How Many Weeks Are In The NFL Season

The NFL season typically consists of 17 weeks, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. However, this can vary slightly depending on the year. For example, in 2020, the season was shortened to 16 weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a normal season, the regular season starts in early September and ends in early January. This is followed by the playoffs, which culminate in the Super Bowl.

How The NFL Season Is Structured

The regular season is divided into two halves, with each team playing eight games in each half. The first half of the season is known as the regular season, while the second half is known as the playoffs. The playoffs are made up of four teams, with each team playing two games. The team with the best record in each conference (the NFC and AFC) automatically qualifies for the playoffs, while the other two teams are determined by a vote of the NFL owners.

The playoffs are single-elimination, meaning that each team only has one chance to win. The four teams are seeded according to their records, with the team with the best record playing the team with the worst record, and the team with the second-best record playing the team with the second-worst record. The winners of those two games then advance to the conference championship games, with the winner of each conference championship game advancing to the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl is the biggest game of the year, and is played between the two conference champions. The winner of the Super Bowl is crowned the NFL champion for that year.

The NFL Season Length In Comparison To Other Sports

In comparison to other major professional sports leagues in North America, the NFL has the shortest regular season (17 regular season games). Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL) both have 82-game regular seasons, while the National Basketball Association (NBA) plays a 82-game season plus playoffs.