Gridiron football

Team sport primarily played in North America

For the gridiron ball, see Ball (gridiron football).

See also: American football and Canadian football

Diagram of an American football field. Numbers on the field indicate the yards to the nearest end zone. Diagram of a Canadian football field, which is wider and longer than the American field.

Gridiron football (/ˈɡrɪdaɪərn/ GRID-iren),[1] also known as North American football (French: football Nord-Américain),[2] or in North America as simply football, is a family of football team sports primarily played in the United States and Canada. American football, which uses 11 players, is the form played in the United States and the best known form of gridiron football worldwide, while Canadian football, which uses 12 players, predominates in Canada. Other derivative varieties include arena football, flag football and amateur games such as touch and street football. Football is played at professional, collegiate, high school, semi-professional, and amateur levels.

These sports originated in the 19th century out of older games related to modern rugby football, more specifically rugby union football. Early on, American and Canadian football developed alongside (but independently from) each other; the root of the game known as "football" today originates with an 1874 game between Harvard and McGill Universities, following which the American school adopted the Canadian school's more rugby-like rules.[3]

Over time, Canadian teams adopted features of the American variant of the game and vice versa. Both varieties are distinguished from other football sports by their use of hard plastic helmets and shoulder pads, the forward pass, the system of downs, a number of unique rules and positions, measurement in customary units of yards (even in Canada, which largely metricated in the 1970s), and a distinctive brown leather ball in the shape of a prolate spheroid with pointed ends.

The international governing body for the sport is the International Federation of American Football (IFAF); although the organization plays all of its international competitions under American rules, it uses a definition of the game that is broad enough that it includes Canadian football under its umbrella, and Football Canada (the governing body for Canadian football) is an IFAF member.

## Etymology

[edit]

A 1904 diagram of an American football field. In this period, lines were painted along the length of the field as well as the width, making a grid pattern.

The sport is typically known as simply "football" in the countries where it originated, regardless of the specific variety.[4] In Europe the sport is commonly known as "American football". Various sources use the term "North American football" when discussing the American and Canadian games together, but this term is quite rare.[5][6][7][8]

The two sports are also sometimes known as "gridiron football".[1] The name originated with the sport's once-characteristic playing field: the original American football and Canadian football fields were marked by a series of parallel lines along both the width and length of the field, which produced a grid pattern resembling a cross-hatched cooking gridiron.[9][10][11] The ball would be snapped in the grid in which it was downed on the previous play. By 1920, the grid system was abandoned in favor of the system of yard lines and hash marks used today.

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF), uses "American football" inclusive of Canadian football and other varieties.[12]

In Australia, American football is often referred to as "gridiron" or (in more formal contexts) "American football", as "football" usually refers to Australian rules football, rugby league or rugby union, similar to how association football is usually called "soccer" in Australian English. The governing body for American football in Australia is Gridiron Australia.

Similarly, in the UK American football is known as American football, as "football" is used to refer to soccer.

## History

[edit]

The sport developed from informal games played in North America during the 19th century. Early games had a variety of local rules and were generally similar to modern rugby union and soccer. The earliest recorded instance of gridiron football occurred at University of Toronto's University College in November 1861.[3]

Later in the 1860s, teams from universities were playing each other, leading to more standardized rules and the creation of college football. While several American schools adopted rules based on the soccer rules of the English Football Association, Harvard University held to its traditional "carrying game". Meanwhile, McGill University in Montreal used rules based on rugby union. In 1874, Harvard and McGill organized two games using each other's rules. Harvard took a liking to McGill's rugby-style rules and adopted them.[3][13] In turn, they were used when Harvard and Yale University played their first intercollegiate sports game in 1875, after which the rugby-style Canadian game was adopted by Yale players and spectators from Yale and Princeton University.[13] This version of the game was subsequently played with several other U.S. colleges over the next several years.[3]

