at Ouse Valley, and a win at home against the Cambridgeshire Cats. Ultimately, the Cheetahs went 4–6. A number of changes occurred within
1179-528: A common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of the 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained
1310-598: A feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as
1441-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
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#17327912415261572-428: A game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed
1703-598: A game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of a player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits,
1834-912: A good season and some sponsorship, in 2004, the Rams found themselves moving to the Rams Stadium , home of the Dewsbury Rams in Kirklees . The club ground was renamed in 2005 to the Tetley Stadium . Again the following year, 2006, saw another move of club venue to the Milnthorpe Green home of Sandal RUFC in Wakefield. For two years the Rams played their home fixtures at South Leeds Stadium , where they enjoyed an unbeaten record before moving to Leeds Corinthians RUFC. In 2016,
1965-656: A high losing to the eventual Division 1 Champions; East Kilbride Pirates . Although the Yorkshire Rams were defeated in the Quarter Final of the playoffs their national ranking made them eligible for inclusion into the newly formed Northern Premiership. 2012 will see the Yorkshire Rams compete in the top flight of American Football in the UK along with the East Kilbride Pirates , Doncaster Mustangs ,
2096-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
2227-564: A league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of the 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to
2358-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
2489-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
2620-536: A more fitted look and feel. This coincided with the two most successful seasons in Cheetahs history, making an appearance in two Bowl games as well as their least successful season in 2006. The move to Watford meant that the Cheetahs had to update their uniform. This would be made by Rhino again and was of a stronger material, the Chiltern logo omitted for obvious reasons and was of a darker, more amber looking colour. The Cheetahs next major investment came in 2011 with
2751-406: A much more dynamic, striking design made by Alpha Performance, the jersey was much more fitted, the main body was of traditional airtex material with professional-looking tackle twill numbering. Gone were the two black sleeve stripes, which formed part of the Cheetahs uniform since the very beginning. The uniform was changed again in 2017 to one with shoulder numbers on a black yoke. A new uniform
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#17327912415262882-704: A national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on
3013-485: A number of individual records—quarterback Rob Suttling became the first Cheetahs player to pass for more than 1,000 yards in a season, and safety Jay Rayner recorded nine interceptions, the highest total in Division Three. The following year was one of their most successful. After a good start followed by three consecutive defeats, a run of five wins saw the Cheetahs finishing second in their group and qualifying for
3144-644: A pair of new coaches, the team won all but one of their games to win the First Division South Central Conference, claiming their first ever conference title and qualifying for the playoffs. They were drawn at home to the Weymouth Renegades, whom they beat 15–8 with their three running backs each getting over 100 yards. In the quarter-final, they travelled to the Hereford Chargers—after conceding 22 points in
3275-535: A partnership with the University of Hertfordshire Hurricanes team, culminating in two scrimmage games to help prepare the Hurricanes for their winter football season. So successful were the games that several players, led by former Cheetahs linebacker Richard Ward, returned and he brought a few Hurricanes players with him to play for the Cheetahs in the 2011 season. The club also announced that they would form
3406-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
3537-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
3668-414: A round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create
3799-422: A rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football a separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble
3930-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
4061-555: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Yorkshire Rams The Yorkshire Academy Rams (previously
Hertfordshire Cheetahs - Misplaced Pages Continue
4192-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
4323-613: A shut-out themselves in the following game away against the Kent Exiles. The Cheetahs, failing to move the ball effectively at a drizzle-soaked Crockenhill suffered an 18–0 loss in what was the Conference-topping game. A bruising 31–20 loss against a physical and much improved Milton Keynes City Pathfinders team pushed the team further out of the Playoff picture with the season record standing at 4–2. The following game,
4454-596: A sign that they are on their way back to fighting form. With a Junior side that went 3–3 and were Southern Trophy Runners up in an 8–6 Game against the Solent Seahawks and Youth Program who looked strong to start the season, the Senior side has much to look forward to in 2018 and beyond. Due to personal circumstances Roger Brown had to leave the club, and Craig Barnes was voted in as the new head coach. Will Sparke took over duties as offensive coordinator, having previously assisted with special teams. The team has worn
