A Comparison of Football & Soccer

Soccer, or football, as it is commonly known in most of the world, and American football are two of the most popular spectator sports in the world. American football is more popular in the United States. Soccer is more popular in the rest of the world. It is not unusual for the premier teams in either sport to draw crowds in excess of 50,000 people to a game.

  1. Descriptions

    • In soccer, two teams of 11 players each try to kick or head a soccer ball into the opponent’s net. Only the goalkeeper may handle the ball with his hands, and even then, only inside a certain area on the field. American football is a contact sport in which two teams of 11 players each try to score points against their opponents by throwing or carrying an oval-shaped ball across the opponent’s goal or end zone. Three points can also be scored when the ball is kicked through the goal posts.

    Field of Play

    • The standard size for a soccer pitch, as defined by the International Football Association Board, is 344 feet long by 223 feet wide. The pitch is divided in half by the halfway line, and each game is started with the ball at the center of the pitch, defined by a circle with a radius of 30 feet. The penalty area outside the goal at each end is marked with a rectangular box 132 feet wide by 54 feet deep. An American football field is 360 feet long by 160 feet wide. The field is marked with lines and hash marks, including yard lines, at intervals of one and five yards across the field parallel to the goal lines. These give players and fans an idea of how far a team has advanced the ball--or still needs to do so.

    Duration

    • A soccer match consists of two 45-minute halves, with 15 minutes between halves. Each half runs continuously, and the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for extra time to compensate for time lost through substitutions, player injuries and other stoppages. The end of the match is known as full time. If a match is tied at full time, extra time may be played, and if it is still tied, a penalty kick shootout decides the winner. American football games are divided into 15-minute quarters. The referee controls the game clock, and stops it after an incomplete pass or any play that ends out of bounds. If a game is tied at the end of the game, the winner is determined in overtime.

    Scoring

    • In soccer, players can score goals by kicking or heading the ball into the opponent’s goal (one point). Soccer games are generally low-scoring, with a team scoring, perhaps, two or three goals. By putting the ball in their own net, a team can score a goal for their opposition, known as an own goal or home goal. In American football, the offense can score by getting a touchdown (six points), scoring a point after the touchdown, scoring two points after the touchdown and getting a field goal (three points).

    Equipment

    • In both sports, players wear boots with cleats. Because of the physical nature of American football, players wear protective gear, including helmets and various pads. The player’s number is typically displayed on the back of the shirt, often accompanied by his last name. In soccer, players wear shorts and a T-shirt. A player’s name and number is displayed on the back of the jersey, and any advertising, is on the front. Protective gear is generally confined to shin pads, which cover from the ankle to just below the knee.