Let me be honest with y’all for a second… I’ve only ever watched the Super Bowl for the Halftime Show. I know, crazy! But since we’re finishing up the eighth weekend of football games, I thought that now would be the perfect time to dive a little deeper into how the National Football League (NFL) works and break it down so that everyone can enjoy.
How the Game Works: A Beginner’s Guide
What’s a touchdown? How does a team get points? Let’s break it down and make it easier to understand why people scream at their televisions. A game is timed for an hour, divided into four sections of 15 minutes.
In football, the game kicks off with both teams’ special units on the field. The team kicking off starts on defense, while the receiving team begins on offense. The goal for the receiving team is to catch the ball and advance it as far down the field as possible before being tackled or pushed out of bounds by the defense. Once the kickoff is complete, the offense and defense take their positions on the field.
Occasionally, the receiving team may choose a touchback, which occurs when they catch the ball in their own end zone and decide not to run it out. This can also happen if the ball is kicked beyond the end zone. In either case, the offensive team starts their drive from the 25-yard line.
The offense has four tries, known as “downs,” to gain 10 yards. If they succeed, they earn a fresh set of four downs to cover the next 10 yards. This process repeats until they either score or the defense stops them.
At the start of each play, both teams line up on either side of the line of scrimmage, which marks the separation between the offense and defense. The play begins when the center snaps the ball to the quarterback. From there, the quarterback can either hand the ball off to a running back or throw it to a receiver in an attempt to gain yardage and move closer to the end zone.
The defense’s primary objective is to prevent the offense from gaining those 10 yards. They can do this by tackling the ball carrier, blocking or intercepting passes, and forcing fumbles. If the defense recovers a fumble, they can immediately switch to offense and try to advance the ball for a potential score.
When the offense reaches fourth down without gaining 10 yards, they face a decision. They can either punt the ball to the other team, sacrificing possession but improving their defensive field position, or they can attempt a play to gain the necessary yardage. If they fail to convert on fourth down, the other team takes over possession from where the play ended.
Another option on fourth down is to attempt a field goal if they are close enough to the opponent’s end zone. Field goals are worth three points, while touchdowns earn six. After any scoring attempt or failure to convert on fourth down, the other team gains possession of the ball.
The game is won by whichever team has the most points when the clock runs out.
Divisions, Teams, and Conferences
Let’s begin with the basics. What are teams in the NFL, how are they divided, and how do teams make it to the coveted Super Bowl?
First and foremost, the NFL is separated into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is then organized further into divisions which are named after the cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. There are four teams in each division. Some notable (my favorite) teams are the Dallas Cowboys (NFC East), Cincinnati Bengals (AFC North), Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South).
Road to the Super Bowl
The football season lasts eighteen weeks from September to January and has 32 teams competing against one another to make it to the ultimate game: the Super Bowl. Each team plays against the others in their division, conference, and other conferences with a goal to be the top team in their division by having the highest ratio of games won to total games played. In the end, fourteen teams will definitely make it to the playoffs (first place from each division) as well as three additional “wild card” teams from each division. These are also chosen based on their games won-games tied-games lost ratio.
The playoff format is structured as follows: the seven teams from the AFC and NFC are seeded, which simply means that they are ordered based on who won the most games out of the ones played, with the three wild cards being at the bottom. The top team from each conference gets a “bye,” meaning that they don’t have to play in the first round and can automatically advance to the second. Then No. 3 plays No. 6, No. 2 plays No. 7, and No. 4 plays No. 5 on each side. The top seed faces the winner of the No. 4 vs No. 5 game in the divisional round (if the team with the most points wins; otherwise, No. 1 plays worst remaining seed). After, we get the final games that determine the overall winner from each conference, those two face off in the Super Bowl.
Team Structure
What does an NFL team look like? A standard roster is composed of fifty-three players, with eleven offensive players and eleven defensive players being on the field depending on who is in control of the ball. The offensive line consists of five critical players: the left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle. They position themselves at the line of scrimmage before every play. Their primary task is to block the defense, ensuring the quarterback has enough time to make a pass or creating lanes for the running back to move the ball forward in a run play. The center is especially important, as they initiate the play by snapping the ball to the quarterback.
The quarterback, often seen as the leader of the offense, has several options once the ball is snapped. He can throw it to a teammate, hand it off to a running back, or carry it himself to gain yards. Running backs, who take handoffs from the quarterback, are responsible for advancing the ball by running. However, they can also catch passes and block defenders when necessary. Fullbacks, while also part of the offense, primarily act as blockers, clearing the way for either the quarterback or running back to move the ball without getting tackled. Wide receivers are typically tasked with catching passes and are known for their speed. They may also carry the ball on occasion or assist in blocking. Tight ends have a hybrid role, contributing both as blockers for the running and passing game while also acting as receiving targets.
On defense, the objective is to prevent the opposing offense from scoring or gaining 10 yards over four downs. Downs are essentially “chances,” and the goal of the defense is to stop the team on offense from moving 10 yards down the field during their chances.This is achieved by tackling offensive players, intercepting passes, or forcing fumbles. The defensive line, which faces the offensive line, usually consists of three or four players who focus on stopping the offense by tackling the ball carriers. Linebackers, typically numbering three or four, are versatile defenders responsible for covering offensive players, rushing the quarterback, and making tackles. Cornerbacks, usually the fastest on defense, guard the wide receivers, aiming to break up passes, intercept the ball, or tackle anyone who makes a catch. Safeties, which include the strong safety and free safety, serve as the last line of defense. They protect against long passes, tackle runners, and provide additional support against the run.
Special teams play a distinct role in the game, handling kickoffs, punts, and field goals. The kicker’s job is to kick the ball during kickoff and attempt field goals to score points. Kickoff is the actual start of the game and can begin either in the afternoon or the evening. When the offense fails to advance the ball for a first down, the punter kicks the ball downfield, transferring possession to the opposing team. On the receiving end, the kick returner catches the ball after a kickoff and tries to run it as far downfield as possible. Similarly, the punt returner fields punts and attempts to gain yardage. The long snapper has a specialized task of delivering an accurate, long-distance snap to the kicker or punter, a role different from the center’s usual short snap during normal plays.
Conclusion
American football is an amazing and wonderful sport that, once understood, can be a source of entertainment and an adrenaline rush. My advice: have fun! Enjoy the family, enjoy the community, enjoy the culture, and enjoy the food!