4585-456: A standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for
4716-449: A tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine
4847-409: A white road jersey. Due to budget reasons some of the early uniforms and the uniforms from the 1990s and early 2000s (decade) were mixed together with the black "CHEETAHS" type appearing on the back of the some jerseys as well as the front. In 2004 the Cheetahs invested in a new uniform made by UK-based Rhino Sports, in a lighter shade of gold and including the Chiltern logo on the left shoulder and had
4978-429: Is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance
5109-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
5240-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
5371-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
Hertfordshire Cheetahs - Misplaced Pages Continue
5502-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
5633-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
5764-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
5895-607: The 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with the innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become
6026-580: The Birmingham Bulls , Leicester Falcons and the Tamworth Phoenix Yorkshire Academy Rams After parting ways with HC David Pawson, the Rams underwent a merger with Leeds University to form The Yorkshire Academy of American Football. This ongoing alignment helps create a player pathway from grassroots to adult contact disciplines. As part of the merger The Rams with be sporting purple horns during
6157-709: The Huddersfield Rams . In 1990 the club again moved home to the Leeds road Hockey pitch, in Huddersfield. This venue was short-lived, as 1991 saw a major reorganisation of the club, both to a new and more permanent home at the Dalton based Amateur rugby league football club ground in Moldgreen, also in Huddersfield. In view of the increase of the size of the club's recruiting area this reorganisation also saw
6288-656: The Southern Sundevils , they struggled at this higher level and only managed to win one more of their games, ultimately finishing third out of four teams in their group. This was still to gain a wild-card slot in the playoffs and they made the most of this opportunity, defeating the Staffordshire Surge and the London Blitz to gain a place in the final for the second successive season. As with their first playoff final eight years before, they played
6419-539: The Watford Cheetahs and were reassigned to the Eastern Conference, where they finished with a record of two wins, seven defeats and one draw. 2010 was an eventful year for the Cheetahs. Drew Anderson was appointed as head coach, numerous adjustments and new arrivals made it a busy off season, including the Cheetahs being transferred to the BAFACL Division 2 West. The pre-season began with two scrimmage games v. London Blitz and Cambridgeshire Cats . They began
6550-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
6681-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
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#17327912415266812-473: The snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of
6943-471: The "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in
7074-558: The 2010 League campaign 3–0 with consecutive wins away from home including a thrilling 27–14 win against the Cornish Sharks . Three consecutive defeats then followed, twice against the Berkshire Renegades and an unfortunate defeat away to Hampshire Thrashers , which made the Cheetahs 3–3. Two thrilling come-from-behind home wins v. Gloucester Banshees and runaway divisional leaders Hampshire Thrashers , which gave
7205-542: The AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain the young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for
7336-538: The Aztecs winning 6–27. Compared with 1997, the next few seasons were unremarkable with The Cheetahs generally finishing in mid-table. It wasn't until 2004 that they again experienced success, when they finished top of Division 2 South East with ten wins out of ten. This meant they finished at top seeds in the entire division, and so were assured of home draws. A 30–6 win over the South Wales Warriors in
7467-574: The BAFA Youth Flag Football League. Currently all teams train and host their home games at Sun Postal Sports & Social Club, Bellmount Wood Avenue, Watford, WD17 3BN. The senior team was first formed in 1986 and entered a senior competition the following year, making them the third-longest continuously competing team in the United Kingdom behind only the Birmingham Bulls and Glasgow Tigers . During their history,
7598-486: The Berkshire Renegades, Maidstone Pumas and Bournemouth Bobcats. The Cheetahs would make the playoffs even after injuries caught up with the team which lead to them dropping their last 3 games. The Cheetahs went into the playoffs believing they could go the distance but came up short against a promotion driven Wembley Stallions in a 27–0 Loss. Whilst promotion was the goal, a 7–3 Season was a huge motivator and
7729-602: The Bristol Aztecs and lost only by a single touchdown. They didn't recover from this and lost all ten games in the following season, only managing to score 32 points. They were therefore relegated back to Division 2, where they played the 2007 season in the South East Conference at their new home in Watford. They continued to struggle, winning only two of their ten games. In 2008, the team were renamed
