NFL Guide - All About The Sport And The Competition

What will you find in this article?

• NFL playing field
• Goal of the game
• Scoring system
• Duration of the game
• Teams
• NFL Season
• Coaches
• Refereeing
• Curiosities
• The NFL in the Movies
• What Will Happen in 2023

The NFL (National Football League) is the professional football league of the United States.

If in Europe and Latin America the king of sports is football, the equivalent in the United States is American football. You've probably heard of the Super Bowl, or maybe you've seen a movie starring a talented quarterback. But do you really understand how the NFL works?

In this NFL guide we have prepared, you will finally understand concepts such as Touchdown or Punt. We explain everything about the sport: the goal of the game, the scoring system, the composition of the teams and how the NFL championship works.

Don't miss some interesting features about the refereeing system and fouls, the most relevant coaches, curiosities and films about the sport.

When you have finished reading this guide, you will be ready to place your bets on NFL events at the best bookmakers!

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NFL Playing Field

The football field is rectangular in shape and is measured in yards. There are a total of 100 yards, separated by several lines, 5 yards apart. At each end of the field is the Endzone, where the famous Touchdowns take place, and also a Y, a kind of goal, where more points can be scored in addition to Touchdowns.

Goal of the Game

The goal of each team is to try to score as many points as possible in the game.

- How does this happen?

The attacking team tries to go as many yards as possible to reach the Endzone, where they can score a Touchdown. The opposing team's job is to prevent this from happening. The attacking team has 4 plays to go 10 yards, however, if they fail to do so, the opposing team gains possession of the ball, restarting play exactly from where the attacking team's play ended.

However, as a matter of strategy, whenever the attacking team sees that it cannot reach 10 yards in the 4 plays, it is very common that on the 4th play the player throws the ball as far as possible, so that the opposing team restarts play away from its Endzone. This play is called a punt.

Example of a Punt

Scoring System

- Touchdown 

6 Points. 

A touchdown is scored when a player of the attacking team crosses the endzone line with the ball under control.

- Bonus Point

1 Point or 2 Points.

When a team scores a touchdown, it earns the right to one more play to score extra points.

The team can decide between:

• Kicking the ball beyond the Y goal placed 15 yards at the back of the field. This kick is worth 1 extra point, for a total of 7 points;
• Trying to score another Touchdown 15 yards from the Endzone, even though it will be more difficult to achieve. This Touchdown is worth 2 points, for a total of 8 points at the end of the play.

It is up to the team to decide if it is worth the risk to get the extra 2 points or if they prefer to go or the easier play and get 1 bonus point.

- Field Goal 

3 Pontos. 

This situation occurs when the attacking team is unable to go the mandatory 10 yards, as explained above in the Punt play. If close enough to the Y to attempt the kick, the Kicker will attempt to kick the ball through the Y goal. The Field Goal is worth 3 points if the ball goes in.

Duration of the Game

An American football match lasts four quarters of 15 minutes each.

However, the average duration of an American football match is 3 hours, due to stoppages in play. Every time the ball is not in motion, the clock is stopped, either by a foul, by points scored or by time-outs being called.

The big break in American football is 12 minutes long, at the end of the second quarter. There are also 2 minute breaks at the end of the first and third quarters, when teams switch sides of the field.

Teams

Each team has a total of 53 players, consisting of a defence team and an attacking team.

During the match, each team has 11 players on the pitch and there is no limit on substitutions.

Each player has his role on the field, as we can see in the image, with the most important player of the team being the Quarterback, the commander of the team.

The game starts when the Centre sends the ball to the Quarterback who, depending on the team's instructions and strategy, can either pass the ball through the air to one of the Wide Receivers (WR) or pass it back to the Running Back (RB). These players, RB and WR, are in charge of running with the ball for as many yards as possible or, if they can, reaching the Endzone and finishing the Touchdown.

Below, we explain what each player does on the pitch in his position.

- Attack Team

Quarterback (QB)

He is the main offensive player. The quarterback is responsible for passing the ball to the receivers, but his role goes far beyond that. He must also watch the opposing defence to find weaknesses and, if necessary, change plays.

