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185-703: Super Bowl XV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1980 season . The Raiders defeated the Eagles by the score of 27–10, becoming the first wild card playoff team to win a Super Bowl . The game

370-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless

555-685: A "wild-card team," but they were not; during 1969, the season before the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger , the second-place finishers in both divisions of the American Football League qualified for the playoffs. Flores became the first person to be a member of a Super Bowl winning team as a player and head coach. He was a member of the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV but did not play in the game. Following the March 11, 2023 death of Bud Grant , this

740-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,

925-471: A 43-yard field goal from Breech to give the Bengals their first lead of the game, 6–3. Cincinnati then forced San Francisco to punt, but on the first play of their next drive, 49ers rookie linebacker Bill Romanowski intercepted a pass from Esiason at the Bengals 23. However, after a dropped pass by Rice, the 49ers' offense could not get a first down, and they had to settle for Cofer's 32-yard field goal to tie

1110-517: A 43-yard reception by wide receiver Charlie Smith and a 19-yard catch by Parker sparked an 88-yard, 14-play drive that was capped by Jaworski's 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Keith Krepfle . But on their ensuing drive, Oakland marched 72 yards in 12 plays, the longest a 23-yard completion from Plunkett to Chandler. The Eagles kept the Raiders out of the end zone, but Bahr kicked a 35-yard field goal, increasing Oakland's lead to 27–10 and capping off

1295-478: A 61-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal by kicker Tony Franklin , cutting their deficit to 14–3 five minutes into the second quarter. After another exchange of punts, with just over four minutes left in the half, the Raiders reached the Eagles 27-yard line, which included an 18-yard reception by Branch, only to have kicker Chris Bahr miss a 45-yard field goal. The Eagles then drove 62 yards to Oakland's 11-yard line, aided by two receptions by Carmichael for

1480-407: A 61-yard return. Johnson's Super Bowl record for longest punt stood for 30 seasons until Super Bowl LIII , when Los Angeles Rams ' punter Johnny Hekker had a 65-yard punt. However, the 49ers were unable to take advantage of their excellent starting field position. On first down, running back Harry Sydney fumbled a pitch from Montana and was downed for a 10-yard loss after he dove on the ball. On

1665-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along

1850-897: A Super Bowl ring against the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI . The rematch was the third time in Super Bowl history two teams were meeting for a second time. Miami and Washington met in Super Bowls VII and XVII, with the teams splitting the games. Dallas and Pittsburgh met in Super Bowls X and XIII, with Pittsburgh winning both of those games. Both Dallas-Pittsburgh matchups were in Miami at the Orange Bowl. Pittsburgh and Dallas would later meet in Super Bowl XXX (which

2035-427: A championship ring and Super Bowl MVP honors. Esiason was also suffering from a sore left (throwing) shoulder, although the Bengals tried to keep it under wraps and made up for a lack of big-play passing attack with a run-heavy offense led by Woods and Brooks against their first two playoff opponents, Seattle and Buffalo. While Montana had his ups and downs during the regular season, he appeared to be playing his best in

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2220-528: A dance routine he did in the end zone to celebrate his touchdowns. Multi-talented running back James Brooks was also a key contributor, gaining a total of 1,218 combined rushing and receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. And the Bengals' offensive line was led by such Pro Bowl players as right guard Max Montoya and left tackle Anthony Muñoz . Muñoz was named the NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year for

2405-420: A dynamic 49-yard run with time running out in the 4th quarter. But after a 6–5 start, Montana led the 49ers to win four of their final five regular season games. Montana finished the regular season with 238 completions for 2,981 yards and 18 touchdowns, and also added 132 rushing yards. His favorite target was Rice, who recorded 64 receptions for 1,306 yards (a 20.4 yards per catch average) and 9 touchdowns. Craig

2590-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are

2775-471: A first round bye with the narrowest possible margin, but a one more loss would have caused them to miss the playoffs altogether. The team had a quarterback controversy with Montana and Steve Young each starting during the season. Young had started three games during the year, in which the 49ers went 2–1, including a crucial 24-21 week 9 win over the Vikings in which Young scored the game winning touchdown on

2960-672: A four-play, 85-yard drive that ended with San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice 's 14-yard touchdown reception. The touchdown came one play after Cincinnati cornerback Lewis Billups dropped what would have been a drive-ending interception in the end zone. Rice, who was named the Super Bowl MVP , caught 11 passes for a Super Bowl record 215 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing once for five yards. NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXIII to Miami, Florida on March 14, 1985, during their March 10–15, 1985 meetings held in Phoenix. This

3145-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change

3330-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear

3515-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and

3700-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before

3885-510: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton

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4070-438: A one-yard loss on the next play, Fulcher broke up a third-down pass intended for Taylor, and then Cofer's 49-yard field attempt sailed wide right. The Bengals took over from their own 32 and regained the lead with a 10-play, 46-yard drive, featuring a 17-yard reception by backup receiver Ira Hillary on third and 13, along with 21 yards on three carries from Ickey Woods and a 12-yard play-action sideline pass to James Brooks. At

4255-477: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If

4440-440: A pass to the receiver at the 10. But two plays later on a third-down play, Bengals safety David Fulcher made a touchdown saving tackle at the 2 to keep Rathman from scoring. Cofer then attempted a 19-yard field goal, but a poor snap from center Randy Cross , in his final game, (though NBC's Dick Enberg initially blamed backup guard Chuck Thomas; who lined up next to Cross and split long-snapping duties; primarily on punts) threw off

