American Football Terms in Spanish (Update 2023)
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About 92 million people watched the Superbowl this year, when Tampa Bay played against Kansas City, according to ESPN.
But why should you learn about something so American in Spanish? 41 million people speak Spanish in the U.S., making it the second most widely-spoken language in the country. What’s more, the U.S. is predicted to be the largest Spanish-speaking country by 2050!
So, gear up and get ready to learn all about football in Spanish!
PRO TIP! If you say el fútbol in Latin America, people assume that you’re talking about soccer. To be clear, call it el fútbol americano.
Football Terms in Spanish
You might be curious as to how to divide the two types of American football in Spanish, and it’s pretty easy:
- Professional football – El fútbol americano profesional o de la NFL
- NCAA football – El fútbol americano universitario o de la NCAA
Let’s kick-start this guide with some football terms in Spanish. Check out this basic football terms list.
Example Sentences
Me gusta el fútbol americano. I like American football.
¿Cómo se juega al fútbol americano? How do you play American football?
¡Anotaron un touchdown! They scored a touchdown!
Drew Brees hace excelentes passes. Drew Brees makes excellent passes.
Taclearon a ese jugador fuertemente. They tackled that player strongly.
La línea defensiva tiene muchos hoyos. The defensive line has many holes.
Stadiums in Spanish
Did you know that there are 30 NFL stadiums in the United States? What can you find within a football stadium? This list will tell you common elements that you can find in any of those 30 stadiums all around the U.S.
PRO TIP! Talking about yards and yard lines requires numbers. If you don’t know how to count in Spanish, check out this super useful guide: Counting in Spanish from 1 to 100 Million (and Beyond!)
Football Positions in Spanish
What’s the first thing you think about when you talk about football? A quarterback, probably. But how about the linebacker, wide receiver, and kicker? Get ready to learn all of the positions in football in Spanish!
Additional People Related to Football in Spanish
Not all of the action present in football happens on the field. Here are some of the other important figures in American football.
Verbs to Talk about Football in Spanish
Here are some of the most common actions that take place en un partido de fútbol americano (in a football match):
- To throw – lanzar, tirar
- To tackle – taclear
- To yell – gritar
- To order – ordenar
- To organize – ordenar, organizar
- To run – correr
- To jump – saltar
- To avoid – evitar, esquivar
- To roll – rotar
- To fall – caer, caerse
- To get up – levantarse
- To pick up – levantar
- To protect – proteger
- To hold – sostener
- To pull – jalar
- To push – empujar
- To attack – atacar
- To defend – defender
- To catch – atrapar, cachar
- To kick – patear
Example Sentences
El mariscal de campo tira el balón y el receptor abierto lo cacha. The quarterback throws the ball and the wide receiver catches it.
Esos apoyadores son enormes. Deben pesar unas 250 libras. Those linebackers are huge. They must weigh 250 pounds.
El pateador de mi equipo es excelente, hizo un gol de campo desde la yarda 46. The kicker on my team is excellent; he scored a field goal from the 46th yard line.
El árbitro tiró el banderín porque hubo falta. The referee threw the flag because there was a foul.
El entrenador no organizó bien al equipo para este partido. The coach did not organize his team well for this match.
Los periodistas hacen preguntas incómodas a los jugadores. Journalists ask the players uncomfortable questions.
What to Wear When Playing Football in Spanish
You might like watching football, but then again, you also might like playing it. If that’s the case, you gear to protect yourself from the blows you might receive while playing.
Rules of Football in Spanish
Here are some basic American football rules in Spanish:
Un touchdown vale seis puntos. A touchdown is worth six points.
Después de anotar un touchdown, tienes la oportunidad de anotar un punto extra. After scoring a touchdown, you have the chance to score an extra point.
Tienes cuatro oportunidades para avanzar diez yardas antes de perder la posesión. You have four chances (downs) to advance ten yards before losing the possession.
No puedes correr hacia adelante y luego hacer un pase hacia adelante, solo atrás o a los lados. You cannot run forward and then make a pass forward, only backward or sideways.
Un gol de campo vale tres puntos. A field goal is worth three points.
Un safety vale dos puntos. A safety is worth two points.
If you’re still unsure of how to talk about some of the basic rules of football in Spanish, check this video made by the NFL: Guía para Principiantes de la NFL.
Penalties in Football in Spanish
Las infracciones o penalizaciones (penalties) are a big part of football.
NFL Teams in Spanish
Do we have a vocabulary in Spanish for this, too? Yes, we do! While most people might understand what you are talking about when you mention the New Orleans Saints or the New England Patriots, you can study this vocabulary to say their names properly in Spanish.
Learn More Spanish!
Thanks for joining me for this football in Spanish lesson! If you want to expand your football vocabulary, sports vocabulary in general, or simply speak more fluent Spanish, sign up for a free, one-on-one class with our friendly Guatemalan teachers, who’ll get you speaking (more) Spanish in no time!
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