Two essential NFL rules to enjoy the Super Bowl 2025

Whether people are curious to tune in and see what all the fuss is about on the field, the Kendrick Lamar halftime show or simply to understand why Taylor Swift and Donald Trump are 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.

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.

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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