how do they determine which teams will play each other during the regular NFL football season? my interest is?

Question

mainly in the out of conference afc vs nfc games. how is it decided which afc team might play which nfc team in a regular season game? not looking for the exact science behind it but the general idea on how this is done.

Answer 1

All teams play the teams in their division twice for 6 games, all teams from another division within the same conference once for 4 games, one team from the other two divisions within the same conference for two games, all teams from another division in the other conference once for 4 games. The divisions they play against are done on a rotational, year-by-year basis and how well the teams finish determines the strength of the scheduling too.

Answer 2

You always play the teams in your division 2 times a year, once at home, once away. then the other 8 games are picked by divisions playing each other (e.g. all teams in nfc east play all teams in afc west once). that's what I know, but what I don't know is how the Pats & Colts play every year. There is also a rule in there for how the teams did the previous year (e.g. 4-12 team gets an easier schedule that a 12-4 team). Except if you're the Pats, they go 16-0 and then only play 4 teams with a winning record the following year. Guess it's good to have the NFL on your side, you can cheat, you'll only get a slap on the wrist, and then they'll still make a nice easy schedule for you.

Answer 3

the schedule rotates each year, ie the afc west plays the nfc west yer and last year it played the nfc east, the year before it was the nfc north, next year it should be the nfc south. its to give each team gets a shot against the others. That was one of the advantages to the 8-4 team divisions: it allowed for ensuring each team will play another from the NFC at some point within 4 years. Also, in case you were interested, the interconference scheduling is determined by playoff seeding last year. ie since new england finished first last year it plays all the other first place teams in its conference and the highest ranked wild card from last year. Sorry guys before me I know it was mostly the same info, but I just wanted to add my bit of knowledge.

Answer 4

They also design some rivalries as well that make good TV ratings. They may have the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Dallas Cowboys on a Monday night or Thanksgivng game to boost the ratings during that time.

The guy above is right, they do the same in baseball where the division plays the other for that year. The AFC games are decided by the divisional rank at the end of the season. If you were in 1st place in your division, then you play more 1st and 2nd place teams, not bottomfeeding to win another championship. That is why it is hard to win Championship after Chanpionship. Congrats to the one team each decade that does it.

Hope that helps

Answer 5

I believe it goes by divisions. i.e. everyone from the NFC West plays everyone from the AFC West. and they change it yearly. That way all the teams get a chance to play each other eventually. It goes the same for out of division, inner conferance games. i.e. everyone from the NFC West plays everyone from the NFC North.

Answer 6

Without knowing the specific rotation, each division from each conference will rotate who they play each year. For example The NFC east will play the teams in the AFC south this year. Then you play the teams in your division, and next in your conference. The strength of schedule depends on your record from the previous year. Both conference champions will play all division winners and the rest of the playoff teams will play the other playoff teams and the division winners of their conference. This came out on a website that I found.....

• Each team plays home and away against its three division opponents, which accounts for six games on the schedule.

• Each team plays four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle, which accounts for four more games.

• Each team plays four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle, which accounts for another four games.

• Each team plays two intraconference games based on the prior year's standings. For example, the first-place team in a division will play against the first-place team from another division within the same conference. The second place team in a division will play against the second-place team from another division within the same conference, etc...

Answer 7

and then of course 2 random confernece (I believe) games (6 div + 4 conference+4out of conference=14)

Answer 8

The 16-game schedule is broken down this way:

6 games in division (each opponent home-and-home)
6 games in conference (one game vs. every team in one other division in the conference, and one game vs. the team in the other two divisions in the conference which finished in the same position in their division). Home sites rotate so that every team is guaranteed to vist every site in their conference at least once every 6 years.
4 game out of conference (one game vs. every team in one division in the other conference). Home sites rotate so that every team is guaranteed to vist every site in the league every 8 years.

In 2002, the schedule was set for the next 8 years. Here is how the rotation goes:

Intraconference
2002, 2005, 2008 - AFC East vs. AFC West, AFC North vs. AFC South, NFC East vs. NFC West, NFC North vs. NFC South
2003, 2006, 2009 - AFC East vs. AFC South, AFC North vs. AFC West, NFC East vs. NFC South, NFC North vs. NFC West
2004, 2007 - AFC East vs. AFC North, AFC South vs. AFC West, NFC East vs. NFC North, NFC South vs. NFC West

Interconference
2002, 2006 - AFC East vs. NFC North, AFC South vs. NFC East, AFC North vs. NFC South, AFC West vs. NFC West
2003, 2007 - AFC East vs. NFC East, AFC South vs. NFC South, AFC North vs. NFC West, AFC West vs. NFC North
2004, 2008 - AFC East vs. NFC West, AFC South vs. NFC North, AFC North vs. NFC East, AFC West vs. NFC South
2005, 2009 - AFC East vs. NFC South, AFC South vs. NFC West, AFC North vs. NFC North, AFC West vs. NFC East

Thus, the only part of the schedule that isn't known in advance are the two games in conference vs. the other two teams who finished in the same place. The home-and-away sites for those are already determined, however, for each team. So, for instance, if the Buffalo Bills finish 4th in the AFC East this season, in 2007, they will play:

Home - Miami, New England, NY Jets, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, NY Giants, 4th place team in the AFC West
Away - Miami, New England, NY Jets, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, 4th place team in the AFC South

Whatever place they finish, they will host an AFC West team in 2007 and visit an AFC South team.

Echo Unit above is incorrect about a team like New England's schedule. They only play the other first-place teams in the conference this year; they would only play a wild-card team if it came out of the AFC South.