Gridiron football

People play a fun team sport.

It uses a brown ball with pointy ends.

Players wear hard hats and pads. These keep them safe while they play.

In the U.S., teams have 11 players. In Canada, teams have 12 players.

One player can throw the ball forward. This is called a forward pass.

People play this game in many ways. Some play flag football to stay safe. It is a great sport to watch.

Gridiron football is a family of team sports.

These games are very popular in the United States and Canada. The name comes from the old playing fields. They had many lines that looked like a cooking grid.

Players use a brown ball with pointed ends. This shape is called a prolate spheroid. To stay safe, players wear hard plastic helmets. They also wear shoulder pads.

There are different ways to play. In the U.S., American football teams have 11 players. They use a system of downs to move the ball. In 1906, they added the forward pass. This lets a player throw the ball to a teammate.

In Canada, teams have 12 players. They have three downs instead of four. They can also score a point called a rouge.

Some people play flag football. In this game, players pull a flag from a belt. They do not tackle each other. This version will be in the 2028 Olympics! Other versions include indoor football and touch football. People play these games for fun or as a job.

Gridiron football is a family of exciting team sports.

These games are very popular in North America. People play them for fun in backyards or as a big job in professional leagues. The name comes from how the playing fields used to look. Long ago, fields had many lines crossing each other. This made a pattern that looked like a metal cooking gridiron.

Today, players use yard lines instead of that old grid pattern.

Players use a special brown ball to play the game. The ball is shaped like a prolate spheroid, which means it has pointed ends. This shape makes it easier to throw. Because the game can be physical, players wear protective gear. They wear hard plastic helmets to protect their heads. They also wear thick shoulder pads. In some versions, like flag football, players do not tackle. Instead, they pull a flag from a belt to stop the play. Flag football will even be in the 2028 Summer Olympics!

This sport has a long and interesting history. It grew from older games like rugby and soccer during the 1800s. The first recorded game happened in November 1861 at the University of Toronto. Later, two famous schools played a big game in 1874. Harvard University played McGill University using different sets of rules. Harvard liked the rugby-style rules from McGill. Because of this, the American version of the game began to change. It slowly became different from the rugby games played in other places.

There are two main ways to play these games. American football is the most famous version. It uses 11 players on each team. They use a system of four downs to move the ball. In 1906, they added the forward pass. This allowed a quarterback to throw the ball to a receiver. Canadian football is also very popular. It uses 12 players on each team. Canadian teams have three downs instead of four. They can also score a single point called a rouge.

Many different groups manage these sports today. The International Federation of American Football, or IFAF, is the big group for the whole world. They include both American and Canadian football under their umbrella. In Canada, a group called Football Canada helps run the game. There are also many smaller versions of the sport. Some teams play on smaller fields with only six or eight players. This happens in small towns or inside indoor arenas. Whether it is played in a huge stadium or a park, people love the skill and teamwork of the game.

Gridiron football is a family of team sports derived from rugby football. These games are primarily played in the United States and Canada. While many people call these games simply "football," they are distinct from association football, often called soccer. The term "gridiron" refers to the history of the playing field. Originally, fields were marked with parallel lines. These lines created a cross-hatched pattern like a metal cooking gridiron. By 1920, teams abandoned this pattern. They replaced it with the system of yard lines and hash marks used today.

The sport relies on specific equipment and unique mechanics. Players use a brown leather ball shaped like a prolate spheroid. This means the ball has pointed ends. To stay safe, players wear hard plastic helmets and shoulder pads. The game is defined by the system of downs. A team must move the ball a certain distance to earn a new set of downs. In American football, teams use four downs to achieve this goal. In Canadian football, teams must move the ball in only three downs.

There are several distinct versions of the sport. American football is the most famous version worldwide. It uses 11 players on each side. Canadian football is the predominant version in Canada. It uses 12 players per side. Other varieties include arena football, which is played indoors. Arena football uses smaller facilities and usually has eight players per side. There are also smaller versions like six-man, eight-man, or nine-man football. These are often played by high schools in rural areas with small student bodies.

The history of the game involves many different schools and rule changes. The earliest recorded game occurred in November 1861. This game was played at University College at the University of Toronto. In the 1870s, rules began to standardize through college competition. A major turning point happened in 1874. Harvard University and McGill University played games using each other's rules. Harvard adopted the rugby-style rules used by McGill. This helped separate the American game from rugby. Later, Walter Camp introduced the line of scrimmage and the system of downs. In 1906, the forward pass was adopted. This allowed a quarterback to throw the ball over the line of scrimmage.

Canadian football developed its own unique identity. While it shares roots with the American game, it developed separately. The Burnside rules were instrumental in establishing modern Canadian rules in 1903. Canadian football also adopted the forward pass later, in 1929. One unique feature is the "rouge," or a single point. A team scores a rouge if they kick the ball into the opponent's end zone. The ball must not be returned by the receiving team. These rules create a distinct style of play compared to the American version.

Professionalism in the sport has grown significantly over time. The National Football League (NFL) is the major American professional league. It was founded in 1920 and has 32 teams. In 2023, the NFL had an average attendance of 2,700,000 people. The Canadian Football League (CFL) is the major professional league in Canada. It was founded in 1958 and consists of nine teams. The average attendance for the CFL in 2023 was 89,000. Other leagues include the United Football League and various indoor football leagues. These leagues provide different levels of competition for players.

Gridiron football connects to many different social and athletic systems. The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) acts as the global governing body. It includes both American and Canadian football under its umbrella. Even though it uses American rules for international play, its definition is broad. Flag football is a popular variant that removes tackling. In this version, defenders must pull a flag from a belt. Flag football is set to become an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics. This shows how the sport continues to evolve and reach new audiences around the world.