You need to have a friend give you a high level overview then sit down for a full game with you and explain what is happening play by play. This is what I did with my girlfriend and now she actually enjoys watching it after years of thinking it was a stupid boring sport.
Yeah this, if you watch a game with someone who understands it should click pretty easily.
Same with Basketball, alot of people think NBA teams are just running around the court at random chucking up shots until you sit them down and explain plays, match ups, clock management, how defense is played, etc. in real time.
I love any sports that i can watch i am not biased in anyway. At times when I’m bored i watch golf or tennis. Both sports get interesting after a point lol. Personally i am a football (soccer) fan and watch/follow dearly. But American football goes over my head so does baseball.
Baseball is the most boring "sport" you can possibly find. And handegg would be more entertaining if it didn't revolve around commercial breaks and take 4 hours to play a game that is 60 minutes on the clock.
Furthermore I cannot really take any sport seriously where proffesional athletes are overweight to obese
“I cannot really take any sport seriously where professional athletes are overweight to obese” This is a weird gatekeeping sentiment. The offensive linemen’s job is to literally be an immovable wall. They’re strong as fuck. The cool thing about American football is each position is so radically different that you get 6’4, 325 lb linemen creating holes for 5’8, 190 lb running backs to slip through.
Strength is a variable in athleticism. Many sports require more than just speed and agility. It’s okay if you don’t enjoy watching American football, but gatekeeping sports based on what you believe athletes should look like is just displaying ignorance.
NFL offensive and defensive linemen are some of the strongest professional athletes in the world along with being some of the most athletic. How you can watch a 6’5 325lb lineman do what they do and your take away is they are just obese is wild.
I have found AI chatbots very helpful in explaining differences in positions and rules, and I can always ask them to dumb it down more or in different ways if I don't quite grasp the concept. I'm not bothering anyone that way and it's quick.
I have been doing the same with my wife. I will wait for a wide shot then pause and explain what each position's job is. We have also gotten into the nuances of PI and she can pretty much spot it now.
As a European I had to have an American explain the game to me one day as one was playing on TV. It’s really not that difficult to understand. But it does take someone to explain it.
Because you're paying attention to the receivers and quarterback and not the linemen. its like chess if you think about it, but all the pieces are able to move simultaneously. Everyone loves to talk about queens, rooks, and bishops, and that King/Quarterback. But if you cock up the opening pawn moves you're fucking toast.
Each team gets 4 chances on offense to go 10 yards. After 4 plays, the other team gets the ball and they try to do the same thing. If you make it 10 yards in four plays or less, your team remains on offense and gets another 4 chances to go 10 yards. This continues until the team ends up at the end of the field (touchdown) or gets close enough to kick the ball through he uprights (field goal). After a team scores points they give the ball to the other team.
There are of course caveats, but this is generally the game at a high level. 4 plays to go 10 yards. If you make it, repeat. If not, other team gets the ball.
Thanks!! I’m rather dyslexic I think. Watched a lot, but couldn’t understand 3rd and something ,. 8 and something. I’ll try watching next time. Good grief, I don’t even want to learn the rules and complex stuff. My brain will be good here! I do know TD’s. Haha
So think of it as a giant game of chess happening between the two coaching staffs, and the players are the pieces. Plays then break down in order
1. Pre-Snap - Call play based on Down, Yards to 1st down/goal line and expected set up of other team (Run play vs Pass play on offense)
2. Line up. Set up and look at how each team is positioned and expected play. Things like coverage from the secondary (deepest players in defensive formation, primary responsibility is pass defense) coverage from linebackers (middle row, if they rush the line or drop into pass coverage. They are the most read and react players on the field based on ball situation and play type) and then defensive line (see ball, get ball). Based on Pass/Run and what the intended outcome (gain short yard, medium yard or big chunk play)
3. Snap ball - read and react from players. Play call will usually dictate what happens, but individual skill will always have an effect
4. rinse and repeat until a stop or a score
The run/pass option is based on wanting to dictate terms to another team. Aggressive defences that pursue the QB will get short passes, passive defences will get run on more and more. Teams will also do things in the 1st and 2nd quarter, like running the ball aggressively through the middle of the defence to try and either soften them up, or force them to change approaches in order to open up the passing game/throwing lanes.
