How is NFL structured?

The National Football League consists of 32 teams split into two conferences - American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC). Within each conference there are four divisions (North, South, East and West) with four teams in each.

How many teams make the playoffs?

Twelve teams qualify for a knockout tournament to reach the Super Bowl - six from each conference (four division winners plus the two with the next-best records). The two division winners with the best records receive a first round bye, while the other four playoff qualifiers from each conference play in the Wild Card round. The next round sees the top two teams in each conference enter the fray (Division Playoffs), followed by the AFC and NFC Championship games. The winners of those games will meet in the Super Bowl.

Where is the Super Bowl played?

The Super Bowl is played in a different city each year and venues for the big game are announced several years in advance. Super Bowl XLIII will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida on Sunday February 1st. The game remains in that state for the following year when the city of Miami hosts the game in 2010, for the record-setting tenth game to be held in South Florida.

Which team has won the most Super Bowls?

The San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers have each won five Super Bowls. The Cowboys have been to the most, having also lost in three finals. The Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls, between 1975 and 1980, and added to that with the title in early 2006 when they beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL to win their fifth championship.

How many players are there on each team?

Each NFL team has 53 players on the roster, including offensive players, defensive players and specialists who kick or punt.

What is the average length of an NFL career?

According to figures provided by the NFL Players Association, the average NFL playing career lasts just four years.

How much do players earn?

Despite what most people think, not all NFL players are millionaires! For example in 2008, the minimum salary for rookies will be $285,000. While the highest paid players in the league can make $7-8 million per year, most players make much less than that. This year, the average NFL salary was $1.4 million. The highest-paid player is Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who signed a seven-year deal worth $132 million in 2004.

Can teams spend as much money as they like on players?

No, the NFL operates a salary cap which means clubs cannot spend more than a pre-determined figure on player salaries. The salary cap figure is a percentage of the total revenue earned by the 32 NFL clubs each year. In 2007, each NFL team will have $109 million to spend in salaries. Teams who are over the salary cap are restricted from signing new players to their roster and if they do so they can be fined in the form of having draft picks taken away from them.

How much of the year are NFL players working?

NFL players begin preparations for the season at three-day mini camps held each week in May and June. After a couple of weeks of rest and recuperation, preseason preparations intensify with training camp kicking off in the last week of July. August consists of further daily practices (twice per day on most occasions) and four or five preseason games. The regular season kicks off early in September and runs for 17 weeks until the end of December. The playoffs run throughout the month of January with the Super Bowl scheduled for Sunday February 1st. Players are then free to do as they please until mini camps begin again in May. However, many teams insist their players stay in town and participate in the club's "voluntary" off-season conditioning programme, making the working life of an NFL player an almost year-round occupation.

Why do the players wear so much protective padding?

The equipment allows the game to be played to its full potential by reducing the risk of serious and possibly fatal injuries. It is a brutal and physically demanding sport. Unlike rugby, American football is more of an impact, collision sport and scientific tests have proven that being tackled by an NFL linebacker in full flight is akin to being knocked down by a fully-grown rhinoceros. The early days of American football saw very little padding worn by players but then-US president Theodore Roosevelt made sweeping changes and introduced protective equipment after 18 players died and 149 were seriously injured during the 1905 college football season. Equipment today is relatively light but very safe.

Can teams finishing with the worst records in the NFL be relegated?

No. There is no relegation from the NFL or promotion from other leagues to the NFL. The worst teams in the league suffer no further punishment for a poor season and are aided in building their squad for the future by being granted early picks in the annual draft.

What is the NFL Draft?

The Draft - which takes place in New York each April - is the annual selection process where all 32 NFL teams grab the best players coming out of the college football ranks. In order to level the playing field each season, the team with the worst record from the previous year picks first, thus ensuring them the best shot at the top player in the Draft. The reigning Super Bowl champion picks last and all the teams selecting in between are determined by their record the previous season. After all 32 teams have selected players, the worst team picks again to begin the second round. There are seven rounds in the Draft and teams are allowed to trade players or picks in order to change their position in the selection process, making for a busy and hectic day of wheeling and dealing for those responsible for putting together the rosters for each team.

Where and when can I watch the NFL on British television this season?

Sky Sports and Channel 5 will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2008 NFL season. Sky will show five games every Sunday night and Monday Night Football throughout the season, as well as every playoff game, including the Super Bowl, live. Channel 5 provide full live coverage of every Monday Night Football game and from the end of October air live coverage of the Sunday Night game. The BBC will air the whole of the 2008 International Series game between the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers live from Wembley Stadium, as well as Super Bowl XLII live.

How can I get tickets to an NFL game?

Sports Travel Tours run custom-made trips to NFL games for fans in the United Kingdom. For more information visit their website at www.sportstraveltours.co.uk.