American football is not for the faint hearted. It is a contact sport, a physical game, where players can only be stopped from scoring by being brought to the ground by an opponent. A player who has possession of the football is subjected to bumps and hits, but must actually be tackled and brought to the ground in order to be stopped. Another goal of the defensive player is to hit the ball carrier with enough force to dislodge the ball, and take it himself.