URN

• Backfield: The group of offensive players the running backs and quarterback who line up behind the offensive line

• Down: A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning the play is completed). The offense gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. If it fails to do so, it must surrender the ball to the opponent, usually by punting on the fourth down.

• Drive: The series of plays when the offense has the football, until it punts or scores and the other team gets possession of the ball.

• End zone: A 10-yard-long area at each end of the field. You score a touchdown when you enter the end zone in control of the football. If you're tackled in your own end zone while in possession of the football, the other team gets a safety (2 points).

• Extra point: A kick, worth one point, that's typically attempted after every touchdown. The ball is placed on either the 2-yard line and is generally kicked from inside the 10-yard line after being snapped to the holder. It must go between the uprights and above the crossbar of the goalpost to be considered good.

This Superbowl weekend also sees the 3-2 Nottingham Outlaws and the 2-2 Nottingham Trent Renegades in action in the American Football Varsity fixture. The Outlaws go into the game off the back of two victories and didn’t give up any points on their last outing against the DMU Leicester Falcons. They have recovered well from two loses against Birmingham and Loughborough, two of the best teams in the BUAFL Midland Athletic Conference and are now looking to push for a playoff berth.

This should be a hotly contested affair, last season’s fixture ended in a 6-0 victory for the Renegades and the Outlaws are looking for revenge; team captain and defensive lineman Declan Foley feels the game last year was fiercely contested with the Renegades lucky to snatch the game.

Time will tell whether this season will be different.

Overview

The 2011 PASIC Charity Varsity Series kicked off at the Harvey Hadden Stadium with American Football Varsity and Trent emerging as victors through a very tight, scrappy, tactically limited and wind-affected game. Uni will have the right to feel hard done by, as they did have the better chances, however, their completion and conversion rates were poor to say the least! Especially with regards to the large quantity of free yards Uni received through Trent’s inability to stick to the rules. On the whole both team’s offenses showed little, neither able to shine against the opposing defence. On the other hand this may well be down to the fact that both defences performed exceptionally as the stats would suggest. There we have it though: the first point of the 2011 PASIC Charity Varsity Series goes to Trent after what was in all honesty a poor advert for the great game of American Football!

American Football Varsity is fast approaching. However, as it's not the most common of sports in the UK, anyone can be forgiven for not knowing the rules. Therefore, curtosey of the American Football Varsity matchday programme, URN sport brings you the basic rules of American Football in three and a half minutes...

Read by Ed Tarlton

With the 2011 Nottingham Varsity Series opening with American Football on Sunday, URN Sport caught up with some of the Nottingham University representative side. Known as the 'Outlaws', Uni's team will be looking to avenge their 14-6 defeat at the hands of Trent last year.

Captains Chris Freeman and Jacob Vincent gave us an insight into their match preparations, the season thus far and also took on the URN Sports Quiz, with impressive results.

The season so far...

The season started with great expectations for the Outlaws who were pushing for a play-off appearance. A good start, with wins away at both Lincoln (25-7) and Staffordshire (14-0), had seen both offence and defence exhibiting the skills needed to do well. A home match to Derby proved to be a tougher test, however, (11-7). With the weather causing havoce, the Outlaws remaining two games were cancelled and re-scheduled for the new year. The mood in the Uni camp, though, still remains positive. With all players confident that they can achieve the goals they outlined at the start of the season and push to reach the play offs.

Chris and Jacob chat to URN Sport's Ed Tarlton

American Footballer's tackle the Sports Quiz