Ladies, are you ready for some football? Football season is in full swing with the Play Offs and Super Bowl still a few months away. Many wives and girl friends call themselves football widows this time of year as their men disappear for hours for NFL Sunday, Monday Night Football, and the Thursday night game. For many years I was the same way until I finally took some time to understand the game. Now I enjoy at least one game a week and even go the games for more than just a fun tailgate. Below are eight tips for women to understand the basics of NFL football so that they too can get in on the fun.
1. The Football Jersey Numbering System: Did you know there is a method to the madness when it comes to a football player’s jersey number? Yep! Players are assigned jersey numbers based on their position as described below.
1-19 – Quarterbacks, punters, kickers
20-49 Defensive and running backs
50-59 Centers and Linebackers
60-79 Defensive Linemen and Offensive Linemen
80-89 Wide receivers and tight ends
90-99 Defense and defensive linemen
2. When are the NFL games? National Football League teams play on Sundays usually at 1:00 pm EDT, 4:25 pm EDT, 0r 8:30 pm EDT, Monday nights at 9 pm EDT, and Thursday nights. College football takes place on Saturdays.
3. How many NFL teams are there? There are 32 NFL teams that are broken into two conferences- the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference has 16 teams.
4. How long is an NFL Football game? The field is 100 yards long.
5. How many players are on the field and on a team? Each team has 53 players on its roster. During a play, however, there are only 11 players on the field for each team.
6. How is an NFL team divided? There are three units on each team : offense, defense, and special teams. The team with possession of the football is called the offense. Offense advances the ball to score points, defense prevents the other team from scoring when the opposing team is in possession of the ball, and special teams play only when the ball is being kicked – during kickoffs, field goals, or during a punt.
7. How does a team score a touchdown? Each team gets four plays when it is in possession of the ball (offense). The ball can be advanced by the QB throwing it as a pass to other players (usually running backs) or running the ball himself. If the ball advances more than 10 yards, the team gets another four plays- called first down or 1st and 10. If a player carries the ball through the end zone a touchdown is made scoring the team six points. The team scoring the touchdown tries for an extra point by kicking the ball through the field goal. Instead of kicking the ball, the team can try to carry the ball through the end zone again. If that happens, two points are earned instead in what is called a two point conversion.
8. Fumble vs. Interception. A fumble occurs when someone in possession of the ball drops it. If that happens, another player can gain possession of the ball by taking the ball and running with it or diving on it. Another player from the same team that dropped the ball can recover the ball if it is fumbled. Interceptions occur when the ball is passed and a defensive player from the other team catches it.
Feel free to leave your questions or additional tips below!
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