Super Bowl, who? America’s beloved Puppy Bowl is back with a bang for the 18th time. Hosted by lifestyle icon Martha Stewart and rapper Snoop Dogg, the event featured more than 100 dogs from 67 shelters across 33 states. Not only was the 2022 Puppy Bowl one of the largest editions of the Bowl yet, but it also featured the most special needs dogs than ever before.

There’s only one ground rule for the annual fur-tastic battle: drag a chew toy across the finish line for a touchdown. “These are not trained puppies,” long-time referee Dan Schachner told The New York Post. “These are dogs in their purest form.” Although the contestants can be called out for penalties including “pass inter-fur-ence,” “unnecessary ruffness” and “premature watering of the field,” Schachner noted how most rules are made up on the fly. “They’re fast and loose rules,” he explained. “It’s kind of crazy, but it’s controlled chaos.”

Every Puppy Bowl has a larger purpose, apologies, ‘paw-pose’: to help furry participants find a loving family. The verdict? Every single one of those peculiar events has recorded a 100 per cent adoption rate in the past. According to Schachner, the adoption rates of the shelters providing these good bois also tend to skyrocket just after the event.

That being said, this year’s Puppy Bowl saw Team Fluff winning against Team Ruff with a final score of 73-69 after a heart-melting face-off that lasted three hours. So if you, like me, were glued to your seat while streaming the showdown, scroll through these aww-dorable images of the furry contestants—who competed both for our hearts and the gold.

Missed out on the puppy palooza? Don’t you worry. Make some hot chocolate and treat yourself to the show here.