American football teams and organizations subsequently adopted new rules which distinguished the game from rugby.[14] Many of these early innovations were the work of Walter Camp, including the sport's line of scrimmage and the system of downs.[15] Another consequential change was the adoption of the forward pass in 1906, which allowed the quarterback to throw the ball forward over the line of scrimmage to a receiver.[16] Canadian football remained akin to rugby for decades, though a progressive faction of players, chiefly based in the western provinces, demanded changes to the game based on the innovations in American football. Over the years, the sport adopted more Americanized rules, though it retained some of its historical features, including a 110-yard (100 m) field, 12-player teams, and three downs instead of four.[17] Around the same time Camp devised the rules for American football, the Canadian game would develop in the same way (but separately) from the American game; the Burnside rules were instrumental in establishing many of the rules for the modern game.[18]

## Versions

[edit]

* American football is the most common and widely known of these sports. It was originally more closely related to rugby, until various rule changes created by Camp were implemented in 1880, such as the system of downs, and the two sports diverged irreversibly after the forward pass was introduced to the American game in 1906. It is played with eleven players to a side, four downs and a 100-yard (91 m) field. The major professional league, the National Football League (NFL), has its own rule book. College football programs generally play under the code defined in the NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations. High schools generally follow the rules and interpretations published by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), although some states follow the NCAA code for high school play. Youth games (below high school age) generally follow NFHS code with modifications. Adult semi-pro, alternative and minor professional, amateur, touch, flag, etc. may follow any one of these codes or use their own rules. While the vast majority of the game is the same among these three codes, subtle variations in rules can lead to large differences in play. Many of the differences are in penalty enforcement and the definitions of fouls.

Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, a Canadian Football League field originally built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games

* Canadian football is played almost exclusively in Canada. Like its American cousin, it was originally more closely related to rugby, until the Burnside rules were adopted in 1903 (as such, despite their similarities, the modern American and Canadian forms of football were developed separately from each other); the forward pass was adopted in Canada in 1929. The game is played on a 110-yard (100 m) field, has three downs, and twelve players to a side. The Canadian game also features a one-point "single" (formally called a "rouge") for a ball kicked into or through the end zone and not returned by the receiving team. Like the American game, the Canadian Football League and U Sports both have their own rulebooks, although there are generally fewer differences than between their American counterparts.
* Nine-man football, eight-man football and six-man football are varieties of gridiron football played with fewer players. They are played with the same number of downs (often with a 15-yard [14 m] requirement for a new set of downs, as opposed to 10 in other codes), fewer offensive linemen, and an 80-yard (73 m) field. These games are generally based on the high school rulebooks, which have an addendum devoted to the play of these codes, and are generally played by teams from high schools with very small student bodies, usually in rural areas of the United States. Similar small-roster versions of Canadian football are played in rural Canada. Seven-man football formats have seen occasional adaptations, including the semi-professional American 7s Football League and the indoor Fan Controlled Football.
* Indoor football is played with special rules to accommodate smaller indoor facilities, usually sharing arenas with basketball or ice hockey teams. It is played on a 50-yard (46 m) field with, usually, eight players to a side. Prototype games were played in 1902 and 1932, both of which used the shortened field but followed the outdoor standard 11 to a side. However, indoor football did not gain popularity until James F. Foster's proprietary version, arena football, debuted in 1986, and set most of the standards for indoor leagues today. As almost all indoor leagues are for-profit professional leagues, each league has its own proprietary code.
* Flag football is a variant of American football where, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a down, and contact is limited between players. The specific rules of flag football vary widely by the league, though all share in common their replication of the rules of traditional American football with tackling replaced by flag-pulling. Flag football will be an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
* Sprint football (or lightweight football) is a variant of American football with nearly identical rules but with added restrictions on the maximum weight and percent body fat of players on the field, emphasizing speed and agility over raw size at all positions. It is played at a small number of colleges and universities, mostly in the northeastern United States.
* Touch football, wheelchair football, and backyard football are informal varieties of the game, played primarily at an amateur and recreational level. No specific rulebooks are universally recognized for these variants, where house rules usually apply.
* Women's American football is the organized play of the sport by women. Most organized leagues play by rules identical to male-dominated leagues. The former Lingerie Football League earned notoriety for its indoor, seven-on-seven variety of women's football with minimal protective equipment and uniforms resembling women's underwear; the Lingerie Football League was later reorganized and renamed Extreme Football League. Informal and amateur varieties of female-only games such as powderpuff, also exist. Given the popularity of gridiron football in North America yet the rarity of female-only teams at the high school level and above, female players have also played on men's teams on rare occasions.

