English
Introduction
For millions of people worldwide American football and soccer are not just some types sports they like to watch and follow, but are the way of life. Even though both sports have a lot in common, there is much more that sets them clearly apart from one another.
First comes the geography; one is the favorite sport of American people, while soccer is the favorite of the most of our world. Both sports are usually played on large rectangular fields, and are judged by rules that come from the 19th century.
The comparison
Both sports are played with the equal teams of 11, but in soccer there is only a single team, where as in football offense, defense and special teams exist. According to the international FIFA rules, the number of substitutes per game in soccer cannot exceed 3, whilst in football unlimited substitutions are permitted, but only during stoppages in play; also there are substitutions from offense to defense and back in football, when in soccer there are none. Soccer games are played in two halves 45 minutes each, with one break only, while American football is played in four quarters 15 minutes each, with several breaks during the whole game.
Both are contact sports; however in football the contact is much heavier, which is only a natural way of playing the game. There is not as much of protective equipment or any equipment in soccer; soccer players merely wear shorts, shin guards and cleats, when football players are heavily armored with helmets, shoulder pads, and uniforms. Then there is a huge difference in physical trainings for players; soccer players are trained to be quick, agile to be able to play for long periods. Football players on the contrary, are trained more heavily to be larger and more powerful, as power is the very core of their game. As for the use of hands, it is not permitted to any player on the pitch (except the goalkeeper) in soccer (only your feet, legs, torso and head can be used), when in football, ironically, almost all of the main actions are executed by hand.
And finally, scoring in both games is quite different from one another. In soccer, in order to score, the ball must be sent behind the goal line by one of the players. And for a player to score in football requires the ball to be sent to the very end zone to get a six-point touchdown or a two-point conversion. When an extra point is needed in the game, the ball must be kicked through the goalpost uprights, which can also bring a three-point field goal.
Conclusion
Even both of these sports have a lot of difference in them, including the spirit of the game, there is one thing that unites them, and that is the love and the appreciation of their fans, which will keep these particular types of sports alive for a long time.
