The Two Kinds of Football in the US

Abstract

American football has its origin in both soccer and rugby. Historically, the two different types of football emerged from earlier versions of association football and rugby. Other countries call the two kinds of football, the American football, to distinguish it from other kinds of football games. However, in America, this game is known as football. Informally, the game is known as gridiron football or pigskin. Originally, both games came from varieties of football played in the UK in the 19^th century. During this period, the ball was either kicked at a goal or run over a line. Every football game that existed in this period was normally played at universities and colleges (Watterson, 144). The football game is played in college, professional and high school football. American football has been linked with various injuries. This is because the game is played by people who weigh 240 pounds, colliding at each other at a fast momentum. Each season, the players of the National Football league have been wounded while playing.

The rugby type of soccer game began in England, in the 11^th century. Young boys played this game by employing the bladder of a cow. The game turned into clashes that were violent amongst various villages. Rugby players from different villages came together to try and make the inflated bladder get into the entrance of the other town. Deaths and injuries were evident, while playing the game. Consequently, the king of England banned people from playing the sport.

Introduction

Before the 19^th century, football was known as any ball game that people played on foot. The rules of this game varied from one another, some permitted the employment of hands; others prohibited the kicking of the ball with the foot. There is a legend that states that the football game evolved, when a man became tired of not employing his hands to pick up the ball. Eventually, he picked the ball and started running from the field, making every other player employ their hands while playing. The game soccer has evolved from being just a game that is played by college students into a professional game (Paolantonio 15). The game began as a rugby mistake to become something that all American household are talking about. As the game gained more popularity, more schools and private clubs developed the sport. Eventually, the sport became popular internationally. For instance, various Canadian Universities were able to include the game in their school rules and regulations. This research paper seeks to look into two types of football and how they have evolved over the years.

American soccer

Origin of football

It is deemed that soccer came from a game of harpaston that emerged from the Greeks.  Often, the term harpaston is cited in classical literature and it refers to a game that is brutal and rough.  This sport’s rules were considered to be very easy.  The game dictated that every player was given points whenever a player would cross a goal line. This was either by running across the line of the goal with the ball or giving it to another player by crossing over the line (Essortment n.p). The main aim of the other team was to prevent the opponent team from scoring any goal. No specific lengths of the field were in the rules. In addition, there were no boundaries on the side line. This means that no specified number of players had any rules to guide them.    

Soccer has its origin in Britain. It was first known as an association or rugby football. The game emerged from various divergences from the game of rugby that were set in place by Walter Camp. This man is deemed as the founding father of football. There were various changes that were put in place in the game. For example, the rules of down and distance, and the line of disputes, were some of the alterations that were done in the game. Later on, coaches like Knute Rockne and Amos Alonzo have assisted in employing the forward pass. Modern soccer has its roots in the indigenous ball games that were played at villages and schools. It is noted that the early settlers played soccer by employing balls that were inflated. Soccer, in the older days, was illustrated as mob soccer and was played in England. Until the 19^th century, the game was unorganized up to the time, when the intramural games were played in campuses. Every school had their own type of soccer game that they played. In the fiscal year 1820, Princeton University students played a soccer game dubbed, ballown(Watterson, 144). In Harvard University, soccer began in the fiscal year 1827 and was known as bloody Monday. This game was mainly played by the sophomore classes and freshman students.

Because of Britain’s influence in the outside world, football began to spread abroad. However, the game began slowly at first, then, it began to pick up momentum. Countries like Denmark, Chile, Uruguay and Germany began forming football associations. In the fiscal year 1904, FIFA was established in Paris, France. The American soccer began booming in the 1920s. But the baseball game was doing much better than the soccer game. American soccer had many funs in the world but the soccer entrepreneurs sought to separate American soccer from the world. Formed in the fiscal year 1921, the American Soccer League was designed to cater for soccer affairs in America. Though it wasn’t the only soccer league, it was the greatest and the most admired. At one point, the American soccer threatened to disturb the game’s international order. In the fiscal year 1924, the act known as Johnson-Reed was designed to welcome the policy of immigration. The factories that employed a lot of people were very instrumental in ensuring that the love of soccer was brought in America. Most soccer clubs that were associated with the soccer industry in America had a benefit over their competitors both internally and externally (Essortment n.p). The American soccer business boomed so much during this period. This is because the American soccer clubs were able to compensate their players more that their counterparts in Europe. During this time, professional soccer players had less pay. Hence, these companies offered their players jobs in the industries that were high-paying. When the ASL was banned, the soccer teams in America began to entice players from some of the Europe top clubs. Consequently, this led to the American team, gathering the most competent players that the world has.

