why is it called football?

Question

Why do americans call it football? It is played with Hand. There is not Foot work involved. I am confused.

Anyways, I want to see this years superbowl on TV. Can someone point me to a good website which explains a layman, American Football in a nutshell? I am not looking for details. Just an overview.

And i am still not sure if i can see it on CBS2 in chicago? Do I need a cable connection to see this years Superbowl or no? All I have is a TV with antenna and a very good reception of local free channels.

Answer 1

If that was the case, then they do fight sometimes, so it could be called Wrestling :-) Just kidding.

I was equally confused when I came to america. The only logical reason I could come out was that it might be "1 Foot" long.

I am not sure if this is true. But that is what I explained to myself and then started enjoying it. It seems funny though !

Answer 2

I don't know, Americans are weird that way. Ya, go to NFL.com, what the other guys said. There is actually a little foot work involved: If the offense can't manage to score a touchdown for 7 points the kicker can tack on 3 points by kicking a field goal. This will probably happen often in this Superbowl because the Bears have a pretty good defense. Watch the Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, he's awesome. I'm not in Chicago but I highly doubt that you'll need cable connection to watch the Superbowl. It should be on a local channel. If this is one of the first football games you've ever watched than you'd better cheer for the Colts. Just because they're awesome and they're going to win and I don't want your football experience to be disappointing. I'm nice that way. O well, I hope that answered a few questions =).

Answer 3

American's call it football because they knew it would have a bunch of soccer pansies all bent out of shape.

Now to the Super Bowl. It should be on ABC, not positive because the NFL changed its TV schedule slightly this year. Either way if you have rabbit ears you will be able to pick it up. I'd suggest getting together with some friends and going to a Chicago bar. It'll be fun, especially in Chicago as the Bears are playing in the game.

Answer 4

Within the spectrum of modern football codes there are several "families", which have diverged from and/or influenced each other in their development. Many of these games have their origins in varieties of football played in England. By the 1850s, the two main families of football in England were the "kicking games", in which the ball was mostly kicked along the ground, and the "running games", in which the ball was mostly carried by players. Some codes combined elements from both families. In 1845, at Rugby School in England, rugby football became the first of the running games to have codified rules. The best-known of the kicking games is soccer (a word which originated as an abbreviation of "Association football"), which began with a code of rules devised in 1863 in England, by The Football Association.

However from these English roots it can be said that these FA rules laid the basis for many derivations of football in many forms.


The Oneida Football Club, formed in Boston in 1861, is claimed by some sources as the first American football team. However, no one knows what rules the club used. They may have played "kicking" games, "running" games, both or some hybrid form. The latter seems most likely, since the "Oneidas" are often credited with inventing the "Boston Game," which both allowed players to kick a round ball along the ground, and to pick it up and run with it. The game seems to have been popular at least in Massachusetts in the mid-19th century and there are references to it being the most popular form of football at Harvard University shortly thereafter. In 1876 Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, and Yale met at Massasoit House in Springfield, Massachusetts to decide on standard American rules, an event which became known as the Massasoit Convention. They adopted the rugby football rules in their entirety, except for two changes: at the time a touch-down in rugby only counted toward the score if neither side kicked a field goal. Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia agreed that four touchdowns would be worth one goal; in the event of a tied score, a goal converted from a touchdown would take precedence over four touch-downs.The three colleges also founded the original Intercollegiate Football Association

Answer 5

Back in the 1400's in Ireland a game in which you carry and kick around a human skull. This game was eventually called rugby and then the game immigrated to United States during the 1800's when the potatoe famine struck europe(mainly ireland) and changed to the modern english term of football. And then the rules were changed around. And then the first official football game was played in 1890 when Princeton played Rutger.

Answer 6

Why? You kick the Ball with your foot.Played first t Rutger vs Hrvrd -- the position or running back nd wide outs came later.

Go to Foxsports

Answer 7

check your tv guide it should be on regular tv.
go to nfl.com and see the rules, etc.
i think it is called football cause sometimes they kick the ball, but i am not sure.