4625-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as

4810-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating

4995-606: A report on the issue of ticket scalping. Also included were video performances from the Broadway production " Ain't Misbehavin'" , with the cast performing Fats Waller 's "The Joint is Jumpin'" and NBC following members of the New Orleans Police Department 's vice squad as they sought to combat prostitution in the city. Like the game two years before , NBC used the same custom, synthesizer-heavy theme in place of their regular music. This game would also be

5180-511: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with

5365-514: A season (24.0) and most receiving yards in a single game (216 against the Pittsburgh Steelers ). Wide receiver Tim McGee and Pro Bowl tight end Rodney Holman were also major threats, combining for 75 receptions, 1,213 yards, and 9 touchdowns. Rookie fullback Ickey Woods was their top rusher with 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also catching 21 passes for 199 yards and gaining a lot of media attention with his " Ickey Shuffle ",

5550-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with

5735-420: A separate broadcast booth. Bryant Gumbel and Mike Adamle of NFL '80 anchored the pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage. Bob Trumpy served as a studio analyst. Pete Axthelm reported on the issue of gambling addiction, via interviews with members of Gamblers Anonymous , in addition to his usual role making picks as to who he felt would win a particular game. NBC News correspondent John Dancy also had

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5920-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following

6105-537: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Super Bowl XXIII Super Bowl XXIII

6290-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by

6475-466: A total of 43 yards and a 16-yard reception by Montgomery. On third down, Parker got ahead of safety Odis McKinney and was open on a route into the end zone, but Jaworski overthrew him and the pass was incomplete. Then with just 54 seconds left in the half, Franklin attempted a 28-yard field goal, but Raiders linebacker Ted Hendricks extended his 6'7" frame at the line and blocked the kick, maintaining Oakland's 14–3 lead at halftime. The Raiders then took

6660-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish

6845-433: A wild card team. Plunkett made 165 out of 320 pass completions for 2,299 yards, 18 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. He also contributed 141 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. The Raiders' main offensive deep threat was wide receiver Cliff Branch (44 receptions, 858 yards, 7 touchdowns), while wide receiver Bob Chandler contributed 49 receptions for 786 yards and 10 touchdowns. Running back Mark van Eeghen

7030-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with

7215-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or

7400-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as

7585-579: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,

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7770-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over

7955-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job

8140-545: Is the earliest Super Bowl from which both coaches are still living, and the earliest from which either coach is still living following the death of Bud Grant in March 2023. The game was broadcast in the United States by NBC , with Dick Enberg in his first Super Bowl as a play-by-play announcer. There were three color commentators : Merlin Olsen sat next to Enberg, while John Brodie , and Len Dawson worked in

8325-556: Is the earliest Super Bowl where both teams' head coaches are still living. at Louisiana Superdome , New Orleans, Louisiana Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XV , Super Bowl XV Play Finder Oak , Super Bowl XV Play Finder Phi , Super Bowl XV Play by Play Completions/attempts Carries Long gain Receptions Times targeted The following records were set in Super Bowl XV, according to the official NFL.com boxscore and

8510-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside

8695-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are

8880-553: The Moonlighting season finale, which was also aired in 3-D, but withdrew plans due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America Strike . Super Bowl XXIII started out with devastating injuries on both sides. On the third play of the game, 49ers tackle Steve Wallace was taken off the field with a broken ankle and replaced by Bubba Paris. On the 14th play of the game, Bengals defensive lineman Tim Krumrie twisted his ankle nearly 180 degrees, shattering two bones in his left leg. Krumrie

9065-547: The 1982 season .) Oakland became the first team to avenge a regular-season loss in the Super Bowl. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 10–7 on November 23 at Veterans Stadium . This game marked the first Super Bowl where both teams used the 3–4 defensive formation as their base defense. The Raiders were the first team to use the 3–4 in the Super Bowl in Super Bowl XI against the Minnesota Vikings , although

9250-776: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;

9435-556: The Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game 21–10. Woods was the key contributor in both wins, rushing for a combined total of 228 yards and 3 touchdowns. Cincinnati's 17th-ranked defense during the season made a major improvement in the playoffs, holding both their opponents to a combined total of 23 points and recording 5 interceptions. Meanwhile, Bill Walsh guided the 49ers to crushing playoff wins over

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9620-569: The Diet Pepsi Talent Challenge at the Miami Seaquarium . Also, Frank Deford narrated a special segment profiling recently deceased Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney . This was also the first NFL game that NBC covered with their new " Quantel Cypher" graphics system, which was introduced during their coverage of the 1988 Seoul Olympics (they had used Chyron for their graphics prior to Super Bowl XXIII;

9805-544: The Louisiana Superdome , cementing their status in the regular host rotation. Detroit (XVI) and Pasadena (XVII) were other cities chosen at the meeting. After hosting five previous Super Bowls, Miami was noticeably left out, largely due the aging condition of the Orange Bowl , and for a hotel room mix-up at Super Bowl XIII two months earlier. Dolphins owner Joe Robbie , locked in an ongoing feud with

9990-561: The Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX . They had made the playoffs in the three seasons between Super Bowl XIX and Super Bowl XXIII, but were eliminated each time in the first round, primarily because of the poor performances by their offensive stars in those games; quarterback Joe Montana , receiver Jerry Rice , and running back Roger Craig all failed to produce a single touchdown. The previous season's 36–24 playoff loss to

