The Super Bowl is this weekend and for fans of the game it’s one of the biggest days of the year. But for those confused by the finer points of this classic American game, it’s just a day known for great half-time shows and even better commercials. If you’re not familiar with the basics, football rules can be a little daunting, but I’m here to break down the game and tell you all you’ll need to know to impress your friends (and that cute boy down the hall) this coming Sunday.
To start, this year’s Super Bowl is being played by the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, both of who are not newbies to the big stage. The Seahawks are the defending champions, having beaten the Denver Broncos in a total blowout last year. This is Tom Brady’s sixth Super Bowl. So both teams are coming into the game with some serious experience.
First let’s break down the basics of playing football. There are four quarters for a total of 60 minutes of play. Each team, when they have the ball, has four tries to get the ball 10 yards until they eventually get into the endzone to score. These attempts are called downs. So when you hear “first down and ten” or “third and five,” it’s a way of telling you how many tries the offense has to get the certain amount of yards before the downs reset to one. The first number is the down; the second is how many yards to go. The first three downs are generally played the same way but on fourth downs things are a little different because it’s the offense’s last shot. Usually, teams will punt the ball away or try for a field goal if they are close enough to the endzone. Occasionally, teams will try to get those last remaining yards if they only have a few yards to go. These plays are always the most fun to watch.
The goal of football is, of course, to score points, just like any sport (except golf), but there are many ways to score points in football. Field goals are when the ball is kicked through the up-right posts and are worth three points. Touchdowns are worth six and are when the ball crosses over the white line in the endzone. After a touchdown, teams have an option to score an extra point. This is done by kicking the ball through the uprights from the two-yard line. Sometimes teams will choose to go for two extra points (look for this in the fourth quarter if the score is close). This occurs when the ball is thrown or run into the endzone, basically the offense scores another touchdown.
The last way to score points is a safety. This way is rare but became very important at the beginning of last year’s Super Bowl. A safety occurs when the offense is backed-up into their own endzone, not the one they are trying to score into. This can happen if the quarterback is pushed back into the endzone and tackled, called a sac. It can also occur if the offense fumbles the ball in the endzone. Watch for safeties if the offense is very close to their own endzone at the beginning of a series.
Now that you’re familiar with the basics of football, let’s talk about the two teams playing in the Super Bowl. Both teams are not new to the spotlight of the big game. But with the spotlight sometimes comes scandal. Whether you’re a fan of football or not you’re sure to have heard about Deflategate, the nickname for the allegations that the Patriots illegally deflated footballs during the AFC Championship game. While there has been no concrete decision on what happened, there will sure be lots of talk leading up to the game. If you missed it, you can read more about Deflategate here.Â
Regardless of scandal, both teams are stacked with shining quaterbacks and well-rounded teams. Russell Wilson is playing in his second Super Bowl after only three years in the NFL. Tom Brady is playing in his sixth in 15 years. Both teams are also great at running the football and both have excellent defenses. This match-up will be even and hard fought.
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Football is a complex and confusing game and even just by knowing the basics it can be hard to keep up. Sports announcers with their football jargon don’t make it any easier. So if you’re feeling brave and are open to learning even more about the game check out some of these common and confusing terms that you might hear on Sunday.
Pick-six — This is when the quarterback is intercepted by the defense and the defender runs back for a touchdown. Interception = pick and touchdown = six (number of points scored).
12th Man — This is the term giving to the Seahawks fans, which are known for making play difficult and being very loud. They won’t be as big a factor as normal because the game is in Arizona and not Seattle, but they will probably be mentioned once or twice.
12 Men on the field — This is penalty that may be called during the game and should not be confused with Seattle’s fanbase. Essentially, each team is only allowed 11 men on the field. With a quick offense (like the Patriots are known to play), oftentimes the defense is caught substituting players. This penalty is called when an extra defensive player is still on the field when the ball is snapped.
Eligible and ineligible players — In the playoffs, the Patriots have been using the eligibility of players to try to confuse the defense. There is no doubt that they will be bringing it out again in the big game. What happens in these “trick” plays is this: not everyone on the offense is able to catch a pass from the quarterback, eligibility is determined by where you line up on the field. Normally there are seven players lined up on the line of scrimmage (the blue line on the TV), five lineman (crouched on the ground) who are not eligible receivers and two eligible receivers on the ends. If you line up more than seven people on the line then only the outer two are able to catch passes. What’s tricky about the Patriots is that they make a lineman an eligible receiver. As long as no one is between him and the sideline, and he tells the referees he is eligible, he is in the clear to catch the ball. The Patriots will try to confuse the Seahawks defense by placing receivers at different positions and flirting with this rule.
Redzone — This is another name for the space between the 20-yard line and the endzone.
Legion of Boom — This is the nickname for the Seattle Seahawks defensive players who help block receivers from catching the ball. They’re good at their job and will make play difficult for Tom Brady and the Patriots offense.Â
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Football is a complex sport and not something that can be learned overnight. I’ve been a fan for years and still learn something new every Sunday. But what’s great about the Super Bowl is that it brings together millions of people all of whom are not die-hard fans. With these explanations, I hope the game is a little bit clearer to those who normally just tune in for the commerecials.Â
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