Pick a team. Make sure you know that team's colours. Hope someone on that team takes the ball to the opposite end zone/goal. They now get +6 points. Now they'll either kick a field goal (+1 extra pt) or do a two-point conversion (+2 extra pts). If they succeed, they get extra points.

If you really want to pretend to be a huge football fan, jump up and yell loudly (loud enough to irritate the neighbours) every time they make a touchdown (taking the ball to the opposite end zone). When they make a field goal or two-point conversion, just yell loudly (no jumping). If you have beer with you (which many American football fans do), don't spill it.

Crash course in American football, brought to you by _person_. There's loads more to know, but if you know that much you can at least pretend to be a fan.

Yeah, they go for the +1 more often, probably because it's easier.

I was wondering why you were watching football at this hour anyway.

Lesson two.

They get four "downs". Every time they are tackled, the down goes up by one. If they make the ball go 10 yards past where they started the first down at, they go back to first down. If they get tackled before they pass that line on the fourth down (or miss a pass on 4th down), it's a turnover, so they have to give the ball to the opponent right there on the spot. Often they'll punt (kick it to the other side of the field) on fourth down, however, to get the ball far back into enemy territory so that the enemy has a harder time scoring. It's better to kick the ball and make the enemy run 80 yards than it is to hand the enemy the ball at the 10 or 20 or even 50 yard line.

To simplify even further, they get 4 chances (downs) to carry the ball 10 yards, if they succeed then the (downs) resets to 1st down and so on until the get the ball into the endzone (in goal try area) the offensive team can lose the ball if it is intercepted by the defensive team without touching the ground, if it touches the ground it is classed as a fumble ( like a knock on but you get the ball back), if you dont succeed in getting the ball 10 yards in 4 downs (chances) you have a choice of kicking for a field goal (if in range, no jonny Wilkinson over there) or Punting ( kicking the ball far down field and handing possesion to the defensive team.)  the defensive team become the offensive team when they have possesion of the ball.  Unlike rugby they pass the ball forward from the quarterback (fly half) unless he moves forward of his starting position in which case he cannot throw forwards. 

It is more akin to the sport of Rugby League than Union but with good old 'merkin Razzamatazz.

I find after about 3 hours (2 hours of free adverts included ) of watching them run 10 feet and stop for oxygen that putting on a dvd of englands world cup rugby victory helps recovery.

Nice spectacle, but like baseball and basketball it lacks thrilling content imo, give me football, rugby and cricket any day.

I find after about 3 hours (2 hours of free adverts included ) of watching them run 10 feet and stop for oxygen

But if they didn't do that how would they regen HP. Mana and Grace?

So...

Superbowl?

Great. I'll meet you there.

beer into snorkel => lots of fun mwuahahaha - I'll be in watching