What Is Super Bowl? Ultimate Guide To National Football League

Super Bowl, the championship game of the National Football League played annually, is capable of raising the entire America on its feet. But do you know what exactly is the Super Bowl?

Uzma Fatima

Updated on: 8 February 2024 11:31 pm

A worker stands by an exhibit at the Super Bowl Experience ahead of the Super Bowl 58 NFL football game in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. AP Photo

In simple words, the Super Bowl is the final match of the National Football League (NFL) played between two teams of the National Football Conference and American Football Conference. And in other words, the Super Bowl is the American obsession that garners immense fan followings from all over the world. The commercials used at the stadium can be as expensive as seven million dollars. A ticket in the front row sometimes costs up to a staggering USD 34,862. During the half-time show, world-famous musicians. This year, the 'yeah!' singer, Usher is going to rock. (Super Bowl Live Streaming| More Football News)

This year the 58th edition of Super Bowl is going to take place on February 11, Sunday. The last game of the NFL will showcase an intense and thrilling showdown between the AFC's Kansas City Chiefs and NFC's San Fransisco 49ers in Las Vegas, Nevada -- one fighting for their fourth win, and a back-to-back championship, and the other determined to end their 29-years winless streak. However, concepts such as AFC, NFC, Super Bowl, half-time, etc. might sound foreign to many, creating questions like 'How do the NFL teams get to the finals, what are the rules, etc? So, let's get familiar.

What are NFL Divisions?

NFL is the biggest American football competition. Annually, 272 games are played in a prolonged 18-week period. The championship consists of 32 teams, divided into two parts -- 16 teams in the American Football Conference (AFC) and another 16 in the National Football Conference (NFC).

Now, these two conferences are again divided into smaller divisions: AFC North, AFC East, AFC South and AFC West; NFC North, NFC East, NFC South, and NFC West.

The matches are played on Sundays, telecast live, and also available to stream online.

Road to the Super Bowl

Each team plays twice against the three teams in their division in the regular season, once at home and once away.

At the end of the season, four winners from each division per conference and three wild cards with next-best scores progress.

Seven AFC teams and seven NFC teams prepare to compete in the Super Bowl, beginning with the wild card playoffs. The wild card playoffs consist of three games: the seventh seed versus the second seed, the sixth seed versus the third seed, and the fifth seed versus the fourth seed. The winners of these games will advance to the divisional round, where they will face the top-seeded teams.

The divisional round includes four teams, with three wild card playoff winners and one top-seeded team. A total of four games are played across the league to ensure conference rivalries exist. One notable rivalry is between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, both part of the NFC conference.

How is the Super Bowl played?

The NFL games consist of four 15-minute quarters with a 12-minute break in each interval. At each stoppage, the clock is paused, unlike football aka soccer. The game is expected to last for an hour, but due to factors such as injuries, replay reviews, penalties, and media timeouts, it takes up to four hours to complete. If a game ends in a draw, an additional 15-minute overtime period is played.

The teams emerging victorious from the divisional rounds compete in the Conference Championship. That is what the Kansas City Chiefs from the AFC and the San Francisco 49ers from the NFC clashing in the Super Bowl LVIII means. The teams are the champions of their respective conferences.

Since its inaugural game on January 15, 1967, which was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Super Bowl has been an annual event, serving as the championship game of the collective National Football League of America. The victorious team is awarded the prestigious Vince Lombardi Trophy along with a substantial cash prize.

What is so special about the Super Bowl?

More than the fact that it determines the champions of the National Football League, the Super Bowl is adored for its half-time show, cheerleaders, commercials, and sporting extravaganza it showcases.

The Super Bowl halftime show continues to be the most-watched performance of the year, showcasing renowned singers and musicians. This year, Usher, an award-winning artist, will grace the stage. The audience at the Super Bowl includes Hollywood celebrities; and this year, all eyes will be on Taylor Swift. The 14-time Grammy winner is expected to attend in support of her boyfriend, Chiefs' key player Travis Kelce.