NFL
football rules.
Before the jargon, the actual structure: how points happen, how long you're committing to, and what happens when it's close. Six questions, plain answers.
How is football scored?
A touchdown is 6 points, and the team gets one more play right after to add on: a kick through the uprights (an extra point) is worth 1, or they can run a play from close range for 2 (a 2-point conversion). A field goal, kicking the ball through the uprights on a normal down, is 3 points. Tackling a ball carrier in their own end zone is a safety, worth 2 points to the defense.
How long is a football game?
The NFL plays four 15-minute quarters, 60 minutes of game clock total. But that clock stops constantly for incomplete passes, players going out of bounds, and penalties, so an actual broadcast usually runs close to three hours.
What are downs, and why does everyone keep counting them?
The offense gets 4 tries, called downs, to move the ball 10 yards. Pull it off within those 4 tries and the count resets, they get a fresh set of downs. Come up short on the 4th down and teams usually punt the ball away or try a field goal instead of risking a turnover right there on the spot.
Ballbot explains this stuff live, mid-game, in your group chat.
Save my seat →What happens if a football game is tied?
Overtime is a timed extra period, and both teams are guaranteed a possession, even if the first team scores a touchdown on their opening drive. The only thing that ends it immediately is the defense scoring (an interception or fumble returned for a touchdown, or a safety). Regular-season overtime is capped at 10 minutes and can end in a tie; playoff overtime has no time limit and keeps adding full periods until somebody wins.
How do penalties work?
A penalty moves the ball forward or backward, commonly 5, 10, or 15 yards, depending on what the infraction was, and some penalties also hand the offense an automatic first down. Pass interference is the one that changes games the most: the ball gets placed at the spot of the foul, which can be 40 or more yards downfield.
How do the NFL playoffs work?
Single-elimination: lose once and the season's over. Seven teams from each conference make it in, and the winners work through several rounds until two teams are left standing in the Super Bowl.
Other sports
Want the jargon too? The football glossarycovers the terms you'll hear once you already know how the game works.
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Hail Mary explains exactly this stuff live during the game, in your group chat. iOS, summer 2026.
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