How to play: take the headset, make your first call.

How to play your first drive

Start with one guided drive if the terms are new. It uses a fictional, single-possession original drill with plain-English tips. A pass can fail and a kick can miss; the lesson explains the result and lets you try again. Closing the lesson returns you to your regular game, and reopening it restores its separate save when storage is available.

Already comfortable with downs and field position? Return to the real-game field and choose “Today’s ending.” You control your team’s offense and its timeouts on defense. Scoring can give the opponent a reply, so the match continues to the end of regulation.

Can I learn how to play on a phone?

Yes. Use the same play cards and call button with touch; keyboard shortcuts are optional. Start the guided drive to see the explanation beside each call, then close it whenever you want to return to your regular match.

Read the target before choosing a play

Score

Down two? A field goal can take the lead. Down three? It only ties. Down four? Three points are not enough.

Down & distance

“3rd & 3” means third attempt, three yards to a new first down. You normally have four attempts to gain ten yards. The next target can be the end zone instead.

Own / Opp

Own 35 is your team’s 35-yard line; Opp 20 is the opponent’s 20. Orange marks the ball, and the yellow line is the first-down target.

Clock & timeouts

The clock does not tick while you think. Actions and running-clock preparation use time. Read both teams’ timeouts in historical endings.

In the illustrated Giants–Cardinals start, the score is tied and the ball is already in the red zone. You can seek more points or plan a kick, but the opponent may still have time to answer. Read that exact situation before taking over.

Choose, check the time, then call

1. Select a play. Tap a play card to see the route illustration and explanation. Historical passing labels describe broad target areas and depths, not specific receiver routes or player ratings.
2. Check preparation. A clock marked running means time can be used before the snap as well as during the play. A timeout, spike or boundary finish has different costs. Use the football clock management guide to compare them.
3. Press the call button. In historical mode it names the selected call; original drills use Run play. Touch and mouse both work. Original drills also support keys 1–6 and Enter when the game area has focus.
4. Read what changed. Check yards, down, ball position, clock and whether possession changed. Reaching a first down alone does not stop the clock. A side target does not guarantee an out-of-bounds finish.

A touchdown adds six. Real endings can offer a one-point kick or a two-point try afterward; a field goal adds three. Original drills end on a score. In a historical ending, advance the opponent’s snaps and use your own timeouts if needed until regulation ends.

How to play again without losing your first result

After a real ending, read the situation and choice explanation before opening the model evidence. A reasonable call can still fail; a win does not prove every call was best. From a completed ending you can retry a decision with its original clock, ball and timeouts, then compare the branches.

The daily challenge changes at 00:00 UTC. A completed or explicitly ended daily first stays recorded; retries are practice. A shared challenge link opens a fixed starting situation in separate practice, not another daily first. Starting a different shared challenge replaces only that shared mode’s save after you choose to start.

Open My progress on the homepage to find retained daily results and current games. Original teaching grades and real-ending reviews stay separate. Data is kept in this browser when local storage works, not in an account; older overwritten practices cannot be recovered. Read the save and clearing details.

Understand the game rules and model →