A
down is a period in which a
play transpires in
American and
Canadian football. The down is a distinguishing characteristic of the game compared to other codes of
football, but is synonymous with a "tackle" in
rugby league. The team in possession of the football has a limited number of downs (four downs in American football, three downs in Canadian football) to advance ten yards or more towards their opponent's goal line. If they fail to advance that far, possession of the ball is turned over to the other team. In most situations, if a team reaches their final down they will
punt to their opponent, which forces them to begin their drive from further down the field; if they are in range, they might also attempt to score a
field goal.