7860-518: The British National Gridiron League the following year, but were affected by the loss of their two American coaches. Despite one team in their division being banned from competition and two teams pulling out before the season began, the Cheetahs struggled throughout and lost all six of their games. They performed slightly better in 1989 despite losing more players, winning three out of their ten games. The following season,
7991-436: The Cheetahs a chance of sneaking into the playoffs. A devastating 35–13 loss at home to Milton Keynes City Pathfinders put paid to any Cheetahs playoff hopes and the season ended with another home defeat to Cornish Sharks . The Cheetahs finished the season 5–5 and 3rd position in the division. 2011 was another eventful season for the Cheetahs, the club celebrating their 25th anniversary, with more several comings and goings in
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#17327912415268122-455: The Cheetahs bounced back at home at a sweltering Fullerians with temperatures well in the 80s against the table-topping Essex Spartans in which the Cheetahs ran out 19–6 winners. A close, and unfortunate defeat away at Milton Keynes by 20–16 would ultimately crush the Cheetahs' post-season Playoff hopes. The Cheetahs exacted revenge against the Exiles in the return-game at home by 23–14 which saw
8253-718: The Cheetahs have reached the Divisional Playoff final on five occasions: in 1997, 2004, 2005, 2018 and 2023.The 2018 final was their first championship victory beating the Portsmouth Dreadnoughts for division 2 honours. After winning the Thames Valley div 2021 SFC1 West 2022 the Cheetahs won it all in 2023 SFC1 West Div and Southern Conference and finally took National honours against the Northumberland Vikings in over time. After
8384-437: The Cheetahs have seen a boost in moral and have made an impressive start to the season, currently sitting at 5–0 and leaders of their conference. 2015 was a season with mixed fortunes for the Cheetahs. Huge offseason upheaval led by chairman at the time Al Tepper led to a new home ground at St Albans Rugby Club , which has given the club space and resources to grow, and to improve their game day facilities, helping them to launch
8515-447: The Cheetahs hierarchy at the start of the 2016 season. Former player Conrad Elliott took over as head coach and defensive coordinator, whilst Luke Clark made the step-up to chairman alongside his other duties as committee member and offensive lineman. On the field, results did not go the Cheetahs way. A 0–10 season was ultimately saved by off-field spirit and a willingness to rebound in 2017. Unfortunately Coach Elliott had to step down after
8646-674: The Cheetahs were moved to the Southern Conference of the BNGL's Premier Division, but they struggled once again, finishing bottom of the four-team group with just two wins out of ten. This resulted in the Cheetahs being relegated to Division One, where they were assigned to the East Midlands Conference. They moved home once again, playing their games at Newlands Park College in Chalfont St. Giles . They began
8777-582: The FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by the commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to
8908-719: The New Year; an 18–6 win against the F14 Tomcats, a 41–2 win against the Bristol Blackhawks, and a 34–9 win against the Chiltern Panthers. After these pre-season successes, they entered league competition in the summer of 1987, competing in the Capital League's County Division. They finished with a record of seven wins and three defeats, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. The Cheetahs moved to
9039-662: The Rams narrowly lost to the Ipswich Cardinals in the Playoffs prematurely ending an outstanding season. The Yorkshire Rams drew their old rivals the East Kilbride Pirates in the Quarter Finals of the Division 1 Playoffs. Yorkshire had to travel up to Scotland and could have ended the game early on through default, as East Kilbride failed to have an ambulance present when the game kicked off which resulted in
9170-509: The Rams returned to South Leeds Stadium for the second time. The Yorkshire Rams currently play their home games at South Leeds Stadium . Saw the Rams improve on their 2007 record (6–4) to a 7–2–1 record while also reaching the Semi Final of the Division 1 playoffs, only to lose to Sussex Thunder . Had a lot of new recruits join the team, together the team compiled a 5–4–1 record. The team had their destiny in their own hands going into
9301-456: The Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap the ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on
9432-522: The United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football, is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used
9563-518: The United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in
9694-554: The United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of the role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when
9825-822: The Yorkshire Rams) are an English American football club, based in Leeds , West Yorkshire . They are currently playing in BAFANL NFC 1 North . The club was founded in 1986 as the Wakefield Wasps and moved to Huddersfield in 1987 to be based at the Rugby union football club ground, in the Waterloo area. Shortly after they moved to the Fartown Rugby league ground. The club were then renamed to
9956-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
