Down

Down
One of a series of four plays in which the offensive team must advance at least 10 yards or lose possession.

You get 4 downs to get a first down. 4 downs = 4 tries.

When a play is whistled dead, that is considered "down".

A down is a phase of the game. There are 4 downs for every ten yards gained by the offense. Once you have gained your ten yards you start with your first down again and progress to second, third fourth. If you don't gain the ten yards by the fourth down you have the option to punt (kick) the ball to your opponent, kick a field goal, or try to gain the first down one last time. If you succeed, 1st down, if not the ball goes to the defensive team and they start their series of downs.