Running Backs (RB)

They usually line up behind the quarterback and are responsible for running after the quarterback passes them the ball. RBs help teams control the game and make the strategy unpredictable for the opposing defence.

Wide Receiver (WR)

They are usually the main receivers of the Quarterback's passes. Their main job is to catch the pass and gain as many yards as possible for the team. Teams often use blockages so that the running back can move forward with more room to run.

Tight End (TE)

They are players who have protection duties but they can also be used as receivers. They are usually positioned near one end of the offensive line to help protect the quarterback and then go out for a shorter pass.

- Defence Team

Linebacker (OLB or MLB)

They are the leaders of the defence. There are two types of Linebackers:

• Outside Linebacker (OLB), who plays open and attacks the sides of the opposing offensive line;
• Middle Linebacker (MLB), the head of the defence, who occupies the middle of the field and gives orders to the other players.

Defensive End (DE) and Defensive Tackle (DT)

These defenders fight battles in the trenches with the opposing offensive line. The main objective is to close the gaps for inside runs and try to get through to the opposing quarterback.

Cornerback (CB)

Defensive players who play wide open on the edges of the field. Their job is to stop the opposing quarterback's passing game by not giving space to opposing receivers.

Safety (S)

Players who occupy the deepest part of the backfield and are split between marking the quarterback's long passes and getting close to the linebackers to stop the running backs' runs.

- Special Teams

What are NFL Special Teams?

NFL special teams are known for their kicking plays. In essence, they are players who don't belong either to the attack or defence teams, but can make the difference between a win and a loss.
NFL special team players can be:

• Kicker
• Punter
• Holder
• Long Snapper
• Kick Returner
• Punt Returner
• Gunner,
• Personal Protector

Kicker

He is the star of the special team. He is under a lot of pressure almost every time he takes the field, because the difference between a win and a loss in the last seconds can be an accurate kick. He usually kicks field goals and kickoffs.

NFL Season

The NFL season, known as The Season, is made up of 32 teams, divided into two conferences:

• AFL - American Football League
• NFC - National Football Conference

Teams from both conferences play the regular season for 17 weeks between September and December. When the season ends, the Playoffs begin, featuring the four champions of each conference and the three teams with the best record that did not win their division in each conference.

In the Playoffs, these teams play elimination games until the winner of the AFL and NFC teams meet in the final game of the season, the famous Super Bowl.

- Draft

Where everything begins and dreams can come true.

The Draft is the event in which professional football teams, in this case the NFL, select the best college football players for their professional teams, thus becoming NFL players.

This is the first mega-event of the NFL season, which is usually an entertainment extravaganza and takes place between March, April and May.

In order to make the league as competitive as possible, teams start their player selection from the teams' ranking in the last season.

The lowest ranked team is the first to select players and the overall season champion, the Super Bowl winner, is the last to select players.

However, during the draft period, teams can trade with each other and exchange players. Moreover, the last team to have the opportunity to choose players doesn’t necessarily takes the worst players.

In fact, Tom Brady, the famous number 12 quarterback, who started his career with the New England Patriots, was selected 199th out of 200 in the draft and became the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He even surpassed Dan Marino and won more Super Bowls than most NFL teams (7).

At the end of the Draft, each team plays 4 preparation games, until the season finally starts, which runs from September to January.

- Conferences - The Season

The NFL (National Football League) is divided into two conferences: the NFC (National Football Conference) and the AFC (American Football Conference). 

In addition, each of these two conferences is divided into North, South, East and West divisions.

Who advances to the Playoffs?

The champion of each conference division automatically advances to the Playoffs, making a total of 8 teams. In addition to the champions, the so-called Wild Cards advance to the Playoffs. These are teams from each conference division (NFC and AFC) that have achieved a better overall score.

In the playoffs, the Wild Cards play the two worst champion teams, i.e. the champion teams with the fewest points at the end of the season.

Let's assume that teams A, B, C and D are conference division champions. Team B, out of the 4, has the least points, so it will face one of the Wild Card teams in the playoffs.

- Playoffs

In the playoffs, the teams play each other in knockout matches until they reach the grand final.

Each team plays teams from the same conference until they reach the final. So, in the final, the NFC and AFC champions face each other. The Super Bowl will then decide the NFL champion.