10087-410: The ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at
10218-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
10349-478: The ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
10480-827: The change of the club's name to the Yorkshire Rams . In 1996 the club moved to more luxurious conditions at the Lawrence Batley Sports Centre at Salendine Nook in Huddersfield. The following year, they moved both venue and home town to the Walton Sports & Social club in Wakefield , The following year due to Health and safety rules the club again moved home to the Westgate Redoubt ARLFC, in Wakefield After
10611-499: The cheetahs finishing 3–7, the pre season for the 2013 campaign saw a number of changes in cheetah personnel, committee and coaching staff, the cheetahs began recruiting players from all over Hertfordshire to strengthen their ranks. With the return of a few old faces to the team, this led to the Cheetahs managing a complete U-turn in their season, finishing 6–4, just narrowly missing out on the playoffs. With convincing wins over both Milton Keynes pathfinders and Kent exiles that season there
10742-525: The colours of Gold and Black ever since the club's inception in 1986, given that the Cheetah is of a golden colour fur plus the fact that the club's founders were passionate fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, hence why the club calls its primary colour "Steeltown Gold". The uniform mainly consisted of yellow/gold jerseys with black numbers and sleeve stripes with black pants and white socks with
10873-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
11004-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
11135-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
11266-419: The end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established
11397-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
11528-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
11659-561: The features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play
11790-468: The field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league; the NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in
11921-454: The field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play
12052-423: The final game of the season at Dundee, Knowing that a win would Guarantee them a place in the playoffs, however they eventually lost the game ending their season. The Rams tried to build on 2009's success and recorded an impressive 7–3–0 record. The Yorkshire Rams shut out Gateshead Senators and Merseyside Nighthawks in impressive displays, but ultimately an increasing amount of injuries would take their toll, as
12183-645: The first quarter, they were unable to recover and ended up losing 15–22. The following year, the Cheetahs switched over to the newly formed British American Football Association (BAFA) league. They were assigned to the Division 3 Midlands Conference, which also contained the Cambridge Cats , Colchester Gladiators and Norwich Devils , with their home games against the Gladiators and Devils being their only two wins that season. The following season also saw them struggle, with two of their three wins coming as
12314-629: The formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included
12445-477: The game being stopped early in the first quarter. Yorkshire however waited 45 minutes for the ambulance to arrive in the name of sportsmanship. Throughout the game both teams led however it was Yorkshire who had edged ahead going into the last quarter by 14–12. East Kilbride, as they did twice in the season, found an extra gear and pulled ahead of the Yorkshire side by 14–26. The Yorkshire Rams ended their season on
12576-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
12707-409: The game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as the illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that
12838-403: The game suspended temporarily in the 4th quarter by a brief thunderstorm. The final home game then saw the Cheetahs thump Bedfordshire by 43–6. The Cheetahs finished the 2011 season with their first winning season since their 10–0 season in 2004 with a record of 7 wins for 3 losses and 0 ties, and the fourth lowest points-conceded in the entire division. After a dismal 2012 season that resulted in
12969-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
13100-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
13231-506: The most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in
13362-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
13493-429: The offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except the center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until
13624-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
13755-521: The playing roster and coaching staff. Linebacker Jamie Brown was installed as the team's new defensive co-ordinator and a partnership on offense between retired kicker Douglas Andrews and quarterback Martin Brown, after the departure of previous coach Adrian Stemp. Brown became the team's new starting QB ahead of the established Paul Symonds, who took the opportunity of also playing wide receiver as well as quarterback after recovering from an arm injury sustained
13886-664: The playoffs for only the second time in their history. An away win against the Leicester Huntsmen was followed by a 26–16 home win over the Yorkshire Rams in the semi-final, a result secured by two interception touchdowns. The team then travelled to play the Division 2 playoff final at the Saffron Lane stadium in Leicester against the Bristol Aztecs , a team who had only conceded 32 points all season, with
