By Alaina Valdespino, Staff Writer and Photographer
Each year, millions of Americans gather around the television to watch the Super Bowl. So, whether you're the host of the party, or the person in the room that doesn’t have a clue what’s going on, odds are you’re either going to watch the game or never hear the end of it because you didn’t. Nevertheless, if you’re like the millions of Americans who only watch one football game a year, I’ve got you covered. I’ve gathered some of the most basic facts about this coming Super Bowl and about football in general, so you can not only join in the conversations around you, but so you can also enjoy watching the game.
Super Bowl LVI is the 56th NFL championship game to be played and will be hosted in Los Angeles at the football arena, SoFi Stadium. An interesting fact to note about this Super Bowl is that this is the second year in a row where a team is going to have the home advantage, so if you want to impress anyone with a super bowl fact, that’s a good conversation starter.
As for the teams, we have the home team, the Los Angeles Rams, vs. the underdogs of the evening the Cincinnati Bengals. In picking a side to root for, 9 times out of 10 your hometown team isn’t going to be in the mix. Honestly with this year's lineup, the odds are about 50/ 50 when it comes to who's going to take home the title. The Rams have a solid record and have the advantage of playing at home, and as for the Bengals, they have never won a Super Bowl, so they are ready to make this their first. So, either team you choose has its advantages.
In understanding the basics of the game, itself, here are some key pointers that will get you through the Super Bowl and any other game you choose to watch in the future. In the NFL, games are divided into four 15-minute quarters, with commercial breaks throughout each. When it comes to scoring, the key thing to note is that any score difference of 7 points or less means it's a close game. So, if you see your team is down by 6 points with only 5 minutes left in the game, know that means there’s a real chance that the game could go your way.
The biggest things to note when watching football would be to understand these three things: Touchdowns, First Downs, and flags. A touchdown is the most common way for a team score. If your team scores a touchdown, then that means a player from that team made it all the way to the opposing team's endzone holding the ball. That sounds easy enough to understand, but when there are guys tackling each other and referees running around, it can seem chaotic for someone that may not be as into football as others. If the team scores a touchdown, they get a chance at a field goal in which their kicker will take the field and go for an additional point. Other ways a football team can score are by field goals which are just plays designed to help a team score if a touchdown isn’t likely, and safeties which are the least common way a team can score.
First downs are a little harder for people to understand at first, but it's simple. In football, each team gets 4 attempts to move farther down the field and towards the end zone to score. A first down means that the players were able to get the ball far enough down the field so that their 4 chances get restored and they have a new set of chances to potentially score. To put it simply, a first down means there’s more potential to score which in football is a big deal.
The last major thing to understanding a game of football will be flags. If you’re watching a game long enough, you’ll get to a point where you see a referee throwing a flag onto the field. While there are dozens of fine detail rules in football, the essence of it all is to understand that a flag is never good if it's against you. If it's against the other team however, that’s the time to get rowdy.
While there is clearly a lot to be learned about football, and about the Super Bowl in general, if you stick to these facts and topics, you’ll definitely give off the impression that you know what’s going on.