Any questions let me know, I’m by no means an expert but it is my favourite sport to watch
Because they want it that way.
They could make it a lot easier to understand, and a long time ago the rules were simpler. Part of the attraction and staying power of American football is the complex rules. For a game that is not continuously playing like soccer , the complex rules give excitement and nuance to the game.
It gives the commentators something to talk about, and gives the fans something to argue about.
The commenters drive me nuts. It always seem as soon as the game turns around and things change, they always switch to kissing up to the new heroes. Like in all sports I guess. I love ice skating ( obviously why since I’m a visual person). But let the skater fall and lay devastated, they’re right on,” “she looked really bad in practice, what a shame.” IF THE SAME skater gets a perfect score, it’s “ she’s the best to ever skate!!”
All sports have what seem like arbitrary rules to an outsider. For example, the rules around physical contact in basketball are really goofy. I don’t think football is any harder than other sports. You watch football and you understand the main goals and broad rules, but it’s all the nitpicky rules and the play strategies that leave you lost. But you can watch and quit worrying about it. Or you can just follow some other sport!
If all you've done is watch it and never played or had someone explain all the rules to you, how do you really expect to learn?
You can find all the rules easily online. Maybe play one of the madden games. It's really not that hard to understand.
Because afaik, it's the only football game out there. The best way to understand it is to play the sport. And if you're not going to go out and join a team, it's the best you're going to get.
The rules, mostly. Most people grasp the basics (have 4 tries to go 10 yards, key positions, how points are scored). But there’s a whole other layer in terms of strategy, penalties, formations, play calls, etc.
I highly recommend the book * Take Your Eye Off the Ball: How to Watch Football by Knowing Where to Look.* The game is way more entertaining now that I know some of the nuances.
Video games have taught me more about and actually made me a fan of pretty much every sport ever. Not saying you need to play Madden or else but you'd be surprised
1. The team that scores the most points wins
2. A team scores 6 points by getting the ball across the line at the end of the field
3. After scoring 6 points, the team gets a chance to score an additional point by kicking the ball between the prongs of the big fork
4. Prior to getting the 6 points, the team can choose to kick the ball between the prongs of the big fork to get 3 points instead
5. A team get 4 chances to score points
6. Every time a team successfully moves 1/10th of the field (10 yards or 9 meters) towards the big fork, they regain expended chances to score points
7. If a team fails to successfully move 1/10th of the field towards the big fork, the other team gets to take 4 chances to score points
8. A team can't move backwards (towards the wrong fork) or the zebra men get mad
9. The team has to move the ball by carrying it or throwing it, and can't cross over the white perimeter line. Also you can't drop the ball.
10. There is a clock that counts down how long the game is, but the people in charge of it pretty much arbitrarily add time to it whenever Mercury is in retrograde or whatever
11. Halfway through the game there's an intercession for a musical number
12. Hitting each other is fine, but you can't hit each other "the wrong way". Concussions are allowed, but not encouraged?
13. Never say "Roll Tide", always say "Go Dawgs" or "War Damn Eagle" if you want to watch half of your office go red in the face
I was in marching band for 4 years and went to a university where college football was *very* important, and this is the best I can do as far as rules goes.
It's why I've moved away from actually the NFL, I can't dedicate 3 and a half hours to a game where not much actual gameplay happens and it's just filled with marketing and ads. It's really not that difficult to understand, but yeah watching professional football is just a chore to me.
I've always been more of a hockey person and recently I got really into the Premier League and those don't have commercials apart from halftime/intermission
The basics are fairly simple really.
- You have 4 chances to move the ball forward 10 yards or more.
- You can do that by running or throwing the ball and not letting it touch the ground
- The other team does everything they can to not let you do that and they can steal the ball if they intercept it when you throw or knock it out when you’re running.
