This basic, yet all-inclusive football season guide is strictly for my ladies! Before we jump in, I just need to know one thing, which woman are you? A) You just need a schedule to know when you can “shenan-again” on Amazon. B) You actually want to learn something about the sport, so you sound like you know what you’re talking about. C) Football is really your thing. No matter who you are, I’m going to tell you some key points you should know and be able to identify. ‘Tis the major season… Let’s make it quick!
Football Season Summary
To keep it simple, NFL games air on Sunday (SNF), Monday (MNF), and Thursday (TNF)- that doesn’t mean that other leagues aren’t playing on the other days. However, for the purposes of this guide, the timeline for the season goes a little like this: Preseason in August (these are “off the record”, exhibition games, the Hall of Fame Game is a whole shebang), Regular Season Kickoff in September (which lasts until approximately the first week in January), Playoffs (which lasts the entirety of January), lastly we get to Championship games (this is going into February and ending the season with the likes of the Pro & Super Bowl).
Pro-Tip: The more wins, the higher the seed. The higher the seed, the better your chance is to make the playoffs.
There’s no real way for me to tell you which games are most important in regard to the regular season and I damn sure will not tell you which team to root for. What I can do is give you the basics!
Who’s Playing?
There are 32 teams in the league that are divided into 2 conferences made of 4 divisions with 4 teams each. Below is a visual for reference (ignore the numbers, they mean nothing to us right now). You can find official NFL team schedules that tell you when and where they play, as well as how to get tickets here.
It’s All About the Super Bowl?
Correct. The Super Bowl is essentially a battle between the best team from each conference (National Football Conference + American Football Conference). How do they decide who’s the best out of the 32? The simple answer: football Playoffs. There’s a catch though – only 14 teams make it there. The first 8 playoff spots are awarded to the teams that finish with the best record in each division. The remaining 6 spots (three from the AFC and three from the NFC) are given to the teams with the best record who did not win the highest seed in their division. The playoffs are single elimination – meaning win your game or go home! This lasts until 4 teams remain which is where we find out who advances to the Super Bowl. Once we get to the final game – it’s winner-take-all! Find out more about the 2024 Super Bowl here or check this out to see your teams Super Bowl history.
Key Terms
If football is really your thing, click here for a full football dictionary. But to save you some time – here’s a few terms you should know:
- Blitz: when 5 or more defensive players rush the opposing quarterback, in an attempt either to tackle them or force them to hurry his pass attempt.
- Fantasy Football: an online game where you play with the real players on a virtual platform. The points of the game are dependent on the performance of the chosen players in real-life matches.
- Fumble: any act, other than a (forward) pass or kick, which results in a loss of player possession
- Penalty: When either the player or coach violates the rules of the game as per the rulebook. There are 7 referees on the field and any of them have the ability to throw flag(s) on the play. The consequences vary.
- Pocket: The area formed by the quarterback’s blockers to prevent defensive players from tackling him.
- Quarters: Regulation time for all NFL games is 60 minutes and each game is divided into four 15-minute quarters. Of course, football is never exactly an hour – you have to account for commercials & timeouts, etc.
Did You Know? The jersey numbers that players wear are anything but random! The displayed number can allude to what position they are playing in the game.
OK, sis! I’ve given you the resources – Now, GO DO GREAT THINGS!! Best of luck!!!
