Tag Football

• The classic backyard football is tag football. Players form even teams and if teams are uneven, a player is assigned as the automatic quarterback. The rules are basically the same as real football, except a player must be touched with two hands instead of getting tackled. One-handed tackles do not count, and disputes of tackles are controlled by the majority or the play is redone.
  
  

Flag Football

• A more organized version of football is flag football. This game features even less contact than two-hand touch; leagues are even formed around flag football rules. In flag football, teams wear two flags or bandanas around their waist. In order for an official tackle to occur, a player must rip the other player's flag from his waist.
  
  

Kicking Challenge

• Set up a volleyball net or two large poles in a backyard. Set up a football about 25 yards away and hold a kicking challenge. See how many players can successfully kick the ball through the "goalposts." Conduct a "best out of 10" challenge or a length challenge to see who can kick it further back.
  
  

Quarterback Challenge

• Set up a tire, tire swing or hula hoop so that it hangs about 5 feet high. Have players line up at different locations and see if they can throw the ball through the hoops. Whoever makes the most successful throws is declared the winner. You can also do a speed challenge to see how many balls a player can throw through the hoop in 60 seconds.
  
  

"Hail Mary" Challenge

• Gather a group of people at one end of the lawn. Assign a quarterback and send him to the other side of the lawn. The quarterback throws the ball up into the air toward the group of people, and whoever catches it earns a point. The first player to reach 10 points is declared the winner.
  
  

Football Pools

• A popular football party game is the football pool. Football pools come in different styles, but they all involve interactivity with the live games. Players can choose winning teams, point values or a mix of the two. Football pools often involve the chance to win a little bit of money and can add a lot of excitement to parties.
  
  

Video Games

• The Madden series--the exclusive NFL football game--provides video game entertainment for parties and video game players. The games allow multiple players, and a selection of mini-games can open up entertainment options for hours. The game features every team in the NFL. Newer versions have realistic graphics.