Why do teams change ends of the field after the first and third quarters?

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Jalen Hurts, wearing number 1 for the Philadelphia Eagles, winds up to throw a football during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII against the Kansas City Chiefs. — American football Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during Super Bowl LVII, 2023; the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

In American football, teams change ends of the field at the conclusion of the first and third quarters to ensure fairness regarding environmental factors, such as wind direction or field conditions, that could provide an advantage to one side of the field over the other.1

While the rules dictate that time is stopped at the end of these quarters for teams to switch goals, the primary objective of this rotation is to maintain competitive balance throughout the game.1