The first world cup brought an end to the ASL. This was because of various political fighting within the club. There were unstable relationships that existed between the Football Association in America and the ASL. The football governing body in America saw the ASL as a group that required checks. Hence, they placed restrictions and various changes on ASL. The ASL desired to have the American football more of the American identity than a European one. For instance, they desired that the winning percentage be employed in determining league positions than the point system. In addition, they desired that during the end of the season, play offs should be added (Falk 155). The establishment of this soccer league depicted the fact that American soccer could go against the players in Europe. The 1970 soccer was characterized by the introduction of young people in the game. In year 1994, the US participated as a player in the World cup event. During the years 2001-2004, there was a transformation in the soccer business. Women were introduced in the soccer game through the introduction of the United Soccer association for women. Nowadays, football has crossed over from America to other states in the world. The television has been employed to air various football seasons.

Rugby is a kind of a football game that originated from the UK and is named after a rugby school. Since 19^th century, the U.S. has been playing rugby. Many universities had banned American football to introduce rugby. This is because rugby was deemed as a game that was much safer. In the 1920s, the U.S. won two Olympic gold medals in the sport. Currently, rugby is much played in the entire U.S., especially in California. This is because the weather is not normally deterrent in this region at both the club and national level. Through the Eagles, the U.S. has often qualified to make it to the World Cup. This team has been able to defeat other teams like Canada, Pacific Island nations and South Africa (Germs et al. 263). However, there are various challenges that hinder this team from becoming a powerful team. For instance, lack of professional players and resources to advance the team has hindered this team form developing. In addition, the team lacks travelling resources to enable it travel the entire nation state. The media has failed to expose this sport to the Americans making it unpopular. Globally, the U.S. is known as a giant that is sleeping, when it comes to rugby. This is because the country has a massive population base that could assist it to play.

American football: Soccer during the 1880-1904

This year was marked with the expansion of soccer in colleges and universities. By this time, only eight universities were able to have intercollegiate teams. The Michigan University became the first Pennsylvanian university to have a soccer team. Soon after, other universities began to form their soccer teams. Football was a violent game from the time it began. Consequently, various college students who were playing game ended up being injured. The game was suspended in various universities because of this action (Falk 155). For instance, between the fiscal years 1894-1898, the Army-Navy suspended their soccer game because of its violence. The fame of the mass formations was one of the main problems that affected mass-formation popularity. For example, the flying wedge was a major impediment in the soccer game. This was because a great number of offensive players played against a defense that was arranged. As a result, these collisions caused grave injuries and some of the soccer players faced death too.

In 1905, things became seriously worse. This is because there were 19 people who were dead as a result of the accident. The word went up to Washington, where the president Roosevelt ordered that the soccer game would be shut down if no transformations were to occur. In 1905, various schools met in New York City to talk about the various strategies changes that could make the game safer. Consequently, this meeting led to the formation of the U.S. Intercollegiate Athletic Association, later named the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). In 1906, one rule change desired to open up the game and reduce the injuries that occur during the game. As a result, a pass, known as legal forward, was established (Watterson 144). The many years depicted how the game was underused by the soccer leagues. However, this has proved to be the most vital change of the modern game. Compared to other parts of the world, professional soccer has proven to be less popular in America. This game has been launched much recently in the U.S. By the year 2012, there were 19 teams. In 2000, there were various international players who were introduced by the soccer clubs so that funs could be attracted in the stadiums. The 1990’s saw the rise of football interest amongst Americans. This was because of the FIFA World cup of 1994 that took place in the U.S.

These were the major changes that took place in the game during the past years. Both football and soccer business has greatly increased to the point that professional players can be supported domestically.