Bethereum’s American Football Betting Series — Part I: Basic NFL Terms and Scoring

Have you heard of American football but aren’t quite sure how it works?

In our most recent Bethereum newsletter, we announced that American football is now available on the Bethereum platform. To help get you up to speed on this massive American sport, we’re launching the Bethereum American Football Betting Series of articles. After the series is over, we’re confident that you’ll feel comfortable making your NFL and NCAA football predictions on Bethereum.

You can also ask questions about betting on American football, and our American football expert Michael Luchies will answer them in the final article in this series.

Here are basic terms you need to know and the different types of scoring in American football:

· NFL

The NFL is the National Football League in America. There are 32 professional teams that make up the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC). After a 16-game regular season and the playoffs, a representative from both the NFC and AFC meet in the “Super Bowl” to determine the annual champion of the NFL.

· NCAA

The NCAA stands for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are hundreds of teams that are each affiliated with a collegiate university. Athletes are not paid. Teams play 12 regular season games and attempt to earn one of only four spots in the playoffs. Any team with at least 6 wins at the end of the season can qualify to be invited to a bowl game. Bowl games are hosted around the country as the team’s final contest of the year.

Both college and professional football have two halves and four quarters. Each quarter is 15 minutes long. There are several differences between the NCAA (college football) and the NFL, which will be discussed in a separate article later in the series.

· Offense

During every play in an American football game, there are 11 players from each team on the field. When a team has possession of the ball, they are on offense. The team’s primary goal is to drive down the field and score a touchdown, with a secondary goal of scoring a field goal. The offensive team gets four chances (called “downs”) to move the ball a total of ten yards to get a first down.

For example, when a team goes on offense, they will have “first and ten,” meaning they are on their first down and need to gain ten yards for another first down. If they fail to move the ball 10 yards in their first three plays, they can choose to punt the ball to the other team, attempt a field goal if close enough, or go for the first down on fourth down. If they fail on fourth down, the team on defense will take over on offense at that spot on the field.

Offensive positions:

· Quarterback

· Running back

· Fullback

· Wide receiver

· Tight end

· Wide receiver

· Offensive lineman: Left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, left guard

· Defense

A team’s goal on defense is to stop the opposing team from scoring on offense, and to get the ball back for their own team’s defense. They can get the ball back by forcing the opposing team to punt the ball, force a fumble, intercept a thrown pass, or stop the other team on downs.

Defensive positions:

· Defensive lineman: Defensive ends, defensive tackles

· Cornerbacks

· Linebackers: Middle linebacker, right outside linebacker, left outside linebacker

· Safeties: Strong safety, free safety

· Kickoff

At the beginning of the game, after halftime, and after each score (other than a touchdown which is followed by an extra point), there is a kickoff. One team will kickoff to the other and try to stop them from moving down the field. If the ball is not returned by the receiving team and “downed” in the endzone, the team is awarded the football at the 25-yard line in the NFL and 20-yard line in college football.

· Touchdown

A touchdown occurs when a team with the ball crosses into the endzone. It is worth 6 points. After a touchdown is scored, the team that scored the touchdown is awarded an opportunity to earn extra points.

· Extra Point

After a team scores a touchdown, they can decide to kick the ball for one additional point, or run an offensive play for two points if successful. Most teams attempt an extra point kick for the easy additional point.

· Field Goal

A field goal is a kick that goes through the uprights, located in the endzone, and is worth three points. Field goals often decide games, so they can be extremely important. Professional kickers can make field goals of 50+ yards.

· Safety

A safety is a rare play where a defense stops the opposing offense in their own endzone (on the complete opposite side of the field from where they are attempting to score a field goal). The team playing defense is awarded two points, and awarded a kickoff, meaning they will get to go on offense.

· Penalties

There are many penalties during the game, so teams must be disciplined. Common penalties include holding, pass interference, offsides, unsportsmanlike conduct, and face masking. Each penalty comes with a specific number of yards that will be given or taken away from the team on offense.

For more on the basics of American football, here are a few recommended reads selected by our team:

· A Beginner’s Guide to American Football (NFL)

· The Rules of American Football (Video)

· Football for Dummies Cheat Sheet

This series of articles is written by Michael Luchies. Read more of Michael’s articles on his Medium.