There are football fans that cannot wait for fall and the beginning of a new NFL season. Then there are those other people. The Super Bowl Sunday football fans. This is a guide to help those people understand more than the commercials.
Basics
- The field is 53 yards wide and 100 yards in length.
- Each team has 11 players on the field at a time.
- The offense attempts to get the football into the end zone through a combination of passing and running the ball.
- The defense attempts to keep the offense out of the end zone while simultaneously trying to get possession of the football.
- The game is split into four 15 minutes incre¬ments called quarters.
- If the game is tied at the end of the fourth quar¬ter, the game goes into “sudden death,” and the first team to score in overtime wins.
The Kickoff
- Starts the game.
- The ball is kicked by a placekicker from the defense’s 30-yard line.
- The offensive team’s kick return man will try to catch the ball and run it back towards the goal line.
Downs
- Offensive team attempts to move the ball ten yards in order to achieve a first down. They have four attempts, referred to as downs to do this. If the team does not move ten yards within four downs, then the opposing team receives possession of the ball.
How Plays End
- The person carrying the ball is tackled or runs out of bounds.
Scoring
- Touchdown = 6 points
- The ball must be carried into the end zone, caught in the end zone or a fumble recovery can occur in the end zone. It may also be an untouched kickoff recovered by the kicking team in the end zone.
- Extra Point and Two-Point Conversion
- A PAT (point after touchdown) is achieved when the ball is placed at the opponent’s two-yard line and kicked through the goal posts.
- The offense can score two points if they run or throw the ball into the end zone.
- Field Goal = 3 points
- The offense may try for a field goal when they cannot score a touchdown. A field goal can be attempted on any down and at any field position, but they are usually attempted within the defense’s 45-yard line on fourth downs.
- Safety = 2 points
- The offense’s ball carrier is tackled behind his own goal line
Turnovers
- Fumbles occur when the ball carrier or passer drops the ball. Any player can recover the ball and give their team possession of the football.
- Interceptions occur when a defensive player catches a pass meant for a player on the other team
Players
Offense
- Quarterback: passes or hands off ball.
- Center: snaps the ball to the quarterback and blocks the defense.
- Guards and tackles: guard against the defense.
- Wide receivers: catch the ball.
- Running backs: run the ball.
- Tight ends: guard against the defense and catch the ball.
Defense
- Linebackers: stop passes and runs and tackle the quar¬terback
- Defensive ends and tackles: stops the offensive line
- Cornerbacks and safeties: stop runs and try to keep the quarterback from passing to wide receive.