14017-451: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
14148-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
14279-796: The quarter-final was followed by a 34–6 semi-final win over the Sussex Thunder . This set up their second playoff final, this time played at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield in front of 1440 spectators. They did not finish the season with another win, losing 16–32 to the Doncaster Mustangs . Despite losing the final, the Cheetahs were promoted to Division 1A of the British American Football League . After winning their first match against
14410-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
14541-439: The reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams, the neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912,
14672-560: The result of the London Mets forfeiting their games. 1996 saw the Chiltern Cheetahs celebrating their tenth anniversary with a friendly match against the visiting Hamlen Dragons—the Cheetahs defeated their German opponents 60–0. The team were moved to the newly formed British Senior League, where they played in the Division 3 Midlands Conference. Although they finished the season with five wins and five defeats, they recorded
14803-542: The rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as
14934-486: The season before. Backup quarterback Nik Maxey, who once played for the Great Britain Crusaders (Under 18) and Bulldogs (University) teams, would also take a more active coaching role as the 2011 season unfolded. Head coach Drew Anderson announced toward the end of the season that he would step down to become the head of BAFA's Community Football scheme. Before the 2011 season kicked off, Cheetahs formed
15065-529: The season which meant the Cheetahs had an extra win under their belts, albeit by default. A history-making third shut-out in succession happened in the next game away in Kent against the Maidstone Pumas . The Cheetahs destroying their opponents 61–0. This made the Cheetahs 4–0 for zero points conceded, ahead of what would be the most testing time of the Cheetahs' season. The Cheetahs themselves would suffer
15196-491: The season with two ties away from home, before narrowly losing their first home game against the Stratford Tempests due to a last minute field goal . Two further defeats were followed by three successive victories, with the Cheetahs eventually finishing fourth in the group. 1992 saw them winning six of their games, again narrowly missing out on a playoff spot. Their first real success came in 1993. After appointing
15327-476: The season, with offensive coordinator Roger Brown taking over as interim head coach – the beginnings of a restructuring of the coaching and committee structure for the 2017 season. 2017 was a year of improvement for the Cheetahs as the senior team would go on a 7 Game win streak under Roger Brown. Starting with a 63–0 Win over the Hastings Conquerors and followed by subsequent 50 Point games against
15458-457: The second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of a round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton,
15589-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
15720-411: The snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands
15851-531: The sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in
15982-530: The team away from home against the Bedfordshire Blue Raiders in which the Cheetahs shut out their Bedford-based rivals 15–0. Another shut-out in the following game, which would be the team's 25th Anniversary Game at home v a severely depleted Norwich Devils with the Cheetahs thumping the Devils 37–0. The Devils announced shortly after that they could not continue playing for the remainder of
16113-499: The time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from the college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following
16244-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
16375-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
16506-402: The world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in
16637-520: Was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish the game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in
16768-491: Was no doubt the Cheetahs were a serious team and ready to be contenders in the next season. The 2014 season sees a return to dominance for the Cheetahs, despite the unfortunate departure of offensive co-ordinator Coach Lowry, the Cheetahs were joined by Coach Brown taking over the defensive co-ordinator role and Coach Shu leading on the offensive front. With a change of venue to the University of Hertfordshire Sports Village
16899-535: Was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922, the NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at
17030-407: Was the case with the uniform, the move to Watford meant that the current logo was no longer viable so the club changed the logo to a more modern, dynamic side-on Cheetah head which was formally introduced on the Cheetahs' helmets in the 2011 season. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football ,
17161-538: Was used for the first time in 2021 in the Thames Valley Division. White shirts were added in 2022 while playing in SFC1 West. Ever since the club was formed in 1986, the Cheetahs have always used the picture of a cheetah in some form. Not much is known about the very earliest logo but the main one which was used until 2008 consisted of an aggressive cheetah's face surrounded by a "C" for Chiltern. As
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