Hey so I’m am adult woman who was not allowed to ask questions about sports growing up so I thought I hated them for a long time. This is my second season as a NFL viewer and I get so confused sometimes.
There is a new dynamic kickoff rule and I have googled it but still have no idea what it means.
Yesterday The Lions and The Rams went into OT and I thought the refs said that both teams would have a chance to have possession of the ball but The Lions scored a TD and won the game.
I understand that offense is the team with possession of the ball and their QB is on the field and defense is trying to stop them from scoring but I don’t understand the other positions. If there is an injury can a defensive player play on offense or is that a big no no?
I just want to watch a game without constantly having to Google what’s going on.
In: Other
Answering your questions in order.
The dynamic kickoff rules are brand new. Basically, they changed where the two teams line up and when players are allowed to move. They are calling it “dynamic” because the NFL is hoping that it’ll cause more kick returns, which were at an all-time low last season. The rules on it are honestly complicated, but the biggest change is that no one but the kicker and returner(s) are allowed to move until the ball is caught/hits the ground.
The regular season overtime rules allow both teams to possess the ball unless the first drive ends in a touchdown or safety, or if one team manages to hold the ball for the whole 10 minutes. It used to be just first to any kind of score, but kickers got really good, so the rules changed.
On offense, besides the QB there are a few important categories of positions. The linemen are (as the name suggests) the five big guys on the line of scrimmage. Their job is to stop the defense, and they aren’t allowed to catch the ball. The tight end is like a lineman, but he’s allowed to catch the ball; he lines up on one end of the line. The receivers line up on the far sides and their job is to catch passes. Then there are running backs, who line up near the quarterback, and they typically run with the ball.
On defense, they also have linemen. Three or four guys who want to push past the offensive lineman and tackle whoever has the ball. Linebackers line up behind the linemen and they mostly try to get to the QB. Corners line up opposite of the receivers and try to keep them from catching the ball. Safeties line up deep in the middle of the field and cover whatever gaps are left by the corners and linebackers.
There is lots of nuance to what each position does, based on offensive and defensive play calls and individual player skill sets, but that’s the brief version.
As for whether a defensive player can play on offense (or vice versa), they can but it’s not very common. An NFL team has 53 players, and only 11 at a time play. Every position has one or more backups. Unless it’s a specially designed play (or a really skilled player), players rarely play on both offense and defense.
I’m glad you’re getting into the game! It’s really fun to watch and there is lots of strategy and nuance, if you want to really get into it, but you don’t need to know all of the Xs and Os to enjoy a good game. But if you want to learn more, there are some great explainers on YouTube, too.
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