Do you understand the positions in a NFL team? Want a quick guide to NFL. This post will provide brief overview of the rules of American Football, history of NFL, player positions, and more! Feel free to pin this post for a quick and easy guide to the roles of each position.
The National Football League (NFL) is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. It is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).
The Basics of NFL
The game of American football is played on a field that is 100 yards long and 160 feet wide. The field is divided into two end zones, each 10 yards deep. The goal of the game is to score points by getting the ball into the opposing team’s end zone. A team can score points by completing a touchdown, kicking a field goal, or by scoring a safety.
A Brief History of NFL
The NFL was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association and changed its name to the National Football League in 1922. The NFL has grown in popularity over the years and is now one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. The Super Bowl, which is played annually on the first Sunday in February, is the biggest event in American sports. It is watched by millions of people around the world.
The NFL has no governing body, decisions are made by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee has a representative from each of the 32 teams. This can be an owner or top officer. Any changes in the rules must be agreed by at least three quarters of the committee to be passed.
What Equipment is Needed to Play?
The players in the NFL wear a lot of protective gear to help prevent injuries. This includes helmets, shoulder pads, and knee and thigh pads. The players also wear cleats to help them grip the field.
The ball used in the NFL is made of leather and the shape is officially called prolate spheroid. This shape enables the player to carry the ball under the arm whilst running. The footballs for the Superbowl are made by Wilson’s factory in Ada, Ohio. They are similar to rugby balls but smaller, lighter and harder. Check out the rules of NFL’s older cousin, Rugby, now!
Rules of American Football (NFL)
The game is divided into four quarters, each lasting 15 minutes with a halftime break. The offense has four downs (or opportunities) to move the ball at least 10 yards, or else the ball is turned over to the other team. If the offense is successful in moving the ball 10 or more yards, they are awarded a first down and get another set of four downs to continue their drive. If the offense scores a touchdown, they are awarded 6 points. They can choose to either kick the ball through the goalpost for 1 extra point or try to score another touchdown by running or passing the ball into the end zone from 2 yards out for 2 extra points.
The defence can also score points by tackling the player with the ball in their own end zone, a play known as a safety, which earns them 2 points.
The game is controlled by a set of officials, including a referee, who are responsible for enforcing the rules and making calls on the field. It’s a very complex game with many different rules and strategies, but that’s the basic idea of how to play American Football.
Players and Positions in NFL
Each NFL team is huge, with 53 players on its roster! Of those 53 players, only 11 can be on the field at any given time. The players on the field are divided into two groups: the offense and the defence. The offense is responsible for moving the ball down the field and scoring points, while the defence is responsible for stopping the opposing team from scoring.
Quarterback (QB): The quarterback is the leader of the offense and is responsible for receiving the snap (backward pass of the ball at the start of the game form the scrummage) from the centre. The quaterback also makes decisions on the play. They are often considered the most important player on the field, as their performance can greatly influence the outcome of the game.
Running Back (RB): Running backs are responsible for carrying the ball and running with it up the field. They are also involved in the passing game and are often used as receivers out of the backfield.
Wide Receiver (WR): Wide receivers are responsible for catching passes thrown by the quarterback. They line up on the outside of the offensive formation and run various routes to get open for a pass.
Tight End (TE): Tight ends are a hybrid of a wide receiver and an offensive lineman. They are bigger and stronger than wide receivers, but faster and more agile than offensive linemen. They are used as both blockers and pass-catchers.
Offensive Line (OL): The offensive line is made up of five players who line up in front of the quarterback. They are responsible for protecting the quarterback and creating holes for the running backs to run through.
Defensive Line (DL): The defensive line is made up of three or four players who line up in front of the offense. They are responsible for stopping the run and applying pressure to the quarterback.
Linebacker (LB): Linebackers are responsible for stopping the run and covering receivers. They line up behind the defensive line and are often the “quarterbacks” of the defence, making many of the calls and adjustments.
Cornerback (CB): Cornerbacks are responsible for covering wide receivers and defending against the pass. They line up on the outside of the defence and are often matched up one-on-one with wide receivers.
Safety (S): Safeties are responsible for providing deep coverage and helping to stop the run. They line up in the defensive backfield and are often the last line of defence against the pass.
Kicker (K): The kicker is responsible for kicking field goals and extra points. They are often considered a separate position from the rest of the team, as they only come into play during certain situations.
Punter (P): The punter is responsible for punting the ball on fourth downs. They are also often considered a separate position from the rest of the team, as they too only come into play during certain situations.
What are the Fouls?
There are many different types of fouls that can be called in the NFL. Some of the most common include holding, pass interference, and roughing the passer. These fouls can result in penalties, such as loss of yardage or even the loss of a down.
Holding: This is when a player used his arms or hands to restrict an opponent or change the path of a defender.
Pass Interference: This is when a defensive player interferes with an opposing player’s attempt to catch a pass.
Roughing the passer: This foul is committed when the passer is unnecessarily pushed into the ground after the ball has been thrown.
To conclude, each position plays an important role in a NFL game and together they make up the team. The success of a team often relies on the performance of all positions, not just one or two, star players. It is a very complicated game with complex strategies which can’t be explained in one simple blog. We hope that with this straightforward version of the rules of American Football you can join the millions of people across the world that sit down each year to enjoy the Superbowl.
Let us know how we did in the comments and check out the leagues fixtures and results here! If you enjoyed learning about NFL read the Rules of Baseball, another classic American game
