Super Bowl 2023: What is the purpose of the 2-minute break?

TheKansas City Chiefsand thePhiladelphia Eagles face off inSuper Bowl LVII at Glendale, Arizona. Andy Reid and the Chiefs will play in their third Super Bowlin four years lookingto become a dynasty. This week,Patrick Mahomeswon the NFL MVP Award for a second time in his illustrious career. He’s been sensational.

Meanwhile, thePhiladelphia Eaglesare back in theSuper Bowlthanks to a successful rebuilding process led byhead coachNick Sirianniand franchise quarterbackJalen Hurts. After a 14-3 record, they eliminated the Giants and 49ers in the playoffs becomingthe favorites to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy.

So, towardsthe big game, there’s a chance you might wonder what’s the purpose of the 2-minute break in each half during the Super Bowl. Read here to find out all the details about the famous, and very important, two-minute warning. Chiefs and Eagles might need it.

Super Bowl 2023: Why there is a two minute warning?

In the NFL, the famous two-minute warning is a traditional moment when the referees stop the game prior to the end of each half. Though it’s not a timeout itself, this moment helps especially the team with the ball to have a little bit more time trying to score.

During this 2-minute break, the offense and the deffense gather to discuss the strategy to follow in such a crucial point of the game. According to many historians, before the use of official clocks in the stadiums, the referees took the two-minute mark as a reference to tell the coaches that the half or the game was nearly over. It served as a huge indicator for them.

Nowadays, the truth is the two-minute warning has the TV as its main purpose. During these slots, especially in the second half, the brands and sponsors find the greatest audience for TV commercials. That’s why the prices are higher for a 30-second ad in this window. Why? Because it’s the defining moment of the Super Bowl and millions of peopleare watching.

Furthtermore, there are very important rules that apply exactly after the two-minute warning. All the replays come from the booth to review controversial plays (coaches cannot challenge), timeouts are taken if a player is injured and seconds’ runoffs from the clock might happen in certain situations for the offensive team.