Schwartz: New Book Helps Novices, Casual Fans With Football Terminology

By Peter Schwartz
» More Columns

The quarterback takes the quick snap and drops back into the pocket, where he avoids the blitz. He delivers a quick out to his wide receiver as the cornerback almost comes up with a pick-six. But instead it's a first down, and the offense continues to drive toward the end zone.

For the die-hard football fan, the first paragraph of this story is about as easy to understand as 1+1=2. But for the fan who knows nothing about the sport or that fan who likes to watch it but just doesn't get the lingo, the game of football can many times be lost in translation.

However, thanks to a new book, even my mother can now follow along and watch a football game without having to ask the questions such, "What's offsides?", "Who's the fullback?" or, "Where's the end zone?"

"How to Speak Football" from Flatiron Books is an illustrated guide to the sport's most common terminology, funny anecdotes and history, and will be available starting Sept. 6, just in time for the start of the new season.

"It's a very popular sport," said author Sally Cook, who teamed up again with illustrator Ross McDonald. The duo has also collaborated on other sports books in the series such as "How to Speak Baseball" and "How to Speak Golf."

The book covers just about any term, rule, position or formation that would come up when watching a football game. Just think about this. If you're watching a game with your girlfriend and she is constantly asking, "What's a flea-flicker?" or, "What is an audible?" or, "Why did the quarterback just throw the ball into the ground?" this book could be a godsend.

What about that guy in the office who always seems left out of the watercooler discussion because he tried to watch the game but doesn't know the different between a "long count" and a "long snapper"? A guide to all of these terms could make this guy sound like a genius even though he wouldn't know a football if it hit him square in the face.

While football has become the most popular sport in the United States, there are many men and women who watch the games despite not completely understanding what is going on. They may have been exposed to the sport before but they need some extra help.

"I grew up having two brothers that played football," Cook said. "Although I went to the games, I felt like I really didn't understand a lot of the terms."

Among the terms covered in the book are "pancake," "hot read," "crackback block," "gadget play" "bootleg" and "shotgun." There are stories and anecdotes such as "The Coldest Game in NFL History," "Lambeau Leap," "The Ice Bowl" and a summary of NFL team names.

Whether it's parents of kids who play on a youth football team, guests who show up at a Super Bowl party or the chatty neighbors down the block, there are people who want to talk football but just can't. They can be annoying, but with a little help, they can coexist with the biggest football fans on the planet.

And they can be entertained while learning.

"Some of the slang is really fun," Cook said. "All of these 'How to Speak' sports books are for people like me who are not at all experts but want to learn more and have fun with the game."

There are a lot more parents, especially the moms, who have been paying closer attention to football, if they haven't already, because of all of the safety concerns. Especially when it comes to their child playing football, parents need to understand what the game is all about.

It helps to know the lingo if you're trying to understand how to keep your child as safe as possible.

"There's a lot more awareness about safety, and I think that's a great thing," Cook said. "I think that the parents and coaches can get together and be educated together."

For a football fan, it's frustrating to try to watch a game with someone who doesn't have a clue. I'm fortunate that I never had to worry about that with my wife, Sheryl, who learned a lot about the game from her father and can teach a few guys I know a thing or two about the gridiron.

The funny thing is that between hanging with family and friends and being around our son Bradley's football team, we often find ourselves listening to some people trying to talk about football, and we just look at each other in amazement.

I think we might have to put "How to Speak Football" on our holiday gift lists for some of these people, including my mom, who would immediately think of cooking if she heard "pancake," "pigskin" or "Cheeseheads."

Don't forget to follow Peter on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan.