See first footage of Puppy Bowl XVII— and two adorable penalties (original) (raw)

Published on January 14, 2021 10:55AM EST

The countdown to cuddliness has commenced.

There will be a Puppy Bowl in the pandemic, and the XVIIth installment will hit your screens on Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Discovery+ and Animal Planet. The three-hour event — which raises awareness for pet adoption — offers up two teams of dogs scampering around a mini-field while dragging chew toys into the end zones. Other things in store for you: puppy cheerleaders rooting for either Team Ruff or Team Fluff, a Kitty Halftime Show, and celebs including Kristen Bell and Valerie Bertinelli helping out with the adoption process.

You can get a look at all 70 puppies from 22 shelters competing in this Puppy Bowl photo gallery, but your first peek at the action on the field awaits above. Referee (checks notes), excuse me, rufferee Dan Schachner returns for his tenth game to blow his whistle on all kinds of illicit canine maneuvers. Watch this exclusive clip to see Schachner call "pancaking the pup" and "excessive slumber" on a few dogs who don't seem terribly invested in following the rules of the game. Of course, in Puppy Bowl, there's really only one rule: In chaos comes cuteness.