NFL is growing in popularity over here and the annual Super Bowl match has become a firm fixture in sports-lovers diary. But what if you haven’t got the foggiest of what’s going on but don’t want to let on?
Channel 4 NFL’s commentator, Nat Coombs, gives you the simplest lowdown so you’ll sound like an armchair expert. This year’s games is set to be one of the most exciting as Super Bowl celebrates its 50th anniversary with the legendary Denver Broncos playing against the Carolina Panthers”, says Nat, “Global audience for Super Bowl 50 is expected to be the biggest yet, beating last years’ record breaking 114 million plus viewership”. Nat gives us a summary of the Super Bowl:
-
“To the novice it looks more like a game of rugby than our version of football but with more ad breaks and yellow flags, however, that’s not so as American football is all about possession which means risks, thrills and spills crop up far more often”.
-
“The ball changes hands far less frequently than in football or rugby,’ he reveals. “So teams like to protect the ball much more than they do in other sports.
-
“The objective is drive the ball down the field as efficiently as you can until you score either a Touchdown (like a rugby try). This is worth six points.
-
“A shot at an extra point “conversion”, or a Field Goal, which is a kick through the upright (that big H bar at each end of the pitch) is worth three points.
-
‘Teams usually try for a field goal from around 50 yards or nearer – often they want to bank the points rather than risk coughing the ball back to the other side.’
-
Whoever scores the most touchdowns wins the coveted Super Bowl trophy
