There is nothing like going to your first football game. In fact, forget all your preconceived notions. It’s nothing like what you expect. It’s all good watching the football in the comfort of your own home with a few beers and your favorite sweats or having live football scores handy on your phone, this is easy to see and to understand. But the real thing is so different – for one thing, it’s not as easy to see what is going on! If you’re not prepared, you’ll notice about 10 minutes after you get there that you should’ve considered doing some things before you got to the game. Here are the things you should know before attending your first football game to make the experience more memorable:

Be Careful When Picking Your Seats for the Game

If you have the opportunity to look at the stadium seating before purchasing tickets, do so. It’s important to pick the right seat. The best seats are usually ones that are on the sidelines or facing the front-of-center field. This makes the game easier to watch. You may want to sit higher or lower in the stadium depending on your height. The worst thing that can happen is that you sit behind a bunch of tall people, and you can’t watch the game.

Also, if the game is at night, consider the kind of lights they have at the stadium. While LED lights reduce eye strain (if you want to learn more, read it here), sitting in seats that are directly in the path of the light can be bothersome. So, pick seats that the light is going away from, which are usually the ones directly under the lamps. Now, if you want to get the better seats for cheap, here’s a hack: Wait until December, then shop around for gift cards at different ticket retailers. Gift cards go on sale in December, so you could get a great seat for cheap seat prices.

Prepare to Stay for the Entire Game

It happens. You know your team will win. Instead, they lose. You may even know that your team sucks before going to the game. Regardless of how good or bad they are, stay for the entire game. You’re there for the experience, not for the win or loss. You can connect with people and make a lot of friends. Don’t ruin your first football game by leaving early.

Dress for the Weather

Check the weather before getting dressed. All football fans have their regular game attire like a team jersey or favorite shorts. It’s the way to help their team win the game. However, the weather for game day is nothing like the atmosphere of sitting in your living room watching the game. So dress according to the elements in the football stadium. For example, stadiums with a body of water will have a colder temperature than outside the stadium. Therefore, you may want to layer up (if it’s cold) and bring a blanket or umbrella depending on the weather.

Wear Your Team’s Colors

Speaking of getting dressed properly for the game, dress in your team’s colors. It may seem like a no-brainer if you are supporting your hometown team. However, sometimes football teams change their colors for special occasions. The last thing you want to do is dress in your team’s traditional gear, and they dress in their different color throwback uniforms. It will save you from the embarrassment of being the only one without the correct colors.

Expect to Stand for the Majority of the Game

Remember the tip about finding great seating? This is one of the reasons why it is so important. You are not obligated to stand. However, most people stand for long periods at a football game because they want to see all the action.

Understand the Football Scoring System

You probably have been watching football since Joe Montana and Jerry Rice played for the San Francisco 49ers, but you still want to know the scoring system. For instance, how much a touchdown, field goal, and touchback are worth. If you’re not familiar with how football games are scored or the rules of the game, look up those things too before you go to the game. You don’t want to be embarrassed at the game because you’re not familiar with the point system.