How well do you know the NFL and Super Bowl?
American football is the most-watched sport in the United States, and the Super Bowl is its biggest night. Six questions, from easy to hard, with explanations.
Did you know?
- The Green Bay Packers are owned by their fans through a community ownership structure. They are the only community-owned team among the major US professional sports leagues.
- An American football is nicknamed the 'pigskin', although modern balls are made of cowhide leather. Each one is sewn by hand with laces that help players grip and throw it.
- Super Bowl commercials are among the most expensive advertisements in the world, costing millions of dollars for just 30 seconds of airtime because of the enormous audience.
America's biggest game
The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular professional sports league in the United States. Its 32 teams play a season that culminates in the Super Bowl, usually held in February. The game regularly draws the largest television audiences of the year, and Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial national event.
From a meeting in Ohio
The NFL traces its roots to a 1920 meeting in Canton, Ohio, where team representatives formed the American Professional Football Association. It was renamed the NFL two years later. Canton is now home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Super Bowl is born
In the 1960s, the NFL competed with the rival American Football League (AFL). The two leagues agreed to play a championship game between their best teams, which became the Super Bowl. The leagues fully merged in 1970.
How the game works
Each team has 11 players on the field. The offense tries to advance the ball by running or passing, and it has four attempts, called downs, to gain 10 yards. If it succeeds, it earns a new set of downs; if not, the ball usually goes to the other team.
Super Bowl Sunday culture
The Super Bowl is about more than football. Parties, food, halftime concerts and expensive, creative TV commercials are part of the tradition. Many viewers watch mainly for the ads and the halftime show, which features major music stars.
College football and the draft
College football is also hugely popular, with massive stadiums and passionate fans. Each spring, NFL teams select college players in the NFL Draft, which has grown into a major televised event followed by millions of fans.
Positions on the field
Each team fields specialists. The quarterback leads the offense and throws passes, running backs carry the ball, and wide receivers catch passes, protected by linemen. On defense, linebackers and defensive backs try to stop them. Kickers and punters handle special teams, which can decide close games with a single field goal.