Differences and similarities at a glance

American football has evolved from rugby in the nineteenth century. However, there are some important differences between the two sports – for example in clothing, the number of players, and the direction in which passing is allowed.

What is the common denominator between rugby and football?

The only thing rugby and football have in common at first glance is the shape of the playing equipment. In both sports, the ball is oval, not round. Additionally, in both rugby and soccer, players attempt to place the ball behind the opposite goal line. The dimensions of the square, which are about 100 by 50 meters, also have a common denominator.

What is the difference between rugby and football?

One of the differences between rugby and soccer can also be noted: clothing. While American football players are best protected with helmets and protectors on their shoulders, back, and legs, rugby players only wear shirts and pants. There isn’t even a helmet.

Perhaps the most important difference between rugby and soccer is the fact that the ball can only be passed back in rugby. In American football, however, passes are allowed in all directions.

In American football, if the player in possession goes down or hits the ground with one knee or elbow, the play is over. In rugby, on the other hand, the game continues when the player is on the ground with the ball. However, he must then immediately let go of the ball and may not catch it again.

There is also a difference in playing time. In American football, a match takes 15 four times, for a total of 60 minutes. In rugby 40 minutes twice, i.e. 80 minutes. The number of players for each team also varies. In soccer, a team consists of eleven players, in rugby there are seven, 13 or 15 – depending on the substitute being played.

How does rugby work?

In rugby, the goal of the team in charge of the ball is to cross the opposite goal line with play equipment. A successful attempt earns four points (Rugby League and Rugby 7) or five points (Rugby Union). The successful team can then achieve two additional points through conversion. It does this by having a player aim the ball through the goalposts.

If the defending team prevents the attempt illegally, the attacking team is awarded a penalty. If this succeeds, he scores three points (Rugby League and Rugby League 7) or two (Rugby Union). Another option to score is drop kick. A player in the current game shoots the ball, which just hit the ground, between the two goalposts. There are three points in Rugby Union and one point in Rugby League. However, in 7-player rugby, drop kick is not provided.

How does American football work?

In American football, the attacking team has four attempts to conquer ten yards. If she can do that, she gets four more tries, and if she doesn’t, she loses the ball. Space can be gained by running and passing. If the striker crosses the goal line with the ball, he scores a touchdown. His team gets seven points for this. She can then score an additional point or two.

If the attacking team is close to the opposing goal line and only one attempt remains, they usually aim for a field goal. That brings up three points (all the information about important terms in American football). The defense can earn two points by dropping an opponent behind the goal line.

More about the rules in the NFL here.

Is there a Super Bowl in rugby?

The Super Bowl is arguably the most important American football game of the year. It is the final of the National Football League (NFL) and is contested by the two champions, NFC (National Football Conference) and AFC (American Football Conference). In this sense, there is no Super Bowl in rugby because the sport does not have a strong league like the NFL. Additionally, the national teams play a much larger role in rugby than they do in American football.

Therefore, some rugby games have some significance. These include, for example, the Rugby Union World Cup Finals, which are held every four years, and the annual Six Nations Championship. Only national teams from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy participate. The national teams of New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and South Africa also play the rugby championship once a year.

The most important club tournaments in rugby

At the club level, the European Rugby Champions Cup, European Rugby Challenge Cup and Super Rugby Cup are especially noteworthy. Only European teams participate in the first, while Super Rugby clubs from the Southern Hemisphere are reserved. The German champions will be decided as part of the Bundesliga rugby competition. The two best teams from the North and South advance to the semi-finals, then the two winners will meet in the finals of the tournament.

Which is older – rugby or football?

Both rugby and football originated in the nineteenth century. However, rugby is older, and this can also be seen from the fact that the rules of American football have partly evolved from the rules of rugby. Rugby is said to have been born in 1823 in the English city of the same name. There, two teams played a soccer match, and legend says that William Webb Ellis, the player of the losing team, carried the ball with his hands into the opponent’s goal. Therefore, today Ellis is considered the inventor of rugby.

American football developed in the mid-nineteenth century, as the new sport relied on the elements of rugby and soccer. It is said that the first football match took place in November 1869 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. However, the majority of the rules are in accordance with the rules of football. The father of American football is Walter Camp, who modified the rules of rugby from 1876 to the point where he created football.

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