It is the sporting event of the year in the United States. Sunday, February 13, the Super Bowl will be played, the final of the NFL (National Football League) championship, the American football league. To enjoy the spectacle, shared by nearly 100 million Americans each year, you still need to have some knowledge of this sport which, at first sight, appears quite complex on this side of the Atlantic.
Here are some key principles to help you understand it. The Super Bowl is the final of the NFL (National Football League) championship. The season is quite short, it started this year on September 9 and therefore ends on Sunday February 13. There are 32 clubs, 32 franchises. And this year, the final pits the Cincinnati Bengals against the Los Angeles Rams.
To make a shortcut, US football is somehow a distant cousin of rugby (even if it annoys in both camps when we say that). Already why is it called football? Due to the size of the ball, oval in shape, but measuring one foot: one foot is 30 cm, the ball is a little over 28 cm.
To listen
121. Why is the Super Bowl all about America?
20:34
Objectif :”the end zone”
However, the game is essentially done by hand. The principle: to gain ground. Two teams face to face: one attacking, one defending. The attacking team must carry the ball into the end zone. The defending team’s mission is to prevent it, even if it means hitting very hard. The field is 100 yards (91 meters), or 50 yards in each camp. White lines criss-cross the field every 10 yards, with at each end: an in-goal area.
When a team attacks, and is therefore in possession of the ball, it has four attempts to go at least 10 yards without the ball carrier being tackled. To do this, she can make a pass or opt for a run. If she runs those 10 yards, she then gets four more attempts from where the attack was stopped. And so on until you reach the goal.
“Touchdown”,”quarterback”…
If the defense intercepts the ball, they go up the field as far as possible. It becomes the attacking team On the pitch it’s like in European football: our counter our. On the other hand, squads can have up to 53 players. The coach can also form “special” teams, for particular phases of the game (clearance, transformation, etc.)
To score, you must make a “touchdown“, which is worth six points. The attacker must cross the in-goal zone in possession of the ball. Here, there is no need to flatten (unlike rugby). It is possible to transform a touchdown with the foot between the posts, which scores a point. You can also score two points by tackling the “quarterback“, the conductor of the game, in his own end zone. If you go to see a match, know that it is long. The duration varies according to the stoppages of play. three hours.
