[!@#$%!]

ok, american football fans, i'm trying to get into this sport but i am unable to get a sense of the strategy because i don't get the fucking rules.

last night the saints are winning 15-9, they give the 2 minute warning, i'm thinking if the vikings get an interception and score & dont get their field goal blocked they could win 16-15, right? i mean the last 5 minutes of the 2nd quarter took a long-ass time to finish. but then everyone stands around, the clock goes down, they pretend to play, stop again, and with a minute to go everyone starts slapping each other like the game is over. and it is over.

what the fuck is that? could someone please explain? how does the time work here? if clock manipulation is part of the strategy, how does it work? i remember also that a little before that they had x seconds to make a play and the clock was ticking. very fucking confusing.

[chicka]

time manipulation is everything in the NFL as well as college. You can stop the clock by using a timeout which each team has 3 per half. You can stop the time by running out of bounds. If you attempt a pass and it is incomplete the clock stops. All changes of possession stop the clock. If you score a TD a FG or an extra point the clock stops. Actually the score was 14-9. So the strategy when behind is to try and save your timeouts until the last two minutes this way you can stop the clock to kick a FG if 3 points will win the game. Also if you have your timeouts you can pass the ball over the middle of the field knowing you can stop the clock to set up the next play. If you have no timeouts then you're limited to passing near the sidelines so your receiver can get out of bounds to stop the clock. If you make a first down or the defenders are dragging their asses getting into position the ref can stop the clock until everyone is set then start the time up. This is why at the end of the game or first half teams will not get into a huddle to call a play because it is wasting time.

[SONIC GAIL]

football is boring

[EVOLghost]

If they run the ball or the ball is caugh from a play then he clock continues to run, however if the ball touches the ground from a pass the clock is stopped

[EVOLghost]

Ne'er mind. Chickas got it

[Rob Instigator]

the game goes against the clock.

it is similar to how in football/soccer the wining team will play a drag-ass defensive front for the last 20 minutes of a match to keep the other team from getting good scoring opprotunities.

In football, you do that with time-outs, and clock stoppage, as chickak said.

let's say you are winning the football game. 2 minutes left (by the way, when there is two minutes left in the 1st and 2nd half, there is an automatic time out, the two-minute warning) a team will ussually run the ball repeatedly, because it controls the ball, and keeps the clock ticking.

if they pass the ball they run risks of interception, but more importantly, if the ball is not caught the clock will stop, giving the defense/other team basically a free time out.

I have sene it played out where a team tries to pass instead of running it, misses the passes, and ends up punting with way to much time on the clock for the other team to go and get a field goal or touchdown.

shit, payton Manning has fucked my beloved Texans because of this exact mistake several times. stupid texans coaches.

[!@#$%!]

ah many thanks.

i do get the clock stops (all those commercial breaks) but i didn't know the difference with the ball being out of bounds and running vs passing-- that's cool to know! that is what i mean by strategy... ok.

what i still don't get is how you run the clock DOWN without playing, but i guess rob will let me know in the other thread where i already asked him that. the snap clock or whatever.

thanks!

[hevusa]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

ah many thanks.

i do get the clock stops (all those commercial breaks) but i didn't know the difference with the ball being out of bounds and running vs passing-- that's cool to know! that is what i mean by strategy... ok.

what i still don't get is how you run the clock DOWN without playing, but i guess rob will let me know in the other thread where i already asked him that. the snap clock or whatever.

thanks!

you can run the clock down by running the ball and keeping it in bounds. When the ball carrier is tackled the game clock continues to run, and the team has 40 seconds on the play clock to get the next play off. So if they are in the lead they will wait until the play clock is almost all the way down before starting the next play.

[Youth_Against_Facism]

Originally Posted by SONIC GAIL

football is boring

Aussie Rules is better.

[chicka]

Football used to be a great game. Then Pete Roselle took over and sold the game to TV which ruined it. After all TV has to sell advertising space to make money. It's even worst watching a game live as the players are basically sitting there with their hands in their pockets waiting for the 5 minutes of commercials to be over before play can start again. Then they expect you to pay from 100.00 to 800.00 dollars for a seat. Unreal. All the rule changes they've made to promote the passing game isn't as much to protect the QB as is so they can score more then have more changes of possession which gives them more 5 minute commercial timeouts. It's a shame how they've ruined the game. I've been watching football for 50 years now and I'd rather watch a soccer game any day of the week even with the pansies falling to the pitch on every tackle.

[hevusa]

Originally Posted by SONIC GAIL

football is boring

it isn't. which means I know something about you. you don't know the rules of american football.

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Originally Posted by EVOLghost

If they run the ball or the ball is caugh from a play then he clock continues to run, however if the ball touches the ground from a pass the clock is stopped

Also if someone goes out of bounds with the ball the clock is stopped.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by chicka

Football used to be a great game. Then Pete Roselle took over and sold the game to TV which ruined it. After all TV has to sell advertising space to make money. It's even worst watching a game live as the players are basically sitting there with their hands in their pockets waiting for the 5 minutes of commercials to be over before play can start again. Then they expect you to pay from 100.00 to 800.00 dollars for a seat. Unreal. All the rule changes they've made to promote the passing game isn't as much to protect the QB as is so they can score more then have more changes of possession which gives them more 5 minute commercial timeouts. It's a shame how they've ruined the game. I've been watching football for 50 years now and I'd rather watch a soccer game any day of the week even with the pansies falling to the pitch on every tackle.

my ISP is a geeky, business-class, overpriced one, and it doesn't provide ESPN3, so i can't catch the good soccer games. and then univision/telemundo show too many mexican league games for my taste.

Originally Posted by Bytor Peltor

Do you live in the states? If so, go to a Friday night High School football game. Any Friday between now and mid October should do. A ticket would cost about $5. Watching a game in person helps you understand what is going on.

funny you should mention that, because i finally started getting interested in this game after watching friday night lights on hulu--or netflix was it? i dont know. anyway they made it look like it was serious business.

[!@#$%!]

ps- i hate the greed bay fudge packers. they are really good though. but i hate them just because.

[SONIC GAIL]

Originally Posted by hevusa

it isn't. which means I know something about you. you don't know the rules of american football.

I know that jacksonville won today and how to play a half time show

[hevusa]

Originally Posted by SONIC GAIL

I know that jacksonville won today and how to play a half time show

This is the most common thing I hear from girls about football. How can you know that you hate a game when you don't know the rules? Funny.

[hevusa]

Originally Posted by Bytor Peltor

BIG BIG WIN for the Texans today. They had the lead the entire game......just can't believe the way they won. Looks like the Texas just might have a running game : )

Holy shit. That is a big win. Nice.

[EVOLghost]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

ps- i hate the greed bay fudge packers. they are really good though. but i hate them just because.

favorite team to hate.

I'm a bears fan.....though they suck.

[jennthebenn]

As a Vikings fan, I hate no team with more fiery passion than the Packers.

[SONIC GAIL]

Originally Posted by hevusa

This is the most common thing I hear from girls about football. How can you know that you hate a game when you don't know the rules? Funny.

The foot ball players and cheerleaders picked on me cause I was a band nerd. I've watched my share of games just not my thing.