10175-554: The Miami Dolphins used a version of the 3–4 ("53 defense") in Super Bowl VI , Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII . The 3–4 would be used by at least one team in every Super Bowl between Super Bowl XV and game XXVIII . The Raiders became the first team to appear in a Super Bowl in three different decades (1960s, 1970s and 1980s), having previously played in Super Bowls II and XI . As of Super Bowl LVIII , this

10360-590: The Minnesota Vikings had been a particularly low point for Montana, who had played so poorly that head coach Bill Walsh had benched him early in the third quarter. In the 1988 season, San Francisco won the NFC West with a 10–6 regular season record and earned the #2 playoff seed, but it was a long uphill battle. Two other teams in their division, the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints had also recorded 10-6 records, meaning not only did they earn

10545-746: The Minnesota Vikings , 31–16, and the Dallas Cowboys , 20–7. Meanwhile, Plunkett and the Raiders defeated the Houston Oilers 27–7, the Cleveland Browns 14–12 (on a play known as Red Right 88 ), and the San Diego Chargers 34–27. In doing so, Oakland became the second wild card team to advance to the Super Bowl since the 1970 merger, the first from the AFC, and the first wild card team to win three postseason rounds since

10730-548: The Minnesota Vikings , 34–9 and the Chicago Bears , 28–3. With the win over the Bears, the 49ers became the first road team to win an NFC Championship Game since the 1979 season . Despite the Bengals' superior regular season record and Esiason's MVP award, the 49ers were heavily favored to win the Super Bowl, mainly because of Montana. Montana had already led the 49ers to two previous Super Bowls and both times left with

10915-788: The San Diego Chargers , Tim Dwight did so for the Atlanta Falcons against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII , and Devin Hester did so for the Chicago Bears against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI . But the 49ers immediately responded with a touchdown of their own on an 85-yard, 4-play drive. First, Montana threw a short pass to Rice, who turned it into a 31-yard gain. Then

11100-533: The San Francisco Giants before taking over play-by-play full-time in 1989). The pregame festivities honored the Miami and South Florida areas, along with a tribute to NASA . Singer Billy Joel later sang the national anthem. He also sang the national anthem at Super Bowl XLI , which coincidentally was held at the same venue. The coin toss ceremony featured former Miami Dolphins players Nick Buoniconti , Bob Griese , and Larry Little . This

11285-479: The Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in

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11470-1018: The Washington Redskins (in Super Bowl XXVI ), the Green Bay Packers (in Super Bowl XXXI ), the Pittsburgh Steelers (in Super Bowl XL ), the New York Giants (in Super Bowl XLII ), and the New England Patriots (in Super Bowl XLIX ) have accomplished this same feat. At the end of NBC's telecast, they played Rod Stewart 's " Forever Young " against highlights of the past few months of sporting events to air on

11655-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform

11840-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of

12025-494: The drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on

12210-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on

12395-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance

12580-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to

12765-481: The 1, but he still fell into the end zone for a 93-yard touchdown return, giving the Bengals a 13–6 lead. Jennings joined Fulton Walker as the only other player at that time to return a kickoff for a touchdown in the Super Bowl. In the next three Super Bowls played in what is now Hard Rock Stadium , players duplicated Jennings' feat: Andre Coleman returned a kickoff against the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX for

12950-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement

13135-418: The 1978 season. Plunkett was signed by Oakland to be their backup quarterback, and thus he did not see much playing time, throwing no passes in 1978 and just 15 passes in 1979. Meanwhile, Oakland traded long time starting quarterback Ken Stabler in the 1979 off-season to replace him with Dan Pastorini , a former high school rival of Plunkett who had been selected two spots below him in the 1971 draft. After

13320-567: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap

13505-665: The 49ers back at their own 11. Then the Cincinnati defense limited the 49ers to just one yard on their ensuing drive, and ended up with great field position after defensive back Ray Horton returned San Francisco punter Barry Helton 's 37-yard punt five yards to the 49ers 44. On their ensuing drive, the Bengals managed to get into scoring range by driving 28 yards to the San Francisco 16, assisted by an 18-yard completion from Esiason to receiver Tim McGee . But after Esiason's third down pass intended for wide receiver Eddie Brown

13690-401: The Bengals managed to get a sustained drive going, moving the ball 61 yards in 12 plays and taking 9:15 off the clock. Esiason, who completed only 4 of 12 passes for 48 yards in the first half, completed 3 of 4 passes for 54 yards on the drive, including a 20-yard completion to James Brooks and 23-yard and 11-yard completions to Cris Collinsworth (who was playing in his final game), setting up

13875-548: The Cowboys won by 10) to become the first two teams to ever meet three times in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys and Bills (Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII), Rams and Patriots (Super Bowls XXXVI and LIII), Eagles and Patriots (Super Bowls XXXIX and LII), and Giants and Patriots (Super Bowls XLII and XLVI) have also met in two Super Bowls each. The 49ers, as the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, wore their home red uniforms with gold pants. The Bengals, on

14060-469: The Cypher was also used for the network's presentation of the 1988 World Series ). NBC also introduced their "cursive font" logo during this broadcast. Before, it was just the 1986 peacock logo with "NBC SPORTS" in their generic corporate font. With the win, the 49ers became the first team to win Super Bowls televised on three different networks ( CBS – XVI , ABC – XIX , and NBC ). Since then,

