Basic equipment
NFL football is an extremely intense game, blocking, intercepting and charging are an integral part of the game, which can also be said to be a major feature of football. In order to protect the safety of players and avoid delays due to player injuries, both the NFL and NCAA require all players to "wear appropriate and legal protective gear" before they can play.
Before 1900, when playing rugby, most players used a piece of cloth on their shoulders or thighs as cushions according to their personal needs, and all kinds of strange equipment were available. As the rules of the game evolved, so did the protective gear used in each era.
Basically, each player must wear a full set of protective gear, from head to toe:
helmet
The English name (helmet) consists of the shell, face mask and chin strap to reduce the possibility of injury to the face, especially the bridge of the nose and mouth
Shoulder pads
The English name shoulder pads to avoid dislocation of the shoulder due to impact, and to protect the chest and ribs. Players must choose the right shoulder pads according to their role.
Elbow pads
Elbow pads, especially on artificial turf fields, where players must be equipped with elbow pads to avoid elbow contusions.
glove
Some players are used to wearing gloves to catch the ball or to keep warm in cold weather. Outside catcher gloves usually have a layer of adhesive rubber material in the palm, while defensive forwards' gloves have a thick layer of padding on the outside of each finger to protect the fingers.
Waist pads
Hip pads protect the player's waist, hips and groin against pushing, ramming, interception, and falling in the air.
Leg pads
Thigh pads protect the muscles of the thighs from trampling or other injuries.
Kneepads
Knee pads, like elbow pads, are especially needed on artificial turf, mostly made of thick and elastic sponges.
shoe
English name (cleats), players need to wear different sneakers to adapt to the change of field. Depending on the situation of the venue, different types of hard plastic studs can be installed on the bottom of the sneakers.
subdue
The English name (uniform), consisting of jerseys (jets) and pants (pants), is usually made of nylon and elastic, with enough elasticity. Each player's top must be embroidered with a number, with a number on the chest at least 8 inches (20.3 cm or more) and a number at least 10 inches (25.4 cm) on the back to meet the regulations. The color of the jersey must not be the same as the color of the ball (brown or brown).
ball
The ball is slightly smaller than rugby, with a ball length of 11 to 11.5 inches, an elliptical major axis of 28 to 28.5 inches, a minor axis of 21.25 to 21.5 inches, and a weight of 14 to 15 pounds.
In addition, kicking players also need a tee stand when teeing, mostly a small tripod made of plastic. The referees must each carry a yellow handkerchief as a "penalty marker or flag" and throw it at the place where the foul occurred.
Schedule
The NFL regular season has a total of seventeen weeks, one round per week, and each team needs to play 16 games in the regular season, so each team will have a week of byes. The regular season starts in mid-September and ends at the end of December or early January. Regular season every season. NFL regular season matchups follow a round-robin equation, which changes every year, with the following:
1. Each team plays 2 games against 3 teams in their division, 1 home and 1 away (6 games).
2. Each team plays against a team in another division of the federation in which the team is located in a 3-year cycle. This means that currently I hit the North District, the next year I hit the South District, and the third year I hit the West District. It is then recycled back into the North District. Each team plays one game against the team in the opposing division, 2 at home and 2 away (4 games).
3. Each team plays against all teams in a division of the opposing federation, a 4-year round-robin, 2 home and 2 away (4 matches).
4. Each team must be in the same league ranking as its own federation in the previous year's division, and there is currently no scheduled match against each of the two teams in that division, 1 home and 1 away (2 matches).
Player position
Offensive group
Quarterback (QB)
The brain of the team's attack, the center of the entire attacking system, all offensive tactics are transmitted to the field through him. They are also the initiators of passing offense, and a precise long pass can change the game in an instant.
跑卫（Running back,RB）
Running backs are players who run with the ball and their job to penetrate the opposing defense with strength, footsteps and speed changes, and in some cases receive passes. Running backs are divided into halfback (HB) and fullback (FB).
In a charge, it is usually a strong full-guard who opens the way in front, while a half-guard follows behind him and charges with the ball. They must protect the ball after receiving a pass from a quarterback, then look at the situation on the field to find any gaps and decide on the most advantageous sprint route to avoid the defender. When throwing offense, they can rush forward and become receivers, or assist attacking insiders to protect quarterbacks. Speed and agility are the main conditions for running backs.
Wide Receiver (WR)
The wide receiver has high speed and agility, and by changing directions, he can get rid of the defense and catch the ball. A good wide receiver can follow the path indicated by the quarterback before serving, dodge and throw away the opponent's staring defense to create conditions conducive to receiving the ball. The wide receiver can still hold the ball forward after receiving it until it is intercepted or runs out of bounds.
Tight End (TE)
The close end has both the ability to catch the ball and open the way, sometimes assisting the attacking interior to block, and sometimes acting as a catcher. In passing offense, they are the quarterback's spear, while in the running offense, they are the shield of the half-guard.
