Animal Lovers Rejoice! The Puppy Bowl Is Back for Its 18th Game

There are two kinds of people in this world. There are people who really look forward to the biggest sports event of the year: the Super Bowl, and there are people who really look forward to the other biggest sporting event of the year: the Puppy Bowl.

In 2005, Animal Planet did the world a favor by introducing us to a group of adorable puppies that were going to play their own game of football. Ready for its 18th season, Team Ruff will face off against Team Fluff for the "Lombarky" trophy. The Puppy Bowl is the one occasion when any and all animal puns are welcomed. So, how can you watch it, and when will it air? We have all the paws-itively adorable information below!

Have the nachos and dog treats ready on Feb. 13, 2022, because that’s when the 2022 Puppy Bowl will be airing. The game starts at 2 p.m. on Animal Planet. If you have a Discovery Plus account, you can also stream the Puppy Bowl with your account. There is no better way to kick off the biggest night in sports, honestly.

So, what exactly happens during the Puppy Bowl? The adorable display is a two-hour spectacle, consisting of 103 (adoptable!) puppies that are divided into two teams and set loose onto a miniature football field for tons of play and tussling.

When it comes to rules and regulations, it seems to be a bit of a free-for-all. "The rules of Puppy Bowl can fit on one post-it note," official referee Dan Schachner told CBS Sunday Morning. "It's basically, 'Drag a chew toy into the end zone. Doesn't matter which end zone.'" 

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart will host the 2022 Puppy Bowl as they did the 2021 Bowl. Per Discovery, they're eager to assume new roles as Team Coaches. "I'm honored to be co-hosting the only sporting event on the planet guaranteed to raise the 'woof,' with the magnificent Martha Stewart!” said Coach Snoop.

“I’m so excited that Snoop and I are back to kick off Puppy Bowl XVIII, and help a bunch of deserving pups find their forever homes!” said Coach Martha.

You can look forward to Snoop and Martha keeping up-to-date with "play updates, lead training sessions, run drills, and provide paws-itive motivation and encouragement to inspire their all-adoptable puppy players to greatness." Professional dog groomer Jess Rona will also help get puppy players into tip-top shape.

It’s no secret that there are dog people and there are cat people, so if watching puppies play around for a couple of hours doesn’t do it for you, the Hallmark Channel created the Kitten Bowl in 2014. Catering to another group of animal lovers, the Kitten Bowl featured adoptable kittens finding their forever homes while playing around in a replica football stadium, similar to that of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl.

However, per Variety, the Kitten Bowl has been cancelled for 2022 in an attempt to find a new home. Currently, Great American Country (GAC) Media is looking into acquiring the program. Thankfully, if you're missing kitten action on game day, the Puppy Bowl still has their Kitty Half-Time Show!