## Professional leagues

[edit]

Professional gridiron football leagues  League  | Country  | Sport  | Founded  | Teams  | Revenue
US$ (bn)  | Average
attendance (2023) | Average
salary
US$

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

National Football League | United States | American football | 1920 | 32 | 14.0 | 69,528 | 2,700,000
Canadian Football League | Canada | Canadian football | 1958 | 9 | 0.2 | 22,505 | 89,000
United Football League | United States | American football | 2024 | 8 |  | 13,505 | 50,000
Indoor Football League | United States | Indoor football | 2008 | 16 |  |  | 3,500
Arena Football League | United States | Arena football | 1986 (2024) | 8 |  |  |
National Arena League | United States | Indoor football | 2016 | 9 |  |  | 2,450
The Arena League | United States | Indoor football | 2024 | 4 |  |  |
Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional | Mexico | American football | 2016 | 8 |  | 2,000 | 600
X-League (X1/X2/X3)  | Japan | American football | 1971 | 18/18/17 |  |  | 55,000
European League of Football | Europe | American football | 2021 | 17 |  | 3,200 | 6,300

The best NFL players are among the highest paid athletes in the world.[19][20]

## Collegiate leagues

[edit]

League | Country | Sport | Year
founded | Divisions | Teams | Promotion/relegation | Average
attendance

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

NCAA | United States | American football | 1906 | 4[a] | 664 | No | 27,142 (Div. I)[21]
Flag football | 2024 | 1 | 12 | No |
NAIA | United States | American football | 1940 | 1 | 97 | No |
Flag football | 2021 | 1 | 24 | No |
NJCAA | United States | American football | 1938 | 2 | 50 | No |
Flag football | 2023 | 1 | 7 | No |
CCCAA | United States | American football | 1929 | 1 | 67 | No |
U Sports | Canada | Canadian football | 1961 | 1 | 27 | No | 3,370[22]
ONEFA | Mexico | American football | 1978 | 1 | 22 | No |
CONADEIP | Mexico | American football | 2010 | 1 | 12 | No |
JAFA | Japan | American football | 1934 | 1–5 | 220 | Yes |
KAFA | South Korea | American football | 1945 | 1 | 39 | No |
BUAFL | United Kingdom | American football | 2007 | 3 | 83 | Yes |
CSFL | United States | Sprint football | 1940 | 1 | 9 | No |
MSFL | United States | Sprint football | 2022 | 1 | 7 | No |
NCFA | United States | American football | 1940 | 1 | 27 | No |

1. ^ While the NCAA is formally split into three divisions, the top tier, Division I, is itself split for football only into the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Football Championship Subdivision.

## Comparison of codes

[edit]

Code | Traditional
season | Field
length | End
zones | Field
width | Player
count | Line of
scrimmage | Downs | Line
to gain | Forward motion
before snap | Goal posts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

American | Fall
Winter | 100 | 10 | 531⁄3 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 10 | No | At back of end zones
181⁄2 (NFL and college) to 231⁄3 (high school) ft. wide
Canadian | Summer
Fall | 110 | 20 | 65 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 10 | Yes | On goal lines
181⁄2 ft. wide
Indoor | Spring | 50 | 8 | 281⁄3 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 10 | Yes | At back of end zones, 9 to 10 ft. wide
Rebound nets on sides optional
6-man | Fall | 80 | 10 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 15 | No | At back of end zones
231⁄3 wide

## Gameplay

[edit]

Main article: List of gridiron football rules

The football used in North American football has a distinct pointed shape, with a brown color and prominent laces to aid in throwing.

This is a minimal description of the game in general, with elements common to all or almost all variants of the game. For more specific rules, see each code's individual articles.

Prior to the start of a game, a coin toss determines which team will decide if they want to kick off the ball to their opponent, or receive the ball from their opponent. Each team lines up on opposite halves of the field, with a minimum ten yards of space between them for the kickoff. The team receiving the ball can make a fair catch (which stops the play immediately), catch the ball and run it back until the ball carrier is tackled, or, if the ball is kicked out of bounds, let the ball go dead on its own (the last case usually happens when the ball is kicked all the way into or through the opponent's end zone, resulting in a touchback and the ball being brought several yards out of the end zone to begin play). A kicking team can, under special circumstances, attempt to recover its own kick, but the rules of the game make it very difficult to do so reliably, and so this tactic is usually only used as a surprise or desperation maneuver.