14245-412: The Eagles ended up being forced to punt. On the Raiders' next possession, on third down from their own 20, Plunkett threw the ball to running back Kenny King at the 39-yard line as he was scrambling around in the backfield to avoid being sacked. Cornerback Herm Edwards appeared poised to intercept the ball, but it brushed off his fingertips and was deflected to King, who caught the pass and took off to

14430-488: The Eagles never recovered. Oakland linebacker Rod Martin also intercepted Philadelphia quarterback Ron Jaworski three times for a Super Bowl record. Plunkett was named the Super Bowl MVP after completing 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 9 yards. Plunkett was also the second Heisman Trophy winner to be named Super Bowl MVP after Roger Staubach in Super Bowl VI . The NFL awarded Super Bowl XV to New Orleans on March 13, 1979, at

14615-500: The Lombardi Trophy to Davis, he praised Plunkett, head coach Tom Flores , the players, and the entire Raiders organization for being the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl. Davis thanked Rozelle, then proceeded to also praise the team. Oakland became only the second wild card team to make it to the Super Bowl and the first to come away victorious. The Super Bowl IV champion Kansas City Chiefs are often thought of as

14800-471: The NFL expanded to a 10-team playoff format in 1978 . Hayes had a spectacular performance in the playoffs, adding 5 more interceptions to give him a total of 18 picks in 19 games. In the days before the game, most sports writers were speculating over whether, if the Raiders won, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle would present the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the team's owner Al Davis . Prior to

14985-516: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from

15170-570: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by

15355-497: The NFL in punt return yards (556), yards per return, (12.6), and touchdowns (2). He also gained 228 yards on kickoff returns and 325 receiving yards on just 14 receptions (a 23.2 yards per catch average). The 49ers' defense was led by defensive backs Ronnie Lott , Eric Wright , Jeff Fuller , and Tim McKyer , who recorded a combined total of 18 interceptions. McKyer led the team with 7, while Lott recorded 5, along with 3 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. Linebacker Charles Haley

15540-535: The Pro-Football-Reference.com game summary. Source: Hall of Fame‡ Dooley, Graf, Kelleher and Veteri wore #7 at their respective officiating positions during 1979-81 (except Dooley was promoted to Referee for 1981, wearing #19), but Kelleher had priority on the number for the Super Bowl, due to his seniority. Kelleher and Veteri became the third and fourth officials to work four Super Bowls, joining Jack Fette and Stan Javie . The Raiders became

15725-475: The Raiders started the 1980 season with a 2–3 record, Pastorini broke his leg and suddenly Plunkett was thrust into the starting role. The 33-year-old Plunkett got off to a bad start, throwing 5 interceptions in a 31–17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after relieving Pastorini. However, he recovered and led the Raiders to victory in 9 of their last 11 games in the season, qualifying for the playoffs as

15910-403: The San Francisco quarterback completed a 40-yard pass to Craig on the first play of the fourth quarter, moving the ball to the Bengals 14. Montana's next pass was nearly intercepted but dropped by Cincinnati cornerback Lewis Billups in the end zone. On the next play, Montana threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Rice to tie the game at 13. Cofer's ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Bengals

16095-432: The Super Bowl with playoff victories over the Houston Oilers , Cleveland Browns , and San Diego. The Eagles were making their first Super Bowl appearance after posting a 12–4 regular season record and postseason victories over the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys . Aided by two touchdown passes from quarterback Jim Plunkett , the Raiders jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter of Super Bowl XV, from which

16280-561: The US throughout the hostages' time in captivity as a sign of support.) Singer, actress, and dancer Helen O'Connell later sang the national anthem. The coin toss ceremony featured Marie Lombardi, the widow of Pro Football Hall of Fame Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi . The halftime show, featuring singers and dancers, was a " Mardi Gras Festival", with a performance from "Up With People". Raiders linebacker Rod Martin intercepted Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski 's first pass of

16465-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2  psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),

16650-572: The annual survey was an ad from American Express starring Saturday Night Live stars Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz , who went to the game with different credit cards – Carvey with American Express, Lovitz with AmEx rival Visa . The game aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and was simulcast on CTV in Canada and Televisa 's Canal de las Estrellas in Mexico . For viewers watching

16835-641: The archrival New York Giants in the NFC wild card game. Philadelphia fell to 3-6 during the strike-shortened 1982 season , and Vermeil resigned eight days later, citing burnout. Vermeil returned to coaching in 1997 with the St. Louis Rams and led the club to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV . The Eagles won the next three meetings with the Raiders, prevailing in 1986 in overtime at Los Angeles, and 1989 and 1992 at Philadelphia. The Raiders ended their drought in

17020-572: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of

17205-411: The ball at their own 35. But they could only reach their 43 before being forced to punt. Taylor nearly turned the ball over by fumbling Johnson's punt, but teammate Darryl Pollard recovered the ball at the San Francisco 18. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Montana completed a 44-yard pass to Rice, and then Craig ran for seven yards, moving the ball to the Bengals 31. But after Craig was tackled for

17390-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as

17575-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except

17760-599: The broadcast booth. Brent Musburger hosted the pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage with analysts Dick Butkus , Irv Cross and Will McDonough , all from CBS' The NFL Today . Locally, Super Bowl XXIII was broadcast by WKRC-AM in Cincinnati with Phil Samp and former Bengals Ken Anderson and Dave Lapham , and by KGO-AM in San Francisco with Lon Simmons (calling his final game as 49ers play-by-play announcer), Wayne Walker and Joe Starkey (who filled in for Simmons in 1987 and '88 for games which conflicted with

