Most searched questions on the NFL

Internet has changed a lot in the way we go about our lives. It has made it very convenient for everyone to look up any sort of information they need. All the information is just a few clicks of the fingers away from you now.

The NFL is always one of the most talked about topics every year. Scores, previews, match reports and news, every aspect about the league and its teams is discussed in detail by millions around the world. The internet has become the go to tool for football enthusiasts if they want to look up something.

With the current NFL season in full swing now, plenty of people are logging on to the internet every day to look for all sorts of information. Last week saw people ask some interesting questions and we thought why not answer those right here.

So, these are the answers to the most searched questions on the NFL from last week:

Q: How much do NFL referees make?

Ans: The NFL season lasts for a few months every year so the NFL referees do not depend on that income only. Most of them have other jobs and they work as NFL referees on more of a part-time basis. Since the salary figures of NFL referees are not disclosed it is almost impossible to quote the exact figure with regards to how much they are paid.

The average salary for an NFL referee was around $173,000 in the year 2013. It is also estimated that this figure will rise to somewhere around $201,000 by the time 2019 rolls into town.

The referees currently have a benefit pension plan already defined and they can keep that all the way to the season of 2016 or if they have done 20 years of service. Post 2016, that will all change. The referees will get a defined contribution plan. The contribution will be $401,000 and the annual deposit for that will be $18k.

Q: How many overtimes are there in the NFL?

Ans: The NFL came up with new rules for overtime plays in 2012 and that has made the games more interesting. But, these rules are different for preseason and regular season games than those used for the postseason encounters.

In preseason and regular season games, if the score is level at the end of the normal regulation time (60 minutes), then an added 15 minutes of sudden death overtime are played. The first team to score a touchdown wins. If the first side in possession scores via a field goal, then the opposite side will get a chance to score a field goal as well. In case the score is still leveled at the end of overtime, the game is called a tie.

This however is not applicable to postseason games because a winner has to be determined at any cost. So, if the game is tied at the end of regular time, overtime will start. If the scores are still leveled, then another period of overtime will be played. That will continue until one side comes out on top.

Q: How many teams are there in the NFL?

Ans: The NFL was incepted way back in the year 1920 and initially consisted of only 14 teams. As the league and the sport grew in stature, the number of teams began to increase as well. Now that number stands at 32.

The NFL is divided into two conferences, the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Both conferences are divided into four divisions each which are: NFC East, NFC North, NFC South NFC West, AFC East, AFC North, AFC South and AFC West. Each of these eight divisions contain four teams.

Q: How many NFL games are in London this year?

Ans: The National Football League is huge in North America. It is without doubt, the biggest professional sports league in the part of the world which is viewed by millions of fans every year. Its showpiece event, the Super Bowl is the most watched annual sporting event too.

As popular as the NFL is in North America, it is still not that popular in other parts of the globe. So, to increase its stature, the NFL management decided to take the league beyond the borders of the US and Canada. That is what prompted the formation of the NFL International Series.

The NFL International Series began in the year 2007. The first regular season game to be played overseas saw the Miami Dolphins take on the New York Giants at the famous Wembley Stadium in London. The date was October 28, 2007. The side from the Big Apple came out on top. The move was received well by all quarters and multiple games have been held outside the US since then. All of these encounters have taken place at the Wembley Stadium and it is scheduled to play host to more NFL clashes all the way till 2020.

The NFL International Series will play more games out of the US this year but three of those were held in London. Wembley Stadium was however not the only venue in the city to host the three encounters. Two of those games were played at the Wembley Stadium whereas one took place at the Twickenham Stadium, the home of England Rugby.

These were the four most searched questions on the NFL this past week. The diverse nature of the questions shows that the NFL is in full swing and fans are looking to get all the information they can. There was a time when getting all this information wasn’t that easy but that has changed with the internet. Now all you have to do is type in your query and get the information you need in not more than a few minutes.

As the NFL season carries on, more and more people will surely log on to the internet to find answers to their questions. This is the beauty of modern day technology. If you have a question about the NFL that you need an answer to, let us know and we will see if we can give you the answer to that.

So, let us know what you have to say by commenting below and let’s keep the discussion rolling.