Fall is in full swing, which means it’s football season once again — but not just for the Titans and Volunteers. A backyard pickup football game is a fun way for your family and friends to spend quality time together.

Oct 21, 2008 Backyard Football 2009 offers seven-on-seven teams with wild arcade style power moves and comes loaded with current NFL superstars as kids.

You don’t need to be a football fanatic (or even an athlete) to be your party’s starting receiver. Backyard pickup games are meant to be easy on kids and fun for parents. So, huddle up and learn what you’ll need to get started, and how to make the game safe for players big and small.

• Backyard Football is basically a highly simplified football game that can be picked up easily without having an in-depth knowledge of the sport. For instance, there are only five players on the field at one time, the plays are simple, and the rules are relaxed.
• Backyard Football: 2002 Developer: Torus Games Genre: Sports. Backyard Football teams up with the NFL to bring kid versions of the best tackling, passing, and running pros. You can choose from all 32 NFL teams or create your own with custom team names and uniforms.

Relax the Rules, But Count Your Players

Don’t worry about sticking with all the rules and positions you see on television. After all, a simple backyard pickup football game isn’t as complicated as a four-quarter game of tackle.

Keep things lighter by playing two-hand touch, but make each play as simple or as in-depth as your group wants. Just make sure to establish guidelines before you start playing, so no one gets confused.

You can have as many or as few people on each team as you want, as long as the teams are even. If you have an uneven number of players, one person can opt to be quarterback who plays offense for both sides. You might also take turns letting one player make calls as referee or sit out and get some rest.

Mark Your End Zones, But Simplify the Score

Next, you’ll need to define your end zones. If you don’t have fences to mark off natural boundaries, mark off your end zones with cones or lawn chairs instead.

Keeping score in backyard games is almost as easy. Depending on what your group decides, teams can earn seven, six or one point for touchdowns. Because most backyards don’t have goal posts, pickup games usually don’t need extra points, so don’t worry about losing the ball to a rogue field-goal kick.

Make It Family-Friendly

Backyard pickup games don’t just have to be for the big kids and grown-ups. Try these simple tips to help your little one get in on the fun, too:

• “Touch” instead of “tackle.” Instead of ending a play when a knee touches the ground, finish each play like a game of tag instead. It’ll give little kids a chance to learn the ropes without the risk of getting hurt.
• Get excited about uniforms. Although you don’t need uniforms for a backyard pickup game, a cool, colorful outfit can turn up the fun factor on a challenging activity.
• Shorten the game. Kids under six years old often focus on one thing for just 20 minutes, according to Parents Magazine. Not sure your youngsters will have the stamina or attention span to keep up with everyone for an hour? Try cutting your game down to a half hour instead.
• Let kids coach. Allow even the littlest ones to take charge by giving them a chance to organize plays.

Who Won?

Backyard Football Download

As for determining the winner, your group can do one of two things: play until one team reaches a predetermined score, like 21; or play for a predetermined amount of time, like an hour and the team has the higher score at the end wins.

Just be sure to celebrate the youngest victors, too. Congratulate the entire winning team on a game well played with homemade certificates or trophies. It’ll work wonders for their interest in sports later in life.

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publisher: Atari / Infogrames

Game mode: single / multiplayer

Multiplayer mode: local network / Internet

Authentic NFL Action! Real Pros, Plays and Strategies! Now in its 6th season, Backyard Football is the best selling kids’ football video game of all time. Combine realistic 7 on 7 action with wild arcade style power moves and check out the new gameplay, graphics, and environments. Play all 32 NFL teams, 10 wacky Backyard teams, or create your own. Backyard Football comes loaded with top NFL Superstars as kids--Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Urlacher, Reggie Bush, Michael Strahan, Shaun Alexander, Frank Gore, and more. Play one game or a whole season. Tons of unlockable players, fields, and goodies.

Official NFL and Players Inc. Licenses, all pro teams, uniforms, and logos

Top NFL pros as kids—Brady, Tomlinson, Urlacher, Bush, etc.

Season play with complete team stats and standings

Realistic gameplay and strategies with whacky animations

Customizable teams, players, and uniforms

Multiple levels – Easy for young rookies; mega challenging for seasoned veterans.

Unlockables, power ups, and surprises

Multi-player and practice modes

10 Backyard teams with an extensive line up of Backyard Kids

Backyard Football Game

age requirements: everyone

System requirements

PC / Windows

Recommended: Pentium III 1 GHz, 256 MB RAM, graphic card 32 MB (GeForce 3 Ti200 or better), 50 MB HDD, Windows 2000/XP