17945-402: The city of Miami and Dade County over stadium improvements or construction of a new stadium, actually lobbied against Miami hosting the game. Robbie convinced the other owners to vote down Miami, in an effort to gain leverage towards building a new stadium. South Florida would not be selected to host another Super Bowl until Joe Robbie Stadium was built, and it hosted XXIII . Super Bowl XV

18130-480: The clock and win the game. Cliff Branch 's two touchdowns tied a Super Bowl record. Only Max McGee in Super Bowl I and John Stallworth in Super Bowl XIII caught two touchdowns prior to Branch. Jaworski finished the game with more completions (18) and yards (291) than Plunkett but completed just 18 of 38 attempts and was intercepted 3 times. Van Eeghen was the top rusher of the game with 75 yards. King

18315-527: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with

18500-608: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of

18685-551: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of

18870-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After

19055-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on

19240-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called

19425-579: The end of the Iran hostage crisis (which was announced 5 days before the game), and featured a performance by the Southern University band. A large yellow bow 80-foot (24 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide was attached to the outside of the Superdome, while miniature bows were given to fans and every player wore a yellow stripe on the back of their helmets. (Yellow bows had been used in

19610-520: The end zone for a Super Bowl-record 80-yard touchdown reception, giving the Raiders a 14–0 lead and tying the Miami Dolphins' record (which still stands) for the largest Super Bowl lead (14 points) at the end of the first quarter, set in Super Bowl VIII . The Eagles got on the board on their next drive, with Jaworski completing passes to tight end John Spagnola and running back Wilbert Montgomery for gains of 22 and 25 yards, respectively, on

19795-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run

19980-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of

20165-562: The favorite. This was the last Super Bowl played on the second to last Sunday in January. From 1990 to 2001, the game was played on the last Sunday of January, and from 2002 to 2021, on the first Sunday in February (with the exception of Super Bowl XXXVII , which was played on January 26, 2003). This was also the last east coast Super Bowl that began under daylight. For the 49ers, it was their first Super Bowl appearance since they defeated

20350-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from

20535-412: The field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue

20720-516: The first Hispanic coach to win a Super Bowl. In 1980, under head coach Dick Vermeil , the Philadelphia Eagles, who had not played in a league championship since their 1960 NFL championship, advanced to their first Super Bowl. Philadelphia's offense ranked 6th in the league in scoring (384 points) and 8th in yards gained (5,519). The Eagles were led by quarterback Ron Jaworski , who completed 257 out of 451 passes for 3,529 yards during

20905-542: The first Super Bowl to air with closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing. Toward the end of NBC's coverage, a montage of the game, the arrival of the hostages following their release , and the inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th President of the United States aired to the tune of " Celebration " by Kool & the Gang . A repeat episode of CHiPs , "11-99: Officer Needs Help", served as NBC's Super Bowl lead-out program . The pregame festivities honored

21090-465: The first player to play in three Super Bowls with the same team in three different decades. He also played in Super Bowls II (1967) and XI (1976). Oakland's defense, anchored by defensive linemen John Matuszak (8 sacks), Cedrick Hardman (9.5 sacks), and Dave Browning (6.5 sacks), led the league in forced turnovers (52) and interceptions (35). Defensive back Lester Hayes led the league in interceptions (13) and interception return yards (273), and

21275-483: The first team since the 1968 Green Bay Packers to post a losing record the year after winning the Super Bowl, going 7–9 in 1981 . Davis won a lawsuit against the NFL in May 1982 and immediately moved the team to Los Angeles, where they remained for 13 seasons before returning to Oakland in 1995. The Raiders left Oakland again in 2020, relocating to Las Vegas . The Eagles returned to the playoffs in 1981 , but lost 27–21 to

21460-540: The game and returned it 17 yards to the Philadelphia 30-yard line, setting up quarterback Jim Plunkett 's 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cliff Branch eight plays later, giving Oakland an early 7–0 lead. After the teams exchanged punts, Jaworski appeared to complete a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rodney Parker on 3rd-and-10 that would have tied the game, but the score was nullified by an illegal motion penalty on wide receiver Harold Carmichael , and

21645-519: The game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game,

21830-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul

22015-497: The game on AFN TV Europe ( Armed Forces Network ), AFN and NBC broke for a commercial just before the Montana-Taylor touchdown play. AFN continued their announcements and did not get back to the game until after the touchdown. AFN viewers saw the winning touchdown in replay. On radio, the game was broadcast in the United States by CBS with Jack Buck handling the play-by-play duties and color commentator Hank Stram in

22200-458: The game to Martin. The Raiders subsequently drove 40 yards on Plunkett's passes to tight end Raymond Chester and Chandler for gains of 16 and 17 yards, respectively. The drive stalled at the Philadelphia 28, forcing Oakland to settle for Bahr's 46-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 24–3. The Eagles finally managed to score a touchdown that counted early in the fourth quarter to cut their deficit to 24–10. Starting from their own 12-yard line,

22385-655: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect

22570-442: The game, 6-6. With less than a minute left in the third quarter, it appeared that this would become the first Super Bowl ever to go three quarters without either team scoring a touchdown. But on the ensuing kickoff, Stanford Jennings received the ball at the 7, ran straight up the middle behind a wedge of blockers, and burst out of the pack into the open field. 49ers receiver Terry Greer managed to chase him down and trip him up at

