An American Football Game Has 11 Minutes of Action

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Interesting Facts in Easy English

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• regulation: related to a rule or standard (e.g., not including overtime)
• quarter: a period of play that lasts one-fourth of the whole time
• play: a single period of action or an important movement during a game
• replay: a recording of a live play that you can watch again after it happened
• broadcast: a live recording of an event that people watch on TV or the Internet
• commentary: discussion by broadcasters that viewers listen to at home

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An American Football Game Has 11 Minutes of Action

A regulation game of American football in the National Football League (NFL) has four 15-minute quarters. If you are watching a game from start to finish, it will take three hours. According to recent studies, the ball is in play on the for just eleven minutes in an average football game. A single play lasts for about four seconds, though the clock continues even when a play is over. In a football broadcast, spend most of the time watching replays, commentary, video footage, and commercials.

Comprehension Questions

1. How long is an average American football game when you watch it on TV?
2. Why does the report mention 11 minutes?
3. What is different about timekeeping in American football compared to other sports?

Discussion Questions: Do you enjoy watching sports on TV, or do you consider it a waste of time?