"down and distance" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "downs and distances",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "downs and distances"
      },
      "expansion": "down and distance (plural downs and distances)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English coordinated pairs",
          "parents": [
            "Coordinated pairs",
            "Terms by etymology"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Football (American)",
          "orig": "en:Football (American)",
          "parents": [
            "Football",
            "Ball games",
            "Sports",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The choice to punt at this down and distance is unusual."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The game situation described using the current scrimmage down and the yardage required to either the line to gain, or the goal line if no line to gain exists."
      ],
      "id": "en-down_and_distance-en-noun-JpWOrpFh",
      "links": [
        [
          "American football",
          "American football"
        ],
        [
          "scrimmage down",
          "scrimmage down"
        ],
        [
          "yardage",
          "yardage"
        ],
        [
          "line to gain",
          "line to gain"
        ],
        [
          "goal line",
          "goal line"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(American football) The game situation described using the current scrimmage down and the yardage required to either the line to gain, or the goal line if no line to gain exists."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "American-football",
        "ball-games",
        "football",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "down and distance"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "downs and distances",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "downs and distances"
      },
      "expansion": "down and distance (plural downs and distances)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English coordinated pairs",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "en:Football (American)"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The choice to punt at this down and distance is unusual."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The game situation described using the current scrimmage down and the yardage required to either the line to gain, or the goal line if no line to gain exists."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "American football",
          "American football"
        ],
        [
          "scrimmage down",
          "scrimmage down"
        ],
        [
          "yardage",
          "yardage"
        ],
        [
          "line to gain",
          "line to gain"
        ],
        [
          "goal line",
          "goal line"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(American football) The game situation described using the current scrimmage down and the yardage required to either the line to gain, or the goal line if no line to gain exists."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "American-football",
        "ball-games",
        "football",
        "games",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "down and distance"
}