RP197 American Football

 RP197 American Football

Huge men sprint across the field like gazelles, then smash into each other like trains. One man is alone inside a clear space while other men fight to protect him. Just before he falls under the weight of other bodies, he throws a ball high into the air. Thirty yards away, it is caught. A touchdown! The crowd goes wild.

This is American football. It's the most popular sport in the United States, but it's not well-known elsewhere. Two teams of eleven men fight to move along a 100-yard field. Each team defends its goal at the ends of the field. The men try to move a ball. The ball can be thrown, carried, or kicked. A team scores six points for carrying or throwing the ball across the other team's goal line, and three points for kicking the ball between the other team's goalposts.

American football (called "football" in the United States) evolved in the 19th century from different types of rugby, which is played in the United Kingdom. Rugby has a similar ball and similar rules to football. While American football is still clearly related to rugby, the two games are now very different.

American football was already a popular high school and college game before it was recognized as a professional sport in 1892. The first football league was established in 1920. Two years later, it changed its name to the NFL (National Football League), which still exists today.

After 1958, when a great championship game was played, football's popularity grew. Now, it is the most popular sport in the United States. The championship, now called the Super Bowl, is watched by more Americans than any other television event. The game, with its violence, strategy, and passion, is deeply rooted in American culture.