This article is about the family of sports.
For specific sports and other uses, see Football
(disambiguation).
Several codes of football
Association (soccer) Australian rules Gaelic (GAA) Rugby
Gridiron
Rugby league
(American
union / Can
adian)
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score
a goal. Unqualified, the word football generally means the form of football that is the most
popular where the word is used. Sports commonly called football include association
football (known as soccer in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the United States, and
sometimes in Ireland and New Zealand); Australian rules football; Gaelic football; gridiron
football (specifically American football, arena football, or Canadian football); International
rules football; rugby league football; and rugby union football.[1] These various forms of
football share, to varying degrees, common origins and are known as "football codes".
There are a number of references to traditional, ancient, or prehistoric ball games played
in many different parts of the world.[2][3][4] Contemporary codes of football can be traced
back to the codification of these games at English public schools during the 19th century,
itself an outgrowth of medieval football.[5][6] The expansion and cultural power of the British
Empire allowed these rules of football to spread to areas of British influence outside the
directly controlled empire.[7] By the end of the 19th century, distinct regional codes were
already developing: Gaelic football, for example, deliberately incorporated the rules of local
traditional football games in order to maintain their heritage. [8] In 1888, the Football
League was founded in England, becoming the first of many professional football
associations. During the 20th century, several of the various kinds of football grew to
become some of the most popular team sports in the world.[9]
Common elements
The action of kicking in
(clockwise from upper
left) association, gridiron,
rugby, and Australian
football
The various codes of
football share certain
common elements
and can be grouped into two main classes of football: carrying codes like American
football, Canadian football, Australian football, rugby union and rugby league, where the
ball is moved about the field while being held in the hands or passed by hand,
and kicking codes such as association football and Gaelic football, where the ball is moved
primarily with the feet, and where handling is strictly limited. [10] Common rules among the
sports include:[11]
Two teams usually have between 11 and 18 players; some variations that have fewer
players (five or more per team) are also popular.[12]
A clearly defined area in which to play the game.
Scoring goals or points by moving the ball to an opposing team's end of the field and
either into a goal area, or over a line.
Goals or points resulting from players putting the ball between two goalposts.
The goal or line being defended by the opposing team.
Players using only their body to move the ball, i.e. no additional equipment such as bats
or sticks.
An inflatable ball.
In all codes, common skills include passing, tackling, evasion of tackles, catching
and kicking.[10] In most codes, there are rules restricting the movement of players offside,
and players scoring a goal must put t