At this point, play from scrimmage begins. The team in possession of the ball is on offense and the opponent is on defense. The offense is given a set amount of time (up to forty seconds, depending on the governing body), during which the teams can set up a play in a huddle and freely substitute players to set into a formation, in which the offense must remain perfectly still for at least one second (the formation requirement does not apply to Canadian football). At least half of the players (seven in standard American and Canadian football, four in standard indoor ball) on the offense must line up on the line of scrimmage in this formation, including the snapper, who handles the ball before play commences; the rest can (and almost always do) line up behind the line. Neither the offense nor the defense can cross the line of scrimmage before the play commences. Once the formation is set, the snapper snaps the ball to one of the players behind him. (A snapper must snap the ball within 20 to 25 seconds of the official setting the ball back into position after the previous play, and a play clock is kept to enforce the measure.) Once the ball is snapped, the play has commenced, and the offense's goal is to continue advancing the ball toward their opponent's end zone. This can be done either by running with the ball or by a rule unique to football known as the forward pass. In a forward pass, a player from behind the line of scrimmage throws the ball to an eligible receiver (another back or one player on each end of the line), who must catch the ball before it touches the ground. The play stops when a player with the ball touches any part of their body other than hand or foot to the ground, runs out of the boundaries of the field, is obstructed from making further forward progress, or a forward pass hits the ground without being caught (in the last case, the ball returns to the spot it was snapped). To stop play, players on defense are allowed to tackle the ball carrier at any time the ball is in play, provided they do not grab the face mask of the helmet or make helmet-to-helmet contact when doing so. At any time, the player with the ball can attempt a backward, or lateral, pass to any other player in order to keep the ball in play; this is generally rare. Any player on defense can, at any time, attempt to intercept a forward pass in flight, at which point the team gains possession; they can also gain possession by recovering a fumble or stripping the ball away from the ball carrier (a "forced fumble"). A typical play can last between five and twenty seconds.

If any illegal action happens during the play, then the results of the previous play are erased and a penalty is assessed, forcing the offending team to surrender between five and fifteen yards of field to the opponent. Whether this yardage is measured from the original spot of the ball before the play, the spot of the illegal action, or the end of the play depends on the individual foul. The most common penalties include false start (when an offensive player jumps to begin the play before the ball is snapped, a five-yard penalty), holding (the grabbing of a player other than the ball carrier to obstruct their progress; a ten-yard penalty against offensive players and a five-yard penalty against defensive ones), and pass interference (when either a receiver or the defending player pushes or blocks the other to prevent them from catching the pass). A team on offense cannot score points as the direct result of a penalty; a defensive foul committed in the team's own end zone, if the penalty is assessed from the spot of the foul, places the ball at the one-yard line. In contrast, a defensive team can score points as a direct result of a penalty; if the offense commits a foul under the same scenario, the defensive team receives two points and a free kick. In all other circumstances (except for the open-ended and extremely rare unfair act clause), a penalty cannot exceed more than half the distance to the end zone. If the penalty would be less advantageous than the result of the actual play, then the team not committing the penalty can decline it.

In order to keep play moving, the offense must make a certain amount of progress (10 yards in most leagues) within a certain number of plays (3 in Canada, 4 in the United States), called downs. If the offense does indeed make this progress, a first down is achieved, and the team gets 3 or 4 more plays to achieve another 10 yards. If not, the offense loses possession to their opponent at the spot where the ball is. More commonly, however, the team on offense will, if they have a minimal chance of gaining a first down and have only one play left to do it (fourth down in the U.S., third down in Canada), attempt a scrimmage kick. There are two types of scrimmage kick: a punt is when the ball is released from the punter's hand and kicked downfield as close to the opponent's end zone as possible without entering it; the kicking team loses possession of the ball after the kick and the receiving team can attempt to advance the ball or call a fair catch. The other scrimmage kick is a field goal attempt. This must be attempted by place kick or (more rarely) drop kick, and if the kicked ball passes through the goal set at the edge of the opponent's end zone, the team scores three points. (Four-point field goals have been offered in a few variations of the game under special rules, but the NFL, college and high school football only offer three-point field goals.) In Canada, any kick that goes into the end zone and is not returned, whether it be a punt or a missed field goal, is awarded one single point.

