In addition to a lot of excitement, American football also has a large number of rules. sport.de explains the most important rules and terms so that you don’t get penalties for ignorance when following the NFL.
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How long is an NFL game?
A match in the NFL is divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each. Very interesting for newcomers: The 60 minutes relate to the net playing time. The clock is stopped regularly in American football, so watching a game usually takes three hours.
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When do NFL umpires stop the clock?
The clock will automatically stop after a kickoff, points scored, an incomplete pass, certain penalties, injury stoppages and the two-minute warning. However, teams can also interrupt the game themselves if they take a time-out. In addition, the clock is stopped if a player runs off the field with the ball.
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Is it allowed to take two timeouts in a row?
Every team in the NFL has three timeouts per half. As described above, these downtimes are not only used for tactical discussions, but also to stop the clock. However, a team may only take one timeout during a down.
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How does an American football team win?
Like any other team sport, American football is all about scoring more points than the opposing team. While the offensive tries to get their own points on the scoreboard, the defensive tries to prevent this.
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How many players are on the pitch per turn?
Each team has eleven players per turn. A total of 22 actors take part in the event. Every once in a while it happens that a team has too many players on the pitch. Although the field in American football is 100 yards long and 53 yards wide, the umpires notice this offense immediately. The offending team concedes a 5-yard penalty.
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How many teams play in the NFL?
A total of 32 teams compete in the NFL. The teams are divided into two conferences (AFC and NFC). In these conferences, the organizations are again assigned to four divisions each. After the regular season, the teams play out the winners of their conference in the playoffs. Finally, the AFC champion meets the NFC champion in the Super Bowl.
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How does offense move across the field in the NFL?
Each offense must go ten yards in four tries. If this is successful, the attacking team gets four more tries or downs to bridge the next ten yards. If there is not enough space after three attempts, the fourth attempt is usually used to punt the ball or score a field goal.
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What happens if the fourth attempt fails?
As previously mentioned, most teams rarely play out their fourth try. Should this attempt fail, it would not only change possession. The attacking team is also likely to start their first play where the opponent’s previous attempt failed.
After three tries, teams will resort to the punt if they are outside of field goal range and there are too many yards to go to the new first down. The kicker shoots the ball as far as possible into the opponent’s half so that the offense has to cover a long distance to the end zone.
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What is the line of scrimmage?
After a play, the offensive starts at the line of scrimmage. It is the imaginary line where the formations of the two teams meet.
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What is the difference between the running and passing game?
The quarterback of the attacking team receives the ball from his center and then decides whether he throws the ball to one of his receivers (passing game) or hands it over to a running back (running game). In the younger generation of quarterbacks, it has also become established to run with the ball themselves more often in order to cover a few yards.
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Why is American football only passed once per play?
In order to make the game clearer and to give the defense a fair chance, the offensive may only throw the ball forward once per play. In the NFL, however, the game device can be thrown backwards several times. In the worst case, however, a backward pass leads to a fumble or loss of space, which is why it is rarely used.
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How many points does a touchdown bring?
A touchdown earns the attacking team six points. The offense has to get the ball into the opponent’s end zone either on the run or via pass. Directly afterwards, your own score can be corrected by one point upwards, among other things, with a point after touchdown (PAT). In this case, the kicker must score an additional field goal.
A team may attempt a two-point conversion instead of a PAT after a touchdown. Here the offensive in the NFL gets an additional play at the 2-yard line. If the attackers manage to get the leather into the end zone again, they are rewarded with two more points.
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How else can points be scored?
When an offense has only one shot left, it tries to shoot a field goal if the distance to the goalposts is not too far. A longer distance significantly reduces the chances of success. A field goal in which the kicker shoots the ball between the goal posts awards the attacking team three points.
By the way, the defense can also score. A safety stops the ball carrier of the opposing offense in their end zone and gives the defense two points and possession.
A fumble occurs when an offensive player loses the ball he was already in control of. This can happen through an action by a defender – for example when the ball is kicked out – or without external influence.
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What is an interception?
The word interception is particularly unpopular with quarterbacks. When a playmaker inadvertently throws the ball to an opposing player, it is called an interception. If the play equipment has not yet touched the ground after the catch, the defender may continue running until stopped. If nobody stops him, he can run to the end zone and score a touchdown that way. One then speaks of a “pick six”.
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What is the Snap in American Football?
The snap involves passing the ball from center to quarterback. The playcaller first counts the snap count, i.e. the commands, down to the final handover.
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How can a player be sidelined in the NFL?
The snap count often increases towards the end of the game to lure opposing defenders offside. A defensive player is offside if he crossed the line of scrimmage at the snap. A 5-yard penalty will result.
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What is pass interference?
Receivers must not be obstructed by an opponent when attempting to catch a pass. Defenders are only allowed to catch or deflect the ball so that the receiver cannot catch it or has difficulty catching it. Prohibited physical contact with the receiver will automatically be penalized with a new first down. Particularly bitter for the defense: The attackers continue their drive at the location of the foul.
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When does a holding exist?
In American football, only the ball carrier may be held. If this happens to other players, the turn is whistled. Holding the offense is penalized by a 10-yard penalty and a retry. The defense only has to take five yards with a holding. However, the attackers are automatically granted a new first down.
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Was ist unnecessary Roughness?
American football is often perceived by outsiders as a brutal sport. The NFL has established many rules to protect the health of its players. With the ban on unnecessary roughness, for example, the league punishes unnecessary harshness. For example, if a pro misses an opponent’s hit when they were not (or no longer) in possession of the ball, their team will be assessed a 15-yard penalty. In addition, the offensive receives an automatic first down. In serious cases of unnecessary roughness, the referees can even send the offender out of the field and ban him from further matches.
