51 NFL and football trivia questions with answers

Football questions in five rounds: the basics of the game, the NFL, the Super Bowl, teams and their traditions, and the legends. Easy ones suit a casual viewer or a young fan; the hard ones are for the person who never misses a game. Every answer links to its source.

The next Super Bowl, LXI, is on Sunday 14 Feb 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Source: Wikipedia

51 questions · NFL and football trivia questions with answers · answers included

Updated 26 Oct 2026

Football basics

1
How many players does each team have on the field at one time?

easy

Answer
Eleven.
Walter Camp's rules of 1880 cut each team from 15 players to 11.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football?oldid=1377025658
2
How many points is a touchdown worth?

easy

Answer
Six.
After the touchdown, the team tries for one more point with a kick or two more with a play.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchdown?oldid=1378629910
3
How many points does a field goal score in the NFL?

easy

Answer
Three.
The kick must pass between the uprights and over the crossbar.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_goal?oldid=1380907924
4
The offense gets four downs, or plays, to gain how many yards?

easy

Answer
Ten yards.
If they make the ten yards, they get a new set of four downs. If not, the ball goes to the other team.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football?oldid=1377025658
5
How long is a football field from goal line to goal line?

easy

Answer
100 yards.
An end zone 10 yards deep sits at each end, beyond the goal line.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football?oldid=1377025658
6
Which player is usually the leader of the offense and calls the play in the huddle?

easy

Answer
The quarterback.
Fans also call the quarterback the "signal caller" and the "field general".
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarterback?oldid=1381773934
7
A team scores a touchdown and then makes a two-point conversion. How many points is that in all?

medium

Answer
Eight.
Six for the touchdown plus two for the conversion.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-point_conversion?oldid=1379654292
8
In the NFL, from which yard line does a two-point try start?

medium

Answer
The 2-yard line.
High school and college teams start theirs from the 3-yard line.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-point_conversion?oldid=1379654292
9
Who is called the "Father of American Football"?

medium

Answer
Walter Camp.
He played for Yale, and his rules brought in the snap, the line of scrimmage and downs.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football?oldid=1377025658

The NFL

10
How many teams play in the NFL?

easy

Answer
32 teams.
That makes 16 teams in each conference.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League?oldid=1381289811
11
Besides the American Football Conference, what is the NFL's other conference?

easy

Answer
The National Football Conference, or NFC.
The winners of the AFC and NFC championship games meet in the Super Bowl.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League?oldid=1381289811
12
How many regular-season games does each NFL team play?

medium

Answer
17 games.
The 18 weeks leave every team one week off, its bye week.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League?oldid=1381289811
13
In which year was the NFL founded?

medium

Answer
1920.
It took the name National Football League two years later, for the 1922 season.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League?oldid=1381289811
14
In which Ohio city is the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

medium

Answer
Canton.
Canton is the league's birthplace: the NFL was founded there in 1920.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Football_Hall_of_Fame?oldid=1381470495
15
Which game opens the NFL preseason every year, in Canton?

medium

Answer
The Hall of Fame Game.
New members are enshrined at the Hall of Fame two days later.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Football_Hall_of_Fame?oldid=1381470495
16
In which year was the first NFL draft held?

medium

Answer
1936.
It began at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia on February 8, 1936.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_draft?oldid=1378534254
17
Who was the first player ever picked in an NFL draft?

hard

Answer
Jay Berwanger.
He was the first pick of the first draft, in 1936.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_draft?oldid=1378534254
18
On which TV network did Monday Night Football first run, from 1970 to 2005?

medium

Answer
ABC.
It moved to ESPN in 2006.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday_Night_Football?oldid=1381504089

The Super Bowl

19
Which team won the first Super Bowl, in January 1967?

easy

Answer
The Green Bay Packers.
They beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_I?oldid=1379957633
20
The Super Bowl trophy is named after which coach?

easy

Answer
Vince Lombardi.
Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers to wins in the first two Super Bowls.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Lombardi_Trophy?oldid=1381222662
21
Who was named MVP of the first Super Bowl?

medium

Answer
Bart Starr, the Packers' quarterback.
He completed 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_I?oldid=1379957633
22
Which jewelry company made the original Super Bowl trophy?

medium

Answer
Tiffany & Co.
A Tiffany vice president first sketched it on a cocktail napkin over lunch with the NFL commissioner in 1966.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Lombardi_Trophy?oldid=1381222662
23
What does the Super Bowl trophy show on top of its stand?

medium

Answer
A football, in a kicking position.
The trophy stands 22 inches (56 cm) tall.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Lombardi_Trophy?oldid=1381222662
24
Who first used the name "Super Bowl"?

medium

Answer
Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The first games were officially called the AFL–NFL World Championship Game.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl?oldid=1381252470
25
Which children's toy may have put the name "Super Bowl" in Lamar Hunt's head?

hard

Answer
A Super Ball, the bouncy ball his children played with.
An old Super Ball is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl?oldid=1381252470
26
Super Bowls are numbered in Roman numerals. Which one used an ordinary number instead?