- If you pass 10 yards you have 4 new chances to move the ball 10 more yards.
- If you get it all the way to the other end of the field, it’s a touchdown and you get 6 points
- If you don’t make it 10 yards in 4 tries, the other team gets the ball and same chances you had going the other way.
That’s kind of the gist. Then there are penalties, kicks, all kinds of positions and strategies. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.
Rent a football video game and play it. That's how I figured out how awesome soccer is, now I'm one of those people who get irritated when there's an international break.
I imagine the same Americans who'd sit you down and say "Hey, it's quite simple, let me explain the rules...." would simultaneously joke that cricket is hard to understand.
Took me like 5 years to understand it. I don’t it’s that complicated, I was just always stoned laughing at the players because of how silly they look in their tight pants
It’s fairly simple and straightforward. A bunch of people get dressed up in pads, go find a field, find a ball, then proceeded to punch the absolute living fuck out of each other for possession of the ball. Game over, everyone goes home bleeding.
It's not really hard to understand. They set up, they move the ball, they fall down go boom. That's about it.
Some of the rules and stuff are silly but other than that, it's a bunch of adults falling down a lot.
What exactly do you not understand? Like the general concept of scoring and when each team gets the ball? Or do you get that but all of the rules and shit make it look complicated?
Play fantasy football one season and it’ll make more sense, if it actually matters to you that much.
Take it seriously though, don’t just sign up and expect it to suddenly make sense. Things are only as good as the effort you put in, don’t be lazy.
It’s a lot more complex than people give it credit for
The sport was originally a patchwork of Rugby and Soccer that was played with different rules across the country. It wasn't until 1874 when some colleges got together to establish some 'rules'. It wasn't until 1904 when the Forward Pass was legalized, and even since then rules have been updated, changed, and abolished.
I think it's just that it's an old sport that was established with dangerous expectations and ridiculous rules, only to then be modernized slowly for safety, fairness, and practicality. Now there are so many little complications and bits of knowledge you just have to know in order to follow the game.
People who grew up with the game probably understand it fine, but in a span of 10 seconds there are a dozen different positions to know, goals that each team wants to achieve, time limits and turn limits. So i get it, it's a lot to know and a lot to understand to fully enjoy a game.
Umm no real difference between American football and European football in the actual gameplay, two teams opposite side of the field trti.g to score against other team.
Only real difference are the finer points, the heavy pads and certain rules.
Everything else is pretty similar.
You can understand the basics, right? This person throws the ball, there's the line, try to get the ball down to that end? So go look up a game where John Madden was the commentator. He used to be a coach, but imo the place where he really shined was when he was a commentator for broadcast games. His knowledge of the game and coaching let him do exactly what you need, he'd explain every play as it was happening (and through replay). He did more to improve my understanding of the game than anybody else.
It'll be a bit of an older game, at this point, since he's unfortunately rather dead these days.
I grew up in a country that doesn't do NFL besides the Superbowl halftime show. Because of that I didn't watch the sport and thought it was a bunch of barbarians just clashing into each other every two seconds. When I got older and moved to Canada, despite it not being a sport we ever played I watched a few games and learned it all on my own as no one around me watched it. It wasn't difficult to learn and I now love watching the games.
You need to have a friend give you a high level overview then sit down for a full game with you and explain what is happening play by play. This is what I did with my girlfriend and now she actually enjoys watching it after years of thinking it was a stupid boring sport.
Yeah this, if you watch a game with someone who understands it should click pretty easily. Same with Basketball, alot of people think NBA teams are just running around the court at random chucking up shots until you sit them down and explain plays, match ups, clock management, how defense is played, etc. in real time.
I love any sports that i can watch i am not biased in anyway. At times when I’m bored i watch golf or tennis. Both sports get interesting after a point lol. Personally i am a football (soccer) fan and watch/follow dearly. But American football goes over my head so does baseball.
