Super Bowl 2022: The basics you need to know to understand American football – El Sol de México

Next Sunday, February 13, will be held the Super Bowl 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. In this 56th edition of the greatest game in American football, the Cincinnati Bengals will face the Los Angeles Rams.

The game starts at 5:30 p.m., Central time in the country.

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One of the most anticipated moments of the Super Bowl, by football fans and non-football fans alike, is the halftime show. This year it will be performed by high-level Hip Hop and R&B musicians: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.

There are some technical aspects that you have to know in order to follow, and enjoy, the game, here is a list of the basics.

FIELD

An American football field measures a total of 120 yards (a little less than 110 meters), 2 blocks of 10 that correspond to the end zones and 100 in which each yard is separated by a line called Hash Mark, and every 5 one that divides the entire width.

Every 10 yards there are the numbers that serve as a reference for both players and the public and viewers to locate the area where they are playing. The numbering goes 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and back, 40, 30, 20, 10.

The last 20 yards to score is called the “Red Zone,” and the line that separates the 1-yard line from the end zone is called the “goal line.” And at the end of the end zone, right in the middle, are the field goal posts that are yellow in color and shaped like a “Y.”

EQUIPMENT

Each team can have up to 53 players on its roster final for a game, although they can only be inside the field 11, those who have substitutes, in addition to those who run special teams, and all the coaching staff.

In the offensive positions are the quarterback, offensive line, receiver, running back and tight end, and depending on the type of play is the personnel that is on the field.

While in the defense there is the defensive line, linebackers, corners and safetys, that like the offense, the players that are inside depend on the type of play that is going to be executed.

Each position has its coach and his assistant, and there are three important positions: offensive coordinator, who is in charge of calling the offensive plays; defensive coordinator, who sees to it that the other team doesn’t score; and everyone responds Head Coachwho is the one who makes the final decision.

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DURATION AND TIME

A football game lasts four quarters, each quarter of 15 minutes and a half time of this same duration. However, despite being only 60 minutes of play, there are situations where it lasts longer.

When a pass is incomplete, the player leaves the field on his own, there is an injured player on the grid, a team adds points or a timeout is requested, the clock stops, which is kept by the referees and on television.

On the other hand, when a player is tackled on the field after either a pass or a run, time ticks down.

In the event that regular time ends in a tie, they go into a 10-minute overtime, in which the team that scores first wins, in case the first team scores a field goal, the other has the possibility of tie it with another field goal, or turn around and win with a touchdown.

HOW TO RECORD

There are different ways to score points, mostly on offense. On the ground or in the air, the team that has the ball can score and add 6 points; after the touchdown, they can decide to go for 1 or 2 points, which would be with an extra point per kick or make a play, respectively.

In case of not being able to score, there is also the possibility of adding 3 points to the scoreboard with a field goal kick.

For its part, the defense can add two points by tackling the player with the ball inside the rival end zone, in what is called a “safety”. Another way to score points is for the ball to be intercepted and returned to the end zone, which is equivalent to a touchdown.

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PLAYS

In the offense everything starts from two principles, run and pass, from there there are a series of variants; on the ground are runs outside the tackles or inside, whether by the running back, quarterback or receiver.

By air there are short passes, and long development, career tricks that end in a shipment, or screen passes, mainly.

Do not forget the trick plays, which are carried out to surprise the rival team; in addition to the special teams, field goal kicks, punt kicks and kickoff kicks, as well as their counterparts, who ensure that these attempts are unsuccessful.

YELLOW SCARVES

When a player commits a penalty, the referee who noticed it throws a yellow handkerchief into the area where it was committed; there are penalties for the offense, defense, and even for the band.

Among the main punishments are the holding (grabbing), when a player pulls the jersey of another player who is not carrying the ball and prevents him from performing his function; false start (false start), when an offensive player moves before the play starts; offside (offside), is when a defender invades the line of scrimmage.

The same is found foul personal, where he is grabbing the bar, roughing the passer and unnecessary roughness, as well as pass interference among others.

The penalty will cause the team that commits it, whether offensive or defensive, to go back 5 to 15 yards, and in the case of multiple penalties, these can be accumulated.

HIGHLIGHTS

NFL: The National Football League, it’s the National Football League, it’s the largest professional American football league in the United States

FAVORITES

Los Angeles had a fairly stable season and fans always bet on them. They have a powerful defense and the recent purchase of Matthew Stafford puts the Rams as a 4-point betting favorite. Also, they play at home.

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However, the Cincinnati Bengals could make history. They are one of 12 NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl; they have performed well this season so they have a chance. For the fans they do not have the quality that the Rams showed, however they could surprise.