medium

Answer
Super Bowl 50, in 2016.
The next year's game went back to Roman numerals as Super Bowl LI.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl?oldid=1381252470
27
Since 2022, on which Sunday is the Super Bowl played?

easy

Answer
The second Sunday in February.
From 2004 to 2021 it was played on the first Sunday in February.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl?oldid=1381252470
28
Through Super Bowl LX in 2026, which two teams had won the most Super Bowls, six each?

medium

Answer
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots.
Both teams play in the AFC.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl?oldid=1381252470
29
In the Super Bowl's first ten years, who usually played the halftime show?

medium

Answer
A college marching band.
At the first Super Bowl, trumpeter Al Hirt played with the marching bands of the University of Arizona and Grambling College.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_halftime_show?oldid=1381389269
30
What are Super Bowl rings usually made of?

medium

Answer
Yellow or rose gold, with diamonds.
Many show diamonds shaped like the trophy or a football, one for each Super Bowl the team has won.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_ring?oldid=1374367133
31
Who is the only player to win five Super Bowl MVP awards?

hard

Answer
Tom Brady.
He won four with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_Most_Valuable_Player_Award?oldid=1379756006
32
Who is the only Super Bowl MVP from the losing team?

hard

Answer
Chuck Howley, a Dallas Cowboys linebacker.
The Cowboys lost Super Bowl V to the Baltimore Colts in 1971.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_Most_Valuable_Player_Award?oldid=1379756006
33
Which team beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 in Super Bowl LIX, in 2025?

medium

Answer
The Eagles, from Philadelphia.
The game was played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, and Kendrick Lamar headlined the halftime show.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_LIX?oldid=1381201528
34
Which team won Super Bowl LX, in February 2026?

medium

Answer
The Seattle Seahawks, 29–13 over the Patriots.
Running back Kenneth Walker III was named MVP after rushing for 135 yards.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_LX?oldid=1381076018

Teams and traditions

35
Which team has won the most NFL championships, with thirteen?

easy

Answer
The Green Bay Packers.
They are also the only non-profit, community-owned major league team in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League?oldid=1381289811
36
What is the Packers' celebration of jumping into the end zone stands after a touchdown called?

easy

Answer
The Lambeau Leap.
Safety LeRoy Butler made the first one in 1993.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field?oldid=1381185731
37
Which is the oldest continually operating NFL stadium?

medium

Answer
Lambeau Field, in Green Bay.
The Packers have played home games there since 1957.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field?oldid=1381185731
38
Which team has played a home game on Thanksgiving Day since 1934?

easy

Answer
The Detroit Lions.
Their first Thanksgiving game, in 1934, was against the Chicago Bears.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_on_Thanksgiving_Day?oldid=1381488470
39
Which team began hosting a Thanksgiving Day game in 1966?

medium

Answer
The Dallas Cowboys.
The team had been founded six years earlier, in 1960.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_on_Thanksgiving_Day?oldid=1381488470
40
What do Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave, an idea of broadcaster Myron Cope in 1975?

easy

Answer
The Terrible Towel.
Cope gave the towel's rights to the Allegheny Valley School, which cares for people with disabilities.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Steelers?oldid=1381576319
41
Which team is often called "America's Team"?

easy

Answer
The Cowboys, from Dallas.
An NFL Films editor, Bob Ryan, gave them the nickname.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Cowboys?oldid=1381019025
42
Guinness World Records lists which team's fans as the loudest at an outdoor stadium?

medium

Answer
The Chiefs, from Kansas City.
At Arrowhead Stadium in 2014 they hit 142.2 decibels.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowhead_Stadium?oldid=1379206337
43
Under which name did the Kansas City Chiefs begin playing in 1960?

hard

Answer
The Dallas Texans.
Lamar Hunt also founded the American Football League.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_Chiefs?oldid=1380170602

Legends and records

44
How many Super Bowls did Tom Brady win?

easy

Answer
Seven.
That is more than any single NFL team has won.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady?oldid=1379407924
45
In the 2000 NFL draft, with which overall pick was Tom Brady chosen?

hard

Answer
199th, in the sixth round.
It earned him a name as the biggest draft steal in NFL history.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady?oldid=1379407924
46
Which head coach led the 1972 Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history?

medium

Answer
Don Shula.
The Dolphins won all 14 regular-season games and all three playoff games.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Miami_Dolphins_season?oldid=1380333657
47
What was the 1972 Miami Dolphins' final record, counting the playoffs?

medium

Answer
17–0.
No other NFL team has won every game of a season.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Miami_Dolphins_season?oldid=1380333657
48
What was the nickname of Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton?

medium

Answer
Sweetness.
The NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is named after him.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Payton?oldid=1379093367
49
Which NFL career record does running back Emmitt Smith hold?

medium

Answer
All-time leading rusher, with the most rushing yards.
He played most of his career for the Dallas Cowboys.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmitt_Smith?oldid=1379075111
50
How many times was Peyton Manning named the NFL's most valuable player, a record?

hard

Answer
Five.
He won four with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the Denver Broncos.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton_Manning?oldid=1381033568
51
With which team did Jerry Rice win three Super Bowls?

hard

Answer
The San Francisco 49ers.
Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Rice?oldid=1380404386

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