NFL Football Guide: Teams, Rules, Season and Super Bowl

Last updated: October 31, 2026

A short guide for fans who follow the NFL (National Football League), the professional American football league. NFL Football Game Score News is a free Android app for football (soccer) with live scores, fixtures, league tables, club squads and a 100-level quiz. This page is an independent explainer for NFL fans and is not part of the app.

Good to know: the app does not show NFL live scores or NFL data. It covers football (soccer). This guide is for information only.

What is the NFL?

The NFL is the top professional American football league in the United States. It was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association and took the name National Football League in 1922. Today it has 32 teams, split into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference has four divisions (East, North, South and West) of four teams each.

How the NFL season works

• Preseason: exhibition games in August, used by teams to test players.
• Regular season: starts in early September. Each team plays 17 games over 18 weeks, with one bye week.
• Playoffs: 14 teams qualify, 7 from each conference. The rounds are Wild Card, Divisional, Conference Championship and the Super Bowl.
• Super Bowl: the championship game, played once a year in early February. The winner receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
• NFL Draft: held every April over 7 rounds. Teams with worse records generally pick earlier.

Super Bowl history

The first Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967, when the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10. The game is numbered in Roman numerals (Super Bowl I, II, III and so on). The NFL and the rival American Football League merged in 1970, and the game has been the NFL championship since. It is one of the most watched sports events of the year in the United States.

Basic NFL rules

• Each team has 11 players on the field. A game has four quarters of 15 minutes.
• The offense has four downs (attempts) to move the ball 10 yards. If it succeeds, it gets a new set of four downs.
• A touchdown is worth 6 points. The extra point after it is worth 1, or 2 for a two-point conversion.
• A field goal is worth 3 points. A safety is worth 2 points.
• The field is 100 yards long, with a 10-yard end zone at each end.

Main positions

• Offense: quarterback (QB), running back (RB), wide receiver (WR), tight end (TE) and offensive line (OL).
• Defense: defensive line (DL), linebacker (LB), cornerback (CB) and safety (S).
• Special teams: kicker (K), punter (P) and return specialists.

Football and soccer: the same word, two games

In the United States and Canada, "football" usually means American football, the game of the NFL. In most of the world, "football" means soccer, played with a round ball and 11 players per side. Our app is about football (soccer): live scores, fixtures and results, league tables, club squads, a football quiz and a score predictor.

Frequently asked questions

What does NFL stand for?

NFL stands for National Football League.

How many teams are in the NFL?

There are 32 teams: 16 in the AFC and 16 in the NFC.

How many games does an NFL team play?

Each team plays 17 regular-season games in 18 weeks, plus playoff games if it qualifies.

Does this app show NFL scores?

No. NFL Football Game Score News shows football (soccer) scores, fixtures, tables and squads, and has a football quiz. It does not show NFL data.

Is the app free?

Yes. It is free on Google Play, needs no login and contains ads.

NFL, National Football League and Super Bowl are trademarks of their respective owners. This site is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by the NFL or any league, club or team.