Have you ever found yourself wishing you knew more about football? So you ask your boyfriend or guy friends and they either pretend like it’s some kind of joke or they try to explain it to you. And then when they are finally finished it just ends up being harder to figure out than the crossword puzzle in The New York Times on a Friday. Even though the NFL football season has come to a close, it’s not too late to get in the know and impress your fellow football lovers for next season!
First things first, you need to know the basics. Yes, it is a bunch of dudes tackling each other for a ball and trying to get a touchdown, but you need to know a little more than just tackle, run and the cute guy catching or throwing the ball (trust me, it doesn’t count).
Eleven players run the ball down the field towards the other team’s end zone. They ONLY get four tries to get 10 yards and every time they cover those 10 yards they proceed to get another shot at gaining another 10. If the team in possession does not cover 10 yards (AKA: first down), they forfeit the ball to the other team. However, if the team is close enough to the end zone on the 4th down, they can kick a field goal, worth 3 points.You could think of it like the longest line at Starbucks. You move forward a little bit, stop, move forward a little bit, and stop. You strike up a conversation about how long the line is and how you couldn’t possibly continue your day without that much-needed caffeine fix. But eventually, success! That delicious grande caramel frappe with extra whipped cream and caramel is finally in your grasp.
Second thing to know is point system. This is very important. A touchdown is worth six points and a kick directly following the touchdown is worth 1 point or you can go for the 2-point conversion, which says it all in the name. The AFC (American Football Conference) and the NFC (National Football Conference) are two different conferences. (There is a whole history behind it so if you care to venture out and read about it, more power to you!) The conferences are then split up into four sections each, North, South, East, and West. Ultimately the goal is to have the best AFC team and best NFC team play each other in the Super Bowl. (This year’s SB struck a nice balance, with the Seattle Seahawks repping NFC West and the New England Patriots for AFC East.)
Now you can learn about the positions! The quarterback is an offensive player, the guy who yells “Hike!,” catches the ball and throws it to the other players. He is pretty easy to recognize. The tight end is the guy who makes sure the ball can get through the defensive line, and he is probably one of the bigger guys, residing on the outside of the line. You’ve got your offensive line; they are also generally bigger built players and protect the QB. The running back is split up between two guys, the full back (lined up behind the QB) and the half-back (lined up behind him). The QB has two choices; he can either throw the ball to a wide receiver or to the half-back. The half-back will then run the ball through the defensive line towards the end zone. The full back protects the half-back. Wide receivers are your tall, skinny folk who ultimately run and catch the ball. They usually are running with their heads facing the QB and all you’re doing is praying that a) they catch the ball and b) they don’t trip and fall flat on their faces.
You’ve got the defensive lineman whose job is to tackle the QB and ultimately obtain the ball. But here’s where it gets a little tricky. So, you’ve got your linemen whom we have already discussed and then you have your linebackers, which are like the backup protection if the linemen fail to hold rank. The cornerback basically wants to take down the wide receivers by knocking the ball away from them or hoping for an interception. An interception is a big deal. When a QB throws the ball and the other team catches his pass, it’s what we consider to be a big “ha-ha, in your face” kind of moment. Your team really does not want that.
There is also the safety, which is the last line of defense and is there to help with the corners. The strong safety is a large guy who provides protection against run plays. The free safety is a smaller player and helps with long-pass plays. Finally, there is the kicker, the holder (holds the ball for the kicker), long snapper (snaps ball to holder or kicker), and punter.
*Note: there are more players on the special teams and I encourage you to go out and read about them as well as the other players in more detail for some more knowledge. Trust me, once you get started you’ll never go back!
Now that you’ve got the gist of football, go out and cheer for your favorite team! It might be nice to impress your guy-friends/girlfriends, your boyfriend, or that cutie at the sports bar. With a little practice you’ll be sure to be the MVP of the game.
Sources:
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http://www.pronfl.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/NFL-teams.jpg
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