What is the NFL Pro Bowl? Everything to know about the all-star game

The Pro Bowl is the equivalent of an all-star game for the NFL. It features the best players from the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).

The game itself isn’t a hugely contested showdown between the two conferences.

But being selected to play is one of the highest honours a player can achieve.

For many it’s used as a good indication each year, as to who the best players are at a given position.

How are players chosen to play in the Pro Bowl?

Players are selected by gaining votes. Players and coaches vote for their favourite players throughout the season and near the end of the regular season voting is opened up to fans.

For fans, the voting window lasts four weeks and in the 2018/19 season that ran between 13 November and 13 December.

This year fans were also able to vote directly on Twitter.

NFL players, coaches and fans count towards one-third each of the votes to determine the 88 All-Star players who will be selected to the Pro Bowl.

Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s senior vice president of events, said the league values its current practice of combining votes from coaches, players and fans in one-third increments.

“The majority of the votes are coming from the players on the field and the coaches who coach those players,” O’Reilly said.

“Having a fan component in there is important. Fans love that opportunity, and certainly fans and those who vote for the Pro Bowl are knowledgeable as well. That’s why we’ve struck that balance and weigh it that way. The fan piece is important.”

Where is the NFL Pro Bowl played?

The game is now played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

From 1980 to 2016 the NFL played the game in Hawaii before making the decision to switch it toFlorida, in a bid to increase the Pro Bowl’s popularity and accessibility.

Are players paid for playing in the Pro Bowl?

Players can earn additional money for playing in the Pro Bowl.

In the 2010 Pro Bowl, players on the winning team received a cheque worth $45,000 (£34K), while the losers received $22,000 (£17K).

What are the special rules for the Pro Bowl?

The NFL have applied special rules for the game in a bid to prevent injuries.

On offence, a quarterback is allowed to throw the ball away at any time, without risking an intentional-grounding penalty – this is to help quarterbacks avoid being sacked.

On defence, blitzes are banned and only linemen are allowed to rush the quarterback.

When is the Pro Bowl played?

The Pro Bowl was previously played the week after the Super Bowl, but it has now been switched to the week preceding it – players from team’s who are in the Super Bowl do not play and the NFL select replacements if needed.

This year the game is played on Sunday 27 January.

source: express.co.uk