As soon as the ball is fairly held - that is, both player and ball brought to a standstill - the runner must cry 'down,' and someone upon his side, usually the man called the snap back or centre rusher, must place the ball on the ground at that spot for a 'scrimmage,' as it is termed. The ball is then put in play again (while the men of each team keep on their own side of the ball, under penalty of a foul for off-side play) by the snap-back kicking the ball or snapping it back, either with his foot or more commonly with his hand, to a player of his own side just behind him, who is called the quarter-back. The ball is in play, and both sides may press forward as soon as it is put in motion by the snap-back. Naturally, however, as the quarter-back usually passes it still further behind him to a halfback or back, to kick or run with, it is the opposing side which are most anxious to push forward, while the side having the ball endeavour by all lawful means to retard that advance until their runner or kicker has had time to execute his play. It is this antagonism of desire on the part of both sides that has given rise to the special legislation regarding the use of the hands, body, and arms of the contestants - and beginners must carefully note the distinction.

As soon as the snap-back has sent the ball behind him he has really placed all the men in his own line off-side, that is, between the ball and the opponents' goal, and they therefore can theoretically only occupy the positions in which they stand, while the opponents have the legal right to run past them as quickly as possible. For this reason, and bearing in mind that the men 'on-side' have the best claim to right of way, it has been enacted that the side having possession of the ball may not use their hands or arms but only their bodies, when thus off-side, to obstruct or interrupt their adversaries, while the side running through in the endeavour to stop the runner, or secure possession of the ball, may use their hands and arms to make passage for themselves. The game thus progresses in a series of 'downs' followed by runs or kicks, as the case may be, the only limitation being that of a rule designed to prevent one side continually keeping possession of the ball without material advance or retreat, which would be manifestly unfair to the opponents. This rule provides that in three 'downs,' or attempts to advance the ball, a side not having made five yards towards the opponents' goal or retreated twenty yards towards their own goal must surrender possession.

As a matter of fact, it is seldom that a team actually surrenders the ball in this way, because after two attempts, if the prospects of completing the five-yard gain appears small, it is so manifestly politic to kick the ball as far as possible down the field, that such a method is more likely to be adopted than to make a last attempt by a run and give the enemy possession almost on the spot. In such an exigency no feint at a kick is allowed by the rules, but it must be such a kick as to give the opponents fair and equal chance to gain possession of the ball. There is one other element entering into this state of the game, and that is the fair catch. This can be made from a kick by the opponents, provided the catcher takes the ball on the fly, and, no other of his own side touching it, plants his heel in the ground at the spot where the catch is made. This entitles him to a free kick; that is, his opponents cannot come beyond his mark made by heeling the catch, while he and his side may retire such distance towards his own goal as he sees fit, and then make a punt or a drop, or place the ball for a place-kick. He ordinarily, however, in these days of wedge-play, acts exactly as we have described for the first kick-off - that is, merely touches the ball with his foot in order to conform with the rule that he must put it in play by a kick, and then passes it to another of his own side for a run.

His own men must be behind the ball when he kicks it, under penalty of off-side.

Whenever the ball goes across the side boundary line of the field, it is said to go 'into touch,' and it must be at once brought back to the point where it crossed the line, and then put in play by some member of the side which carried it out, or first secured possession of it after it went out. The methods of putting it in play are as follows: to throw it directly in at right angles to the touch-line, bound it or touch it in, and then pass it back, or finally, and most commonly, walk into the field and make an ordinary scrimmage of it the same as after a down. In this latter case, the player who intends walking in with it must, before stepping into the field, declare how many paces he will walk in, in order that the opponents may know where the ball will be put in play. We will suppose that the ball by a succession of these plays, runs, kicks, downs, fair catches, etc, has progressed towards one or the other of the goals, until it is within kicking distance of the goal-posts. The question now will arise in the mind of the captain of the attacking side as to whether his best plan of operations will be to try a drop-kick at the goal, or to continue the running attempts, in the hope of carrying the ball across the goal-line, for this latter play will count his side a touch-down, and entitle them to a try-at-goal. The touch-down itself will count four points, even if he afterwards fail to convert it into a goal by sending the ball over the bar and between the posts, while, if he succeed in converting it, the touch-down and goal together count six points.

A drop-kick, if successful, on the other hand, counts but five points, and is, of course, even if attempted, by no means sure of resulting successfully. If it fail, the ball is almost certain to cross the goal-line somewhere, and this gives the opponents the right to bring it out to the twenty-five yard line for kick-out, and then have a free kick, which results in still further gain for them, and usually puts their goal out of danger for the time being. He must, therefore, carefully consider both issues at this point, and it is the handling of those problems that show his quality as a captain. If he elects to continue his running attempts, and eventually carries the ball across the line, he secures a touchdown at the spot where the ball is carried over, and any player of his side may then bring it out, making a mark with his heel on the line as he walks out, and when he reaches a suitable distance place the ball for one of his side to kick, the opponents meantime standing behind their goal-line. In placing the ball it is held in the hands of the placer close to, but not touching, the ground, and then carefully aimed until the direction is proper.