- Super Bowl

Surely, you've heard about of the famous Super Bowl, one of the biggest spectacles in the world of sport. Not only does it reach all corners of the world, with millions of viewers, but it generates billions of dollars in revenue for the industry. A brief 5-second spot on screen can generate $40 million in revenue.

The Super Bowl is nothing more than the NFL championship final.

Coaches

With a team of 53 players, sometimes attacking and sometimes defending, the head coach has to constantly make decisions on how many defensive players to bring in, whether it is time to put in his best attacking players or even to change the whole team.

- Coaching Team

It would be quite difficult for one person to do all that, so the list of coaches is also quite extensive:

• Head Coach
• Offensive coordinator
• Defence coach
• Specialist Coordinator
• Quarterbacks coach
• Offensive line coach
• Defensive line coach
• Strength trainer
• Linebackers and Receivers coach.

Each coach has his own role. However, on the field, next to the players, there is only the head coach and the defence coach. They select players and define the strategies during the match for each of "their teams".

- Legendary NFL Coaches

Bill Belichick

There is no more successful coach in NFL history than Bill Belichick. As coach of the New England Patriots, he holds the record of 9 Super Bowl appearances, winning 6 of those finals.

He has been the only coach to win the first 10 games in 10 seasons.

Bill Walsh

In the 1980s, Bill Walsh led the San Francisco 49ers to six titles and three Super Bowls.

Don Shula

During his career, he played in 6 Super Bowls, winning 2. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 for his record of 347 consecutive wins with the Miami Dolphins.

Vince Lombardi

Known for his strong temperament, he led the Green Bay Packers in the 1970s and turned them into a winning team. This team was known for its bad reputation, with players belonging to gangs.

Vince Lombardi never signed any player in the draft. Instead, he kept his players and treated them as sons until he left. He won 1 championship and 1 Super Bowl.

His achievements led to the film Gridiron Gang, starring The Rock.

Even today, the players walk in to the sound of the song Long Cool Woman by The Hollies, a kind of team mantra.

Refereeing

If you've ever watched an NFL game, you've probably seen the technical gesture shown in the image below:

The yellow strip is thrown on the ground to signal to the other referees that a foul has been committed. There are numerous fouls and each referee is responsible for signalling them.

There is an entire refereeing crew on an NFL game, consisting of 7 referees, each with their own role and position:

Each referee wears a specific number on his back, to make it easier to identify him on any special occasion. One referee wears a white cap, while the other 6 referees wear a black cap.

The referee with the white cap is the main referee, called the Head Referee and represented by the letter R. He is responsible for indicating to the public what type of foul has been committed on the field of play and who has committed it. He also calls fouls in his jurisdiction and controls the tempo of the game. His position is between 10 and 12 metres behind the attacking line of each team. As a rule, he accompanies the Quarterback or the Running Backs, in order to determine the exact spot where the Receivers hit the Running Backs.

Next to the head referee is the Umpire, who checks for blocking offences when the centre passes the ball to the quarterback.

In general, Line Judges monitor infringements, misconduct and other fouls and ensure that the technical teams remain inside their zone line.

The last referee, the Back Judge, is in charge of checking for irregularities during Touchdowns.

- Fouls

Holding

There is offensive and defensive holding. When one player has the ball, the others cannot hold him, only push him.

If the foul is for holding a player other than the player who has the ball, there is a foul. When it is an offensive holding, the penalty for the attacking team is a 10-yard penalty. If it is defensive, the team is penalised 5 yards.

Holding example

Offside

It occurs whenever play restarts and one of the players crosses the boundary line before the ball is thrown. Penalty: 5 yards.

Example of Offside

Pass Interference

Occurs when the opposing player blocks the player who is to receive the ball, usually the receiver. The player may push the receiver or hit the ball, but may not hit or block the receiving player.

Example of Interference

Facemask

This foul occurs when a player conspicuously grabs the helmet grille of his opponent. Penalty: 15 yards.

Example of Facemask foul

Personal Fouls

All serious fouls involving the use of unnecessary force. Penalty: 15 yards.

