American Football - More Than Just The Basics

Many people have a casual understanding of American Football and the NFL. 

They know the basics and can watch a game and get a general idea of what is happening. 

However, if you are someone who has only just discovered the game or you have the intention to follow the game more deeply I thought I would help.

You can also read plenty of American football articles on OLBG from a range of sources, you can also follow the best weekly NFL tips from experts. 

All the blogs and articles on the NFL are written by bettors who follow the game and have a genuine interest in finding winning bets. 

NFL Off-Season

On this blog whilst we are offseason, I will go a little bit deeper into some of the NFL terms/phrases/terminologies. 

Commentators will often use certain descriptions to try and inform you of what is happening but if your knowledge is limited or you are relatively new to the NFL, some of this can be confusing. 

Hopefully, I can help open a few doors to increasing your knowledge and enjoyment of a great sport.

It also doesn't do any harm to have a better understanding if you intend to place bets on NFL games this season.

I've been watching the NFL for 30 years, it's a game that is constantly evolving.

Having that awareness of what is changing is vital at all times.

We'll start with terms and notes on the actual game itself before working through the offense, defense, and then special teams.

NFL Field Position

Establishing field position is a key part of American Football. 

The further away from your own goal line you are and the closer to the opposition's end, the better. 

Seems pretty simple and of course to score you need to be heading towards the opposition's goal line 

But how a team plays on both sides of the ball can be dictated by field position.

If near to your own goal line in possession of the ball you are unlikely to take as many chances but at the same time, the defense has more field to cover so has to be aware of that.

Passing the ball inside your own 5-10 yard line can be dangerous as a Quarterback sack can leading a safety, a scoring play for the defense.

Special Teams is something that isn't covered much in the basics of American Football but they are key to winning the field position battle. 

A good punter who can place the ball deep into the opponent's territory without kicking a touchback (when the ball is kicked through the end zone resulting in possession going straight to the 20 yard line) 

Good coverage teams that limit good returns is vital in helping to win the field position battle.

The more distance to cover for the opponent, the more chances your defense gets for a stop or a turnover.

However, on kickoffs (to start each half or after a scoring play), touchbacks are seen as a good thing, so kickers who can boot the ball through the end zone are a likeable commodity. 

This is due to the distance a coverage team has to cover.

Time Of Possession

This leads from the field position. 

Controlling the clock is something all offenses want to do. 

Defenses as a unit have to cover more ground and because they don't know what's coming they will cover areas that in the end, don't often matter. 

This can lead to a defense becoming fatigued and worn down. 

A good offense will be balanced, mixing run and pass, converting important key 3rd downs, and helping to keep their own defense rested and hungry on their sideline.

Also, offenses like to be in rhythm and being kept on the sideline by the opposing offense can lead to even the best offenses playing out of sync.

The Red Zone

This is the business end of the field and simply it means the opponent's area from their own 20 yard line to the goal line.

For offenses, if they've done the hard work of driving the ball down to here or if their defense or special teams have given them the opportunity by getting them the ball close to here it's vital to make visits here pay with points.

 For defenses, whilst it's obviously a dangerous time when opposing offenses are here they do have the advantage of having less ground to cover so they can play more aggressively.

They'll be looking to limit the offense to as few points as possible, most likely with a field goal attempt but depending on the situation an offense may go on a 4th down situation in order to try and secure the touchdown.

The best offenses are usually those that are effective in the red zone. The majority of scoring opportunities come here.

NFL Rosters

One of the main issues new fans and those who have a dislike of the sport have is the size and use of a roster. 

Teams are allowed, in the season, to carry 53 players. 

On game day they can only “dress” 47 players meaning 6 players are inactive and these are announced roughly an hour or so before kick-off. 

Part of the challenge for coaches is picking the right players to have active. 

Some of these decisions will be based on injuries. 

If a player is carrying an injury he is likely to be inactive on game day. 

There are options for long-term injuries (called Injured reserve but by placing a player here it almost certainly ends his season. 

There is also a designation used in the first 6 weeks of the season called PUP - Physically Unable to Perform - which is used as a pause for players calling an injury through camp or from last season. 

If placed on this list they are off the roster until week 6 where they must either be activated, released or placed on injured reserve).

Some reasons for making a player inactive though can be tactical. 

A team might go with an extra defensive back if they feel they need that extra help defending the pass because their opponent has a strong passing game.

For fantasy football players and for people intending to bet on a game, the inactive is a key watch before the games start and all the information is readily available on the league's website, NFL.com.

If you are new to the game and intend to follow more this season then please feel free to ask questions, either in reply to this blog or at the American Football forum on OLBG.

To see the hot NFL tips of the week, please visit the tipping pages.

They'll be more in this blog series which can hopefully be a reference for newer fans.