If the team in possession of the ball, at any time, advances (either by carrying or catching) the ball into the opponent's end zone, it is a touchdown, and the team scores six points and a free play known as a try. In a try, a team attempts to score one or two points (rules vary by each league, but under standard rules, a field goal on a try is worth one point while another touchdown is worth two). At the college and professional levels, the defense can also score on a try, but only on the same scale (thus a botched try the defense returns for a touchdown scores only two points and not six). Kickoffs occur after every touchdown and field goal.

If a team is in its own end zone and commits a foul, is tackled with the ball, or bats, fumbles, kicks or throws the ball backward out of the field of play through the same end zone, the defense scores a safety, worth two points.

After a try, safety or field goal, the team that had possession of the ball goes back to the middle of the field and kicks the ball off to their opponent, and play continues as it did in the beginning of the game.

Play continues until halftime. (Each team switches their side of the field with the other halfway through each half, at the end of a quarter.) After the halftime break, a new kickoff occurs. Whichever team has more points at the end of the game is declared the winner; in the event of a tie, each league has its own rules for overtime to break the tie. Because of the nature of the game, pure sudden-death overtimes have been abolished at all levels of the game as of 2012.

At all adult levels of the game, a game is 60 timed minutes in length, split into four 15-minute quarters. (High school football uses 12-minute quarters, and the general rule is that the younger the players, the shorter the quarters typically are.) Because of the halftime, quarter breaks, time-outs, the minute warnings (two minutes before the end of a half in the NFL, three minutes in Canadian football), and frequent stoppages of the game clock (the clock stops, for example, after every incomplete pass and any time a ball goes out of bounds), the actual time it takes for a football game to be completed is typically over three hours in the NFL[23] and slightly under three hours in the CFL.[24]

## Injuries

[edit]

See also: Health issues in American football

According to 2017 study on brains of deceased gridiron football players, 99% of tested brains of NFL players, 88% of CFL players, 64% of semi-professional players, 91% of college football players, and 21% of high school football players had various stages of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).[25]

Other common injuries include injuries of legs, arms and lower back.[26][27][28][29]

## See also

[edit]

* American football in the United States
* Comparison of American and Canadian football
* Concussions in American football
* Football (word)
* Glossary of American football
* Glossary of Canadian football
* Health issues in American football

