How to Analyze Football

The game of football goes beyond simple fandom and keeping track of which teams win or lose. This strategic sport is full of technique and skill, but it takes a trained eye to be able to assess the players' moves. Whether you are dissecting a game or discussing recent football events with others, knowing how to analyze football can help you identify athletic talent, know how to select a particular team to follow through the season or inspire you to develop a career or hobby as a football announcer.

Instructions

    • 1

      Familiarize yourself with the football player positions. Study a list of positions and understand where they are placed on the field. For instance, learn the difference between the quarterback, halfback, tight end and wide receiver, along with their roles in the game. When you understand what they are supposed to do, you can analyze what they did -- or didn't do -- correctly in a game. This makes it easier to spot the mess-ups or the amazing plays.

    • 2

      Read the NFL or NCAA rule book. The NFL publishes the digest of rules on its website at nfl.com/rulebook/digestofrules so fans can understand what should or shouldn't happen during a game. The NCAA rule book can be found at NCAA.org.

    • 3

      Keep track of the time. Timing plays a significant role in football because various aspects of the game are defined by time. For instance, each period in the football game is 15 minutes long. Each team is entitled to three timeouts for each half of the game. Analyze a game by evaluating how each team uses its time on the field. Certain teams might take more timeouts than others, or you might notice players take more time on the field when they know the period is almost over.

    • 4

      Watch everybody's moves on the field, from the coaches to the players to the referees. Pay attention to when the referees call out penalties or don't make fair decisions about which team the ball should go to. The actions of all involved impact a game.

    • 5

      Follow the score. Stay on top of when the points are earned, what period they are scored in and how many points are needed to make a tie or for a team to win. Some games are tied up until the end, while other games have one team that is far ahead. Relate the scores back to certain players. Notice whether certain athletes are responsible for the scores, or are making a lot of fumbles or mistakes that cost the team points.

    • 6

      Make an overall evaluation of the game. Consider how the players played, how fair the referees were, the points that were scored and how many penalties were piled up to determine whether the teams gave an impressive or sloppy performance.