NFL Football for Beginners

Every year the NFL Superbowl brings in many casual fans as it is available worldwide to over one billion viewers. It is estimated that every year 90 million Americans watch the entire game, while an additional 50 million watch part of the game. The World Cup still outranks the Superbowl internationally however it is estimated that another 20 million tune in across the world. Many people watch the game just to see the high profile commercials. Last year alone a 30 second slot came out to the price range of 2.6 million dollars.

Are you one of these viewers? Do you desire to learn what's going on to see what all the fuss is about? Then continue reading as I will cover all the basics and get you ready to not only enjoy the comercials, but also the most intense game played in America every year, The Superbowl. After reading this you should have a decent understanding of what's going on and hopefully enjoy yourself a little more during the game.

First lets start off by saying there are no home runs, no goals, no baskets or nets. The basic ways of scoring is a touchdown (6 points), a field goal (3 points), or an extra point (1 point). There are a few other ways to score but they are rare enough that you don't need to learn them today. The most exciting part of the game is definitely the touchdown. Touchdowns aren't rare but they are not easy either. You will notice a touchdown when a player gets into the scoring area called the end-zone with full control of the odd shaped ball. They then will either spike the ball, jump into the stands, or in some cases celebrate in some unique way (and possibly get penalized or fined by the NFL which many times stands for the No Fun League). After scoring a touchdown a team is allowed to kick an extra point which is pretty much a 99% chance of scoring. Its a very short form of the field goal.

If a team runs out of chances to get into the end-zone, that is sometimes when the field goal is attempted. This is where a kicker tries to kick the ball through the bright yellow uprights you see at the end of each field. Not particularly entertaining, but it can be if its near the end of the game and the pressure is on.

The football game itself begins with a coin toss. Then one team will kick the ball or Kick Off as we call to the other team who will catch the ball and try to run towards the end-zone they are facing. A player will normally be tackled which is having a knee or elbow or part of the midsection of the body touching the ground. This is also called being down. They can also go out of bounds which is the solid white sidelines on each side of the field. These players that play during the kick off are called special teams players. Once the kick returner is down, the offense comes onto the field. They will have 4 chances (called downs) to advance the ball 30 feet or 10 yards. Every 10 yards on a football field is marked with large letter but even better with technology you'll now see a digital yellow line on your screen that looks like it is on the field. That is the short term goal for the Offense which if achieved is called a first down. Of course the Defense, has the opposite goal, stop the offense from getting a first down or scoring. The offense can run the ball which is much like what the kick returner just did, or they can pass the ball. Passing the ball is where the Quarterback drops back and throws the ball to a wide receiver. If they catch the ball, they must keep possession until they hit the ground and if its close to out of bounds they need 2 feet inbounds (2 toe tips count). If the offense is unsuccessful in passing that yellow line in 3 tries, in most cases they will kick the ball on 4th down. If they are too far away to attempt a field goal, then a Punter will come out and kick a looping ball which will be received by the other team and returned by a punt returner. He returns the ball in a very similar fashion to the kick returner.

This is pretty much how the game will go back and forth for 4 quarters as both teams try to score as many touchdowns or points as possible. You will see penalties called by the referees, you'll notice this when they throw yellow flags or hankerchiefs on the field. If this happens many times a great play can be brought back and usually the penalized team will lose 10 yards. Penalties are very complex with different penalties for each type so its not important to know the exacts, but just go with the flow. If you see a yellow flag, wait for the referee to announce what's going on.

Another thing that might happen during the game that might seem confusing is a turnover. This occurs when a runner not down yet fumbles, or drops the ball. Or it can also occur if a pass ends up in a defender's hands before touching the ground, called an interception. Once a turnover occurs, the team on defense immediately goes on the offensive. If the defensive player is not down, he may even try to run with the ball and score which sometimes occurs in a game.

If the score of the game is tied at the end, (which I believe has never happened in Superbowl history) the game goes into overtime. Then there is another coin flip and the next team to score wins the game sudden death style. There are many more intricacies to the game, but this should be enough to get you started.

Also don't be afraid to enter in the NFL Playoff contest being offered. You might be surprised how easy it is to win. On ESPN alone, there is currently a cat (named Francis) who is 5-2 I believe at picking College Football Bowl games. The cat was tied with one expert and beating the other. You never really know with Football, hence the saying Any Given Sunday.

UPDATED 1/4 : It is currently too late to enter for the grand prize but you can still enter in the weekly contest at my Football website at the above link.