## Citations

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Gridiron football". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
2. ^ Jack Brimberg and William Hurley (2006). "Strategic considerations in the coaching of North American football". International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing. From International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, Volume 1, Number 3, pp. 279–287.
3. ^ a b c d Bernstein, Mark F. (2001). Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-0-8122-3627-9.
4. ^ Rielly, Edward J. (2009). Football: An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 53–55, 285. ISBN 978-0-8032-2630-2. "Canadian."
5. ^ Flaherty, David H.; Manning, Frank E. (2013). The Soft Tissues: Trauma and Sports Injuries. Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 402\. ISBN 978-1-4832-8007-3.
6. ^ Steinberg, Shirley R. (June 17, 2010). Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-0-313-35081-8.
7. ^ Puhalla, Jim (2010). Sports Fields: Design, Construction, and Maintenance. John Wiley & Sons. p. 339\. ISBN 978-0-470-43893-0.
8. ^ Mandelbaum, Michael (2005). The Meaning Of Sports. PublicAffairs. p. 26\. ISBN 978-0-7867-3884-7.
9. ^ The Library of Work and Play: Outdoor Sports and Games by Claude H. Miller. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1911
10. ^ "Gridiron, n. (3.e.)". Oxford English Dictionary. 1989. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
11. ^ Matt, Kohl (2017). "Pigskin and gridiron: notes on the American Football lexicon". oed.com. Oxford University Press. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
12. ^ "IFAF Statutes 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2017.
13. ^ a b History Staff (July 30, 2021). "Who Invented Football?". The History Channel. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
14. ^ "Camp and His Followers: American Football 1876–1889" (PDF). The Journey to Camp: The Origins of American Football to 1889. Professional Football Researchers Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
15. ^ Bishop, LuAnn (November 18, 2013). "11 Historic Tidbits About The Game". Yale News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
16. ^ Vancil, Mark (Ed.) (2000). ABC Sports College Football All-Time All-America Team. New York: Hyperion Books. p. 18\. ISBN 978-0-7868-6710-3.
17. ^ Flaherty, David H.; Manning, Frank E. (1993). The Beaver Bites Back?: American Popular Culture in Canada. McGill–Queen's Press. p. 16\. ISBN 978-0-7735-1120-0.
18. ^ "100th Grey Cup - Toronto - Grey Cup History Timeline 1900". Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2015. History of the Grey Cup
19. ^ "The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2020". Forbes.
20. ^ "The making of Patrick Mahomes, the highest-paid man in sports history". Sky Sports.
21. ^ "2018 Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 18, 2019.
22. ^ http://forums.cfl.ca/other-leagues-and-entertainment/15/2013-cis-attendance-figures/87461/ [dead link]
23. ^ Pelissero, Tom (March 24, 2017). "Exclusive: Roger Goodell says changes coming to quicken NFL games in 2017". USA Today. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
24. ^ "CFL pass interference replay hasn't been a problem". Profootballtalk.com. March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
25. ^ "BU Researchers Find CTE in 99% of Former NFL Players Studied". Boston University. July 26, 2017.
26. ^ Willigenburg, N. W.; Borchers, J. R.; Quincy, R.; Kaeding, C. C.; Hewett, T. E. (2016). "Comparison of Injuries in American Collegiate Football and Club Rugby: A Prospective Cohort Study - Nienke W. Willigenburg, James R. Borchers, Richard Quincy, Christopher C. Kaeding, Timothy E. Hewett, 2016". The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 44 (3): 753–60. doi:10.1177/0363546515622389. PMID 26786902. S2CID 21829142.
27. ^ "Common Aches, Pains, and Injuries You Can Expect From Playing Football". Verywell Fit.
28. ^ Makovicka, J. L.; Patel, K. A.; Deckey, D. G.; Hassebrock, J. D.; Chung, A. S.; Tummala, S. V.; Hydrick, T. C.; Gulbrandsen, M.; Hartigan, D. E.; Chhabra, A. (2019). "Lower Back Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Players: A 5-Season Epidemiological Study". Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 7 (6). doi:10.1177/2325967119852625. PMC 6582304. PMID 31245431.
29. ^ "10 Common Football Injuries". Revere Health.

## Bibliography

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gridiron football.

* "Gridiron football". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
* "Gridiron comes to Australia". From 7:30 Report. Retrieved on October 9, 2007 from 7.30 Report - 4/8/1999: Gridiron comes to Australia.
* Encyclopædia Britannica (2009). Britannica Almanac 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. p. 978\. ISBN 978-1-59339-839-2. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
* Carlisle, Rodney P. (2009). Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society, Volume 1. SAGE. ISBN 978-1-4129-6670-2.
* Funge, Noel (2000). An Australian Dictionary for North Americans. General Store Publishing House. ISBN 978-1-894263-22-1. Retrieved October 20, 2010.

* v
* t
* e

Gridiron football concepts

Codes|

* American
* Glossary
* History
* Early
* Modern
* Rules
* Arena
* Canadian
* American–Canadian comparison
* Burnside rules
* Glossary
* 9-man
* 8-man
* 7-man
* 6-man
* Flag
* Touch
* Street/Backyard
* Powderpuff
* Wheelchair
* Rules of gridiron football codes

Levels of play|

* Youth/midget
* Pop Warner
* AYF
* High school
* Varsity
* Junior varsity
* College
* Club
* Sprint
* Semi-pro
* Professional
* Women's
* International

Field|

| Lines|

* Yard lines
* Hash marks
* End line
* Goal line
* Sidelines
* Line of scrimmage
* Field goal range

|

Spaces|

* End zone
* Red zone
* Dead zone
* Neutral zone
* Coffin corner
* Flat
* Gap
* Hole
* Pocket

Scoring|

* Touchdown
* One-point conversion
* Two-point conversion
* Field goal
* Safety
* Single (rouge)

