World Cup showing football fans what the American game has in common with futbol

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Every four years, the men’s World Cup becomes the globe’s main focus in the sporting realm, pitting countries against each other. It also features the world’s most popular sport: football. For fans of the Cleveland Browns, football and football (or futbol) are either shared passions or very divergent sports.

The game of “football” began with the Romans as a way to keep their soldiers in shape and sharp. The game has since evolved into the sport it is today. In 1863, a set of standard rules was formed in England and called “Association Football.”

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The United States Men’s World Cup has one game left in its group stage, but has already qualified to advance to the round of 32. This brings a lot of attention to the U.S. team, which has struggled mightily in past tournaments and rarely advances. Keep in mind that the USA team hasn’t played any of the big dogs yet, such as Spain, Argentina, France, England, or Germany.

The term “soccer” came out of the slang use of “Association,” with younger players adding an “er” to most things. If you surfed, you were a surf-er, or if you played golf, you were a golf-er. If you played Association Football, you were an assoc-er. That later became shortened to “socc-er.”

Everywhere in the world, this game is called “football” or “futbol.” In North America, the same game is called “soccer.”

Like any other exceptional sporting event, such as the Super Bowl, sites for the World Cup are highly competitive. It not only brings throngs of fans into the country and spends money on hotels, rental cars, Ubers, restaurants, and clothing stores, but the notoriety and television coverage alone can catapult a sleepy city into a worldwide tourist destination.

Although the stadium that the Cleveland Browns use, Huntington Bank Field, is suitable for the World Cup, the City of Cleveland didn’t even get a nibble as a host city.

This World Cup features host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A long list of potential sites was first discussed, then pared down to a short list, and finally, 11 U.S. cities, three Mexican, and two Canadian sites were selected.

There were two U.S. cities situated close to Cleveland that made the final list: Detroit and Cincinnati.

How football (soccer) arrived in the United States was through Ivy League colleges and universities.  

In the 1800s, every American college played football (soccer), as most students were European immigrants and football was the sport they grew up with. Harvard University predominantly played rugby as a large percentage of its athletes were schooled in England. Other universities were intrigued by the sport and enjoyed that this game had more contact and was rough. Eventually, more and more colleges began to switch over to rugby as their main sport.

Rugby came from football (soccer). The official name of this sport is “Rugby Football.” Rugby started at the Rugby School in England, a boys’ school. While playing football (soccer), a kid named Webb Ellis picked up the football (soccer) ball and ran with it. Another kid tackled him. The boys liked this and began playing a version of their new sport. A set of rules was developed in 1845.

In 1869, a game between Rutgers University and Princeton University was played that used football (soccer) rules, rugby rules, and some new rules. It is considered to be the very first American Football game, even if those playing rules do not resemble those of today’s game.

Enter Walter Camp

Eventually, Yale University head coach Walter Camp tinkered with the rugby game and developed a new game. He called it “American Football.”

So, football (soccer) was first, then rugby football came from football (soccer), and then American Football came from rugby football.

Therefore, football (soccer) is the grandfather of American Football. And all three sports call themselves officially “football.” Just like if the grandfather is named Jones, his son is also called Jones, and his son is also Jones.

The main difference that Camp installed was possession. In basketball, polo, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, and water polo, all of these sports have one thing in common: they have possession as long as they retain the ball. But in American Football, if you fail on a play, you still keep possession.

Another thing Camp changed was that he installed a system of downs and yardage that must be accomplished to continue possession. At first, it was 15 plays to drive the field, but few offensive possessions could sustain a drive. So, that was changed to 5 yards with three downs. This is why Canadian Football still plays with three downs. Later, Camp changed it again to 10 yards with four downs.

Camp also reduced the size of the rugby field, which was longer and wider. The standard size of the actual ball used has been narrowed four times as passing became more prevalent.

American Football uses football (soccer) terminology

When the game of rugby was slowly beginning to be developed in the new American Football version, a lot of things that were used in football (soccer) and rugby were simply copied and duplicated in the new game.

This is not unusual. If you go into any American restaurant, you can order an omelet or a hamburger. The omelet was a standard French breakfast item, whereas the hamburger was a sandwich featured in Hamburg, Germany; yet, both of these are considered American dishes, and how they are made was copied from the original.

What the new sport of rugby did was use many things from its father sport. And when American Football came along, it also used terminology, language, field components, actions, equipment, player and game officials identification that were commonplace in both football (soccer) and rugby.

Basically, instead of coming up with new material, American Football simply copied from its father and grandfather sports.

LINK: 2026 WORLD CUP SCHEDULE & SCORES

In other words, the Jones grandson only drives a Chevy because his dad and grandfather only drove a Chevrolet.

Here is a list of terms that American Football (AF) uses that are derived from its football (soccer) roots:

• Halves

At first, the game of American Football was two halves with 45-minutes per half. Football (soccer) is still this way in the college, professional, and international levels, and varies with the lower levels. Later, AF changed to four quarters but still uses two halves.

