Two essential NFL rules to enjoy the Super Bowl 2024
The Super Bowl can be a baffling spectacle for those who haven't watched American Football before but two simple rules can help anyone enjoy the big game.
How can people actually enjoy this? Do people actually enjoy this? Why do they wear armour? Isn't this just rugby? When is the halftime show? Superb Owl #banter lol. WHERE IS TAYLOR?! Can I go to bed yet? It can only be Super Bowl Sunday.
The Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this weekend.
Whether people are curious to tune in and see what all the fuss is about on the field, the Usher halftime show or simply to understand why Taylor Swift is trending worldwide across every conceivable social media platform, the Super Bowl has a way of drawing people in.
It also has a knack for completely overwhelming those tuning in to watch an American football game for the first time. That's why we're here to help.
RadioTimes.com has got you covered with the absolute basics, and believe it or not, you can make sense of the Super Bowl – enough to enjoy it – by simply knowing two fundamental rules of the sport.
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Sky Sports experts' top tips to watch the Super Bowl as a new fan
Sky Sports NFL presenter Neil Reynolds
Generally, they're trying to move the ball down the field in in 10-yard chunks, you get four goes to move down the field, and you should follow the quarterback. That quarterback is either going to: A) hand it to somebody who tries to run downfield B) he's going to run it himself or C) he's going to throw the football. We'll be talking about the quarterbacks a lot on Sky Sports, it's a huge part of the NFL, so that's who you have got to focus on.
Sky Sports expert analyst Phoebe Schecter
Find one person on offense to watch, don't try and follow the ball wherever it goes because it almost becomes chaos. I would recommend you just pick one person, whether that's the running back or receiver and watch what they do. You can build the picture up that way. You could also watch the offensive line as a group. If they're standing up and going backwards, the quarterback's going to pass, if they're running forwards, it's a run play, for the most part. Try to narrow your vision on what you're seeing.
1. What is a 1st down?
The entire sport boils down to teams attempting to advance up the pitch.
Each team is given four attempts (downs) to move the ball forward at least 10 yards via throwing and catching the ball or running with it.
At the start of possession, a team will have their first attempt to advance 10 yards. This is known as 1st & 10 (1st attempt/down, 10 yards left to reach the marker).
For example, if a quarterback in a 1st & 10 situation throws the ball to a teammate standing five yards further up the field, play will stop and that team will advance five yards. The 1st (attempt) and 10 (yards to go) situation will become a 2nd & 5 situation – it is their second attempt and they have five yards to reach their target.
If the ball is caught, or a player runs with the ball, beyond the original 10-yard target line, this will result in a 1st down because they have successfully advanced at least 10 yards in those attempts – a fresh 1st & 10 situation has arrived.
The next 10-yard situation will begin from where the player with the ball is brought down, tackled or where he runs off the field.
This process repeats until a team gets the ball into the endzone to record a touchdown or close enough to the goal posts to attempt a kicked field goal.
If a team does not reach the 10 yards in four attempts, the ball goes to the other team.
This can happen simply by not breaking down the opposition's defence, or the ball can be directly intercepted by the opposition and they can launch a counter attack.
Usually, a team will kick the ball away on their 4th down to avoid their opponents getting the ball in a good position for their possession.
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2. How many points for a touchdown and field goal?
Taking the ball into the end zone will instantly reward that team with six points.
They can then choose to:
- A) Kick the ball through the posts for one extra point.
- B) Have one chance at throwing or running the ball into the endzone again – from short range – for two extra points.
Field goals are rewarded with three points.
And that really is all you need to know! Understanding tactics, formations, specific positions and bizarre rules (don't get us started) will only add to the enjoyment, but at its core, American Football is all about the four attempts at advancing the ball 10 yards forward to stick points on the board.
Or you could just go to bed.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
