Here in the US, the English Premier League (EPL) can seem like a bit if a mystery to us. Of course, we get that the Brits are hugely passionate about what they call football, but having grown up throwing a pigskin around, the rules and the reasons why they are quite so fervent about this sport can escape us. This is a great shame though because much like baseball and American football, watching and following the ELP is an excellent use of the sports fanatic’s time. Which is precisely why I have written the post attempting to demystify it below. Keep reading to find out more.

Do get your head around the basic rules

First off, it’s time to understand the basic rule of this sport. Now, most folks realize that the aim of the game is to get the football into the goal of the opposite team! However, as you would expect with premier league things are a bit more complicated than that.

For starters do you know that are just 20 clubs in the premier league, visit premierleague.com to find out more about  each one. These clubs represent the best in England and Wales? Each team plays the others twice resulting in two matches where they face off.

The only option is promotion or relegation dependent on the results of this, and the three teams that come last in the tables overall get demoted to the regular English Football League (EFL), something that they fight their hardest to avoid, mainly, because with premier league games come big money, sponsorship, wages, and popularity.

What you also need to know is that the top three teams in the EPL get promoted to the premier league, and are allowed to try their luck and skill against the big clubs, making it a pretty interesting sport to follow.

Don’t worry if you don’t get the offside rule

Of course, the actual rules of the game of football that the EPL play by are a bit more complex than just get it in the goal! For starters, the players are not supposed to make contact with one another and when they do this is called a foul, something that gives an advantage to the opposing team.

Then there are all sorts of detailed rules that are still hotly contested even amongst the most avid EPL fans like the offside rule. Which is notoriously difficult to explain, referee, and enforce. Although, if you want to have a go at comprehending it you can check out the guidance in the video below.

 Do get behind a team

Next, to truly demystify the EPL you need to find a team to get behind. After all, a great deal of this sports’ appeal is to have someone to root for, follow and even identify with. In fact, in England, as you can read about at offtheball.com many people view their team as a defining part of their identity.

 Luckily, there are a plethora of activities that assist you in getting behind a team and bring the game to life. One such activity is to attend live matches, something that a vast amount of Brits do every Saturday during the EPL season, which runs from August to May. Of course, for those of us in the US it’s not so easy, but EPL matches are often available on cable and pay-per-view, making it possible watch them live. Something that stops you finding out the score before you actually get to watch the game and so can really help with enjoyment.

 Then there is fantasy football, which is a massively popular way of adding to the stakes of the game, without actually risking anything. Fantasy football is when you act as a manager and select your own team from all the player available within a specific budget. Then as they score you get points and rank against other fantasy football managers in your league. You can even find out or about this past time at fantasy.premierleague.com.

 Lastly, another popular option used to improve the thrill of the game and show support for a particular team is to have a little flutter at the bookies. Yes, betting on the game is an almost as popular pastime, as watching it, and it can certainly make things more interesting because you genuinely do have a personal stake in with your team wins or not.

 Of course, not everybody just bets on their team to win. In fact, some folks prefer to bet in terms of statistics or systems to improve their chances of a win. Something that you can go to sites like OddsWizz.com to read more about. After all, if you are going to put a bet on, it makes sense to try and make some money too!

 Don’t miss the transfer deadline day

 Transfer deadline day is a big deal in EPL, and this can indeed seem a bit confusing to the uninitiated. The reason for this is since 2002 players can no longer be transferred at any point in the year. In fact, this is now restricted to July and August, and well as January.

The thing about these transfer windows is that because EPL players tend to command such high asking prices and salaries, there is a lot of negotiation and game playing to get anyone to agree. What this leads to is a crazy rush on the transfer day deadline, with a load of players moving about in a short space of time, something that seems a bit chaotic and confusing, but can also be hugely exciting to the supporters.

You can even get up to date with last transfer deadline day results at talksport.com.

Do know the lay of the land for the current season

Last of all, to get your head around the EPL you really need to have a good grasp of what is happening during the current season.

We are currently in the 2018/19 season at the moment and first in the league table are Manchester City, with Fulham FC at the bottom. Manchester City, (not the same as Manchester United btw) are the previous winners of the league too, meaning they are the ones to watch this season. In fact, even the newest and most confused US fans are bound to appreciate the game, by checking out their matches! Enjoy!