Why do they stop so much? How come some of them are so fat? And what’s with the fanny packs?
It's that time of year again: When some Americans become utterly obsessed with watching a sport that to everyone else makes no sense whatsoever. We're here to fight that confusion. What follows are 17 real, actual questions from football novices on the BuzzFeed staff, with answers by sports reporter and bona fide former college football player Joel Anderson.
Warner Bros.
What are "downs" and why do they matter?
Think of "downs" as opportunities for the team that has possession of the ball. A team gets four downs — four opportunities — to advance the ball 10 yards. Each opportunity ends when the player with the ball runs until he's tackled by the opposing team's defense. If the team with possession of the ball — the offense — advances those 10 yards, they get another four opportunities to again gain 10 yards. (A football field is 100 yards long in total.) Getting this new set of opportunities is called "getting a first down." (The GIF above is Brandon Spikes of the New England Patriots indicating, via interpretive dance, that the Patriots have a first down.)
The offense's hope is that, eventually, they will advance the ball all the way into the "end zone" for a "touchdown" (six points, plus the opportunity to either kick for an "extra point" or run the ball into the end zone again for a "two-point conversion"). The defense hopes to prevent the offense from advancing 10 yards. If that happens, the defending team becomes the offensive team, and vice versa.
(FYI: Teams use different sets of players on offense and defense, although this is a result of specialization, not an inherent rule of the game.)
(Also FYI: If the offense only has one down left — fourth down — and doesn't like its chances of getting those 10 yards, it can "punt" the ball down the field so that its opponents have to start their downs further away from the end zone.)
CBS Sports
Where should I be watching when the play starts?
Most television cameras follow the ball, and for good reason: Possession of the ball is paramount to success in the game.
The ball almost always starts in the hands of the center on the offensive line, who will "snap" it to the quarterback to begin a play. The quarterback will then either run with the ball himself, hand it to a nearby teammate — usually someone who plays the "running back" position — or throw it to someone. (Pass-catching specialists are called "wide receivers.") From there, you'll see members of the defense frantically rushing to bring down, or tackle, the person with the ball. Then they do it all over again.
YouTube
Why are some of the guys significantly fatter than the other ones?
Diet and genetics? But seriously, folks: The "fatter" ones — players who indeed often weigh 300 pounds or more — generally play on the offensive and defensive "lines" of a football team. This means they start each play right next to the ball, arranged along the "line of scrimmage," the theoretical line that divides defense from offense before the play starts. Think of offensive lineman as the bodyguards for the smaller, faster, more coordinated players on their team. (The offensive lineman in the center of the line, called the "center," is responsible for snapping it to the quarterback.)
Defensive linemen are charged with trying to get past the offensive linemen across from them and then tackling whoever has the ball. Every football team that aspires to greatness needs their fair share of significantly fat guys; someone must engage in the dark arts away from the glory boys like quarterbacks and wide receivers. So when you hear coaches, players, and fans toss out clichés about toughness and dirty work, they're usually talking about what those fat guys are doing.
Think of how much easier it'd be if we had a fat guy to help us cut in line at the Apple Store.
CBS
No comments:
Post a Comment