NFL Football
The game they call “American football” is one of the world’s most popular, with its technical rules, powerhouse players, and strange customs. And of course you need football tickets, or you won’t get in! Here we give some clarification of what might constitute a fine day out at an NFL football game.
You know the drill, if you’re a real fan; your buddies pick you all up one by one, and there’s that person who lives way out on the edge of town, by the Interstate entrance that has no exit, so you have to pick everyone else up first. Then you find the entrance closed anyway, and you all curse the guy for the first hour of the trip. Everyone has different ideas about what to eat for lunch, how to play the long-pass game, whether the quarterback is worth ten cents, and if you’re even gonna make the playoffs this year.
And then there’s the problem of finding everybody football tickets. That will be dealt with on our NFL tickets page.
If you’re playing at home, you know exactly where to park the car, and, hopefully, where you’ll all be entering the stadium. Once inside, the day can begin. The NFL has come a long way since it was founded in 1920, that’s for sure, but superstitions and customs persist. The NFL has the highest per-game domestic league attendance for any game in the world, and the array of different stadiums and atmospheres at each is a very special thing. Each team plays in a physical space that speaks to the players in a different voice. Some places are good. Some are very bad. You buy Patriots tickets, for instance, and it could be very bad, wherever you play them! Buy Redskins tickets to FedEx Field, and you will see the biggest stadium in the NFL! Buy Chicago Bears tickets to Soldier Field, or Colts tickets, and you’ll see the two smallest NFL stadiums in the league!
The first thing you notice is the field. The aim of course is to get that egg-shaped ball across the goal line. This line is located in the end zone. When a player moves the ball onto, above, or beyond the goal line, he scores a touchdown.
The field is 360 feet in length by 160 feet in width. The all-important end zones are 30 feet from beginning to end. Pylons are used for goal line and end line markings, which are clearly visible, according to NFL guidelines.
The rules surrounding the NFL ball are little-known but fascinating. For instance, get a load of this: The home club must have no less than 36 balls for games which are available for pressure-testing with a gauge to be performed by the referee before the game begins. 12 brand-new NFL footballs, sealed in a custom-made box from the manufacturer, are unsealed in the officials’ changing room two hours before the game. These balls must be marked with a “k” indicating they will be used for the kicking game. Wild, huh?
Backward passes that touch the ground may be retrieved and employed by either of the two teams.
A Dead Ball is a ball which is not in play
a Double Foul is when a foul is committed by both teams during the same down.
Fumble describes the loss of the ball by one team.
Sudden Death means sudden death overtime, in which the team that scores first, by whatever means, immediately wins the game.
NFL Football obviously has many more rules and foibles than the ones above, but they are among my favorite. If you have any odd facts or figures, please write in and let us add them to this collection!
And enjoy your next NFL football game!