American Football Trivia Questions
How much do you really know about American Football? Below are 16 true or false statements. Click each one to reveal the answer and explanation.
1.An NFL game can end in a tie, even in the playoffs.
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Easy
An NFL game can end in a tie, even in the playoffs.
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Regular season games can end in a tie after overtime. Playoff games, however, continue with sudden-death overtime until a winner is determined.
2.A touchdown in American Football scores seven points.
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Easy
A touchdown in American Football scores seven points.
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A touchdown is worth six points; the extra-point kick adds one more, but the touchdown itself is six points.
3.American Football's championship trophy is called the Heisman Trophy.
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Easy
American Football's championship trophy is called the Heisman Trophy.
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The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the best college player; the NFL's Super Bowl trophy is the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
4.A touchdown is actually worth 7 points automatically after the extra point.
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Easy
A touchdown is actually worth 7 points automatically after the extra point.
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A touchdown is worth 6 points. The extra point attempt (kick or play) adds 1 or 2 points, but it's not automatic—many kicks have been missed or blocked.
5.American Football's NFL introduced regular-season overtime in 1974.
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Medium
American Football's NFL introduced regular-season overtime in 1974.
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Before 1974, NFL regular-season games could end in a tie; overtime was adopted that year for regular-season games.
6.American Football was originally played with a round soccer-style ball.
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Medium
American Football was originally played with a round soccer-style ball.
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The first American Football used a round ball; the oval shape was adopted later to improve passing and carrying.
7.The term 'Hail Mary pass' was popularized by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach after a 1975 playoff game.
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Medium
The term 'Hail Mary pass' was popularized by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach after a 1975 playoff game.
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After throwing a game-winning touchdown to Drew Pearson in a 1975 NFC playoff game, Staubach told reporters, 'I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.'
8.The forward pass was originally illegal in American football when the sport was first created.
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Medium
The forward pass was originally illegal in American football when the sport was first created.
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Until 1906, the forward pass was banned. It was introduced to reduce violent pileups and make the game safer after 18 deaths in the 1905 season.
9.A successful field goal of 70 or more yards has been kicked in an NFL game.
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Medium
A successful field goal of 70 or more yards has been kicked in an NFL game.
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The longest field goal in NFL history is 66 yards, kicked by Justin Tucker in 2021. No 70-yard or longer field goal has ever been successfully made in an official game.
10.In early American Football, the forward pass was illegal.
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Medium
In early American Football, the forward pass was illegal.
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Until 1906, American Football rules banned forward passes; only lateral passes were allowed to reduce injuries.
11.American Football's Super Bowl is always held in a warm-weather stadium.
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Medium
American Football's Super Bowl is always held in a warm-weather stadium.
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Super Bowls have been held in cold-weather cities like Minneapolis (2018) and East Rutherford, New Jersey (2014).
12.American Football's goal posts are 10 feet apart.
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Medium
American Football's goal posts are 10 feet apart.
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Goal posts in American Football are 18 feet 6 inches apart (NFL and college), not 10 feet.
13.In the NFL, a one-point safety can be scored if a team is tackled in its own end zone during a conversion attempt.
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Hard
In the NFL, a one-point safety can be scored if a team is tackled in its own end zone during a conversion attempt.
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The NFL rulebook provides for a one-point safety, which occurs when a team is downed in its own end zone during a try after a touchdown, awarding a single point.
14.The shape of an American football makes it aerodynamically more stable than a round ball when thrown long distances.
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Hard
The shape of an American football makes it aerodynamically more stable than a round ball when thrown long distances.
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A round ball is actually more aerodynamically stable. The football's shape creates unpredictable wobbles (gyroscopic precession), making it harder to throw accurately.
15.American Football's goal posts were originally placed on the goal line.
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Hard
American Football's goal posts were originally placed on the goal line.
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From the 19th century until the 1920s, goal posts sat on the goal line; they were moved to the back of the end zone for safety.
16.In 1978, the NFL moved the kickoff from the 40-yard line to the 35 to reduce injuries.
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Hard
In 1978, the NFL moved the kickoff from the 40-yard line to the 35 to reduce injuries.
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The kickoff was actually moved from the 40 to the 35-yard line in 1974 to increase returns by reducing touchbacks. A similar change back to the 35 occurred in 2011 for injury reduction, not 1978.
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