22755-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of

22940-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of

23125-555: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,

23310-451: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced

23495-507: The kicker's timing and his kick sailed wide left. Cofer succeeded Rich Karlis , who missed a 21-yard field goal in Super Bowl XXI , as the kicker with the shortest missed field goal in Super Bowl history, a record that still holds. The 49ers then forced the Bengals to punt on their next drive. On the play, San Francisco Pro Bowl punt returner John Taylor misplayed punter Lee Johnson 's kick, and it sailed over his head, bouncing all

23680-781: The network: The Summer Olympics from Seoul , the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics , the Fiesta Bowl between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and West Virginia Mountaineers , and finally Super Bowl XXIII. During the closing credits, NBC used the instrumental tune "Everglade Run" by Yanni . This game also marked the debut of the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter . The first winner of

23865-482: The next play, Montana was sacked by defensive lineman David Grant (who replaced Krumrie at nose tackle ). Then on third down, Fulcher forced a fumble from 49ers running back Roger Craig , and Bengals defensive end Jim Skow recovered the ball on his own 41. Cincinnati then drove to the San Francisco 42, but after two incomplete passes and defensive end Danny Stubbs 's eight-yard sack on Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason , they were forced to punt. However, Johnson pinned

24050-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score

24235-419: The opening kickoff of the second half and scored in six plays. Despite a holding penalty on offensive tackle Henry Lawrence , Plunkett completed a 13-yard pass to King and a 32-yard completion to wide receiver Bob Chandler to move the ball to the Eagles 33-yard line. Then after a 4-yard run by running back Mark van Eeghen , Plunkett threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Branch, increasing Oakland's lead to 21–3. On

24420-473: The other hand, wore their all-white road uniforms. On January 16, a Hispanic Miami police officer shot and killed a speeding black motorcyclist in the Overtown section of Miami. A large crowd gathered and turned violent, leading to rioting and looting which lasted into January 18. A television van and several automobiles and buildings were set on fire, and police used tear gas against the rioters. A teenager

24605-513: The owners' meetings in Honolulu . For the first time, three Super Bowl host cities were deliberated and selected at the same meeting (XV, XVI , and XVII ). A total of eight cities submitted bids: New Orleans, Detroit ( Silverdome ), Pasadena ( Rose Bowl ), Los Angeles ( Coliseum ), Miami , Seattle ( Kingdome ), Dallas ( Cotton Bowl ), and Houston ( Rice Stadium ). New Orleans was selected for their fifth Super Bowl overall, and second at

24790-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and

24975-410: The play, the ball was briefly intercepted by Eagles rookie cornerback Roynell Young but Branch immediately ripped the ball out of Young's grasp and hold on as the cornerback made a feeble attempt to tackle the wide receiver. The Eagles responded by driving 56 yards to the Raiders 34, aided by two receptions by Carmichael for a total of 37 yards, but on 3rd-and-3, Jaworski threw his second interception of

25160-451: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this

25345-425: The postseason by rushing for 194 yards in the NFC title game. Montgomery was also a superb receiver out of the backfield, recording 50 receptions for 407 yards. The other main deep threats on offense, wide receivers Harold Carmichael and Charlie Smith , along with tight end Keith Krepfle , combined for 125 receptions, 2,090 yards, and 16 touchdowns. The Eagles' defense led the league in fewest points allowed during

25530-454: The postseason, throwing for 466 yards and 5 touchdowns in his two playoff games, with only 1 interception. In contrast, the sore-shouldered Esiason had thrown for only 202 yards and 1 touchdown, with 2 interceptions, in the Bengals' two playoff victories. While in Miami, Cincinnati suffered a major blow even before the game began. On the night before the Super Bowl, Stanley Wilson , the Bengals' best fullback and their third-leading rusher during

25715-478: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as

25900-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it

26085-442: The regular season (222), while ranking second in fewest yards (4,443). Nose tackle Charlie Johnson anchored the line, and even managed to record 3 interceptions. Defensive end Claude Humphrey led the team in sacks with 14.5, while fellow defensive end Carl Hairston added 9 sacks and defensive tackle Ken Clarke had 7. Linebackers Jerry Robinson (4 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions) and Bill Bergey excelled at both stopping

26270-404: The regular season, including 27 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. Another key player on the Eagles offense was halfback Wilbert Montgomery , who was widely considered one of the top running backs in the NFL after rushing for more than 1,200 yards in each of the previous two seasons. Injuries during the 1980 regular season had limited him to just 778 yards, but he proved he was fully recovered in

26455-411: The rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of

26640-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function

26825-407: The rest of the show instead featured songs from musicals among other tunes. Several scenes included computer generated 3-D images. Prior to the game, Coca-Cola distributed 3-D glasses at retailers for viewers to use. At the onset of the halftime show, primary sponsor Diet Coke aired the first commercial in 3-D. Coca-Cola had originally planned to use the 3-D Diet Coke commercial as part of

27010-507: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain

27195-466: The rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,

27380-451: The rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at

27565-422: The run and pass coverage. Philadelphia also had a fine secondary, led by veteran defensive backs Herman Edwards (3 interceptions) and Brenard Wilson (6 interceptions), along with rookie Roynell Young (4 interceptions). The Eagles' defense was a major factor in their hard-fought 10–7 victory over the Raiders in the regular season; they sacked Plunkett 8 times. The Eagles advanced through the playoffs, defeating

