If you hadn’t already heard, the BIG GAME is on this Sunday. Yep. February 7^th, 2016 at Levi’s Stadium, Super Bowl 50 is going down. The match up is Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers. To the football fans and experts of the game, you can proceed reading but this article is not directed toward you. Nope. This is a cheat-sheet, if you will, for the people out there that don’t know the first thing about football.

The names you will hear the most are Peyton Manning and Cam Newton - they're the quarterbacks. The other offensive positions include center, running backs, full backs, wide receivers, tide ends, guards and tackles. Defensive positions are equally as important, and those positions include defensive tackles and ends, linebackers, safeties, and cornerbacks.

The terminology of football is what always trips me up. I didn't grow up watching it religiously. The referees and announcers are always talking and using terms that I just don’t know. Until you understand football lingo fully, games are harder to follow. So here is a list of important terms to know, with some help from Football for Dummies.

Down: A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead/play is completed. The offense gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. If it fails to do so, it must surrender the ball to the opponent.

Field goal: A kick, worth three points, that can be attempted from anywhere on the field, but is usually attempted within 40 yards of the goalpost.

Fumble: The act of losing possession of the ball while running with it or being tackled. Members of the offense and defense can recover a fumble. However, a turnoveris when the defense recovers the fumble.

Incompletion: A forward pass that falls to the ground because no receiver could catch it, or a pass that a receiver dropped or caught out of bounds.

Interception: A pass that's caught by a defensive player, ending the offense's possession of the ball.

Line of scrimmage: An imaginary line that extends from where the football is placed at the end of a play to both sides of the field. Neither the offense nor the defense can cross the line until the football is put into play.

Sack: When a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage.

Safety: A score, worth two points, that the defense earns by tackling an offensive player in possession of the ball in his own end zone.

Touchdown:

Broncos Version...

Now, as you may have guessed this big game has rules. Some of the common penalties are…

Holding (defensive): When a defensive player tackles or holds an offensive player other than the ball carrier. The penalty is 5 yards and an automatic first down.

Holding (offensive): When an offensive player uses his hands, arms, or other parts of his body to prevent a defensive player from tackling the ball carrier. The penalty is 10 yards.

Pass interference: A judgment call made by an official, who sees a defensive player make contact with the intended receiver before the ball arrives, thus restricting his opportunity to catch the forward pass. This penalty awards the offensive team the ball at the spot of the foul with an automatic first down.

Personal foul: An illegal, flagrant foul considered risky to the health of another player. A personal foul is a 15-yard penalty.

Roughing the kicker: When a defensive player makes any contact with the punter, provided the defensive player hasn’t touched the kicked ball before contact. This is a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.

Roughing the passer: When a defensive player makes direct contact with the quarterback after the quarterback has released the ball. This is a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.

NOW YOU ARE SET! If you still aren't feeling that you understand the great game of football, just watch the commercials and half-time performance. They both will probably be just as entertaining as this year's match up.

P.S. Go Steelers!!!