Offensive Lineman
A player who is at the forefront of the offensive line to protect a quarterback or a half-guard on a running offense is the strongest person in the offensive group. Depending on the position on the field, from the center of the tee point outwards, they are Center, Guard and Tackle. The center is also the kick-off, responsible for accurately passing the ball into the quarterback's hands.
Defensive group
Defensive Lineman
They are usually the strongest people on the entire team, targeting opposing half-guards and quarterbacks before passing the ball. They rush past the opposing attacking insider to impact the opposing ball carrier. Depending on the position on the field, from center to outside, they are Nose Tackle or Defensive Tackle and Defensive End.
Linebacker (LB)
Important positions, one of which is usually the person in the defensive group who issues orders. The lineman must have excellent interception skills and not let the running back with the ball go one step over the thunder pool; In the case of a pass offense, it is necessary to assist other teammates to keep an eye on the wide receiver and other possible receivers, destroying or intercepting any throw catches. In order of position, there are Middle Linebacker (MLB) and Outside Linebacker (OLB).
Defensive Back (DB)
The last line of defense, here divided into several types according to different responsibilities:
Cornerback (CB)
Cornerbacks are rivals to the opposing wide receiver, and speed and agility are their specialties. Generally, their role is to stay close to the opposing wide receiver or in some cases the tight end, or to attack the opposing quarterback in a specific formation (a more risky move).
Safety
It is subdivided into Free Safety (FS) and Strong Safety (SS). They stand at the back of the defense and step up to disrupt the opponent's attack when the attacker penetrates the defense or when a receiver breaks away from the defense.
Strong defenders react on the pitch against the close end of the attacking side, because the side of the attacking line with the near end is called the strong side. When the attacker uses a charge attack, the strong defender intercepts the running back and blocks the attack like a linebacker, and when throwing a pass, he is responsible for keeping an eye on the close end to prevent him from receiving the ball.
Secret Service Group
Generally, members of the Secret Service Group, except for a few special positions, are generally substitutes for the Attack and Defense Group.
Kicker (Kicker, K)
Field Goal (FG) is often taken in the game, and a kicker is needed.
Holder
When shooting, there is also a player who holds the ball firmly after kick-off to allow the kicker to kick the ball accurately, this is called the ball supporter, and is usually the team's backup quarterback.
Abandon kicker (Punter, P)
People who play high-altitude balls when the team abandons kicks not only need to play far, but also accurately, and sometimes short kicks are also useful.
Returner (R)
Both kick-offs and kick-offs can be attacked, and the player is generally the fastest player on the team, but not necessarily an attacking player.
Contest Rules
The playing field is 100 yards long and 53 yards wide. The slender white lines in the playing field are called code lines and help players, referees and spectators understand how the attacker moves the ball forward. Probably the most important place on the field is the end zone, which is the area where the scoring lines on each side of the playing field extend 10 yards outward. This area is where the points are scored. When the ball holder pushes the ball into the opposing side's end zone, they score.
Game time
The game is divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each. The first and second quarters are called the first half. The third and fourth quarters are called the second half. There was a 12-minute intermission between the first and second halves. At the beginning of the second half, the ball will be restarted as at the beginning of the game.
There is a two-minute break at the end of the first quarter of the first half and a two-minute break at the end of the third quarter of the second half, with both players swapping the pitch and the side who originally possessed the ball continuing to attack after swapping the field. At the end of each attack, the attacking team must restart the next attack within 40 seconds or be penalized. The game clock is suspended in the following situations: a pass fails, a player goes out of bounds with the ball, and the referee punishes him. When the referee puts the ball back on the opening point to allow both sides to attack, the game clock begins to keep the time counting. If the two sides tie at the end of the fourth quarter, 15 minutes of overtime will be played, and the winner will be determined by the sudden death method, that is, the team that scores first wins. At the beginning of extra time, both sides toss a coin to guess first, and the opposite side attacks first.
Kick-off of the game
The game begins with a kick-off. The kick-off process involves the defender's kick-off placing the ball on the tee at their own 35-yard line and then kicking the ball towards the attacker. The attacker's kick-off attacker will push forward as much as possible after catching the ball until it is intercepted by the defender. The attacking team then starts a round of attack from where the ball is blocked.
If the returning attacker catches the opponent's kick-off in his own end area, he has two options. Either rush out of the end zone with the ball and rush towards the opponent's field until it is intercepted; Either hold the ball and touch the ground with your knee to indicate a return, that is, a stop signal, then the ball will be placed at the 25-yard line of the attacking team, and the attacking team will start a round of attack. Beginning with the 2010-2011 season, the tee line was adjusted to the 35-yard line.
