Dominate the Super Bowl

A chorus of ghostly howls and wolfish cries erupted as a group of hormone-fueled youths began jeering, instantly turning the atmosphere of the field into a clamorous one.

Burns was somewhat worried about Li Wei, concerned that he might scare him off again. He quickly turned to look at Li Wei and unexpectedly found not a trace of nervousness, but instead a spark of eager combativeness in his eyes.

"Coach, so how should I go about the trial?"

Scared?

Impossible!

Challenging oneself, the opponent, and the limits is the essence of competitive sports, and Li Wei, both past and present, relished these challenges, constantly striving to surpass himself and showcase the brilliance of life.

Moreover, officially joining the team through the trial would not only resolve the issues with the lawsuit but also meant that there was a new player’s gift package awaiting to be opened.

Watching those confident figures, Li Wei was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, wishing they would be even more arrogant, disdainful, and showy. That way, when he proved them wrong, the impact would be doubled.

He was looking forward to it a little.

Burns looked at Li Wei; he had been rolling in the world of football for most of his life, and everything was second nature to him. Now, suddenly having to explain the basic rules to someone completely ignorant of the game, he wasn’t sure where to begin.

After some thought.

"You have seen soccer and basketball, right?"

"Their goal is to move the ball across the field and then shoot it into the target, a soccer goal, or a basketball hoop, and football is essentially the same."

"Our objective is also to carry the ball across the field and get it into the end zone, oh, that’s the end zone over there, as long as you carry the ball over the end zone line, that’s a score, what we call a touchdown."

The rules, of course, are not limited to that, but the core of the sport is indeed such.

Following Burns’ gesture, the entire vast expanse of the field unfolded before them—

The whole field is a hundred yards long and fifty-three yards wide (one yard is equal to 0.9144 meters).

At each end of the field, there is an end zone, which is ten yards long and fifty-three yards wide.

So like soccer, football involves carrying the ball across the entire field and over the end zone line to score; it appears to be not very complicated.

But.

Li Wei looked at the football in his hands, his eyes betraying confusion, "How should I carry the ball?"

This deep brown ball is oval-shaped, with no way to dribble like a basketball or roll like a soccer ball, so what to do?

If you don’t understand, just ask.

Li Wei, rather than feigning knowledge, candidly voiced his confusion and then looked to Burns.

Burns: ... "Have you really never watched a football game?"

Li Wei, "Never."

Burns laughed in disbelief, "You carry the ball. Football does not require dribbling like basketball or rolling like soccer, you just carry it in your hands."

"In a football game, there are two ways to advance the offense."

"First, running the ball, which is your job. You carry the ball forward until the opposing players stop you. The advance ends when your knee touches the ground."

"Another very, very important thing is not to drop the ball because in football, if the ball comes loose, that means you’ve lost possession, and whoever recovers it takes the ball."

"Second, passing the ball, which is the quarterback’s job. He can pass the football to anywhere on the field, and as long as it is caught by one of our players before it hits the ground, you can continue to move forward. Likewise, if your knee touches the ground or there’s a fumble, the advance also ends there."

Simple and clear.

In just a few words, Burns outlined the basic framework.

Although Li Wei couldn’t picture how a football game was played, the basic rules weren’t complicated. He had many, many questions in his mind, but there was no rush. He could learn more about it in depth later.

Looking at Burns, Li Wei understood immediately, "So, football is a strategic game of offense and defense, with one side trying to advance with the ball while the other does everything to stop them, right?"

Burns’s eyes lit up, "Exactly! So, in soccer and basketball, you have so many players on the field, and offense and defense are constantly switching; but football is a turn-based positional battle. We are divided into Offensive group and Defensive group, plus there’s a Special Duty Group for special circumstances."

"Each group consists of eleven players, and unlike soccer and basketball, we can substitute players anytime between each down without any limits."

"Our Offensive group and the opposing Defensive group are on the field at the same time, until the offense ends either by scoring or being stopped; then the teams switch possession, and our Defensive group comes on with their Offensive group for a new confrontation, and so on, taking turns."

Without paying much attention, Burns rambled on, somewhat unable to stop himself.

But, he managed to control himself—

No rush, no need to hurry, the specific rules and details can come later.

Burns took a deep breath, showed a kind smile, "Any other questions?"

That smile, like the Big Bad Wolf grinning at Little Red Riding Hood while trying to hide its fangs, made a smile emerge from the depths of Li Wei’s eyes.

"Yes. Just one."

Li Wei looked at the patiently guiding Burns.

"Whether it’s passing or running the ball, it’s all done with hands, so why is it called ’Football’?"

Burns: ...

Burns blinked, momentarily stumped by the question, and then Li Wei didn’t linger, turning on his heels and jogging onto the field.

Pfft.

Burns could hear the laughter, turned his head to look, and then saw Saban’s smiling face. The sincere man didn’t mind that he had just been playfully tricked a bit, "Coach, what do you think of him?"

The corners of Saban’s mouth curved up slightly, "I’m a bit excited."

In front of him, the field had cleared, and the other players had all retreated to the sidelines.

Only then did he understand why a football team was so large. Offensive group, Defensive group, and Special Duty Group—all had their distinct roles, separated. Forget basketball, even compared to soccer, the scale of the team is not on the same level—

The NFL Professional League allows a football team to have fifty-three people, while the NCAA allows eighty-five, and in some cases, the number is permitted to reach one hundred and five.

No wonder!

Now, the players had dispersed, and including Li Wei, there were only five people left on the field, making the whole place feel eerily empty, as if a chill wind blew over the calm waters.

So.

Since the running back is a member of the Offensive group, were the four people before him part of the Defensive group?

Compared to basketball, the scene indeed looked more like soccer, not only because of the field of view but also because the four players were completely spread out.

The four men were staggered in their positions, from near to far.

Li Wei guessed that such positioning probably represented different roles, with those in the back focusing more on pass defense and those in front more on run defense.

And since it was clear they were testing Li Wei’s running abilities, the four didn’t space themselves out but watched him intently, ready for action.

Li Wei was the picture of composure, moving his hands and ankles slightly, as if preparing for a cross-country run, his first instinct was to scope out the space on the field and positions of the obstacles.

The big guy in front had already approached with a nasty grin, "Hey, kid, think you’ve got enough gear? Sure you don’t want to put on some armor? Be careful you might not be able to take it and fall apart."