The following state diagram models the basic flow of a game of American football. While a diagram could never capture all the intricacies of this great sport, this should be a useful visual aid for anyone explaining the game to a (technically inclined) friend. A prose explanation of the game can be found on Wikipedia.

Download a PDF version for printing.

Please note the following convention:

Partial list of situations not captured by this diagram:

• Fumbling a punt reception.