American Football: What You Need To Know

American football is a type of team sport from the rugby football family, which is extremely popular in the United States. The most important competition in this sport is the Super Bowl event, held by the NFL league. However, other countries such as Canada, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Mexico, Israel, Spain, and Austria also have national American football leagues.

American football and Canadian football, which is a similar and related sport, are the two main forms of gridiron football. They evolved in North America from English sports like football (soccer) and rugby football. These two sports are known as "football" in the U.S. and Canada, while the globally recognized game of football is referred to as "soccer."

Key Differences

The main difference between gridiron football and soccer lies in the allowance for players to carry and throw the ball by hand. The primary distinction from rugby is that the ball alternates possession between the two teams in a turn-based system. Other unique features include:

• The use of helmets and shoulder pads

• Forward passing (prohibited in rugby due to offside rules)

• A system limiting the number of tackles

• Linear scrimmage (as opposed to the scrums in rugby)

• Highly specialized player roles across various field positions

• Unlimited substitutions

• Division of players into offensive and defensive units

• Scoring opportunities for the team without ball possession

• Marked fields

Some attribute the invention of this sport to Walter Camp in America. American football also has a fan base in Iran.

History of American Football

When the British migrated to their newly discovered territory, America, they brought not only their religion and culture but also their favorite pastime, rugby. However, in its early days, the game was largely driven by roughness and violence. In the early 1800s, as politicians and social activists became involved in the sport, a greater emphasis was placed on technique and strategy, reducing the prominence of violence in American football.

Over time, the sport gained significant traction in American universities. In 1873, it was standardized and regulated under a unified confederation to organize games across the U.S. The sport's popularity grew rapidly. According to statistics, within five years, the number of school football teams rose from 800 to 3,000, and college football teams increased from 200 to 600—a remarkable growth by any measure.