Association football, otherwise known as just football as a ball game, is an organized team game played between two competing teams of eleven players each. It is the most popular sport in the world, with over 250 million people playing it in more than 200 countries and Overseas territories. The game is usually played in a round formed by ten players sitting at a rectangular ball table. The objective of the game is for your side to score more points (“scores”) than the other side. Points are scored for grounding the ball into the goals, for maintaining the right touch of the ball, for scoring late goals, and for catching the ball during the goal celebrations.
Unlike baseball and basketball, American football is not based on a single league, but is instead divided into two divisions: the National Football Conference and the National Football Association. Each division plays regular season games against other teams from the conference and the playoffs, which see the highest ranked teams from each conference qualifying for the championship. The championship matches are played in a neutral stadium, which may not be owned by the league or team holding the championship. The match is supervised by a neutral delegate, who is chosen by the head coach of each participating team.
In America’s most famous and well-loved sport, football can be traced back to 1774, when a game was played between two teams from Maryland. Known as “organized football” today, this game involved a ball and a few rules that are similar to those of basketball, rugby or baseball. The first winner was declared by the player having possession of the ball first, by touching the ball in any manner he deemed appropriate, and by keeping himself within a certain distance from his opponents. The point system used then was different, with some matches being played using a point system based solely on the number of fouls incurred, rather than on actual points scored. The earliest championship matches were between teams of lesser degrees than the NFL has come to enjoy today.
Rugby is another well-known football sport enjoyed by many Americans, particularly in the south. It evolved from a game of “snooker” played in the courts of the English King James I. Originally, this game involved throwing a spongy disc made from a cloth, with each player aiming to get it into the other players’ court and stop it before it reached it. This game grew in popularity to include more physical contact, such as grappling and boxing. Today, professional rugby players often wear jerseys that are similar to NFL apparel, especially when representing their respective teams.
Association football is played between two competing teams. Each team is assigned a certain number of players who participate in its corresponding game plan. These players are divided up into groups according to gender, age, and skill level. Different standards of dress are also enforced, depending on the nature of the game, such as color-coded shirts, socks, and equipment. Professional and college soccer are the two major different codes of soccer; they have separate organizations for the purpose.
Finally, American football can also be called Association or Rugby league. The word football in the association context refers to the actual sport itself, while the word rugby league refers more to the organizations that organize the sport, most notably the professional or collegiate game. These leagues are governed by an Association Football Rules and Regulations Commission, or NCAA. Some of the different rules that govern the game may be found in the NCAA’s governing document, which can be downloaded free of charge.