American football strategy concerns the deployment of offensive, defensive, and special teams players and the execution of plays in American football. In American football, there are a vast array of positions, formations, strategies, plays and types of play calling systems that are utilized. If a strategy is for a particular game, it is known as a "game plan".

The goal of the offense is, most commonly, to score points. In order to accomplish this goal, coaches and players plan and execute plays - based on a variety of factors: The players involved, the opponent’s defensive strategy, the amount of time remaining before halftime or the end of the game, and the number of points needed to win the game. Strategically, the offense can prolong their possession of the ball to prevent the opponent from scoring.