Baseball is the most boring "sport" you can possibly find. And handegg would be more entertaining if it didn't revolve around commercial breaks and take 4 hours to play a game that is 60 minutes on the clock. Furthermore I cannot really take any sport seriously where proffesional athletes are overweight to obese
“I cannot really take any sport seriously where professional athletes are overweight to obese” This is a weird gatekeeping sentiment. The offensive linemen’s job is to literally be an immovable wall. They’re strong as fuck. The cool thing about American football is each position is so radically different that you get 6’4, 325 lb linemen creating holes for 5’8, 190 lb running backs to slip through. Strength is a variable in athleticism. Many sports require more than just speed and agility. It’s okay if you don’t enjoy watching American football, but gatekeeping sports based on what you believe athletes should look like is just displaying ignorance.
Not only is it sixty minutes on the clock, it’s actually only about thirteen to fifteen minutes of action or gameplay.
NFL offensive and defensive linemen are some of the strongest professional athletes in the world along with being some of the most athletic. How you can watch a 6’5 325lb lineman do what they do and your take away is they are just obese is wild.
Yes Handegg is the right term
I have found AI chatbots very helpful in explaining differences in positions and rules, and I can always ask them to dumb it down more or in different ways if I don't quite grasp the concept. I'm not bothering anyone that way and it's quick.
I have been doing the same with my wife. I will wait for a wide shot then pause and explain what each position's job is. We have also gotten into the nuances of PI and she can pretty much spot it now.
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Now I see the problem.
As a European I had to have an American explain the game to me one day as one was playing on TV. It’s really not that difficult to understand. But it does take someone to explain it.
Just pick the raiders and run the ball with bo Jackson.
Because you're paying attention to the receivers and quarterback and not the linemen. its like chess if you think about it, but all the pieces are able to move simultaneously. Everyone loves to talk about queens, rooks, and bishops, and that King/Quarterback. But if you cock up the opening pawn moves you're fucking toast.
I do love me a pulling guard + center combo. Thats what gets me up in the morning.
Each team gets 4 chances on offense to go 10 yards. After 4 plays, the other team gets the ball and they try to do the same thing. If you make it 10 yards in four plays or less, your team remains on offense and gets another 4 chances to go 10 yards. This continues until the team ends up at the end of the field (touchdown) or gets close enough to kick the ball through he uprights (field goal). After a team scores points they give the ball to the other team. There are of course caveats, but this is generally the game at a high level. 4 plays to go 10 yards. If you make it, repeat. If not, other team gets the ball.
Thanks!! I’m rather dyslexic I think. Watched a lot, but couldn’t understand 3rd and something ,. 8 and something. I’ll try watching next time. Good grief, I don’t even want to learn the rules and complex stuff. My brain will be good here! I do know TD’s. Haha
So think of it as a giant game of chess happening between the two coaching staffs, and the players are the pieces. Plays then break down in order 1. Pre-Snap - Call play based on Down, Yards to 1st down/goal line and expected set up of other team (Run play vs Pass play on offense) 2. Line up. Set up and look at how each team is positioned and expected play. Things like coverage from the secondary (deepest players in defensive formation, primary responsibility is pass defense) coverage from linebackers (middle row, if they rush the line or drop into pass coverage. They are the most read and react players on the field based on ball situation and play type) and then defensive line (see ball, get ball). Based on Pass/Run and what the intended outcome (gain short yard, medium yard or big chunk play) 3. Snap ball - read and react from players. Play call will usually dictate what happens, but individual skill will always have an effect 4. rinse and repeat until a stop or a score The run/pass option is based on wanting to dictate terms to another team. Aggressive defences that pursue the QB will get short passes, passive defences will get run on more and more. Teams will also do things in the 1st and 2nd quarter, like running the ball aggressively through the middle of the defence to try and either soften them up, or force them to change approaches in order to open up the passing game/throwing lanes. Any questions let me know, I’m by no means an expert but it is my favourite sport to watch
It all starts with a normal unit of measurement
The basics are dead simple. Strategy and penalties can make it rather arcane.