27750-435: The same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of

27935-405: The scoring. The Raiders' defense then dominated the rest the game, forcing two turnovers on the Eagles' last two possessions of the game to prevent any chance of a comeback. On the Eagles' next drive, Jaworski fumbled a snap and defensive end Willie Jones recovered it. Following a Raiders punt, Martin recorded a Super Bowl record third interception, and the Raiders reached the Eagles 19 to run out

28120-483: The season with 398 yards, was caught using cocaine in his hotel room. The Bengals had no choice but to leave him off the roster. It was Wilson's third violation of the league's drug policy, and as a result he was banned from the league for life. Both coaches had a long history with each other. In 1979, 49ers coach Bill Walsh had talked Sam Wyche out of retirement to come and join the team as an assistant coach. Wyche remained on Walsh's coaching staff until 1982, winning

28305-684: The season, the league declined to approve the Raiders' proposal to move from the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles . In response, Davis sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws. The conflict caused much friction between Rozelle and Davis. (The Raiders would eventually win the lawsuit, allowing the team to move to Los Angeles before

28490-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit

28675-421: The series in 1995 vat Oakland. Specific General American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down

28860-477: The suburb of Miami Gardens , which became a separate city in 2003). This was the first Super Bowl hosted in the Miami area in 10 years, and the first in Miami not held at the Orange Bowl . This was the second meeting between these two teams in the Super Bowl; their first meeting was seven years earlier . The game was also the third rematch between Super Bowl teams after Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XVII . This

29045-455: The team finished with a miserable 4–11 record, including 0–3 in games played by replacement players. The coach and quarterback worked out their differences in the offseason, and Esiason ended up having the best season of his career en route to Super Bowl XXIII. During the regular season, he threw for 3,572 yards and 28 touchdowns with only 14 interceptions, while also rushing for 248 yards and a touchdown on 43 carries. Esiason's performance made him

29230-641: The third time in his career, and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the 8th season in a row. With all these weapons, Cincinnati's offense led the NFL in scoring (448 points), rushing yards (2,710), and total yards (6,302). The Bengals' defense ranked 17th in the league, allowing 5,556 yards and 329 points during the regular season. Cincinnati had a superb defensive line , led by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tim Krumrie (3 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries), along with linemen Jim Skow (9.5 sacks), David Grant (5 sacks), and Jason Buck (6 sacks). Their linebacking corps

29415-500: The top-rated quarterback in the league with a 97.4 passer rating and earned him the NFL Most Valuable Player Award . Cincinnati had a number of offensive weapons, boasting six Pro Bowl selections. Wide receiver Eddie Brown was the top receiver on the team, with 54 receptions for 1,273 yards and 9 touchdowns, setting franchise records for most receiving yards in season, highest yards per catch average in

29600-446: The way to the 49ers 9 to make it a then-Super Bowl record 63-yard punt. But Taylor made up for his mistake by chasing the ball down and returning it for a then-Super Bowl record 45 yards to the Bengals 46. Thanks to Taylor, a seemingly routine punt had turned into a double record setter. Taylor's Super Bowl record for longest punt return stood for 27 seasons until Super Bowl 50 , when Denver Broncos ' return specialist Jordan Norwood had

29785-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of

29970-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when

30155-403: The winning touchdown on a Joe Montana pass to John Taylor with just 34 seconds left in the game. The game was tight throughout. The teams combined for five field goals, and battled to a 3–3 score by the end of the second quarter, the first halftime tie in Super Bowl history. Cincinnati's only touchdown, a 93-yard kickoff return by Stanford Jennings in the third quarter, was quickly answered by

30340-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of

30525-402: Was also a big contributor with 11.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries. The 49ers also had a solid defensive line, featuring Michael Carter (6.5 sacks), Danny Stubbs (6 sacks), Larry Roberts (6 sacks), and Pierce Holt (5 sacks). The Bengals were also a team on the rebound. During the strike-shortened 1987 season , quarterback Boomer Esiason and head coach Sam Wyche had openly feuded, and

30710-562: Was also a key contributor, leading the team in receptions (76) while finishing the season with a total of 2,036 combined rushing and receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, earning him the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award . Fullback Tom Rathman also made a big impact, rushing for 427 yards and catching 42 passes for 387 yards. San Francisco also had a major special teams threat in second-year receiver John Taylor , who led

30895-477: Was also working as a researcher for NBC Sports at the time), Al Roker , who did a brief weather report at the beginning of the pregame show (Roker was already in Miami due to NBC News having sent him there as part of the Sunday Today coverage) and Marv Albert , who interviewed Sam Wyche and Boomer Esiason after the game. Meanwhile, during NBC's pregame coverage, Ahmad Rashad and John Candy hosted

31080-424: Was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1988 season . The 49ers defeated the Bengals 20–16, winning their third Super Bowl. The game was played on January 22, 1989, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami (now part of

31265-644: Was broadcast in the United States by NBC with Dick Enberg handling the play-by-play duties and color commentator Merlin Olsen in the broadcast booth. This would be Olsen's final Super Bowl broadcast, as he was demoted the following season to make room for retiring 49ers head coach Bill Walsh . Bob Costas and Gayle Gardner hosted the Super Bowl Live! pregame (2 hours), halftime, and postgame coverage with analysts Paul Maguire and then- Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula . Also assisting with NBC's coverage were pregame roving reporter Jim Gray (who

