How the rules
actually work.
Before the jargon, the structure: how points happen, how long you're committing to, and what happens when it's close. Five sports, plain answers.
Nobody explains the basics because everybody around you learned them so long ago they forgot they had to. This is the part before the glossary: scoring, game length, overtime, playoffs. Read one sport straight through before your next watch party and you'll follow the broadcast without asking a single question.
How scoring works, how long a game runs, overtime, playoffs.
Football.Downs, scoring, the clock, and how a game actually ends.
Baseball.Innings, outs, why there’s no clock, and extra innings.
Hockey.Periods, scoring, penalties, and how overtime shootouts work.
Soccer.Halves, stoppage time, cards, and why so many games end scoreless.
Most-asked questions.
The structural questions casual fans search for the most. Each answer here is the short version. Tap through for the full breakdown.
How is basketball scored?
A basket inside the arc is worth 2 points, beyond the 3-point line it’s 3, and free throws are worth 1 each. Most possessions end in 2.
How long is a football game?
Four 15-minute quarters of game clock, but stoppages stretch an NFL broadcast to roughly three hours.
How many innings are in a baseball game?
Nine, unless it’s tied after nine, in which case teams keep playing extra innings until someone leads at the end of one.
How is a hockey game scored?
One point per goal, no other scoring plays. Tied after three periods means overtime, then a shootout if it’s still tied.
Why does soccer have so few goals?
No stoppages for possession changes and constant player movement make every goal harder to create, which is why 1-0 and 0-0 are common, normal results.
Once you know the structure
The casual fan's glossarycovers the jargon you'll hear once you already know how the game itself works, and who does what covers the players.
Want this explained live?
Hail Mary's side chat decodes exactly this stuff as it happens, so you never have to look it up mid-game. iOS, summer 2026.
Save me a seat →