Tell me more ×
Sports Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for participants in team and individual sport activities. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 8 down vote favorite

Why is American football called "football" even though the players play with their hands more than their feet? It seems to be very similar to rugby, and doesn't have the name "American Rugby". What might be the reason for it to be called "Football" even though it is more similar to Rugby?

share|improve this question
Found this on Wikipedia: > There are conflicting explanations of the origin of the word "football". It is widely assumed that the word "football" (or "foot ball") references the action of the foot kicking a ball. There is a alternative explanation, which is that football originally referred to a variety of games in medieval Europe, which were played on foot. There is no conclusive evidence for either explanation. – user252 Feb 25 '12 at 5:25

closed as off topic by edmastermind29♦ Sep 11 '12 at 14:02

Questions on Sports Stack Exchange are expected to relate to sports within the scope defined in the FAQ. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about closed questions here.

1 Answer

up vote 10 down vote

American football is called football because of its origin. Its like soccer, can be traced back to rugby football where you use your feet to kick a ball at a goal or successfully carry a ball over a goal line. Over time, some rules were changed such as the concept of line of scrimmage and of four downs and a certain distance required to get more downs and, of course, the forward pass. In earlier times, football had virtually no rules. If you wish, you can trace its ancestry back to the 1600's.

I hope the following link will give pretty descriptive answer for your question.

share|improve this answer
1  
And then there is Canadian football with a different sized field and 3 downs. – geoffc Feb 20 '12 at 13:43
@Vijin Thanks for the answer.So the reason why the name football is shared is because it has evolved from football. Its actual name is "Gridiron".Even though the Link has the information saying that rugby is "Rugby Football", if you check the international rugby board website, the name "football" seems to have been dropped considering how the game has evolved to its present form. Is there any reason for American Football association not to remove "football" and keep it just "griridion". – kartshan Feb 20 '12 at 17:51

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.