31450-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,

31635-626: Was led by 13-year veteran Reggie Williams , one of six players remaining from their 1981 Super Bowl team. Pro Bowl defensive backs Eric Thomas and David Fulcher combined for 12 interceptions, while safety Lewis Billups added 4 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. The team ended up winning the AFC Central with a 12–4 record. The Bengals went on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks in the AFC Divisional playoff game 21–13, and

31820-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football

32005-464: Was overthrown, they were forced to settle for kicker Jim Breech 's 34-yard field goal with 1:15 left in the half. The two teams went into their locker rooms tied 3–3, the first halftime tie in Super Bowl history, and the lowest halftime score since the Pittsburgh Steelers took a 2–0 halftime lead over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IX . On their opening possession in the second half,

32190-568: Was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana , on January 25, 1981, five days after the Iran hostage crisis ended. The game was thus held under patriotic fervor, as the pregame ceremonies honored the end of the crisis. The Raiders were making their third Super Bowl appearance after posting an 11–5 regular season record, but losing a tiebreaker to the AFC West division winner San Diego Chargers . Oakland then advanced to

32375-556: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to

32560-414: Was replaced by rookie David Grant. After the two teams traded punts on their first drives of the game, the 49ers, aided by a roughing the passer penalty and a 17-yard screen pass to fullback Tom Rathman on 3rd-and-10, marched 73 yards from their own 3-yard line to the Bengals 24. But dropped passes, including one by receiver Mike Wilson on the 2-yard line (the first time in a Super Bowl that instant replay

32745-490: Was shot and killed in the melee and more than $ 1 million worth of damage was done. Rumors began that the Super Bowl might be moved to Tampa , and the incident later prompted the NFL to look at the league's hiring of minorities and its lack of black coaches at the time (the following season Art Shell became the first African-American NFL head coach of the modern era with the Los Angeles Raiders ). The game

32930-444: Was the Bengals' second Super Bowl appearance after finishing the regular season with a 12–4 record. The 49ers were making their third Super Bowl appearance after posting a 10–6 regular season record. The game is best remembered for the 49ers' fourth-quarter game-winning drive. Down 16–13, San Francisco got the ball on their own 8-yard line with 3:10 on the clock and marched 92 yards down the field in under three minutes. They then scored

33115-532: Was the climax of Jim Plunkett 's revival as an NFL starting quarterback. The 1970 Heisman Trophy winner was selected with the first pick of the 1971 NFL draft by the New England Patriots and was later named the 1971 NFL Rookie of the Year . But Plunkett suffered through five losing seasons with the Patriots and two uneven seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before being released as a free agent before

33300-421: Was the last outdoor Super Bowl to start earlier than 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, as it started just after 5 p.m. The halftime show was titled "Be Bop Bamboozled in 3-D" and featured an Elvis impersonator , played by then- Solid Gold dancer Alex Cole, and hundreds of South Florida-area dancers and performers. Two portions of Elvis Presley songs were performed (" Blue Suede Shoes " and " Burning Love "), and

33485-414: Was the league's Defensive Player of the Year . Safety Burgess Owens added three interceptions, returning them for 59 yards and a touchdown. The Raiders also had a trio of great linebackers: future Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks (3 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries, 8.5 sacks) Pro Bowler Rod Martin (3 Interceptions), and standout rookie Matt Millen . The Raiders were led by head coach Tom Flores ,

33670-723: Was the sixth time that Miami hosted the game, and the first at Joe Robbie Stadium ; the 5 previous Super Bowls in the area were played at the Miami Orange Bowl . Originally, the selection was to be voted on during the May 23–25, 1984 meetings. However, after balloting for XXI took more than two hours, voting for XXIII was rescheduled. Twelve cities were part of the bidding process, which was scheduled to award two Super Bowls (XXIII and XXIV ). The bidding cities included: Anaheim , Detroit , Houston , Jacksonville , Miami , Minneapolis , New Orleans , Philadelphia , San Francisco , Seattle , Tampa , and Tempe . Miami entered as

33855-665: Was the team's top rusher with 838 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also catching 29 passes for 259 yards. Six games into the season, the Raiders made a surprise trade, sending future Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper to the Houston Oilers for one first round and two second round draft picks. Veteran tight end Raymond Chester proved to be a capable starter for the rest of the year, catching 28 passes for 366 yards and 4 touchdowns. Halfback Kenny King rushed for 761 yards and catching 22 passes for 145 yards. The Raiders also had an outstanding offensive line led by two future Hall of Famers, tackle Art Shell and guard Gene Upshaw . Upshaw became

34040-413: Was the top receiver with 93 yards and a touchdown off of just 2 receptions. Eagles running back Wilbert Montgomery led Philadelphia in rushing and receiving with 44 rushing yards and 6 receptions for 91 yards. The Eagles' loss came hours after former head coach Joe Kuharich had died. After the game, the expected heated confrontation between Rozelle and Davis was actually very civil. As Rozelle presented

34225-478: Was used to reverse a call), forced them to settle for a 41-yard field goal from kicker Mike Cofer . On the 49ers' next drive, Montana threw a pass to wide receiver Jerry Rice , who first tipped it to himself and then made a one-handed catch before stepping out of bounds at the San Francisco 45-yard line. Then after reaching the Cincinnati 42-yard line, Montana spotted defensive back Lewis Billups trying to cover Rice one-on-one and made him pay for it by completing

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