On the football field, two false starts sets your team back 10 yards. For the National Football League, which has twice delayed exhibition games in China, the stakes are much higher.

Despite dropping the China Bowl between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in 2007 and again in 2009, the NFL - which dwarfs other professional American sports leagues in revenue and viewership - is still champing at the bit to vie with National Basketball Association for the hearts of Chinese sports enthusiasts.

To avoid further missteps in getting the game a proper kickoff in the world's most populous country, league officials are tweaking their game plan to build a new fan base and scouting potential stadiums for a preseason game, likely in the summer of 2011.