American football, the rules of which every American knows, can rightfully be considered a national sport of the United States. This game is familiar to everyone in this country: from the little ones who just learned to walk to the deep old people who remember, probably, how this sport was born.
The history of the emergence of American football
The 19th century will forever be remembered by the Americans not only as the “gold rush” and the war against the Indians, but also the emergence of American football. In 1869, two universities, Rutgersky and Princeton, decided to hold a friendly match. That's just what to play, rugby or sokker, they could not decide. As a result, both games were combined, and it turned out a well-known sport, which later acquired the name "American football". The rules of this game combine part of the rules of sokker (a kind of European football) and rugby. It is worth noting that in the 19th century American football was played quite differently than it is now.
Every year the game became more and more popular in the country. At the end of the century, coach Walter Kemp came up with a proposal to improve the rules of the game of American football. According to his proposal, the size of the football field became smaller, the number of players on the field decreased to 11 people in the team. Kemp also introduced the so-called “scrim line”, on which teams line up at the time of the ball.
Along with the increase in the number of fans of the game, the number of those who opposed the new sport increased . Many were frightened by the rudeness and cruelty of the game; in some colleges it was even forbidden to play American football. The rules, indeed, were very strict: in a few years, 180 injured players became known, 18 injuries were fatal.
Perhaps the story of American football would have ended if it had not been for the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, known for his addiction to spectacular and cruel sports. With his submission, American football was somewhat modified, the rules became softer, and the game was given the right to exist.
American football. The rules of the game, known to every American
The goal of the game is to earn more points in the allotted time than the opposing team. On the field there are two teams in the amount of 11 people, the number of reserve players is not limited. The playing time is 60 minutes, or 4 periods of a quarter of an hour. After the first and third periods, a break of 1 minute is declared, after the second period, a break is longer, it lasts 15 minutes.
The game is based on constantly repeating attacks, 7 linear players (attackers) participate in them. The central line player must pass the ball back, where the defender takes it and passes it to the side linear player. Also, the defender himself can go forward with the ball. His task is to break through the wall, which was formed by the defenders of the opposing team.
Someone may say that the rules are practically no different from rugby, in fact, there are differences. Rugby involves attacking only the player who owns the ball; American football, the rules of which are a bit tougher, is characterized by attacks on any player, and you can attack both individually and in a group. The goal is to grab the ball from him after the transfer, knock the player to the ground and take him out of the game. In this regard, landfills often appear on the field.
Playing in the attack, each team makes 4 attempts to throw the ball as far as possible into the territory of the enemy. If the team succeeds, it is entitled to another attack, and a dump will form in the area of the line to which the player with the ball can reach. If the service breaks down, the right to 4 attacks passes to the opposing team.
Perhaps this sport will soon become one of the most popular in the world: every year the number of its fans is growing.