Do You Know the Differences Between American Football and Soccer?
Last weekend the very awaited final of the NFL Super Bowl of football took place. It is an event known all over the world but closely followed mainly in the United States. It is an event covered by the best news magazine, and we all have read something about it, we have heard about the science behind it, but are we really in the know, or are we just looking for another good sports entertainment without even understanding the whole concept of it. That has made us think that many of us know nothing about this sport beyond the echoes that come from the USA. Is that a pointer that we aren’t that much familiar with the most popular US sports games? If that’s the case, this might be the perfect occasion to learn more about American football as one of them.
The whole science behind the game is quite simple: reach the end of the field (Touchdown zone) with the ball in possession to add points. Those of us who are far and can’t watch it live, there is always the option to follow this sports entertainment online. For real fans there is always a means that can get the job done. However, do you know the similarities and differences between football played in the United States and football that we know and love here?
Differences Between the Two Sports
- Player
Both sports are played with two rival teams of 11 players each. However, while in soccer the goal of the players in both teams is the same, in football three different teams are designated in each team that rotate: 11 attackers, 11 defenders and 11 of the “special team” (which are the ones who kick the ball).
- Replacement
In soccer, as we know, FIFA only allows three changes per game, while in football you can make as many substitutions as you want, but always during interruptions in the game. Also, don’t forget that you can also find some of the rules online, and you can educate yourself even more about the topic, and you can do it on a daily basis. If you are curious enough, of course.
- Playing field
As the best news magazine reports, a regular football field is between 100-130 yards long and 50-100 yards wide, that is, a rectangle about 110m long and 50m wide. These fields have marks on every 5 yards and at both ends are the finish or goal lines, which mark the entrances to the background areas (about 9m).
Soccer is played on a rectangular lawn field 90-120m long and 45-90m wide, which is divided into two halves by the midfield line, which includes an initial kickoff circle in the center and two penalty areas at each end. One additional info that is true about each sport entertainment is the fact that you can also make some money off them. Namely, you can bet daily, either online or in bet shops.
- Goal posts
There are two ways to score in football and, depending on how and when you make the score, it will be worth more or less points. The first way, known as Touchdown, is to cross the finish line with the ball in possession, while the other requires throwing the ball with a kick between the two vertical goal posts.
Contrary to that, in soccer, the ball must completely pass the goal-line between the goalposts to count as one point. Another difference when it comes to goal posts is that in soccer there is a goalkeeper whose aim is to keep the ball away or stop any incoming kicks that are a possible scoring point.
- Balls
In football the players use leather ball (or other approved material) with spherical shape and a weight of between 396 and 453 grams. However, the ball used in soccer is inflated rubber and is covered with leather or rubber. It has an elongated spheroid shape and weighs between 397 and 425 grams.
- Equipment
American players wear uniforms with helmets that cover most of the face, shoulder pads and very light plastic protectors and pillows that cover much of the body to protect themselves from violent physical contact. The best news magazine covers different kinds of stories where the game went so far that some players got hurt. When it comes to the violence used in these sports, it is good to know that the American football is in the lead.
As for the equipment used in soccer, the players play with jerseys consisted of T-shirts (sometimes with sleeves), short pants, shin guards, socks and football trainers. The best news magazine reports that this sports entertainment makes additional profit from the selling of their jerseys and other fan material. You can easily find these online. Simply choose the best sports team, go online, check out their online stores and have at it.
- Duration of match
Soccer is divided into two halves of 45 minutes with a half break of 15. The American, on the other hand, consists of four periods called “quarters” of 15 minutes each. Between the first two and the last two there is a 15-minute break during which players are allowed to leave the playing field. One similarity when it comes to the science behind these two sports entertainment is that in both sports, the rest period between each half (or period) involves an exchange of field positions.
- Development of action
A football match, as in soccer, begins by throwing a coin in the air that decides in which half of the field you start playing, but also which team will start attacking and which team starts with a defend. After this, the defending team places the ball at its 30-yard line and kicks as far away as possible. In the American sports entertainment called football, the player from the attacking team will pick up that ball and try, in turn, to get as far as possible before the opposing team takes him down.
- Forward of the ball
In soccer, only goalkeepers are allowed to use their hands regularly to touch the ball whenever the gameplay is that part of the field. The rest of the players must try to score a goal in the opposite goal using any part of the body except the arms to boost the ball.
In football, in each turn, the attacking team can make as many passes as they want back or side, but only one forward, as long as it does not exceed the line in which it started.
- Punctuation
Unlike our one-point goals, in football there are, as we have said, two types of scoring ways: the touchdown that is worth 6 points and the field goal that brings 3 points to the team that scored. After a touchdown, the offensive team can choose between two plays from the yard: a field goal by 1 point or another touchdown by 2 points.
We can match more or less a goal of 1 soccer point to a Touchdown + 1 extra point. That is to say, that in a game of soccer 4-2 results in the same amount of attacks as a football game 28-14.
If you need any additional information on order to satisfy your curious self, you can always go online, you can find millions of game plays that will provide a visual image of the info given above, and you can even start looking through the upcoming match day dates and start following these entertainment sports more carefully and up close.
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