Delay of Game

When players intentionally delay the time of play it is considered a Delay of Game foul. Depending on the league, each team has a maximum time to run a play. Remember that each team has to go 10 yards in 4 plays? Each play must last a maximum of 25 seconds, for example, if that is the league's time limit. Penalty: 5 Yards.

To many Mans on Field

Play after play, players enter and leave the field. There is a referee in charge of constantly counting the players on the field. If a team has more than 11 players on the field, it is penalised 10 yards.

Curiosities

- New England Patriots

Loved by all, hated by all.

If there is one team that borders on perfection in its entirety, it is the New England Patriots.

About the Patriots

•  The Patriots are owned by Robert Kraff.
•  They play in the AFC East division.
•  They are one of the NFL's greatest champions, with a total of 33 titles and 6 Super Bowls.
•  Its home is the Gillette Stadium, which cost a total of 433 million dollars.
•  The Patriots have the largest fan base, both inside and outside the United States.

Young American college players who dream of one day playing in the NFL and representing the New England Patriots must be excellent players, different from the rest, and an example on and off the field as citizens. All of this weighs in the choice of players during the draft.

The NEPs are loved and hated at the same time by the public because they are so perfect, on and off the field. They are nicknamed the "Pats".

- Tom Brady 

The 199th pick in the draft, a legend in his own right and an idol even for his biggest rivals, is a case in point.

“Nobody on Earth”

You've probably heard of Tom Brady. The greatest quarterback in NFL history. You can't describe the number of titles Tom Brady has won, such is his enviable record. However, one thing stands out: the New England Patriots have 6 Super Bowls, Tom Brady has 7.

A multiple Hall of Fame nominee and multiple MVP winner, he led the Patriots from 2000 to 2019 and finished his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In 2005, Tom Brady pulled off an act never before seen in the NFL. Although they had already won the Conference Championship and were early champions, the Patriots were losing at home to the New York Jets 27-3 in a game with some injury concerns heading into the Playoffs. Tom Brady was one of those players and he broke three toes on his right foot. Upset that he was losing the game, Tom did not abide by the medical decision, returned to the field with his foot wrapped in a bandage and uttered the phrase: "Nobody on Earth", referring to the fact that he wanted to finish the season undefeated. The Patriots turned the game around, winning 36-30.

The phrase became the team’s mantra and led the Patriots to finish the season completely undefeated, one of the few teams to do so to this day.

- Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are the only team to have the highest attendance twice in a row. In 1994, against the Oilers: 112,376. In 1998, against the Patriots: 106,424.

- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

If any team knows how to put on a show, it's Tampa Bay. Whether through their Cheerleaders or the entertainment of the public in general. In addition, their pirate ship-shaped stadium leaves no one indifferent.

- Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta team currently owns the best and most technologically advanced stadium in the world, the Mercedes Benz Stadium. It cost around 1.9 billion dollars.

In addition to the retractable roof, the catering area with more than 100 options, the changing rooms with underfloor heating, televisions for the players and the games rooms, there is also a turf control system, which allows the turf to be heated or cooled.

- Today's Best Quarterback

Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL today. The leader of the Kansas City Chiefs, his annual contract is estimated at 40 million and he receives another 36 million in advertising.

Mahomes won the 2023 Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The NFL in the Movies

All the films mentioned above are true stories that tell American football stories.

- We are Marshall

We are Marshall is a film based on true events in the 1970s, when the plane carrying the Marshall University team crashed, killing the entire team, coaches, photographers and medical staff.

- Concussion

Starring Will Smith, this film tells the story of a doctor who challenges the NFL after several players commit suicide. A brain disease, known today as CTE, developed through blows to the head over the years, driving players to suicide.

Note: The film was not released and caused a lot of controversy due to the families of the players, who did not want to relive the situation.

- American Underdog

It portrays the life of Kurt Warner, a simple and humble supermarket worker who became one of the best players in the NFL.

- Woodlawn

It depicts Tony Nathan's life and the difficulties of playing for a team and a city where racism prevails.

What will happen in 2023

We know that the usual draft will take place. But otherwise, it is always very difficult to predict an NFL season because it is so competitive. The league itself makes sure that this is the case year after year.

There is no clear favourite candidate. However, the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, New England and Buffalo Bills are the teams considered most likely to reach the final.

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