As a kid growing up in Massachusetts during the Patriots dynasty, it was hard not to get swept up in the world of football. From my school buildings decked out in red and blue every Monday after a win to the overall New England superiority complex that comes with having a dominant team, football season naturally became associated with good memories. It is safe to say that I am a huge New England Patriots fan, even after my family’s cross-country move to Wisconsin threw me into a lion’s den of Green Bay Packers diehards. Still, the Tom Brady cutout staring down from my wall stands as proof that I never let them ruin my spirit. When I left for college, football Sundays turned from watching games on the couch with my dad to rushing to catch a few plays between the mountains of homework I had procrastinated. In an attempt to reclaim my passion for the NFL, this article presents football in its simplest terms and will hopefully inspire any non-fans to embrace this quintessential piece of fall.Â
As a general overview, a football field is 100 yards long. Teams advance the football toward their end zone through a combination of running and passing plays. Each team is split into offense, defense and special teams, and each side (offense and defense) can have 11 players on the field at a time. On offense, the quarterback is the star; he calls the plays and throws the ball. Other offensive positions include running backs, tight ends, wide receivers and offensive linemen (these are the players who fend off oncoming defenders attempting to tackle the quarterback). On the defensive side, players work in opposition to the offense, trying either to tackle a player running with the ball or to prevent a player from catching a pass. Special teams (kickers, long snappers, etc.) only really come into the picture during field goals or punts (more on that later).
If the team on offense moves the football into the end zone, they’ve scored a touchdown, which is worth six points on its own. From there, the team has a choice: kick a 33-yard field goal for one extra point, or attempt a two-point conversion, which is a single play run from the two-yard line. This second option is harder to complete, as kickers almost always earn the extra point, whereas two-point conversions are infrequently successful. Another way to score is a field goal, worth three points, which can be kicked from anywhere on the field when the offense is unlikely to reach the end zone. The final opportunity to score is extremely rare; this is called a safety. When the team on offense is close to its own end zone, the quarterback often has to step back into it to throw. If he is tackled in his team’s end zone, the defensive team receives two points.Â
The most fundamental (and often most confusing) aspect of football is the concept of downs. When a team gains possession of the ball, the first play is marked as “first down.” This is designated on the screen as “1st & 10,” meaning that the offense has to move the ball 10 yards to get another first down. The team essentially has four chances to do this and earn a new set of downs. On each of the first three chances, a play is run, and the amount of yards gained is subtracted from that initial 10. For example, if a player runs five yards before being tackled, the next play becomes “2nd & 5,” and if he advances two more yards on the following play, it becomes “3rd & 3.”
Fourth down is where things get a bit more complex. The offensive team has three main choices. The first is to swap possession by kicking the ball as deep downfield as possible, using a punter to maximize the ground that the opposing team must cover to reach the end zone on their next drive. The second option is to kick a field goal from their location on the field. The third option is to “go for it.” This means running another play, and this is typically preferred when there’s only one or two yards remaining. If successful, the team gets another first down and can continue towards the end zone. The risk in this choice is that if a first down is not completed, the opposing team gets possession right where the play ended, and there is no kick. Coaches make this decision based on a range of factors, such as field position, kicker ability, time remaining, current score and more. Downs are the driving force of football; nearly every piece of the game relies on them.Â
There is so much more to the game of football that simply does not need to be explained in entirety. One example is penalties. Players can’t just do whatever they want; there are specific rules guiding how players can defend and tackle each other. There are even rules dictating when a play can start and how many men can be standing on the field at once. The most important thing to note about penalties is how they affect field position. When a penalty is called on the offense, yards are added to the distance they must cover and the team is pushed backward (for example, a five-yard penalty on a first down becomes 2nd & 15). Conversely, if the penalty applies to the defensive team, yards are subtracted from the offense’s distance and it sometimes allows them to replay the previous down (this is how it could become 1st & 5). Some of my favorite penalties include unsportsmanlike conduct, unnecessary roughness and illegal use of hands.Â
The final aspect of football needed for a general understanding is the game clock. Each game is split into four 15-minute quarters, with a halftime in the middle. The clock stops when a pass is incomplete, a player goes out of bounds, a timeout is called or a player gets injured. The clock is crucial to the strategy of the game. For example, when a team is ahead, they often favor running plays because there is a lower chance of the clock stopping, and they can hold onto their lead.Â
It’s never too late to start watching football, and there’s no shame in hopping on the bandwagon of whatever team speaks to you, though I did hear the Patriots are doing pretty well this year. There is a certain solidarity that comes with shared fandom, and it can often reveal connections you never knew existed. Plus, this is the perfect opportunity to start planning the best Super Bowl party for February (hello … Bad Bunny halftime show!). It’s not fall without football, but the NFL is so much more than an aesthetic. There is a unique sense of unity in being a sports fan, not to mention the added bonus of cute game-day outfits (pro tip: the thrift store is the absolute best place for vintage sports gear) and a fun community that anyone can be a part of. With the basics out of the way, your journey to becoming a lifelong football fan is just beginning. Go Pats!