Though she didn’t know it at fifteen, Taylor Swift would do things greater than dating the boy on the football team. But boy, has dating three-time Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caused a stir.
During her first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium Sept. 24, 2023 to cheer Kelce on, Roku TV’s data found there was a 63% increase in female viewership between the ages of 18 and 49 for the NFL. Regardless of whether she was celebrating with Mama Kelce at Arrowhead or headlining it during her tour, fans were elated to get to see more of the star — but there was one complication: they now had to watch football.
For fans who already followed the NFL and understood the sport, this was no problem. Yet for me, football was unexplored territory. Since then, I’ve done extensive research, taken part in one anxious yet exhilarating fantasy football draft (please let Christian McCaffrey stay healthy this season), and pestered my football-loving father with 13,000 questions. I’m ready to give anyone new to the sport a complete guide.
By the end of this series, you’ll understand the game all too well.
BASICS:
Don’t blame me, but let’s get serious about some football basics. Each team on the field is made up of 11 players. There are two groups on the field at one time: offense and defense. The offensive team has “possession” of the ball, as valuable in the game as having the first spot on the Ticketmaster queue was to getting Eras Tour tickets. The other team, on defense, tries to stop the offensive team (or scam them out of their tickets) and make them lose possession of the ball. When the offense either scores or loses possession, the teams switch roles.
Every game starts with a kickoff. A player kicks the ball from the defensive 35-yard line to the offense, who then attempts to run the ball as far as possible before the defense stops them. The point at which the offensive ball holder is stopped is where the offense will begin its “drive,” or movement down the field. Think of a drive like getting your nails done. You are progressing toward a goal, and each little step is helping you get there. The snap is like the base coat that gets it all started, your downs are like the layers of polish, and then a shiny top coat is like a touchdown to finish it off.
All progress throughout the game is measured in yards and “downs,” or chances. Like I said, downs can be thought of like the layers of polish — the baby steps that help you reach a final look. The objective of the offensive team is to travel as many yards as possible down the field and toward the opponent’s end zone (the area at the end of the field that a team can score in) in pursuit of a touchdown. When a team gets possession of the ball, they have four downs to gain another 10 yards. If successful, this process repeats. If they fail to do so, they lose the ball as the opposing team now gets a chance to try and score.
Each team also has three timeouts (breaks) per half (six in total). The head coach or any player can call these between plays. It is important for teams to use these strategically when they want to stop the game clock — kind of like starting to type in chat when you want to get someone’s attention. There are four 15-minute quarters in the game, separated by a 12-minute halftime (my favorite part). They’re typically two minutes long, making it the perfect time to grab some chips, or in my case, a crisp Diet Coke.
This was me trying to help any new-to-football fans (Swiftie or not) get ready for an electric season. Now that Taylor and Travis are engaged, we all have to settle in for a lifetime of following the NFL.