Tag: football101

Ladies, klass is in session….Football 101, Lesson 3

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, College football, NFL, Sports1 Comment

Alright ladies, how are you feeling?? Feeling more confident about this football thing? Are you loving it yet? Or are you still lost? No need to fear, Kassie is herrrrre!! Today I am going to talk about different plays and coverages that you will see from the offense and the defense. Remember, this applies to both college and pro football.

Offensive terms

Play action-A pass play that is designed to look like a running play. The purpose of this play is to fool the defense into thinking it is a run so the QB has a chance to find an open receiver.

Shotgun-This is a passing play where the QB typically lines up about five yards behind the line of scrimmage. This formation allows the QB to see what the defense is doing and make any necessary changes before the ball is snapped.

Throwing it away-When the QB deliberately throws the ball out of bounds or over the head of one of his receivers. A QB will throw the ball away sometimes if he can not find an open receiver or if he is in danger of losing yardage because of pressure from the defense.

Intentional grounding-This is called sometimes as a result of the QB throwing it away. A referee can determine that either there was no receiver within the vicinity of where the ball was thrown or that the receiver had no realistic chance to catch the ball. The penalty results in a loss of 10 yard and the team will also lose a down.

Pump fake-When the QB fakes like he is throwing the ball in hopes of throwing off the defenders which will give his receivers more time to run their routes

Defensive terms

Man to man-A defense designed where a defender is assigned to cover a specific receiver

Blitz-My favorite defensive play! Remember there are five offensive linemen and there are typically three or four defensive linemen. During a blitz, the defense will rush the offensive linemen using additional defensive players in hopes of sacking the QB, tackling the runner behind the line of scrimmage or rushing the QB’s throw. I have dreams of one day blitzing a QB, preferably Tom Brady and his short helmet :-}.

Zone coverage-A defensive set up where defenders are assigned to cover certain areas of the field and the receivers that venture into those areas

Double coverage-Two defenders are assigned to cover one receiver. If you see two defenders for one receiver, then this automatically tells you that this receiver has the potential to change the game at any moment and the defense knows that.

Bump and run-A defender can bump the receiver within the first five yards past the line of scrimmage. By bumping, the defender hopes to disrupt the route the receiver is trying to run. However, if the defender is not successful at disrupting then the defender will have to match the receiver stride for stride in an effort to keep the receiver from catching the ball.

Bonus term

Audible-When the QB changes the play at the line of scrimmage….it is that simple.

NFL Tidbits

There are 32 team in the NFL. Learn at least half before the end of the year.

The NFL is divided into two conferences: The National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. Each conference has 16 teams, divided into four divisions.

The New York Giants are the reigning Super Bowl Champions.

SuperBowl XLVII(47) will be held in New Orleans on February 3, 2013. Yes ladies, your man and some of your girlfriends will be M.I.A. for another 4.25 months. Sorry!!

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won the most SuperBowls. They have six rings. The San Francsico 49ers(the only teams to win EVERY SuperBowl they have played in) and the Dallas Cowboys have won five.

Until next time…TOODELLS!!

The Weekender

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Baseball, Basketball, College football, Controversy, Football, Hockey, NASCAR, Panthers, Sports, Tennis, Wolfpack3 Comments

 

Twitterverse was buzzing about my 49ers last night. Note to all of you who were not fans before hand….we DO NOT do bandwagoners!!

My Panthers handed the Saints there second loss. It is amazing what removing bounties will do to a team.

The NHL is officially in a lockout. The game is ‘on ice’ for the forseeable future.

The Jets ran into A LOT of turbulence in Pittsburgh. Back to life, back to reality.

Rookie QB Russell Wilson picked up his first win on Sunday against the cowboys. *insert huge grin*

The Baltimore Orioles beat the Oakland A’s thus ensuring their first winning season since 1997. The average price for a gallon of gas was $1.22 that year.

Boston Red Sox manager, Bobby Valentine, stuck his foot in his mouth. Again.

Brad Keslowski won the Geico 400 in Chicago. His win puts him in first place in The Chase standings.

Standford proved they do not need ‘Luck’ when they play USC. The Cardinals beat the Trojans for the fourth straight time.

Dwight Howard expressed himself during the ESPN Sunday Conversation and said he does not want anyone to hate him. Hmmm, is that why he took out that ad??

Sam Bradford had a solid performance on Sunday. So did RGIII, who was on the losing end.

My beloved Wolfpack landed one of the top point guards in the nation, Anthony Barber. Welcome to the Pack young fella!

With his win on Saturday night, Ryan Blaney became the youngest person to ever win a NASCAR Truck Series Race. He is 18 years and 8 months old :-}.

Former boxing champs Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez admitted to drug and alcohol abuse in the latter stages of their careers. Thankfully, both have been sober for years.

Eli Manning passed for 510 yards against the Bucs. Even though it is the Bucs, it is still impressive.

The Chicago White Sox won and the Detroit Tigers lost. Chicago is now two games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central division.

Sergio Martinez defeated Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. by unanimous decision Saturday night. If only Chavez Jr.’s rally would have begun in the 11th round, we probably would have had a different outcome.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin was not too pleased with what he deemed “a cheap shot” by Greg Schiano’s Tampa Bay Bucs near the end of regulation. I did not think it was possible for Tom Coughlin to get any redder but booooooooooy was I wrong.

 

Until next time….TOODELLS.

