Learn about America's most watched sport
History
Last week we talked about America’s pastime sport, baseball. However, now this may be shocking; it is not the most popular or watched sport in the United States. It is football, American football.
American football has been around since the late 1800s, and it started out as a combination of rugby and soccer. The game, however, has changed dramatically since then. Football used to be a much more physical game than it is now, believe it or not.
The first recorded college football game was in 1869 against Rutgers and Princeton. However, Walter Camp, a rugby player from Yale, launched rule changes that steadily modified the game. Eventually in 1920, the American Professional Football Association– later renamed to the National Football League – was introduced.
Football took the country by storm. Most fans anticipate the day that the season starts and dread the day the season ends. Football has become America’s most popular sport by far.
Game Play
Here is a basic rundown about how football works! The sport is played between two teams of eleven players on each team. The players play on a rectangle field that is 120 yards long and each end of the field has an end zone.
The team who is in control of the ball (the offense) seeks to further the ball down the field by running or passing the ball into the end zone. The other team (the defense) tries to stop them from advancing the ball further down the field. Now this seems easier said than done because there are a lot of rules that can prevent or help the offense and the defense achieve their goals.
For example, the offense is required to move the ball at least 10 yards in four downs (chances). If they cannot do this then the other team gets the same chance. However, if they do get the 10 yards in 4 downs or less, they must get another 10 yards. The team keeps doing this until they score in the end zone.
There are many ways teams can score and get points in football. Some ways these can happen are from a touchdown, extra point, field goal, or a safety. A touchdown (worth 6 points) is when the offensive team makes it all the way to the end zone by running there or catching the ball there. An extra point opportunity is given after a team gets a touchdown. This is when the team can kick the football into the goalposts (worth 1 point) or try for a two-point conversion play (worth 2 points). A field goal (worth 3 points) is when the offensive team chooses to kick the football through the opponent’s goalposts. Field goals usually happen on the fourth down when the offensive team is too far from the end zone. A safety (worth 2 points) occurs when the defensive team tackles the offensive player with the ball into their own end zone.
The teams get four quarters, each 15 minutes long to get the most points that they can. The team with the most points at the end of the last quarter wins!
Huh...Fantasy Football?
Okay, so I'm sure you've heard of fantasy football before, but do you know what it is? Fantasy football has become a highly popular virtual game that takes place during the National Football League (NFL) season.
Fantasy football gives fans the chance to act as a coach to a football team. They select and manage a roster of real life NFL players to compete against other members of their fantasy league. The purpose is to create the best fantasy team and score more points than your opponent based on how well the NFL player does in the real life games.
Fantasy football delivers an added layer of enjoyment to the NFL season by sparking friendly competitions among team owners as they strive to build the most elite squad. It does actually involve some strategy, smart decision-making, research, and occasionally a little luck to win. Ultimately, fantasy football is a fun activity that is commonly played in leagues with family, friends, or coworkers.
Conclusion
American football is a fun and entertaining sport, however it also requires players to be strategic and work with their team due to the variety of tactics and plays that could happen. Football has taken over the minds of so many fans, as their mood relies on if their favorite team wins a game or not. In conclusion, I recommend becoming a fan of American football because it is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Joke of the Week!
Q: Why did Cinderella get kicked off the football team?
A: Because she kept running away from the BALL and back to this BLOG instead!
THANK YOU!
Source: Pictures Sumedha took at the Broncos game on 9/17/2023 at Empower Field
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