Down and distance
What it is
Which of the four attempts this is, and how many yards remain for a new set.
Why it matters
Down and distance is the situation variable that changes every other decision: it sets the range of plays the offense will consider and therefore what the defense can afford to defend. First and ten is the widest menu; third and long is the narrowest, which is why pressure and man coverage live there. A useful discipline for any film study is to grade a call against the down and distance it was made in, not against its result.
Also called
Programs call this down and distance, 1st and 10, 3rd and long, the sticks or the chains. The Coach answers to any of them.
Related
This entry is authored, not generated. It is one of 205 in the index that the AI-ssistant Coach retrieves from, and that Film Study tags clips against.