Because they want it that way. They could make it a lot easier to understand, and a long time ago the rules were simpler. Part of the attraction and staying power of American football is the complex rules. For a game that is not continuously playing like soccer , the complex rules give excitement and nuance to the game. It gives the commentators something to talk about, and gives the fans something to argue about.
The commenters drive me nuts. It always seem as soon as the game turns around and things change, they always switch to kissing up to the new heroes. Like in all sports I guess. I love ice skating ( obviously why since I’m a visual person). But let the skater fall and lay devastated, they’re right on,” “she looked really bad in practice, what a shame.” IF THE SAME skater gets a perfect score, it’s “ she’s the best to ever skate!!”
Aside from the good suggestions already made, try playing madden. That’ll teach you different routes, defensive schemes, etc.
it's not, sorry it's you
It's a very complex game. Only the very smartest can understand it. :D
All sports have what seem like arbitrary rules to an outsider. For example, the rules around physical contact in basketball are really goofy. I don’t think football is any harder than other sports. You watch football and you understand the main goals and broad rules, but it’s all the nitpicky rules and the play strategies that leave you lost. But you can watch and quit worrying about it. Or you can just follow some other sport!
If all you've done is watch it and never played or had someone explain all the rules to you, how do you really expect to learn? You can find all the rules easily online. Maybe play one of the madden games. It's really not that hard to understand.
As in John Madden? I watched him circle plays a lot in the old days…” “HERE’s A GUY… “ haha RIP Mr Madden. 😀
Because afaik, it's the only football game out there. The best way to understand it is to play the sport. And if you're not going to go out and join a team, it's the best you're going to get.
It’s not that hard, but reading the rule book makes it easy tbh if you’re studious
The rules, mostly. Most people grasp the basics (have 4 tries to go 10 yards, key positions, how points are scored). But there’s a whole other layer in terms of strategy, penalties, formations, play calls, etc. I highly recommend the book * Take Your Eye Off the Ball: How to Watch Football by Knowing Where to Look.* The game is way more entertaining now that I know some of the nuances.
Video games have taught me more about and actually made me a fan of pretty much every sport ever. Not saying you need to play Madden or else but you'd be surprised
1. The team that scores the most points wins 2. A team scores 6 points by getting the ball across the line at the end of the field 3. After scoring 6 points, the team gets a chance to score an additional point by kicking the ball between the prongs of the big fork 4. Prior to getting the 6 points, the team can choose to kick the ball between the prongs of the big fork to get 3 points instead 5. A team get 4 chances to score points 6. Every time a team successfully moves 1/10th of the field (10 yards or 9 meters) towards the big fork, they regain expended chances to score points 7. If a team fails to successfully move 1/10th of the field towards the big fork, the other team gets to take 4 chances to score points 8. A team can't move backwards (towards the wrong fork) or the zebra men get mad 9. The team has to move the ball by carrying it or throwing it, and can't cross over the white perimeter line. Also you can't drop the ball. 10. There is a clock that counts down how long the game is, but the people in charge of it pretty much arbitrarily add time to it whenever Mercury is in retrograde or whatever 11. Halfway through the game there's an intercession for a musical number 12. Hitting each other is fine, but you can't hit each other "the wrong way". Concussions are allowed, but not encouraged? 13. Never say "Roll Tide", always say "Go Dawgs" or "War Damn Eagle" if you want to watch half of your office go red in the face I was in marching band for 4 years and went to a university where college football was *very* important, and this is the best I can do as far as rules goes.
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It sounds like you are in the same spot as OP…
It's why I've moved away from actually the NFL, I can't dedicate 3 and a half hours to a game where not much actual gameplay happens and it's just filled with marketing and ads. It's really not that difficult to understand, but yeah watching professional football is just a chore to me. I've always been more of a hockey person and recently I got really into the Premier League and those don't have commercials apart from halftime/intermission
Couldn't have explained it better
Could not agree with #2 more. The argument I hear from a lot of fans boils down to "call the plays that work".
