Football, but not as we know it
February may not be the most exciting month for football, unless of course we are talking American Football. So, get ready for ‘seconds out, hut hut’ as the 58th Super Bowl is due to kick off at 11.30pm on Sunday February 11th in the Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada – and available to watch on ITV.
American football’s popularity in the UK has grown over the years since 1985 when Channel 4 secured the rights to showcase highlights from NFL (National Football League) games. Since 2007, some NFL regular-season games have been played in London.
In 2019, the NFL pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was introduced and former Spurs captain Harry Kane has made it known that his dream is to end his career as a kicker in the NFL. Welsh rugby union star Louis Rees-Zammit has also recently travelled across the pond in search of NFL stardom.
I attended a game at Twickenham in 2017 where the Minnesota Vikings beat the Cleveland Browns 33-16. It was a totally different experience compared with our own ‘soccer’ matches with focus on fan enjoyment, and a friendly atmosphere. Rival supporters sat together enjoying a beer. Music and cheerleading are a major feature. The big screens provide fans with the chance to wave and dance to their family and friends watching at home. I wonder how that would work at Millwall vs West Ham!
The first Super Bowl was played in 1967. Since 1970 the annual match has been a contest between the winners of the two NFL conferences, the National Football Confer-ence (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Each conference has 16 teams, split into four regional divisions with four teams in each.
At the end of the season, the teams with the best records qualify for the play-offs, with knockout rounds determining who reaches the Super Bowl.
Rules
Each game lasts 60 minutes, split into four 15-minute quarters. Two teams of 11 players are on the field at any one time. One is on ‘offence’ – the team currently in possession of the ball – and the other on ‘defence’. Each team is given three ‘time-outs’ per half.
The offence aims to move the ball downfield and score a touchdown in the opposition’s ‘end zone’, or score a field goal by kicking the ball through the uprights and over the crossbar. The defence tries to stop the offence from scoring, and to regain possession of the ball via an interception (catching a pass intended for an offence receiver) or a fumble (picking up a dropped ball).
The offence gets four chances or ‘downs’ to move the ball forward by at least 10 yards. If they succeed, they get another four chances to advance a further 10 yards. If they fail, the ball will be handed over to the other team.
Half-time show
The Super Bowl isn’t just about sport – its huge TV audience in the US encourages major brands to air special ads, while in the stadium a half-time show features big-name music acts. This year, R&B star Usher will perform.
The contenders
As Inside Time went to press, there were four teams left with a chance to win Super Bowl LVIII:
San Francisco 49ers – NFC West (12 wins, 5 losses). Bookies’ favourite to win their record-equalling sixth Super Bowl, although their last was in 1994. The ‘Niners’ red, white and gold uniforms are iconic.
Baltimore Ravens – AFC North (13-4). Seeking their first ever Super Bowl victory, star quarterback Lemar Jackson’s throwing accuracy and lightning speed gives them a great chance.
Kansas City Chiefs – AFC West (11-6) and reigning champions – having narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in last year’s Super Bowl. Have been in three of the last four finals, and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was recently voted the NFL’s best player.
Detroit Lions – NFC North (12-5), but this year’s underdogs and the only team in the NFL never to have reached a Super Bowl final. Could this be the year we hear the Lions roar?
Points Scoring
Touchdown (six points)
A touchdown is scored when the offence crosses the opposition’s goal line by catching or running the ball into the end zone.
Extra point (one or two points)
After a touchdown, the scoring team can either kick the ball through the uprights for 1 point or take the ball into the end zone for 2 points.
Field goal (three points)
If the offence kicks the ball through the upright posts and over the crossbar.
Safety (two points)
The defence are awarded this if they tackle a member of the offence with the ball in their own end zone.
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