As excitement builds for the NFL’s annual visit to London, American football continues to build a strong foothold in the UK with searches for ‘American football rules’ increasing by 65% over the past year.
To help fans who may be attending the events for the first time, sports equipment retailers Net World Sports have put together a guide helping newcomers to the sport get the most out of the sport.
The Wrexham-based brand has seen a remarkable increase of 303% in American football equipment purchased on their site over the past 12 months owing to the increased popularity of the sport in the UK.
Net World Sports CEO Alex Lovén explains the continuing growth of American football in the UK: “We have seen a remarkable increase in appetite for American football in the UK over the past year or so.”
“Both the NFL fixtures in London and the undoubted impact of having someone like Taylor Swift so close to the sport have led to a surge of people looking to take up American football.”
“We have seen a revenue increase of 309% over the past 12 months and 338% increase in the total number of purchasers in the same period, a sure sign of the sport’s rapid growth in the UK.”
Net World Sports American Football Guide:
The basics:
According to a recent survey by Net World Sports in which 504 Brits were asked about how well they knew American football, 47% admitted that they have no understanding of game, while just 8% said that they knew the rules ‘very well’.
Two teams of 11 players aim to move the ball down by either running with it or passing to another player to score points by reaching their opponent’s end zone. Each game is split into 4 quarters of 15 minutes each and teams take it in turns to attack and defend.
The offensive team has four attempts (called “downs”) to move the ball 10 yards forward. If successful, they get another set of four downs. If not, the other team takes over.
Each down features the quarterback attempting to move the ball forward by passing the ball forward to a receiver or handing it to a running back. Downs are ended when the ball carrier is tackled, when points are scored or when the ball hits the ground or goes out of play.
Points scoring:
|
Name |
Points |
Explanation |
|
Touchdown |
6 |
A touchdown occurs when a player carries the ball into or catches the ball in the opponent’s end zone |
|
Point After Touchdown (PAT) |
1 |
After a touchdown is scored the offensive team has the opportunity to kick the ball through the goal uprights |
|
2 Point Conversion |
2 |
Scored by choosing to run or pass the ball into the end zone immediately after a touchdown instead of kicking a PAT |
|
Defensive Conversion |
2 |
If the offensive team fails to score a PAT or 2 Point conversion, the defending team can steal the ball and take it to the opposition’s end zone |
|
Field Goal |
3 |
Scored by kicking the ball through the uprights during open play |
|
Safety |
2 |
Scored by the defence team when they stop the offensive team from scoring whilst in their own end zone |
Key terms to know:
Of the 504 Brits surveyed by Net World Sports, nearly a third (31%) said that they would like to attend one of the NFL games in London, so to help those who may be going for the first time, below is a break down of some of the most important American football key terms.
- First Down – When the offensive team have kept possession by advancing at least ten yards in a series of four downs.
- Quarterback – The player who leads the offensive plays by throwing the ball to receivers and running backs.
- Line of Scrimmage – The place where each play begins.
- Interception – When the defensive team catch a pass meant for the offence.
- Fumble – If a player loses the ball while running or being tackled, either team can recover the ball.
- Sack – When the quarterback is tackled with the ball behind the line of scrimmage during an offensive play.
- Time out – A pause in the game that a player or coach can call to help disrupt the opposing team’s momentum or discuss tactics.
Overtime:
If the two teams are tied after 60 minutes, a ten-minute overtime period is played to determine the winner. A coin toss decides which team starts with the ball, and the game proceeds in a sudden-death format, where the first team to score wins. Although American football games can end in a tie, it is uncommon.
Featured Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash.