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The Most Popular Sport in the Country

Baseball might be traditionally known as "America's Pastime," but American football is the most popular sport in the United States, where it's simply called "football." There are leagues across the country ranging from Pop Warner for ages 5 through 16 to high school and college to the multi-billion-dollar professional National Football League (NFL). The NFL boasts the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world, and its Super Bowl championship game is one of the most-watched club sporting events on the planet.

Where Did Football Come From?

As you might suspect, the game of American football evolved from soccer and rugby, with the first match between colleges Princeton and Rutgers taking place on November 6, 1869. Walter Camp, known as the "Father of American Football," originated a number of rule changes in 1880, setting the groundwork for the modern game. Advancing years brought further changes to American football and its close cousin, Canadian football, which interestingly enough came about and evolved independently along similar lines, all leading up to the exciting contest we avidly watch and/or participate in today.

So, What Is Football Anyway?

Modern-day football, at least at the college and professional level, is a much more complex game than it was in the "old days," requiring not just brawn, but brains and technology. However, the basic rules and the way the game is played are fairly similar across its many echelons from youth teams to the pros.

In a nutshell, football is a timed sport played by two teams of 11 players each on a 100-yard-long rectangular field. With their opponent trying to stop them, each team tries to carry the ball down the field and across the other team's "goal line" to score. This is done by running with or throwing ("passing") the oval-shaped football. The team that scores the most points before time runs out wins.