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5 differences between Rugby Union and American Football
Have you ever looked at American football and thought it looked a lot like British football?
Well, if you look closely, there are certainly many similarities between the two.
Both games aim to score points by putting the ball in the bottom area or over the post and crossbar.
However, a closer look shows us that these two sports are very different.
American football and rugby started how.
We all know American rugby is one of the most popular sports in the country.
The game currently has 32 teams competing in the National Football League (NFL).
The regular NFL season peaks every February with the Super Bowl, a four-hour event anticipated by many American sports fans but also by the growing UK fan base.
What about rugby?
It started when a boy named William Webb Ellis first ran with a ball in his hand.
There is no substantial evidence to support this theory but this is the most popular view, and the Rugby World Cup is named by the international commission after Ellis.
There are also two types of rugby, the Rugby Union and the Rugby League and even these two have some pretty complicated differences but let's take a look at the 5 differences between Rugby Union and American football.
Now let's look at the 5 differences.
Difference # 1 - Number of players on a team.
The first and most obvious difference between American football and Rugby Union is the number of players on the pitch.
Rugby has a field of 15 players on the field throughout the game, while in American football there are only 11 players on the pitch at a time.
Football teams also mainly consist of 2 11-player teams, 11 attacking players and another 11-player team playing defensively with the entire team going turn-based.
A special third team can also be used, normally when there is one ball.
Difference # 2 - Team makeup.
Due to their fundamental difference in playstyle, the rugby team is set up to serve both attack and defense at all times on the field while each team is fully set up for attack or defense.
In American football, the most prominent player is the quarterback when he makes every tactical decision on the pitch.
Therefore, the attacking team has two main goals;
The defense must prevent this from happening by attacking the Midfielder and preventing the other players from running onto the field.
The only exception to this is when the special team shows up during a match.
Rugby, however, is made up of eight strikers and seven strikers.
Strikers are usually taller and more athletic players, they scramble for the ball and defenders tend to be more agile.
In general, the fastest runners and shooters in the team are the ones who score the most points.
Difference # 3 - Flow game.
The next biggest difference is the flow of the game and how this affects strategy.
In American football you are more likely to see tactical playstyle, short, fast, and led by a quartet.
This is in contrast to rugby, which has a slower playstyle that focuses on moving slowly down the pitch, looking for space to run through, and scoring.
This could be due to a difference in plays.
In American football, the ball must travel at least 10 yards out of four drops for the attacking team to retain possession.
The ball must not touch the ground prior to being caught (except in mess) or out of play for this to be successful.
If the defensive team stops this, the game will restart and the foul will be lost once.
If the 10 yard threshold is not met, the fourth or lower possession will be overturned.
This is different from the rugby league, where the game continues no matter how many times the team has been dealt with.
Also, unlike in American football where the Quads usually throw the ball forward during a game, in rugby, the ball can only be thrown sideways or back.
Difference # 4 - Score.
While following a similar story in scoring, there are complex differences between the two:
The best way to score points in both games is through a touch of the ball in football worth 6 points or try in rugby worth 5 points.
In order to score a touch ball, the ball must be brought in or taken into the ground area.
While in rugby, the ball must touch the ground inside the backyard area to count.
After this in both sports teams have a chance to score further - a kick over the post and crossbar is worth 2 points in football and 1 point in American football.
In football, another option available after touching the ball is to try to pass and run the ball to the bottom area to score 2 more points.
Goals on the pitch are also popular in both sports and are worth 3 points.
There is a subtle difference;
Finally, in American football, defense has a safety value of 2 points if the ball dies or an attacking player is dealt with or goes out of bounds in their terminal zone.
In rugby, a team can use a penalty to try to kick the ball from a foul spot across the posts to get 3 points.
Difference # 5 - Game Time.
The timing and downtime of the game in both games make one of the biggest differences between the two.
American football is divided into four 15-minute halves, and Rugby includes two 40-minute halves.
In American football, there are also match allowances three times per quarter for a team to use.
However, there is no break in rugby and the only person who can stop the clock is the referee for stoppages such as serious injury or consultation with other officials.
So despite the similarities, the two games are actually very different and both make for an attractive watch!
