As we all know by now, Taylor Swift is dating NFL player Travis Kelce. Swift has attended several of Kelce’s games and been seen enthusiastically cheering him on alongside his parents.
Millions of Taylor’s fans have tuned into the games simply to see her rooting for him. Some of these fans have never watched a football game in their life. Unfortunately, football can be extremely confusing to newcomers because of all the different rules and positions the game consists of.
Being a Massachusetts local, I have seen almost every Patriots game since 2003. I am not an expert on the NFL, but I understand the game very well. There is a small percentage of Swifties who consider themselves fans of both Taylor and the NFL. As one of them, I am here to teach you some football basics that will help you understand the game better.
- Football is a game of offense and defense
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The team that has possession of the ball is the offense. The goal of the offense is to keep possession of the ball and eventually score a touchdown.
The team without possession of the ball is the defense. The goal of the defense is to stop the offense from moving down the field and scoring.
- Important people to know (for Swifties)
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We don’t have time to run through every NFL roster, but if you’re a swift tuning in for Kelce and Swift, there are some key figures you should know.
First and foremost is, of course, Travis Kelce. Swift’s new boyfriend plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s a tight end, which is an offensive position. To learn more about Kelce, click here.
Another important player is Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce’s brother. Jason plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s a center, which is also an offensive position. To learn more about Jason, click here.
Patrick Mahomes’s is another notable Kansas City Chiefs player. He’s one of Travis Kelce’s teammates and has garnered a lot of attention in his own right. He’s a quarterback, which is another offensive position. To learn more about Mahomes, click here.
While we’re talking about the Chiefs, you should know Andy Reid. Reid is the team’s head coach. To learn more about him, click here.
Finally, you should be familiar with Brittany Mahomes. She’s Patrick Mahomes’s wife and seems to be getting pretty close with Swift. They watch games together and apparently have their own handshake. To learn more about her, click here.
- Scoring
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When the ball is caught or carried into the end zone, it is called a “touchdown.” Touchdowns award six points to the scoring team.
Post-touchdown, the scoring team can kick for an extra point or go for a two-point conversion.
One extra point is awarded when the kicker kicks the ball through the goalposts (the big yellow poles) post-touchdown.
Two-point conversions are much less common and are usually used only for strategic purposes. If successful, the team that scored the touchdown receives two points post-touchdown.
A “field goal” is worth three points. At first glance, a field goal might seem identical to an extra point, however, the kicker must make the ball through the goalposts at a distance typically further than the extra point.
- Downs
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The team on offense is allowed four attempts, or “downs,” to travel 10 yards. If the offense reaches the 10 yards needed, they receive a new set of downs to travel another 10 yards.
If the offense does not earn those 10 yards or score in four attempts, the ball is turned over to the defense, and they pick up on offense.
- Terms and Definitions
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Quarterback: The head of the offense. The player who throws or hands the ball off.
Sack: When the defense tackles the quarterback prior to him getting rid of the ball. This results in a loss of yards.
Line of Scrimmage: The spot on the field where both teams line up. Teams can’t cross this line until play officially starts.
Arrowhead Stadium: The home stadium of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Interception: When the defense steals the ball from a pass intended for the offense. The defense now gains possession and goes on offense.
Pick 6: When the defense gets an interception and scores a touchdown on the same play.
Fumble: When the player carrying the ball drops it, or when the ball gets hit out of their hand. Whichever team recovers the fumble is now the team on offense
Punt: A punt is a dropkick performed by the kicker to get the ball further away from the offense’s endzone. Punts often happen on a fourth down when the team on offense gives up the ball.
Penalty Flag: The yellow flag is thrown onto the field by the referees when either team breaks the rules. Penalties against the offense cause them to lose yards or downs. Penalties against the defense cause the offense to gain yards or downs. “Offsetting penalties” occur when both the offense and defense are penalized on the same play.
Snap: When the center throws a backward pass away from the line of scrimmage to the quarterback and starts the play.
I hope these football basics help my fellow Swifties understand the complex world of the NFL a bit better!
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