During the 30 minutes when players aren’t hitting their opponents, some are hitting the reset button. Prior to the 2012 Super Bowl, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick actually had the Pats prepare by taking a 30-minute break during practice. Belichick explained, “It really gets into a whole restarting mentality. It’s not like taking a break and coming out in the second half. It’s like starting the game all over again. It’s like playing a game, stopping, and then playing a second game.”

Obviously, teams have extra time to regroup and, if necessary, rethink how to approach their opponents. SB Nation notes that these precious additional minutes helped the New York Giants devise game plans for defeating the Patriots at two separate Super Bowls. Some players lay down to relax or receive massages, but the extra minutes are an exercise in patience. Former NFL safety Roman Harper, who played in two Super Bowls with two different teams, put it this way: “You don’t need all that other stuff. But hey man, that’s what brings in all the bucks. It just comes with it, but nobody wants to sit out for 20 minutes in the middle of the game. Of course the shorter halftime is a lot better.”