A Wisdom Archive on American football

Objective: The object of American football is to advance the ball towards the opponent's end of the field and score more points than the opposing team within a set time limit. American football - Field and players. The American football field is often called the gridiron because the markings on the field resemble that type of grill that can be used to cook food over a fire. The game is played on a rectangular field 120 yards (110 metres) long by 53 1/3 yards (49 metres) wide. The longer boundary lin ...

Read more here: » American football: Encyclopedia II - American football - The rules of American football

Teams advance across the field through the execution of short, distinct plays, which involve the possession of a brown, ovoid ball with ends tapered to a point. The ball has two one-inch-wide stripes. Canadian football - Kickoff. Play begins with one team place-kicking the ball from its own 35-yard line. Both teams then attempt to catch the ball. The player who recovers the ball may run while holding the ball, or throw the ball to a teammate, so long as the throw is not forward. ...

Read more here: » Canadian football: Encyclopedia II - Canadian football - Play of the game

Enshrinees are selected by a 39-member committee largely made up of sportswriters. The selection committee meets the day before each Super Bowl game to elect a new class. To be elected, a nominee must receive at least 80 percent support votes. Currently, the rules state that the committee must elect between three and six new enshrinees each year. The only restriction is that a player must have been retired at least five years and a coach must be retired. Any other contribut ...

Read more here: » Pro Football Hall of Fame: Encyclopedia II - Pro Football Hall of Fame - Selection process

In American football, the ball changes possession to the other team once it has been kicked. In Canadian football, possession does not change until the receiving team establishes possession; in that game, the punter or teammates behind him can recover their own punt. A player from the receiving team must be the first player to touch the ball after it has been kicked in American football; if the kicking team touches it first it is dead at the point that they touch it and the receiving team receives possession there. The only exception ...

Read more here: » Punt football: Encyclopedia II - Punt football - Rules

There are several important specific differences between the Canadian and American versions of the game of football: Comparison of Canadian and American football - Playing area. The playing field in Canadian football field is generally larger, similar to those of American fields prior to 1912 (see 1912 in sports). The Canadian field of play is 110 yards (101 m) long and 65 yards (59 m) wide, rather than 100 yards by 53 1/3 yards (91 m by 49 m) as in American football. The end zones in Canadian football are ...

Read more here: » Comparison of Canadian and American football: Encyclopedia II - Comparison of Canadian and American football - Important differences

Rugby was introduced into the United States by English soldiers and colonists in the mid-1800s. The sport of rugby union in the United States has always had a close relationship with the sport of American football. Games of rugby, soccer and hybrid games had always been played between American universities, the first recorded game took place in May 1874 between Harvard University and McGill University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1876 Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, which used ...

Read more here: » USA national rugby union team: Encyclopedia II - USA national rugby union team - History

A safety, also known in Canadian football as a safety touch, is the act by which one team gains two points when an opponent who possesses the ball: is tackled in his own end zone runs out of bounds or behind the end line of his own end zone fumbles the ball out of bounds in the end zone or across the end line downs (kneels or falls on) the ball in the end zone (an intentional safety) commits certain penalties, such as holding ...

Read more here: » Safety football: Encyclopedia II - Safety football - Safety scores

Inductees into the hall of fame are listed below. Each entry includes the year of induction, teams each was associated with and the years. Where applicable, non-players are indicated as such. Pro Football Hall of Fame - Players Coaches and Team Executives. * Charter inductee (NOTE: As of 2005, five NFL teams are not represented by an enshrinee. They are the Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Ravens, the Carolina Panthers, the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars.) Pro Football Hall of Fame - Cont ...

Read more here: » Pro Football Hall of Fame: Encyclopedia II - Pro Football Hall of Fame - Inductees

The U.S. Women's National Team, officially formed in 1987, has been an international powerhouse since its inception. The Eagles won the first official World Cup in 1991, and finished second in the two following World Cups (1994, 1998). The Eagles have set the standard for international competition, leading an ensuing wave of women's Rugby growth and game development worldwide. The next Women's Rugby World Cup is in August/September 2006 in Edmonton, Canada. Despite finishing 7th in the 2002 tournament, the USA is actually seede ...

Read more here: » USA national rugby union team: Encyclopedia II - USA national rugby union team - Women's National Team