Score Big With A Football Party

Tips for planning your own big game party.

There's no better cure for the winter blues than to punt them away by hosting a big football game party. Friends will rush at the opportunity to cheer on their favorite team, watch the most creative advertising of the year, and indulge in favorite snack foods. Here's the playbook for quarterbacking your next football party.

Decorations

Decorations for a football party are never fancy - disposable party goods will work just fine for this bash. Use the colors of both teams, or show your true colors by decorating in those of your favorite team. Display sports memorabilia, footballs, pennants, and jerseys to complete the theme of your party.

Football parties have become so popular that it's easy to find football-themed bowls and platters, football and goal post party picks, and football paper goods at your local party store. Helmets make great bowls for chips and large football-shaped platters are just waiting to be loaded with your trademark snacks and dips.

Set aside another room away from the television for guests who came more for the food and conversation than for the game. Supply those guests with their own amusements, such as rented movies and party games.

Fun and Games

Of course the game on TV is the big attraction, but why not encourage early arriving guests to join in a casual game of touch football before going inside?

Set up a separate television with your video game system and favorite football game programmed for this year's teams. Invite guests who prefer a virtual game of football to take charge of the controls.

Leave plenty of foam footballs around your party for victory slams and halftime tosses. Or during the halftime break, organize football relay races. Divide your party into two teams and challenge them to pass a foam ball in any number of crazy ways such as: tossing from front to the back of the line with players running into the middle of the group after catching the ball; balanced on a small plastic spoon; or tossing under their arm, without looking, to the person standing behind them.

This isn't only the biggest night for football, but also for advertisers as well. Why don't you create an awards ceremony for the commercials that run during the game. Have your guests vote on categories, such as the funniest commercial, worst commercial, and best actress in a commercial. At the end of the night you can announce the winners in each category.

Prepare for spontaneous paper football games by making a paper ball for each of your guests. Fold a square sheet of paper across the diagonal to form a triangle, and keep folding until you can't fold any smaller. Write each person's name on his ball and pass them out as guests arrive for your party.

Make a football word scramble to play between quarters. Divide your guests into two teams and see which team can unscramble their words the quickest. Words could relate to the game like football, touchdown, quarterback, or helmet. You can also scramble words relating to the party like chicken wings, appetizers, potato chips, or beer keg.

Organize a friendly betting pool and have prizes for the winners. Guests can make their picks on statistics, such as the total score at halftime, total final score, number of quarterback sacks, or total number of field goals.

If you expect that some of your guests will be bringing along young children, set up a television in a different room with kid friendly videos, crafts, games, snacks, and beverages to keep them occupied throughout the evening.

The Menu

A football party isn't a plated, sit-down dinner. Food should be served buffet style, and easy to carry around as guests mingle and gravitate toward the television.

Beer is the beverage of choice at most football parties, with soft drinks and water served for your non-alcohol imbibing guests. Offer coffee and tea during the second half of the game.

Invite your guests to arrive for a pre-game show and greet them with an assortment of hearty appetizers. Snacks will supply the energy for enthusiastic fans to get through the pre-game anticipation. Serve your main dishes before kickoff so that guests can load up their plates and be in position to watch the game. Chili, sandwiches, ribs and sausages are perfect options for the hungriest football fans. Finally, pull out the desserts in time for the half-time show. Even if the game isn't going as well as fans had hoped, desserts will be sure to put the smiles back on their faces. Cookies, brownies and other portable treats are the perfect finish to your menu. Remember to design a menu that can be prepared in advance, with only heating required before serving. You won't want to miss any of the exciting plays because you're fussing in the kitchen.

Cranberry oatmeal cookies spiked with lemon and dipped in sweet white chocolate.

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