Alright ladies, Sunday is a BIG DAY!!! The first Sunday of the NFL Season. Do you understand what that means? Men everywhere will be missing in action. Some women will be too, liiiiiiike me :-}. I know some of you will be making a serious attempt to sit down and watch a game or two and see what all the hype is about. Get your pens and paper ready. You have notes to take. Oh, college football is on Saturday as well sooooo….

 

Uno) The offense is typically made up of the quarterback, running back(RB), fullback(FB), five offensive linemen, tight end and two wide receivers(WR). Just so you know the offensive line up can vary at times.

     Uno A) The offensive line is responsible for blocking the defensive players from getting to the QB, thus giving the QB enough time to throw the ball. If it is a running play, the offensive linemen are expected to push opposing players backward, sideways, to the ground in an effort to open up holes for the RB to run through.

     Uno B) The guy who snaps the ball is the center. He will always be lined up in, yeah you guessed it, the center of the field. The guys on both side of the center are the guards. The guys to the outside of the guards are the tackles. Got it? Great!

Dos) The defense typically consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties Lets just stick with that for now.

 

Tres) The yellow line that you see on tv indicates how far a team needs to advance the ball in order to get a first down. This line ONLY exists on tv. ONLY.

 

Cuatro) The line of scrimmage is the imaginary line that stretches the width of the field. Since the line is imaginary, I will make it simple. Wherever the ball is placed before the snap, that is the line of scrimmage.

 

Cinco) The short lines on the middle of the field that the ball is placed on are the hashtags. They were around long before Twitter. If you do not use Twitter, you will not understand. Carry on.

 

Seis) Alright, lets talk false starts and offsides. Once an offensive player is in their set position, they can not move. If they do, it is a false start, the team is penalized five yards and the down is repeated. Here is an example. It is 2nd and 5 for Team Uh Huh. #81 for Team Uh Huh crosses the line of scrimmage resulting in a false start. The team now has to go an extra five yards to get a first down. The down remains the same and it is now 2nd and 10 for Team Uh Huh. Got it?! Great!

 

Seis A) Offsides is when a defensive player is on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. This is typically deemed a “free play.” The coach of the non-offending team can decide to accept or decline the penalty. If the non-offending team, gains a significant amount of yardage, the non-offending team will typically decline the penalty. If the non-offending team’s play works against them (results in a dropped pass, interception, fumble), the non-offending team’s coach will typically accept the penalty because this negates anything that happened on the last play. Got it?! Great!

 

Siete) Many newcomers get offsides and encroachment confused. Encroachment happens when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact with an offensive player before the ball is snapped. This results in a five yard penalty against the defensive team. Got it?! Great!

 

Ocho) A safety is worth two points and occurs when an offensive player who has possession of the ball is tackled in the endzone. My guess is the player with the ball feels anything but safe at the time.

 

Nueve) I had a request from one of my faithful followers to explain pass interference. Yes, the job of the defensive back(DB) is the prevent the WR from catching the ball. However, a DB can not trip, push, pull or body slam a WR in order to prevent them from catching the ball. The DB is suppose to go after the ball and not the WR. If you see a DB push a guy to the ground before the ball has even arrived, expect a yellow flag to come flying out. I like to throw them at home too.

 

Whew! I think that is enough for today. You should be well equipped for the weekend. Do not be discouraged if you find yourself still struggling to understand. It is going to take some time to fully understand the game. You all are well on your way though. So go grab some wings, pizza, chips, cookies(snacks are essential when watching football), sit back and relax and enjoy what it sure to be a wonderful weekend!! And remember, NO QUESTIONS DURING THE GAME. You have been warned. Twice.

 

Until next time…TOODELLS.