First attack
The progress of the game is measured in yards. The attacker pushes as many yards as possible, closing in on the opposing end zone. When the attacking team begins a round of offense, there are four chances to attack and must advance at least 10 yards. If the attacker successfully advances by at least 10 yards, it is called reaching the first attack. Then the attacking team gets another round of four more offensive opportunities. If the attacker does not advance 10 yards in one round, the right to attack is lost. So the defender must not only prevent the attacker from scoring, but also prevent the attacker from advancing more than 10 yards in a round. When an attacker makes their fourth offensive chance, they usually abandon the ball, that is, kick the ball towards the opposing field, so that the opponent has to advance more yards to score when they start the attack.
offensive
Every attack starts with a kickoff. On the opening line, after the quarterback shouts a password for an offensive tactic, the center in front of him passes the ball to or passes the ball from the crotch to the quarterback, and the quarterback decides whether to pass or run the ball.
Run the ball
The attacking side has two ways to attack. The first way is to rush towards the opponent with the ball, which usually occurs after the quarterback hands the ball to the running back, who tries to swing the opponent's defense and rush forward for as many yards as possible, and the quarterback can run the ball himself.
Pass
Another way to attack is to pass. Usually the quarterback passes the ball, but sometimes other players pass the ball to confuse the opponent. Virtually any player on the attacking side can pass the ball, as long as the ball comes from behind the starting line. When the ball is caught by another attacking player, it is called a successful pass. The receiver is usually a wide receiver or a tight end. If the ball touches the ground before anyone catches it, the pass fails.
intercept
The defender stops the opponent by throwing the opposing player to the ground. When one or both knees of an attacking player touch the ground, it is said to be intercepted, and the offensive opportunity ends. When an attacking player rushes out of bounds, it also ends an offensive opportunity.
Game scores
The purpose of the game is to score more. There are four ways to score points:
Touchdown = 6 points
Touchdowns are the way to score the most points at one time in a match. The touchdown side also had one chance to score extra points. To reach a touchdown, the ball must cross the scoring line in the end zone, catch the pass in the end zone, and grab the ball in the end zone.
Additional points and two-point conversion = 1 or 2 points
After the touchdown, the scorer places the ball at the opponent's 2-yard line and has two options. Usually kicks an extra point, also called a touchdown score, PAT. If the touchdown successfully kicks the ball into the goal, 1 point is awarded. The attacker can also score 2 points by running the ball or rushing the ball to score another touchdown. Since scoring 2 points is much more difficult than scoring 1 point, touchdowns usually choose to kick 1 point.
Free kick = 3 points
If the attacker fails to reach a touchdown, it can attempt to score from a free kick. Three points are awarded from a free kick, and usually a free kick at the end of the game determines the outcome of the game. The attacking team may kick a free kick anywhere on the field at any time. But it is usually on the fourth offensive opportunity and the ball is within the defender's 45-yard line that a free kick is chosen. The kicker must kick the ball between the two poles of the goal, above the crossbar, to be considered a score. The defender should block the opponent's free kick as much as possible.
Security = 2 points
When an attacking player holds the ball and is intercepted by the defender in the attacking end zone, the defender receives 2 points.
Loss of possession
In the process of advancing towards the defender, the ball is lost in two situations.
Lose the ball
When a player who holds or passes the ball accidentally loses his hand, he loses the ball. Any player on either side can swoop in to grab the ball or rush to the opposing end zone with the ball. If the party who grabs the conceded goal is the original attacker, it will continue to attack; If it is a defender, the two sides switch offensive and defensive.
Plagiarism
Defenders can gain offensive power by intercepting the attacker's mid-air passes in the air. Whether the ball is lost or intercepted, the player who grabs the ball can immediately rush to the opposing end zone and try to score a touchdown.
Past presidents
Jim Thorpe (1920–1921)
Joseph Carr (1921–1939)
Carl Storck (1939–1941)
Elmer Layden (1941–1946)
Bert Bell (1946–1959)
Austin Gunsel (1959–1960, interim president after Bell's death)
Alvin..." Pete Rozelle (1960–1989)
Paul Tagliabue (1989–2006)
Roger Goodell (2006-)
Annual Awards
Vince Lombardi Trophy Award
Lamar Hunt Trophy
George S. George S. Halas Trophy Award
Most Valuable Player
Coach of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Dffensive Rookie of the Year
Super Bowl MVP
Pro Bowl MVP
NFL Comeback Player of the Year
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Super Bowl
Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Super Bowl is the NFL's annual championship game in Major League Football, and the winner is known as the "World Champion." The Super Bowl is generally held on the last Sunday of January or February, which is called Super Bowl Sunday. The Super Bowl is the name of the game, and its trophy is called the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The finalists are the AFC and NFC federation champions of that season. The Super Bowl was the nation's most-watched television show for many years and has gradually become an unofficial national holiday. Plus, Super Bowl Sunday is the second highest single-day food consumption day in the United States, after Thanksgiving.