• Halftime

The English began this trend during football (soccer) games at the conclusion of the first half. Made sense for AF, so they copied it.

• Changing Ends

In 1863, football (soccer) rules were changed to allow teams to change ends after halftime. This was done in the spirit of fair play, which did not give one team an advantage over the other in terms of adverse field conditions, the sun, or weather. So, if you have ever wondered why AF teams change ends after quarters and after halftime, now you know.

• Football

Both sports have a ball, and both call it a football. In North America, it is called a soccer ball.

• Box

The penalty box is an area where certain fouls count towards a penalty kick instead of a direct kick, and is a place where the defense usually crowds during an offensive attack. AF uses the term box to describe a defense that crowds the line of scrimmage.

• Offside

In football (soccer), a one-on-one with the goalkeeper is a major advantage to the attacking team, so the rules state that the offense must have two players between themselves and the goal, and when an attacker jumps over this imaginary line, it is called offside. AF uses the same principle of jumping over the imaginary line.

• Red & Yellow

Football (soccer) uses red cards and yellow cards for fouls; AF uses red flags and yellow flags for fouls. AF could have used any colors they wanted, but chose what was already familiar.

• Tackle

In football (soccer), when a defender swipes away a ball and stops an attack, it is called a tackle. In American Football, when a defender knocks a player down and stops an attack, it is called a tackle.

• Pass

When one player kicks the ball to another, this is a pass. When one player tosses the ball to another, this is an AF pass.

• Interception

When one player kicks the ball to another, but a defender jumps in front to collect the ball, this is an interception. When one player tosses the ball to another, but a defender jumps in front to collect the ball, this is an AF interception. Same thing, different sports.

• Turnover

After each interception, this is classified as a turnover in both sports.

• Crossbar

The crossbar is the horizontal part of the goal in both sports.

• Uprights

The uprights are the vertical parts of the goal in both sports.

• Goal

In football (soccer), a goal is scored when the ball goes into the net. In rugby, a goal is scored when the ball is kicked between the uprights. In AF, a field goal is scored when the ball goes between the uprights and over the crossbar. All of these are called “goals” because the grandfather sport called it this.

• Referee & Linesman

In football (soccer), the center official is called the referee. The linesman looks down the parallel line with the second-to-last defender to determine whether players are onside or offside when the pass is kicked. The head official in AF is the referee, whereas the linesman looks down the parallel line of scrimmage.

• Substitution

When a new player enters the game, it is called a substitution in football (soccer). In the college, professional, and international levels, teams are allowed three substitutes per game, and the player coming off the field cannot re-enter the game. Up until 1946 in AF, any number of players could be substituted, but once they left the field, they could not re-enter.

• Tie

Except in playoff situations or the knockout rounds of any football (soccer) tournament, when two teams have the same score at the conclusion of the game, this is called a tie. AF called theirs the same thing.

• Overtime

In most levels of football (soccer), when a winner is necessary, extra periods of play are necessary and called overtime. In international games, this is called “extra time.” In overtime, any number of goals can be scored, but the entire period must be played out. AF has always called their added periods of play overtime. All levels of AF have their own rules regarding this extra period and how a winner is determined.

• Sudden Death

In football (soccer), at many levels, after the game is concluded and a tie game is the result, but a winner must be proclaimed, the teams will go into several periods of overtime. If a winner is still not named, then usually two 5-minute sudden-death periods are played, with the winner being the first team to score, no matter how much time is left on the clock. Football (soccer) calls this final extra period “sudden-death.” AF simply copied it.

• 11-a-side

Soccer has 11 players per side, while rugby has 15. AF plays 11 players per side because football (soccer) does.

• Punt

When the goalkeeper kicks the ball downfield, it is called a punt, and a player from either team can gain possession. When an AF player kicks the ball downfield, it is called a punt. Originally, in AF, it was the same as in soccer, where either team could gain possession of the punt, but it was later changed.

• Penalty

Both sports have “penalties” for various infractions. AF needed a description, and football (soccer) already had a name for these.

• Offense & Defense

In football (soccer), the team that is doing the attacking is called the offense, while the players who attempt to stop the other team from scoring are referred to as the defense. AF uses the same terms.

• Kickoff

To start the game and the second half, one player kicks off. After each point scored, a kickoff is performed. Which sport does this pertain to? Well, both football (soccer) and American Football.

• Holding

In both sports, when one player grabs another player and does not let go, it is called holding. AF simply used the same terminology.

• Cleats

These outdoor sports shoes were invented in 1526 for Henry VIII, the king of England, so that he had a traction advantage when he would “play football.” In football (soccer), these are called “boots,” but the shoes are the same. The Roman army invented a similar shoe that had tacks that protruded from the bottom of the shoe, called “caligae,” when they entered certain terrains in foreign lands that required better footing. 

Barry Shuck is a pro football historical writer and a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association.

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