American Football is one of the sports that has gradually evolved from regular football and rugby, but in this game it allows players to touch and carry the ball with their hands, and American football is one of the biggest popular sports in the United States of America in particular, manifested by the presence of professional leagues such as the NFL, which attracts the best players from around the world, and the popularity of this game is not limited to the United States of America only; It is popular in Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Austria and other countries of the world.
The game is managed by THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF THIS GAME, AND THE GENERAL STRATEGY OF THE GAME LIES BY PASSING THE PLAYERS OF THE BALL AMONG THEMSELVES AND RUNNING IT TO SCORE POINTS BY HITTING THE BALL TOWARDS THE GOAL OF THE OPPOSING TEAM, WHERE THE TEAM WINS THE GAME TO BE ABLE TO SCORE THE MOST POINTS DURING THE TIME OF THE GAME.
also read: History of American Football , The Canadian Football
History of American football
The early history of American football dates back to the beginnings of both regular football and rugby, and some universities in the United States of America were the cradle of the sport, with Princeton and Rutgers holding their first football games in New Jersey, which saw multiple modifications to the rules of regular football, and Harvard organized games that were played in a way that combined regular football and rugby, but those games were not in the way they became It’s American football in the present era.
Walter Camp, known as the father of American football, has made some changes to rugby rules, including the introduction of the so-called engagement line, as well as many other rules of the new game, and the new sport has become very popular, with many of its sports clubs established.
In 1892, the signing of the first professional contract for American football, after William Hevelfinger signed a $500 contract to play for Allegheny Sports Club in his match at Pittsburgh, the outbreak of World War I led to a shortage of players playing the game, so there was a need to establish a body that regulates and sponsors the game, and indeed the Professional Association of American Football (APFA), which later changed its name to become the National Football League (NFL) Fourteen different teams have been included in this federation.
The way American football is played
American football is played by having the ball by the players of one of the two teams and then moving it towards the end of the opposing team’s field part, where players can carry the ball with their hands during this process and progress it or pass it to any other player of the team, and each team has four chances or attacks during which they must be able to cross the finish line of the other team, and when those four opportunities run out, possession of the ball is transferred to the benefit of the team Competitor.
The game aims to score the two teams points that enable one of them to win the game, where the team that can score the largest number of points in the time of the game is a winner, and the points of the game can be scored in different forms either by crossing the finish line or by throwing the ball to the goal of the opposing team or other forms of registration adopted in the game, and the number of points awarded to the team varies depending on the way they are scored.
American football tools
There are many tools and equipment that must be available before starting the American football game, which are as follows:
Oval ball: An oval ball with specific weight and dimensions must be available.
Helmet: The helmet should include shoulder pads, a full face mask, chin strap, mouth protector and shock absorber.
Shoulder pads: This tool is placed on the shoulders of players in order to make it look bigger than it is, and shoulder pads contain shock absorbers.
Arm pads: This flexible and light tool is worn to protect the player’s arms from being hit.
Elbow pads: The task of this tool is to protect the player’s elbow.
Rib pads: This tool has the ability to maintain the internal heat of the player’s body and is tasked with protecting the ribs of his body to avoid injury.
Hip pads: This tool is worn under the player’s pants to protect the back of his body.
Thigh and knee pads: These padded pillows are made of plastic and sponge and protect players’ thighs and knees from potential blows.
Gloves: Gloves are non-mandatory tools for players, but they play a major role in protecting hands and fingers.
Foot shoes: American football shoes must have screws at the bottom, to facilitate the game on the grass and prevent players from slipping.
Shirt and pants: American football players should wear loose nylon-colored shirts, as well as pocket pants used to stabilize thigh and knee pads.
Basic laws of American football
American football matches are played through two competing teams consisting of eleven key players, and each team can consist of a total of forty-five players and reserves up to a maximum of forty-five players; where an unlimited number of reserve players can be replaced by key players during the course of the game, and matches are played on a rectangular-shaped stadium approximately 110 meters long while the width must be about 50 meters, and the match is played on a rectangular pitch that is approximately 110 meters long while the width must be about 50 meters. Full hourly divided into four or quarters of 15 minutes each.
Players’ positions in American football
The American football team consists of a large number of players, but there are only eleven players on the pitch, and these players are distributed on the pitch depending on the position of the team on the field, where the distribution of players during the attack on the goal of the opposing team differs from its distribution when the team is in the position of defense as follows:
Players’ positions at the attack: Players are distributed on the pitch when carrying out the attack as follows:
Quarterback.
Center player.
Running back.
Fullback.
The future player of the cross balls.
Tight end player.
Right guard and left guard.
Right and left Tackle.
Players’ positions in defence: Players are distributed on the pitch when carrying out the defense operation as follows:
Defensive tackle players.
Defensive end players.
Linebackers.
Cornerbacks.
Safety players.
The most important tournaments in American football
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the supreme governing body responsible for organizing, developing and improving its spread around the world, and is responsible for organizing international competitions and tournaments,[10] one of the most important of which is the American Football World Championship, which is a world championship for American football that was first organized in 1999 and then held once every four years.
The NFL is the most professional league in the United States, with popularity and television viewing so wide that a half-minute TV commercial costs more than $3 million when it’s shown in the so-called Super Ball, one of the most important leagues in the National Football League.
Benefits of American Football
There are many benefits that a person who plays American football can get, and the following highlights are:
Get a comprehensive exercise for all the different parts of the skull.
Increase the mental health of the player by improving his mood and increasing his sense of happiness.
Relieve stress and stress that a person may experience, thereby reducing exposure to depression and anxiety.
Promoting the principles of teamwork and developing a team spirit.
Reduce heart disease as well as improve respiratory capacity.
Increase the overall fitness of the body and help get rid of fat.
Increased cardiovascular health.
Increased mass and density of the player’s body bones.
Ranking of the best American football teams
The following shows the best international teams in the United States for both men’s and women’s teams:
Men’s teams: Comes first in the men’s teams for the American football team, followed by Mexico, then the Japanese team, then the French, then the Australian, and the South Korean team comes in fifth place ahead of Brazil.
Women’s teams: The U.S. team is at the top of the U.S. women’s team rankings, followed by Canada and Mexico, followed by the United Kingdom in fourth place, followed by Finland and Australia.
The difference between American football and rugby
There are many similarities between American football and rugby, but there are also many differences between these two games; American football is rugby, but there is a similarity between these two sports in one way of scoring points, which is by kicking the ball between the two goalkeepers.
The shape of the ball used is another obvious difference between rugby and American football, where American football is less weighty and longer than rugby balls, in addition to the number of key players participating in rugby and American football matches;
