So You Think You Know Football?: The Armchair Ref's Guide to the Official Rules

by Ben Austro

Overview

So You Think You Know Football? is the motherlode of NFL rules and their interpretations. Whether you know everything about on- and off-field rules or are a true novice, Austro deftly illustrates the ins and outs of the NFL rulebook using examples from actual games. Test your inner referee with questions about the correct call and how slight changes might affect the ruling. Do you know why spiking the ball immediately to stop the clock is not considered intentional grounding, while hesitating a few seconds then spiking the ball is? See if you would have made the right call in a game played between the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders on November 27, 2011-with additional quiz questions from other games involving similar controversies. Keep this book right next to your favorite football-watching chair to consult during the game and visit ThinkYouKnowFootball.com to stay updated on interpretations affected by rule modifications.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630760434
Publisher:	Taylor Trade Publishing
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	360,389
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Ben Austro has been an armchair official since he wrote to the league office in 1988 and received a copy of the official NFL rulebook. From there, he founded Football Zebras, a website dedicated to rules interpretations and the 33rd team in the NFL: the officiating crews. When he is not writing about football, he is a regulatory specialist in food labeling. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children.

Editorial Reviews

Ben Austro is so deft and smart about every football rule that he could be working at the right hand of Dean Blandino in the NFL officiating department. But you're lucky he isn't, because now he has time to enrich your football experience with this book.

Peter King

A readable, informative, and entertaining casebook of NFL rules that appeals to the casual and expert fan. Austro explains nuanced examples with an authority typically unseen from NFL media. 

Kevin Seifert

It’s been fascinating to follow Ben Austro’s progression from interested fan to qualified commentator to bona fide expert on NFL rules and officiating. So You Think You Know Football? is must-reading for NFL fans who want to know how the game really works. The book takes you from the start of the game to the finish and highlights interesting rule quirks with real-life examples taken from recent NFL games.

John Murphy

Ben Austro has done an outstanding job of research and analysis of the rules and nuances of the game of football as played and officiated in the National Football League. For every fan that has ever said ‘I could’ve made that call’ to themselves or their football buddies—here’s your chance. Austro leaves no stone unturned as he fully explains the when, what, and how behind various rules and interpretations which come into play each and every week during an NFL game. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have.

Larry Upson