Football Pro Bowler
A pro bowler in football is a player who has made the Pro Bowl, the all-star game in the NFL. There are 86 players selected to each pro bowl, 43 for the AFC, and 43 for the NFC. The offenses have 21 players, defenses with 18, and special teamers make up the remaining four. Each player is selected by a voting process.
Voting
Every player in the pro bowl must be voted in. The voting process is made up of three different categories each worth one third of the total vote. Votes from fans, players, and coaches are added together to select the top players from each conference at each position.
Fan Voting
Fan voting is done online on the NFL’s website. Each fan who wishes to vote must select players from each position that they want to be in the pro bowl.
Coach/Player Voting
Coaches and players make up the remaining two thirds of the vote, every player and coach in the NFL casts a ballot for who they think should be in the pro bowl. Voting takes place after the fan voting is complete.
Pre Pro Bowl Events
The pro bowl itself takes place on Sunday, but the weekend leading up to it is full of fun events that the pro bowlers take part in.
Dodgeball
A best of three dodgeball series is played between the two conferences, with each sending 10 players. The first two games are played with five players per team, and the third with six.
Skills Challenges
On top of dodgeball the conferences compete against one another in:
The 40 Yard Splash: Players work together to carry water buckets into a dunk tank, and then be the first team to knock the opposing team’s captain into the bucket once it is full.
Gridiron gauntlet: A relay race consisting of obstacles that require strength and speed to navigate.
Precision Passing: Quarterbacks get one minute to hit as many targets as they can. Targets have varying levels of points based on distance and size.
Best Hands: A quarterback and receiver team up to complete a variety of predetermined catches as quickly as possible.
Game Format
After the pro bowl weekend events are over, the pro bowl takes place. Players don’t get to play the whole game, and will substitute often.
Rules
The rules for the pro bowl are different from a normal NFL game in order to protect the pro bowlers. Kickoffs are removed and the game is considered to be limited contact, with tackles required to be softer.
Location
Currently the pro bowl takes place in Orlando Florida, at Camping World Stadium. For many years it was played in Honolulu, but was changed to Orlando in 2017.