NFL Rules for Beginners – The Super Bowl Guide (PART I)

Learn the basic NFL rules!

• 1 & 10 – the most important NFL rules for beginners
• Field, time & number of players 
• Super Bowl betting

Our Super Bowl Guide tackles the basic NFL rules for beginners, to learn quickly what you need to know about American Football in order to watch and understand what happens in Super Bowl 50.

Super Bowl 50 is a special occasion. Not just because it is the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, but because of this might be the last game when you will be able to see Payton Manning, arguably the best quarterback in NFL history, to play the game. You want to see Super Bowl 50, not just the half time show. American football is an overly exciting game, and if you learned the basic NFL rules for beginners, you will understand why it moves so many internet betting players.

NFL rules for beginners – How big is an American Football field?

American Football is a full-contact sport played with an oval-shaped football on a field that is 100 yards (91.44 meters) long and 53 yards (48.46 m) wide. It also has two 10 yards long end zones on either ends of the field. The field is marked with numbered lines in every ten yards which is very useful, so that the run of play is easier to follow on TV.

How many players are in an NFL team?

American football is played by two teams of 11 players. However, the whole squad is 53 players, since different players form the offense, the defense and the special teams, and all these units have substitute players.

How scoring is counted in an NFL game?

Scoring in the NFL:

• Touchdown – 6 points
• Extra attempt after touchdown – 1 or 2 points
• Field goal – 3 points
• Safety – 2 points

The aim of an American Football game is to score more points than the opposition does. Points can be scored by moving the ball into the opposition’s end zone (touchdown, 6 points), kicking it from the ground through the uprights of the opposition’s goalposts – the ‘forks’ at the end of the field – (field goal, 3 pts) or by tackling an offense player in possession of the ball in his own end zone (safety, 2 points).

After touchdowns an extra attempt is allowed: teams can try a short field goal kick (extra point, 1 point), or another ‘touchdown’ from close range (two-point conversion, 2 pts).

What is 1 & 10? – The most important NFL rules for beginners

You have to know what 1& 10 means and you are good. This is the most important NFL rules for beginners. When a team gets the ball, they have 4 attempts or 4 downs to advance with the ball 10 yards or more from their starting point. They can do this by run the ball or by a pass.

If the offense is unable to advance 10 yards in 4 attempts, they have to turn over the ball to the other team. That’s why they usually deploy the special team after the 3rd attempt to punt the ball or to try to score a field goal if they are close enough.

A touchdown can be scored from any play except the extra attempts. However, the main object of the offense is usually to advance ten yards and maintain possession of the ball.

How long is an NFL game?

An American Football game is made of four 15 minute-long quarters. So, regulation time in the NFL is 60 minutes. However, the game clock stops regularly during the game, so an average NFL match is around 3 hours long.

Is American Football any similar to soccer?

Not really. American Football developed from the same footballing concept as soccer, but moved in a very different direction than European football.

Can I bet on Super Bowl and American Football in general?

Of course you can! Whether it is betting on Super Bowl, NFL betting or bet on college football, main internet betting sites have offers covering these events. You can bet on Super Bowl from many countries around the world and those federal states where US gambling laws allow sports betting.

All the major online sportsbooks in the US and worldwide, like GTbets, offer NFL betting. Read the GTbets review in our online sportsbooks review to find out more on this operator!

From the next parts of our Super Bowl Guide, you can learn additional NFL rules for beginners, like playing positions, play-calling, and officiating including the game clock rule, challenges and official reviews and the most important fouls of course. 

NFL Rules for Beginners – The Super Bowl Guide (PART II) 
NFL Rules for Beginners – The Super Bowl Guide (PART III)