Hey besties, it’s that time of the year again. The time of jersey-wearing, tailgating, and watching your boyfriend scream at his TV. Yup, you guessed it: football season. Rather than just sitting there eating all the chips and guac, why not get into the game! If you’re not much into football, or if the sound of sportscasters feels like you accidentally switched your Netflix to a foreign language, this guide is exactly what you’ve been looking for.
The first and most basic idea you need to understand is there are two sides of football that each team must play:
offense
The goal of the offense is to score points which can be scored through either a field goal or a touchdown.
A field goal is worth 3 points, and a touchdown is worth 6.
When a team makes a touchdown, they have the option of going for the extra point (a field goal) or for two extra points which involves them doing a “bonus touchdown” as they’re already super close to the end zone.
defense
The goal of the defense is to stop the offense from scoring, and they can do this in different ways.
- They could catch an interception. This is when the quarterback throws the ball and the other team catches it instead.
- They could cause the other team to fumble, which is when a player who is carrying the ball lets go of it while the play is still going on.
- By stopping the other team from getting a first down.
If you ever get confused about whether your team is on offense or defense just look for the quarterback. The quarterback is on offense (remember that!)
Examples of famous NFL quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes.
(Hint: Jimmy Garoppolo is the most attractive QB ever – even your boyfriend will agree on this. So if Jimmy is on the screen pretend you are looking at anybody but him.)
There are many other terms you are going to hear the announcers or your boyfriend say such as punt, sacks, etc., but trust me, if you know what the offense is doing and what the defense is doing, you understand football. So, now that you’ve read this go and get ready for the next college football game or NFL Sunday! You are sure to impress everyone with what you’ve just learned.