AMERICAN FOOTBALL

Hamida Gitsba IR III

American football is a
sport played beteen to
teams of ele!en it" t"e
ob#ecti!e of scorin$ points
by ad!ancin$ t"e ball into
t"e opposin$ team%s end
&one' It is (non in t"e
)nited *tates simply as
football+ and it may be
referred to as $ridiron
informally or o,tside t"e
)nited *tates and
Canada'
T"e ball can be ad!anced by
r,nnin$ it" it or t"roin$ it to
a teammate' -oints can be
scored by carryin$ t"e ball o!er
t"e opponent%s $oal line+
catc"in$ a pass t"ron o!er
t"at $oal line+ (ic(in$ t"e ball
t"ro,$" t"e opponent%s $oal
posts or tac(lin$ an opposin$
ball carrier in "is on end
&one'

In t"e )nited *tates+ t"e ma#or forms
are "i$" sc"ool football+ colle$e
football and professional football+
"ic" are played ,nder sli$"tly
different r,les'
Hi$" sc"ool football is $o!erned by t"e National Federation of
*tate Hi$" *c"ool Associations+ "ile colle$e football by t"e
National Colle$iate At"letic Association and National
Association of Intercolle$iate At"letics' T"e ma#or lea$,e for
professional football is t"e National Football Lea$,e .NFL/'
Ot"er minor professional lea$,es also e0ist in t"e )'*'+ and
may also "a!e sli$"tly different r,les from t"ose of t"e NFL'

T"e sport is also played in E,rope+ 1apan+ Me0ico+ and ot"er
se!eral co,ntries' T"e International Federation of American
Football acts as an international $o!ernin$ body for t"e sport+
b,t t"e or$ani&ation "as little standin$ in t"e )nited *tates'
American football is closely related to Canadian football b,t
it" some differences in r,les and t"e field' Bot" sports can
be traced to early !ersions of association football and r,$by
football'

History
T"e "istory of American
football can be traced to early
!ersions of r,$by football and
association football' Bot"
$ames "a!e t"eir ori$ins in
!arieties of football played in
t"e )nited 2in$dom in t"e
mid345t" cent,ry+ in "ic" a
ball is (ic(ed at a $oal and6or
r,n o!er a line' Many $ames
(non as 7football7 ere
bein$ played at colle$es and
,ni!ersities in t"e )nited
*tates in t"e first "alf of t"e
45t" cent,ry'

American football res,lted
from se!eral ma#or
di!er$ences from r,$by
football+ most notably t"e r,le
c"an$es instit,ted by 8alter
Camp+ considered t"e 7Fat"er
of American Football7' Amon$
t"ese important c"an$es ere
t"e introd,ction of t"e line of
scrimma$e and of don3and3
distance r,les'

T"e pop,larity of colle$iate
football $re as it became
t"e dominant !ersion of t"e
sport for t"e first "alf of t"e
tentiet" cent,ry' Bol
$ames+ a colle$e football
tradition+ attracted a
national a,dience for
colle$iate teams' Bolstered
by fierce ri!alries+ colle$e
football still "olds
idespread appeal in t"e
)*'

T"e ori$in of professional football
can be traced bac( to 495:+ it"
8illiam 7-,d$e7 Heffelfin$er%s
;<== contract to play in a $ame
for t"e Alle$"eny At"letic
Association a$ainst t"e -ittsb,r$"
At"letic Cl,b' T"e first
-rofessional 7lea$,e7 as t"e
O"io Lea$,e+ formed in 45=>+ and
t"e first -rofessional Football
c"ampions"ip $ame as beteen
t"e B,ffalo -rospects and t"e
Canton B,lldo$s in 4545' In 45:=+
t"e American -rofessional
Football Association as formed'
T"e first $ame as played in
?ayton+ O"io on October >+ 45:=
it" t"e "ost Trian$les defeatin$
t"e Col,mb,s -an"andles 4@A='
T"e lea$,e c"an$ed its name to
t"e National Football Lea$,e
.NFL/ to years later+ and
e!ent,ally became t"e ma#or
lea$,e of American football

Initially a sport of
Midestern ind,strial
tons in t"e )nited *tates+
professional football
e!ent,ally became a
national p"enomenon'
Football%s increasin$
pop,larity is ,s,ally traced
to t"e 45<9 NFL
C"ampions"ip Game+ a
contest t"at "as been
d,bbed t"e 7Greatest
Game E!er -layed7' A
ri!al lea$,e to t"e NFL+ t"e
American Football Lea$,e
.AFL/+ be$an play in 45B=C
t"e press,re it p,t on t"e
senior lea$,e led to a
mer$er beteen t"e to
lea$,es and t"e creation of
t"e *,per Bol+ "ic" "as
become t"e most atc"ed
tele!ision e!ent in t"e
)nited *tates on an ann,al
basis'

Dariatio
ns Limited contact
Eto,c" football' A
play ends "en a
defender to,c"es
t"e ball carrier
.sometimes it" to
"ands/'
Efla$ football' A play
ends "en a
defender remo!es a
desi$nated to(en
.7fla$7/ orn by t"e
ball carrier'
E8rap' A play ends
"en a defender
raps "is arms
ro,nd t"e ball
carrier'
Feer players
Enine3man football
Eei$"t3man football
Esi03man football

*maller field
T"e Arena Football
Lea$,e is a lea$,e
t"at plays ei$"t3man
football+ b,t also plays
indoors and on a m,c"
smaller playin$
s,rface it" r,le
c"an$es to enco,ra$e
a m,c" more offensi!e
$ame'
Catc" and R,n
In t"is $ame+ t"e
c"ildren split into to
teams and line ,p at
opposite sides of t"e
playin$ field' One side
t"ros t"e ball to t"e
ot"er side' If t"e
opposin$ team
catc"es t"e ball+ t"at
player tries to r,n to
t"e t"roin$ teams
to,c"don it"o,t
bein$ ta$$ed6tac(led'
If no one catc"es t"e
ball or if t"e player is
ta$$ed6tac(led+ t"en
t"at team "as to t"ro
t"e ball to t"e
opposin$ team' T"is
repeats ,ntil time r,ns
o,t or t"e players
decide to F,it'

THAN2
GO)
FOR ATTENTION H