Every sport has its own words and phrases to talk about what’s happening in the game and football is no exception. Football is wildly popular in the United States, but that doesn’t mean everyone understands the lingo. To better follow along, get to know some of these unique football terms and what they mean. ©Shutterstock/Eugene Onischenko Audible: When the quarterback changes the play at the line of scrimmage by calling out prescribed signals to his teammates.

Good offensive football coaches try to get into the head and minds of the defense. When calling a specific play, offensive coaches want to not only beat you, but also make you look a little foolish. Football coaches work hard to develop new offensive plays to accomplish those goals. Some new offensive football plays include the fly sweep, run-pass option and bubble screen.

Football helmets and masks play a very important role in player safety. The football helmet and face mask are designed to protect a player’s face and head from serious injury. Many players also wear a mouth guard to protect their teeth and prevent themselves from biting their tongues. A few players even wear another protective cap on the outside of the football helmet for added protection.

Football has wedged itself into the American culture, but it can be an intimidating sport to follow if you don’t know much about it. The widespread popularity of the sport has made many afraid to ask questions about football basics. Not to worry; here are the answers to a few questions you may be too afraid to ask your friends or family about football.

A lot of information is crammed into this short video to help you minimize risk and maximize gain when playing fantasy football. You get tips to follow during the entire season from when to pick your key players during the draft, when to concentrate on coaching and bye weeks, and when to use the waiver wire and online trade calculators.

An American football team has a variety of defensive strategies. The defense lines up differently, for example, when it’s making a goal-line stand or when it’s defending against a long pass. To help you recognize different defensive strategies, here are a handful of common lineups that defenses use to keep the offense in check.

Punting in American football, which is when a team kicks the ball to relinquish possession to the other team, occurs when a team’s offense is struggling. Like with everything else in football, punting has rules:The ball is snapped to the punter.Before the ball is punted, but after the snap, only the players lined up on the ends are permitted to cross the line of scrimmage.

Fantasy football is a fun, competitive, and addictive hobby. Get your fantasy season started by drafting players to build a solid team and using coaching tips to keep your team going strong. If you need to improve on a position, try some strategies for trading players and acquiring free agents. Keep a guide handy of important league dates so you don’t miss anything exciting or an opportunity to improve your fantasy football team.