American Football?

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As a UK member I have never understood how American Football is called American Football when no-one actually kicks the ball, apart from the occasional
extra point by the kicker. It should be called American Rugby?
An annoying thing Americans do is call what the rest of the world play soccer, it is never called soccer anywhere apart from in the US it is always football. I know this
is a petty thing but it is so annoying 🙁

ps I an a fan of American Football, although my team, the 49'ers are not the team they were sadly.
 
Didn't know what you were talking about for a minute, then I realised - Handegg..! 😀

Enjoy American football myself too, support Broncos by association. 🙂

In fairness it has about as much in common with rugby as it does with 'soccer'. Very different games!

One of the main contrasts being that you're not allowed to pass the ball forward in rugby at all, whereas in American football it is one of the key objectives.

All great sports, none are particulary comparable beyond being field team games though.
 
Colbefc said:
As a UK member I have never understood how American Football is called American Football when no-one actually kicks the ball, apart from the occasional
extra point by the kicker. It should be called American Rugby?
An annoying thing Americans do is call what the rest of the world play soccer, it is never called soccer anywhere apart from in the US it is always football. I know this
is a petty thing but it is so annoying 🙁

ps I an a fan of American Football, although my team, the 49'ers are not the team they were sadly.
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The game start and restarts after every score with a ball kicked to the opposing team.
Same as rugby, where the ball must first be kicked (usually by the hooker in the scrum - 👋 right side 2nd row in high school here 😁).

Both in rugby and 'merican football points can be scored when the ball is kicked off the ground over the goal line (field goals).

The ball can also be turned over to opposing team directly off the foot when no longer possible to advance the ball down the field. - in rugby when the last back doesn't have a pitch man or the punter on fourth down in 'merican football.

But american football isn't rugby, because in both rugby and soccer, play continues "between plays".
But just like rugby, the ball is picked off the ground by "the guy in the center" rear of the scrum behind the line of possession (number 8 in rugby, center in football) and passed to the "first back" - stand off in rugby, 1/4 back in football who passes it to the first next back in rugby or 1/2 back in American Football.

Simple, no?

But that said, no idea why you guys call that "kick the ball around" game football and not "kick ball" and at least call rugby football 😆

And I also love a good, live kickball...err..soccer
Umm...I mean 'football' game
 
PokerPete said:
The game start and restarts after every score with a ball kicked to the opposing team.
Same as rugby, where the ball must first be kicked (usually by the hooker in the scrum - 👋 right side 2nd row in high school here 😁).

Both in rugby and 'merican football points can be scored when the ball is kicked off the ground over the goal line (field goals).

The ball can also be turned over to opposing team directly off the foot when no longer possible to advance the ball down the field. - in rugby when the last back doesn't have a pitch man or the punter on fourth down in 'merican football.

But american football isn't rugby, because in both rugby and soccer, play continues "between plays".
But just like rugby, the ball is picked off the ground by "the guy in the center" rear of the scrum behind the line of possession (number 8 in rugby, center in football) and passed to the "first back" - stand off in rugby, 1/4 back in football who passes it to the first next back in rugby or 1/2 back in American Football.

Simple, no?

But that said, no idea why you guys call that "kick the ball around" game football and not "kick ball" and at least call rugby football 😆

And I also love a good, live kickball...err..soccer
Umm...I mean 'football' game
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Seems like you might be a little rusty on your rugby...

Not quite sure whether you're trying to describe rugby league or rugby union but also it could be your american terminology/rules that is confusing me. 😆
 
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Joe said:
Seems like you might be a little rusty on your rugby...

Not quite sure whether you're trying to describe rugby league or rugby union but also it could be your american terminology/rules that is confusing me. 😆
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Now you have me confused 😆
Maybe "forewards" don't normally have assigned positions in the scrum?

When we formed our scrums, the hooker had a prop on each side. Two 2nd row guys, I always bound to the same guy on my left and grabbed the belt of the right side prop, left ear on the hookers right hip, right ear on the right props left hip...and shove like hell 🤣😂

Between us two in the second row would be the #8 who "steered the scrum", ears between our hips, arms wrapped around our waists, so the hooker could roll the ball back to him with his feet.
#8 would pick up the ball and pitch it to the first guy in the diagonal line of backs, the first guy being known as the standoff.

The club name was hibernian ruby club, so...
Not sure if that helps or confuses more 🤣😂
Also given high school was nearly a half century ago,🫣 so....
 
PokerPete said:
Now you have me confused 😆
Maybe "forewards" don't normally have assigned positions in the scrum?

When we formed our scrums, the hooker had a prop on each side. Two 2nd row guys, I always bound to the same guy on my left and grabbed the belt of the right side prop, left ear on the hookers right hip, right ear on the right props left hip...and shove like hell 🤣😂

Between us two in the second row would be the #8 who "steered the scrum", ears between our hips, arms wrapped around our waists, so the hooker could roll the ball back to him with his feet.
#8 would pick up the ball and pitch it to the first guy in the diagonal line of backs, the first guy being known as the standoff.

The club name was hibernian ruby club, so...
Not sure if that helps or confuses more 🤣😂
Also given high school was nearly a half century ago,🫣 so....
Click to expand...
Yep, you're spot on with the scrum, that's how it lines up- usually there are two flankers too... They are 'losely' attached alongside the second row and can break from the scrum as soon as the ball is out to intercept the opposing player in possession or support the backs.

The 'scrum half' is the first 'backs' player who puts the ball into the scrum and the only two players allowed to collect the ball out of the scrum is either the scrum half or the number 8 as you mentioned.

This is ruby league because rugby union doesn't have scrums- it has roll backs under foot straight back into play.

The main thing that stood out which confused me is kicking for points... My understanding is that the only time you can score via kicking in rugby is either a conversion (which only occurs after a try is scored) and is for 2 additional points on top of the 5 for scoring a try- the kick needs to be taken in line with where the try was scored. The other sitution is kicking from a penalty, also worth 2 points.

As far as I know you can't kick for points during open play.

However, I just checked and it seems I'm mistaken- apparently you can kick a field goal in rugby from the ground without using your hands for three points...

So it seems perhaps I'm the rusty one!

Or it's another Mandela effect from one of my nightly quantum leaps to a neighbouring universe. Have learned to enjoy not knowing what is going to be different in each alternate reality I wake up in... 🤣
 
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Everyone has their own idiosyncrasy and sport is no exception. It doesn't really bother me at all.
 
American football is a tough but beautiful sport. I don't watch because I want more action and I don't like those clicks.
 
It is never going to change no matter what we think of it. But changing it to rugby would be silly. Definitely not the same sport.

I looked up the history one time but can't remember what I found.
 
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Joe said:
However, I just checked and it seems I'm mistaken- apparently you can kick a field goal in rugby from the ground without using your hands for three points...
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Dropkick field goals are also valid in the NFL but aren't used. There's also another obscure rule where a team can kick the ball off the ground from the spot of a fair catch without the opposing team in the way.
 
Debi said:
It is never going to change no matter what we think of it. But changing it to rugby would be silly. Definitely not the same sport.

I looked up the history one time but can't remember what I found.
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Lol...better chance your neighbors will start calling their F-150s "lorries" 🤭
 
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What a great read this is wow! Makes total sense why I don’t follow rugby or folks trying to talk about American football… Lanes
 
Colbefc said:
As a UK member I have never understood how American Football is called American Football when no-one actually kicks the ball,
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Soccer was not called football because the ball is kicked with the foot. It was named football because it was a game that was not played on horseback.
 
That won't happen cause American football is the last sport where americans are the only top players.
The best baseball player is japanese.
The best basketball players are europeans
 
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