American football. Rules known to every American

American football, the rules of which every American knows, can rightfully be considered a national sport of the United States. This game is familiar to everyone in this country: from the little boys who only learned to walk, to the deep old men who remember, probably, how this sport was born.

The history of the appearance of American football

The 19th century will forever be remembered for Americans not only by the "golden" fever and war against the Indians, but also by the emergence of American football. In 1869, two universities, Rutgersky and Princeton, decided to hold a friendly match. That's just what to play, rugby or soccer, they could not decide. In the end, both games were combined, and it turned out a famous sport, which later acquired the name "American football." The rules of this game combine a part of the rules of soccer (a variation of European football) and rugby. It is worth noting that in American football in the 19th century they played completely differently than they do now.

Every year the game became more popular in the country. At the end of the century, coach Walter Kemp made a proposal to improve the rules of the game of American football. According to his proposal, the size of the football field became smaller, the number of players on the field was reduced to 11 people in the team. Kemp also introduced the so-called "screaming line", on which teams are built at the time of the ball.

Along with the growing number of fans of the game, the number of those who opposed the new sport increased . Many frightened off the brutality and cruelty of the game, in some colleges it was even forbidden to play American football. The rules, indeed, were very tough: in a few years it became known about 180 wounded players, 18 injuries were fatal.

Perhaps this would have ended the story of American football, if not for 26 US President Theodore Roosevelt, known for his addiction to spectacular and violent sports. With his submission, American football was somewhat modified, the rules became softer, and the game was given the right to exist.

American football. The rules of the game, known to every American

The goal of the game is to earn more points in the allotted time than the opposing team. On the field there are two teams in the number of 11 people, the number of spare players is not limited. Game time is 60 minutes, or 4 periods of a quarter of an hour. After the first and third period, a break of 1 minute is declared, after the second period - a break is longer, it lasts 15 minutes.

The game is based on constantly recurring attacks, involving 7 linear players (attackers). The central linear player must throw the ball back, where the defender takes it and hands over to the side line player. Also, the defender himself can pass with the ball forward. His task - to break through the wall, which formed the defenders of the team-rival.

Someone might say that the rules are practically the same as rugby, in fact, there are differences. Rugby involves attacking only the player who owns the ball; American football, the rules of which are slightly stiffer, characterized by attacks on any player, and can be attacked either singly or in groups. The goal is to grab the ball from him after the transfer, throw the player to the ground and withdraw from the game. In this regard, often on the field there are dumps.

Playing in the attack, each team makes 4 attempts to throw the ball as far as possible into the territory of the opponent. If the team does this, it is given the right to one more attack, and the dump is formed in the area of the line to which the player can reach the ball. If the feeds fail, the right to 4 attacks passes to the team of opponents.

Perhaps this sport will soon become one of the most popular in the world: every year the number of its fans is increasing.