The NFL has plenty of rules, penalties, and terms that can be confusing for casual fans. Whether you are watching your first game or simply want to better understand what is happening on the field, there are plenty of questions that can come up. From what it means when a player is waived to how the salary cap works, here are some common NFL questions explained for casual fans.
When an NFL player is waived, his team is attempting to remove him from its roster before his contract expires. Players with fewer than four accrued NFL seasons are generally subject to the waiver process.
Other teams can claim a waived player and take over his contract. If no team claims him, the player becomes a free agent and can sign with any team.
An inactive player is on the team’s roster but is not eligible to participate in that particular game.
NFL teams can have 53 players on their active roster, but only a limited number can dress for a game. Teams must submit a list of inactive players before kickoff.
A player can be inactive because of an injury, a coach’s decision or a roster situation.
The practice squad is a group of players who practice with an NFL team but generally aren’t part of the team’s active game-day roster.
Practice-squad players can develop with the team and provide additional depth. Teams can also elevate certain practice-squad players for games or sign them to their active roster.
Opposing teams are able to poach a player from another teams practice squad if they intend to sign them to their 53-man roster.
A fair catch allows a player receiving a punt to signal that he does not intend to return the ball.
The player must clearly signal for a fair catch before securing the ball. Once he makes the catch, the play is over and the ball cannot be advanced.
A fair catch can protect a returner from taking a hit when there isn’t a good opportunity to run the ball back.
A touchback occurs when the ball enters or reaches the end zone and the receiving team does not return it out of the end zone.
The receiving team gets possession at the appropriate spot based on how the touchback occurred.
Touchbacks are most commonly seen on kickoffs, although they can also occur on punts and other plays.
A safety occurs when the offense is responsible for the ball becoming dead in its own end zone.
The most common example is when a quarterback is tackled in his own end zone. A safety is worth two points for the opposing team.
After a safety, the team that gave up the points also gives the ball back to its opponent through a free kick.
The franchise tag allows an NFL team to keep a player from becoming an unrestricted free agent by giving him a one-year contract under specific salary rules.
Teams can use the tag on eligible players during the designated period each offseason.
The franchise tag is often used when a team wants more time to negotiate a long-term contract with an important player.
The NFL salary cap is a limit on how much teams can spend on player contracts for a league year.
The league sets the cap annually, and teams must remain within the rules when managing their rosters.
Teams can structure contracts in different ways to manage their salary-cap situation. This is why a team can sometimes sign a major player despite appearing to have little available cap space.
Philadelphia Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman is known for his ability to get creative when working around the salary cap.
For more in-depth information, check out our complete guide on the NFL salary cap.
Pass interference occurs when a player makes illegal contact with an eligible receiver while a forward pass is in the air.
Defensive pass interference results in the ball being placed at the spot of the foul. Offensive pass interference is generally a 10-yard penalty from the previous spot.
Intentional grounding occurs when a quarterback throws a pass that cannot realistically be completed in order to avoid being tackled for a loss.
The penalty results in loss of down and yardage, with the ball usually placed at the spot of the foul. There are exceptions, including situations where the quarterback is outside the pocket and throws the ball beyond the line of scrimmage.
Teams often punt, typically on fourth down, because failing to convert would give the opponent possession at the spot where the play ends.
A punt allows the offense to give up possession while forcing the opponent to start farther down the field. Teams are more likely to punt when they are far from the first-down marker or deep in their own territory.
The red zone is the area of the field between the opponent’s 20-yard line and its goal line.
Teams are considered to be in the red zone when they are within 20 yards of scoring a touchdown. Red-zone efficiency is commonly used to measure how well an offense converts those opportunities into touchdowns.
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