Football 101: Learn the Basics

Football Season is finally back! We’re huge Ravens fans here and we were able to attend our first game last year. I can’t even begin to explain the rush that I felt as we were leaving the stadium chanting “play-offs… play-offs”. While I love football and actually know what is going on during the game, I realize that most women do not. Football is a great way to bond with your husband or your kids, especially if you have boys that are really into sports. I do love that I’ll be able to watch my boys play football in a few years and I won’t just be one of “those moms”.

Today I’m sharing a little of my knowledge with you! Of course, there is more to all of this, but these are just the basics so you have some idea what’s happening, even if it’s just to know when to boo and when to cheer!

Down: A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when either the offense runs out of their 4 chances to score, or until the offense scores. You will hear 1st down, 2nd down, 3rd down, and 4th down, these are the 4 terms to describe the 4 chances that they are able to score, if they don’t score within those 4 chances, they have to give the ball up to the other team.

Touchdown: A touchdown is when the team makes it down to their end zone within four downs and scores, a touchdown is worth 6 points and gives you the opportunity to earn an extra point.

End Zone: The End Zone is the very end section of each end of the field, this is where the team needs to get to in order to score. Each team has their own end zone in which is their goal to score.

Extra Point: The extra point is when the team kicks the goal through the goal posts to earn the extra one point after scoring a touchdown, making the touchdown worth 7 points instead of just 6!

Two-Point Conversion: Instead of kicking for an extra point, a team that has just scored a touchdown can choose to go for two points. This is done in the same manner that a touchdown is scored, but is done from the 2-yard line.

Fumble: A fumble occurs when a player has possession of the ball and drops it or loses the ball and it becomes in possession of the other team.

Field Goal: A field goal is also a kick through the goal post which is worth 3 points. The team can choose to do this if they have reached their fourth down and don’t think they will make it to the end zone.

Sack: A sack is when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, causing the team to have move back on the field.

Interception: An interception is when a throw is made by the quarterback and it is then caught by the other team, switching the possession of the ball.

Safety: A safety is when a team scores and it is worth 2 points. This happens when the team that is on defense tackles the offensive team in their own end zone, giving the points to the defensive team.

Hike: When the ball is hiked, this means that one player is tossing the ball backwards through their legs either to the quarterback or kicker.

Well there you have it! Here are some really basic terms and things to make you a bit more knowledgeable when it comes to football! Hopefully this helps you to understand and enjoy the game a bit more than before!
I also wanted to share a few fun football finds with you! Whether you’re throwing a party during the game, want to read a story to your little one or need a gift, check out what we found for you!