Football, American Football, is most directly descended from rugby football in the UK. American football probably dates from the early 1800's when a football like game that bore little resemblance to the modern game was played at some colleges and universities. There are disputed claims that Rutgers University and Princeton University played the first game of college football on Nov. 6, 1869 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. That game was very different from today's football. The first game of American football that would be more recognizable was played between Tufts University and Harvard University on June 4, 1875. Even though recognizable, the rules and play were still quite different. It was not until 1912 that American football took on its current form.
Professional Football
Professional football developed in the American Midwest and has since grown to include a many leagues in the United States and Canada including the CFL and the NFL, various arena and indoor football leagues, and even a women's professional football league.
Outdoor Professional Football
American professional football is most commonly associated with the two outdoor professional football leagues, the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL).
National Football League (NFL) - Founded in 1920 in Canton, Ohio, the NFL is almost synonymous with American football. The NFL is the pinnacle of professional football in North America, and is the largest American football league in North America.
Canadian Football League (CFL) - The CFL holds a similar status as the pinnacle of professional football in Canada. CFL football is very similar to football of the NFL but there are many significant differences in the rules.
Both the NFL and CFL brand of football is designed to be played outdoors, although many teams do play in domed stadiums.
Arena Football / Indoor Football
Arena football or indoor football is a variation of American football with rules variations to make it suitable to play in smaller venues such as gymnasiums and ice hockey arenas. There are currently eight indoor football leagues in North America, including:
There are also a couple of women's professional football leagues in North America. Both of these leagues play games similar to the NFL in outdoor venues.
Having had its origins in colleges and universities, football is an extremely popular college sport. College football is played at four NCAA division levels (NCAA Division I-A, NCAA Division I-AA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III). It is also played by teams in the the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) using NCAA rules.
Former Bethany (Kan.) Coach to be Enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame Thousands of college football fans from across the country will join the National Football Foundation from July 16-17 at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., for the organization's annual Enshrinement Festival, which will pay tribute to the storied careers of Ted Kessinger from Bethany College (Kan.) along with 23 other football standouts as they are formally enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
Ryba Heads to National Football Combine For Jake Ryba, he is taking it one step at a time and in the process he has inched closer to realizing a long-time dream. Ryba, a 2010 Doane (Neb.) graduate and football player for the Tigers, will head to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this week to participate in the ELITE National Combine (ENC) in hopes of becoming a professional football player.
UVa-Wise Secondary Coach Selected to Participate in Football Coaches Academy DuShawn Austin has been coaching football for more than 20 years. This May, the UVa-Wise secondary coach got a chance of a lifetime. Austin was selected as one of 25 candidates to participate in the NCAA Football Coaches Academy. Remarkably, Austin was selected despite not coaching at a NCAA member school. His selection made him the first NAIA coach to ever participate in the academy.
Kessinger to be Inducted into Divisional College Football Hall of Fame Archie Manning, chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF), announced today (May 11) the 2010 Divisional Hall of Fame Class, which considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), Divisions II, III, and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) for induction.
Siena Heights University to Begin Football Program After completing a thorough five-month exploration process, Siena Heights University announced it is starting intercollegiate football that will begin play in fall 2011.
Brown ready to get Texas running again (AP) Mack Brown thinks defenses are starting to catch up to the spread offense. He's noticed how much his defense has struggled against powerful, traditional running teams in bowl games. And with a young quarterback replacing Colt McCoy, the Longhorns probably shouldn't throw as much as they have been anyway.
Ducks slight favorite over USC in Pac-10 (AP) Even without their star quarterback, the Oregon Ducks ended Southern California's seven-year reign as the Pac-10's preseason favorite. A year after breaking USC's seven-year stranglehold on the Pac-10, coach Chip Kelly's defending champions were picked to win it again in the preseason media poll Thursday.
Kiffin hints lawsuit due to leaving Vols (AP) Lane Kiffin thinks the Tennessee Titans' lawsuit against him and the University of Southern California is more about geography than coaching etiquette. Kiffin claimed he wasn't allowed to say much Thursday at the Pac-10 media day about the suit facing Kiffin and the Trojans, who angered Titans coach Jeff Fisher by abruptly hiring running backs coach Kennedy Pola last weekend.
Boise St. prez sorry for blasting Idaho (AP) Boise State University President Bob Kustra says his remarks about a bitter football rivalry with the University of Idaho, in which he called Vandal culture "nasty" and "inebriated," came out harsher than he intended. But Kustra is defending his stance that there's no reason for the Broncos to continue traveling to northern Idaho to play the Vandals on their home turf in...
Spurrier vows to improve running game (AP) Steve Spurrier hasn't gotten over the way last season ended and vows to improve in all areas this year, including South Carolina's last-place running game. The Gamecocks have been at the bottom in Southeastern Conference in rushing the past three years, although Spurrier says it's unfair to tag that failure all on his runners.
