The Gameplan: A Simple Game Breakdown for (Kinda) Football Fans

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…football season! And in this house, it holds status as high as another holiday season that warrants decorating, specialized meals, and large family gatherings.

Nothing delights me more than football season: GameDay on Saturday morning and a 7:00 P.M. kick-off in the evening. I have a serious love of college football (specifically, the Aggies), but September to January, I’ll watch any game virtually indiscriminately. I can spot a defensive breakdown a mile away, and I’m pretty sure “shotgun formation” was my first word. (Kidding. It was “gig ’em,” followed by “touchdown.”)

But I totally get that football isn’t for everyone. Maybe you don’t even KNOW if it’s for you. Maybe you watch the games and have your favorite team, but you just don’t get what’s going on, which makes it hard to like. Or, like many moms of boys do, perhaps you’ve found yourself with a newly minted, Pop Warner, middle school, or high school football player and on the receiving end of serious conversations about lines of scrimmages, neutral zone infractions, or staying in the pocket.

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So, as homage to my most favorite time of year, I give you “The Gameplan: Breaking Down the X’s and O’s of College Football for People Who Kinda Get It or Don’t Really Get It At All.” Long name, short read. We aren’t going to talk about “read options” or “pass completion percentages.” This little gem will simply cover the basics: who is who, where they line up, and what their jobs are, along with some basic plays and terminology. It will easily cover pee-wee through college play. (The NFL plays by some different rules, so they aren’t covered.)

I hope that by having this little tool at the ready, whether it sits on the coffee table on Saturday or gets tucked into a bag for Friday night football, you’ll enjoy the game as much as you’d like. Before you know it, you’ll be calling plays and yelling at—ahem, I mean “gently reprimanding”—the refs for missed calls.

THE GAMEPLAN

Click the link to access the .pdf. Depending on your browser, the file may open in a new tab/window so you can save or print it from there, or it will auto-download and you can access it from wherever your downloads are saved. It is formatted to print front/back to make a booklet.

Happy football season, everyone!

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Amanda
A fifth-generation San Antonionian - who happened to spend her formative years in Austin - Amanda loves the SAT from the confetti in her hair to the bluebonnets under her feet. Never one to miss a reason to host a party or decorate for a theme, Amanda revels in the 'mas Fiesta' attitude of the city. She's mom to Vivi (2012) aka #HurricaneVivi, Mac (2020) and wife to Francois, whom she met at Texas A&M (FTAC '05). She has a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a Doctorate in Making it Up As She Goes - which means she's a sometimes-fun-mom. You can find her on Instagram . She loves confetti, croissants, and a cold Ranch Water. Favorite Restaurant: Piatti's Favorite Landmark: Johnson Street footbridge in King William Favorite San Antonio Tradition: Fiesta Medals