The Weekender

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Baseball, Basketball, College football, Football, Hockey, NASCAR, Sports, Tennis, Wolfpack8 Comments

Hi all!! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I know I did. High school football on Friday night. College football on Saturday. NFL Football alllllllllll day Sunday. Ready to do it all over again next weekend :-}. Now, onto the what happened this weekend in the sporting world…

My 9ers leaped into Lambeau and came out with a 30-22 win. There are rumors of the cheese melting as a result.

The most asked question going into this NFL season was how is Peyton Manning going to look. I think Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin answered this question best, “He’s Peyton.”

Robert Griffin the 3rd bka RGIII, passed for 320 yards, rushed for 42 yards and threw no interceptions in his debut as he led the tataskinz to a 40-32 win over the Saints. Tataskin Nation had no idea real QB’s still existed.

Serena Williams won her fourth US Open title. She collected a 1.9 million dollar check too.

After not scoring any TD’s in the preseason, the Jets put up 48 on the Bills. That would be very impressive if they were not playing the Bills.

The New York Yankess regained the lead in the AL East with a win over the Orioles. With 22 games left, this division is up for grabs.

My Wolfpack beat UConn 10-7. I know a win is a win but sheesh.

Dr. Shaquille O’Neal is in talks to play in a Mexican Basketball League.  Can he speak Spanish as well as he speaks English :-}??

The Eagles almost got their wings clipped by the BROWNS. Yes, you can laugh.

The University of Louisiana-Monroe pulled off the shocking upset of #8 Arkansas winning 34-31 in OT. The Associated Press rewarded Arkansas with a drop kick right out of the top 25.

Twins Mike and Bob Bryan won the US Open Men’s Double championship. They now have 12 Grand Slam championships, most in the open era.

Washington Nationals pulled the plug on Stephen Strasburg for the year. See you next year kid.

Reggie Miller, Don Barksdale, Jamaal Wilkes, Mel Daniels, Coach Don Nelson, Ralph Sampson, Phil Knight, the All-American Redheads, Chet Walker, Katrina McClain, Lidia Alexeera and Hank Nichols were all inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  Congrats and two snaps!!

Seahawks rookie QB, Russell Wilson, almost threw a game winning TD in his debut but the pass was dropped in the endzone by Braylon Edwards. New year, same Braylon.

Oscar Pistorius won gold in the Paralympics 400m final. Glad to see him bounce back after the “controversy.”

No update on the potential NHL lockout. Both sides are still frozen in their position.

My assessment of the replacement refs? They need to be replaced.

Clint Bowyer won the race at Richmond. Due to rain, the race literally took all night to finish.

Until next time…TOODELLS

Ladies, klass is in session…Football 101, Lesson 2

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, College football, Football, Panthers, Sports6 Comments

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.

Ladies, klass is in session…Football 101, Lesson 1

On By kassienetteIn Football21 Comments

First, I have to give a big old THANK YOU to all my family, friends and strangers who have shown me so much love and support since I launched my blog. I am having a blast!!

Now, lets get started. I had not planned to post again until Friday but I have quickly learned that in the blogging world you just go with the flow. Since my last post, I have gotten a lot of feedback from women who are anxious to learn more about sports. With the college football season starting tonight and NFL starting next week, I think it is only right that I help my ladies out a bit. So here it is, your first football lesson. Make sure you have your pen and paper ready :-}.

Uno) NEVER, EVER talk during the game unless you are talking about the game….
Uno A)…but you can not ask questions. No one really wants to explain to you, during the game, what a safety is. Questions are only allowed during commercials and they should be very limited. Maybe three a game. Seriously.
Uno B)…if you are going to talk about the game, please, please, pleeeeeeeeease know what you are talking about. If the quarterback(QB) gets sacked(tackled and brought down to the ground while he still has the ball), DO NOT yell out offsides! If you do not know what you are talking about, please refer back to uno A.

Dos) The offense is the team with the ball. The defense is the team without. Easy, right?

Tres) There are 10 yards in a down. The offense gets four chances to gain the 10 yards. If the offense does not gain 10 yards, the other team gets the ball back. I already know I am going to have to revisit this topic.

Cuatro) A touchdown(TD) is worth six points. Always and forever.

Cinco) Typically after a touchdown, the kicker comes out to, yeah you guessed it, kick the ball through the uprights(the bars in the endzone that looks like an H). This is called a Point After Touchdown bka PAT and it is worth one point. It is NOT a field goal which is worth three points.

Seis) The person who throws the ball is the QB. Well, nine times out of 10 it is the QB. Just confused you, huh?

Siete) A football game typically lasts three hours. Give or take 15-30 minutes.

Ocho) If a game is tied at the end of regulation, the game goes into overtime(OT). We will get into that during another class.

Nueve) There are 11 offensive and 11 defensive players on the field at all times. If you count more than that on the field, somebody can not count.

Diez) A football field is 100 yards long and 53.5 yards wide. You can really impress a man if you drop that tidbit on ’em. Please do it in a casual manner.

Once) The endzone is the 10 yard area at the end of the field. The goal is to get the ball into the endzone thus resulting in a TD. The endzone typically has the home team’s mascot name spray painted in it.

Doce) Gridiron is another name for the football field. While we are at it, if someone yells out paydirt that means touchdown.

Want more knowledge until the next lesson? Watch SportsCenter!! It literally comes on like 12 times a day. Oh and SportsCenter is ESPN’s flagship program for those of you who do not know. If you happen to not know what ESPN is, then forget everything you read and go back to watching Lifetime.

Until next time…TOODELLS.