American football is one of the most important sports in the United States. The game comes from a variation of another sport born in England that has been around since the 21st century, rugby. Today there are different teams around the world as the sport is played in more than 70 countries, but it is most commonly played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Although there is no exact date that marks the precise moment when the sport began to be played, it can be said that it was born in 1920 when the American Professional Football Association was formed in the North American country. The league later changed its name to the National Football League, also known as the NFL.
Most major metropolitan areas in the United States have a team in the NFL. The NFL has the highest attendance per game of any professional league in the world. Later we will talk about the Super Bowl, which is the event of the year where people consume the most and the stadium is filled with fans from all parts of the country to enjoy a spectacle that goes beyond the sport itself.
There are 32 teams in the National Football League which are divided into two conferences with 16 teams in each, divided into four four-team divisions. A maximum of 53 players per franchise are allowed on their roster, but only 46 are usually used for each game during the regular season.
The Super Bowl, also known as the Super Bowl in Latin America, is the name given to the final NFL championship game, pitting the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC) champions against each other. The game is played on the second Sunday in February.
The goal of this big game is to determine the US champion. The teams that have won the most times are Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots (six times). The current champions are the Los Angeles Rams who won the LVI edition on 13 February 2022 by a score of 23-20 over the AFC champions Cincinnati Bengals.
Whether or not you can make it to the Super Bowl, any NLF game is a spectacle worth watching. You can get tickets for them on several reliable websites such as hellotickets, which are the best place to buy NFL tickets. The other option is to try resale as many fans buy season packs and resell them (in the USA it is legal to do this) at a sometimes more affordable price (but not always).
Tickets can easily be had for as little as $100. That will depend on where the seats are located. Once you have your tickets, all that’s left is to attend the game ideally a few hours in advance to enjoy visiting the official shops located in the stadiums where you will find jerseys, helmets and all the typical football memorabilia of each team.
The game starts with the national anthem The game starts with the American national anthem which is sung and is a moment of excitement among football fans. When it starts, you can feel the energy of the people very excited to see their team win. Throughout the game, the crowd cheers and sings along.
In theory an American football match lasts one hour, but in reality it is estimated that it lasts between 3 and 4 hours, as it is usually extended for various reasons, such as, for example, a time out being called. This hour is divided into 4 blocks of 15 minutes each with two breaks between the first and the second and then between the second and the third.
These breaks are the ideal time to encourage the audience not to let go of their sporting enthusiasm. This is where the cheerleaders take centre stage with games, choreography and chants. Although they are present throughout the game celebrating the team they represent. You can also take advantage of this time to get a snack or buy beer from the food and beverage outlets found in all the stadiums.
