why do americans persist in calling their game football?

Question

the word football consists of two words
FOOT BALL
when is the ball kicked in their game?once in a while for a field goal thats all
footie it gets clumped every few seconds, therefore football

wouldn't a better name for their version be
throw the pigskin forward forty yards after every stoppage for commercials?

Answer 1

Some of the answers here belong on a certain round of QI.

The world series is so called not because of who participates, but because it was originally sponsored by a newspaper.
The name of the newspaper - go on take a wild guess.

Soccer - it isn't called soccer in England, it's called Association Football, Football for short.

American football originated as a corruption of the game of Rugby Football (started with the forward pass I think), just as Rugby Football itself was a corruption of Association Football (started when a chap called Ellis decided to pick the ball up and run with it rather than kick it).

Football isn't alone in developing like this, lots of sports have evolved over the years.

Answer 2

If I'm reading your question right, you are asking why americans PERSIST in calling it football, not why we called it football in the first place, like most people are answering to.

The answer is: it is what it is. some body 100+ years ago whenever it was invented, called it football, and because the game of "soccer" wasn't popular over here, it wasn't a problem to call it that, and now we're stuck with the language problem.

I am born and raised American, but I have played "soccer" all my life, and I understand that the game is football and I call it that. The only time I call it soccer is when I know whoever I'm talking to won't get it. But when I'm with my family or my buddies, it's football, cause that's what it is. But for general purposes, America will always have "soccer" and pretty much be the only country in the world that calls it that, and still think that we are right.

It's like 100 people are in a room and 99 are saying the wall is white and 1 person saying it is green, but that one person thinks everyone else is an idiot. The wall is white, buddy!

Answer 3

Why is this question asked and answered a couple times a week? (Sigh) I'm going to explain this one more time and give you a short version and try to get you a link so if you choose, you can have a better understanding of our American football.
When rugby was first introduced here in the US it was also known as "rugby football". Both rugby and football were both considered to be different types of football back then, too We changed the game and added things to it like the forward thrown pass. This version of it was the one that was favored by Americans at the time. We also dropped rugby from it's name. Why we chose to stick with calling it football is beyond me and I don't know why we didn't stick with calling it "Gridiron football" like we did in it's early days. That is a better fitting name for it that just football.

By todays standards, calling it football just doesn't fit the sport anymore but the sport started out with football being part of what we called it and we never changed that. I wish we did. I think it should be called "American Rules Rugby" or even "Gridiron Football" as those names are better for it. The name of football has always been with this sport and is part of it's history and Americans aren't likely going to be interested in changing it even though what we call soccer is know as football to the vast majority of the rest of the world.

I do like American football except for all the commercial breaks and how short the plays are but football (soccer) will always be my favorite sport.

I'm posting link that you can check out and you may find a better answer to your question with.

Answer 4

Association Football was known as soccer in the early days of its conception and Rugby Football was so called because it was a breakaway from Association Football which stemmed from Rugby school. Soccer got its name because of the SOC in asSOCiation, 'soc' became soccer.
Before the 19th century forms of football had been taken all over the world with migration from Great Britain. The form of football that is closest to the football that was played before any conception of rules is the Australian football or Aussie Rules. As there was no worldwide rules regarding the playing of football different versions of the game began to appear as national rules became the norm.
So in answer to your question all the versions of football descend from the early medieval form of football, which is best represented by Aussie Rules, everything else is a corruption of this version of this game.
By the way I am a Soccer fan that lives in England and I've studied the history of Football at university.

Answer 5

For the same reasons that Rugby was once known as Rugby football-to show that it was different from football or as Americans say Soccer. By the way, in the 1800s at Harrow School London football was commonly called Soccer.

Answer 6

Well mate I'm an English bloke that lives in Canada now, and it used to get right up my nose when they refered to FOOTBALL as soccer. I still refer to the beautiful game as FOOTBALL and try to explain to my North American friends that the correct name is ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL and that soccer is a slang name for the game. I even turn the tables when the term football is mentioned, I ask "are you talking about that gridiron American game, or real football". Anyway mate, there are a few of us on this side of the pond that call it by it's correct name.

Answer 7

"Football" is not an exact term the world over.Aussies are divided between aussie rules and rugby league as 'footie' and in south Wales you will often hear rugby union described as "football".In Ireland they also have their own unique game.
When the game was first becoming popular and organized differing associations were formed in different countries who evolved in their own way.What turned out to be modern day NFL comes from a rugby-style sport often played between college teams.
The AFL down under owes a lot of heritage to the Irish code so to describe a sport as "football" can be a general term.Even the Canadians have developed their own sort !.

Answer 8

Why shouldnt they? Listen, It doesnt matter what you call it its a crap game (and yes im english). If they want to call it football they can...Lets face it youre talking about a nation that has a world series which only teams from the USA take part in. I totally agree with the guys who have commented about the "sissy" nature of the game, its why the supporters are so violent, (believe me you wouldnt want to be in a Bar in England when a bunch of "soccer thugs" are goin nuts)...

I think as a nation we should be content that weve got our own back on the people of the USA. They gave us Macdonalds and Hotdogs. Our revenge?....The Beckhams! enjoy!!

Answer 9

Americans are fat, stupid and steal everything from us. We gave birth to your country and we named our sports before you named yours! Show some respect and creativity!

oh, and stop blowing up our English troops..

Oh and players only "dive" to gain an advantage by cheating.


PLUS, they call their game football because they are crap at the real football.


Real Madrid, Chelsea, Milan, Inter and Barcelona, some of the best Euro teams that call the game football, could easily beat whatever American **** could muster.

LA Galaxy against AC Milan in a competitive match......BAHAHA

Answer 10

Suggest you go and ask Hull FC the same question!!! I'm sure the large rugby league playing gentlemen will apply a sympathetic ear to your protestations.