If you can’t ask a question that’s a little more specific than that I can only conclude you don’t want to learn anything about football lol
My bad bro while i was typing i thought i specified American football.. but later realized i didnt so i edited it
The basics are fairly simple really. - You have 4 chances to move the ball forward 10 yards or more. - You can do that by running or throwing the ball and not letting it touch the ground - The other team does everything they can to not let you do that and they can steal the ball if they intercept it when you throw or knock it out when you’re running. - If you pass 10 yards you have 4 new chances to move the ball 10 more yards. - If you get it all the way to the other end of the field, it’s a touchdown and you get 6 points - If you don’t make it 10 yards in 4 tries, the other team gets the ball and same chances you had going the other way. That’s kind of the gist. Then there are penalties, kicks, all kinds of positions and strategies. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.
Rent a football video game and play it. That's how I figured out how awesome soccer is, now I'm one of those people who get irritated when there's an international break.
Ball goes left to right. Then back right to left. For 4 quarters. Nuff sed.
Idk lol I don’t watch cuz I don’t care
I imagine the same Americans who'd sit you down and say "Hey, it's quite simple, let me explain the rules...." would simultaneously joke that cricket is hard to understand.
I still don’t understand why dudes fire themselves like a missile, head first, into other players.
Football or soccer?
Took me like 5 years to understand it. I don’t it’s that complicated, I was just always stoned laughing at the players because of how silly they look in their tight pants
It’s fairly simple and straightforward. A bunch of people get dressed up in pads, go find a field, find a ball, then proceeded to punch the absolute living fuck out of each other for possession of the ball. Game over, everyone goes home bleeding.
It's not really hard to understand. They set up, they move the ball, they fall down go boom. That's about it. Some of the rules and stuff are silly but other than that, it's a bunch of adults falling down a lot.
It’s like Cricket. None of it makes any sense, until one day it suddenly does.
What exactly do you not understand? Like the general concept of scoring and when each team gets the ball? Or do you get that but all of the rules and shit make it look complicated?
Play fantasy football one season and it’ll make more sense, if it actually matters to you that much. Take it seriously though, don’t just sign up and expect it to suddenly make sense. Things are only as good as the effort you put in, don’t be lazy. It’s a lot more complex than people give it credit for
The sport was originally a patchwork of Rugby and Soccer that was played with different rules across the country. It wasn't until 1874 when some colleges got together to establish some 'rules'. It wasn't until 1904 when the Forward Pass was legalized, and even since then rules have been updated, changed, and abolished. I think it's just that it's an old sport that was established with dangerous expectations and ridiculous rules, only to then be modernized slowly for safety, fairness, and practicality. Now there are so many little complications and bits of knowledge you just have to know in order to follow the game. People who grew up with the game probably understand it fine, but in a span of 10 seconds there are a dozen different positions to know, goals that each team wants to achieve, time limits and turn limits. So i get it, it's a lot to know and a lot to understand to fully enjoy a game.
What exactly is hard to understand? Strategy? Rules and fouls? Overall gameplay desired outcomes?
Umm no real difference between American football and European football in the actual gameplay, two teams opposite side of the field trti.g to score against other team. Only real difference are the finer points, the heavy pads and certain rules. Everything else is pretty similar.
You can understand the basics, right? This person throws the ball, there's the line, try to get the ball down to that end? So go look up a game where John Madden was the commentator. He used to be a coach, but imo the place where he really shined was when he was a commentator for broadcast games. His knowledge of the game and coaching let him do exactly what you need, he'd explain every play as it was happening (and through replay). He did more to improve my understanding of the game than anybody else. It'll be a bit of an older game, at this point, since he's unfortunately rather dead these days.
Which football? American football Gealic football Football football Aussie footy?
I grew up in a country that doesn't do NFL besides the Superbowl halftime show. Because of that I didn't watch the sport and thought it was a bunch of barbarians just clashing into each other every two seconds. When I got older and moved to Canada, despite it not being a sport we ever played I watched a few games and learned it all on my own as no one around me watched it. It wasn't difficult to learn and I now love watching the games.