Monday, October 7, 2013

NFL Cheat Sheet

Basic
  • Quarterback (QB) is the guy who throws the ball
  • Receiver is the guy who catches the ball
  • End Zone are the two painted regions at the end of the field
  • A Play is when a team tries to gain yards or score a Touchdown or Punt the ball.
  • Touchdown is when the receiver catches the ball either in the End Zone or runs it into the End Zone after catching it. Touchdown could be any player who is in possession of the ball in the End Zone.
  • The objective is to score more points.
  • The objective is just like soccer or hockey or any other sport.  (Soccer fields are roughly twice the area of Football fields).
Medium
  • There are 4 Plays, also called Downs. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Down.
  • On 4th Down the other team gets the ball. The other team has the ball.
  • If a Player in possession of the ball is downed by having their elbow or knees hit the ground, they're down(ed).
  • Usually a team will Punt (kick) the ball as far as they can toward the End Zone on 4th Down
  • Touchdown gets a team 6 points.
  • Field Goal is when the Kicker kicks the ball through the Goalpost. It gets a team 1 point after a Touchdown. This is also called a P.A.T. (Point After Touchdown).
  • Field Goal gets a team 3 points if not preceded by a Touchdown.
More technical
  • Two Point Conversion is when another Touchdown is substituted for a Field Goal after a Touchdown.
Positions
  • Positions in Football are a lot like chess positions - and learning them is just like learning a rook, knight, queen, etc. except that the positions move in real time during play.  There are only certain Players who are eligible receivers.
  • Each team has an Offensive Team and a Defensive Team.  One team's offensive team plays the other team's defensive team.  After a change of possession a team's defensive team plays the other team's offensive team.
  • An Eligible Receiver is a Receiver who is allowed to catch. It’s positionally based - that is, where he lines up.
  • Also many of the positions are filled by fearsome 350-lb men who grapple and tackle each other. (Kicking is not allowed. That’s some pussyfoot shit).*

(From: Wikipedia on NFL formation)
  • The Line of Scrimmage is where the offensive team lines up before a play starts. The ball is placed on the Line of Scrimmage where it was last downed.
Offensive Team
  • The Offensive line consists of the center (in the center), the guards (left and right of center), the tackles (left and right of guards) and the tight end on one side and one wide receiver on the other and one other wide receiver on the other.
  • Lineman is one of the (TackleGuardCenterGuardTackle) in the diagram above.
  • Running Back is the same as Tail Back is the same as Half Back (they’re all synonyms).  Their responsibility is to run the ball forward, block, and catch.
  • Tight End (TE) is an offensive end who lines up next to or close to the tackle. Tight End sometimes lines up like a Fullback.
  • Wide Receiver (WR) is a type of Receiver who stands at the Wide (Far Left or Far Right) part of the Offensive Line.  They catch the ball and need to be fast and agile, like sprinters.  They catch long passes.
Defensive Team
  • Defensive Side lines up opposite to the Offensive Team along the Line of Scrimmage.
  • Defensive Back is either a Safety or Cornerback.
  • Defensive Safety is just a Safety. (There is no Offensive Safety).
  • Cornerback on the Defensive team covers the Wide Receiver on the Offensive team.
Even More technical
  • A Cover 2 defense is a widely-used defensive strategy and is probably the best type of defense in the NFL.
  • A ‘Flex’ (Fantasy only) is a running backwide receiver, or tight end.
  • The wide part of the field is either the left or right part of the field.
  • Quarterback throws to the Flats which is a 0 to 2 yard region just behind the Line of Scrimmage on the wide ends of the field on the Defensive sides.
Geographical
  • Foxboro is the arena where the Patriots play. Patriots are the team for New England. Patriots were coached under Coach Bill Parcells before gaining Tom Brady as backup Quarterback behind Drew Bledsoe, and winning the Superbowl in 2002. See: Kicker Adam Vinatieri.
  • Bill Parcells is not a bad Coach. He later coached for the Cowboys who are a team for Dallas, Texas and performed admirably.
  • The current coach for the Cowboys is a fellow named Jason Garrett
  • Colts are the team for Indianapolis
  • Bears are the team for Chicago
  • Broncos are the team for Denver
  • Peyton Manning is the Quarterback for the Broncos and is doing great right now. (as of the 7th week of 2013 NFL season).  He's injured, though. Peyton Manning used to play for the Colts.
  • Brett Favre was the Quarterback for the Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. He also used to play for the Jets. He is famous because his career lasted a long time and he remained a decently performing Quarterback.
  • Saints are the team for New Orleans.
  • 49ers (Forty Niners) are the team for San Francisco.
You do not have to know much about NFL Football before the 1980s because no one cares. Many of the rules have changed since then.

* Pussyfoot shit: like when kids kind of nudge each other - that’s pussyfooting.

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