Ball handling|

* Snap
* Forward pass
* Lateral
* Incomplete pass
* Drop-back pass
* Hail Mary pass
* Hand-off
* Rush
* Punt
* Touchback
* Drop kick
* Kickoff
* Onside kick

Turnovers|

* Fumble
* Interception
* Muffed punt
* "Peanut Punch"
* Turnover on downs

Downs|

* First down
* Three-and-out
* Fourth down conversion
* Dead ball

Play clock|

* Timeout
* Kneel
* Spike
* Time warnings
* 3 min.
* 2 min.
* 1 min.
* Clock management
* Running out the clock
* Untimed play
* Garbage time

Statistics|

* Carry
* Completion
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passer rating
* Total quarterback rating
* Reception
* Receiving yards
* Pass deflected
* Sack
* Return yards
* Total offense
* Yards after catch
* Yards from scrimmage
* All-purpose yardage
* Touchdown pass

Practice|

* Practice squad
* Two-a-days
* Oklahoma drill
* Three-cone drill
* Film session

Officiating|

* Official (American, Canadian)
* Chain crew
* Penalty
* Penalty flag
* Instant replay

Related|

* Ball
* Blocking
* Coaching tree
* Concussions
* Equipment
* Football IQ
* Formations
* List
* Letterman
* Gatorade shower
* Overtime
* Plays
* Positions
* Running up the score
* Strategy
* Touchdown celebration
* Tuck rule
* Trading card
* Twelfth man

* v
* t
* e

Gridiron football plays

* Play from scrimmage
* Play calling system

Offense|

| Rush|

* Keeper
* Bootleg
* Sneak
* Dive
* Power
* Counter
* Off-tackle
* End
* Option
* Sweep
* Toss
* Trap
* Veer
* Zone
* Draw

|

Pass|

* Forward pass
* Play-action pass
* Incomplete
* Lateral
* Checkdown
* Screen
* Drop-back
* Hail Mary
* Alley-oop

Defense|

* Man-to-man
* Zone
* Blitz
* Zone blitz

Special teams|

* Touchback
* Kickoff
* Kickoff return
* Punt
* Punt return
* Drop kick
* Place kick
* Fair catch
* Fair catch kick
* Onside kick
* Squib kick

Other|

* Trick play
* Quick kick

* v
* t
* e

Gridiron football maneuvers

* Huddle
* Stance (three-point)

Offense|

* Snap
* Hand-off
* Blocking
* Pulling
* Spiral
* Routes
* Pump fake
* Cutback
* Juke
* Forward pass
* Lateral pass
* Stiff arm
* Scramble
* Shift
* Motion

Defense|

* Tackle
* Rush
* Stunt
* Blitz
* Shooting the gap
* Bump and run
* Double coverage
* Spy

* v
* t
* e

American football strategy

Systems|

* One-platoon
* Two-platoon
* Play calling

Offensive strategy|

| Scheme|

* A-11
* Air Coryell
* Air raid
* Buck-lateral
* Hurry-up
* Multiple
* Option
* Run-pass option
* Triple option
* Pro-style
* Run and shoot
* Smashmouth
* Spread
* West Coast

|

Routes|

* Chair
* Corner
* Crossing
* Curl
* Drag
* Flat
* Fly
* Hot
* Jerk
* Out
* Post
* Screen
* Seam
* Slant
* Sluggo
* Stop-and-go
* Swing
* Wheel

Trick plays|

* Play-action pass
* Draw
* Double pass
* End-around
* Reverse
* Spinner
* Fake field goal
* Fake punt
* Fake spike
* Fake procedure
* Flea flicker
* Fumblerooski
* Hidden ball
* Hook and lateral
* Statue of Liberty
* Halfback option
* Hard count
* Pyramid
* Swinging gate
* Tackle-eligible

Other|

* Clock management
* Hail Mary pass

Defensive strategy|

| Scheme|

* Man-to-man
* Zone
* Tampa 2

|

Coverages|

* Bump and run
* Double
* Zone

Other|

* Icing the kicker
* Stunt
* Spy

Offensive formations|

* T
* Split-T
* I
* A
* Single-wing
* Short punt
* Shotgun
* Pro set
* Single set back
* Wishbone
* Flexbone
* Pistol
* Pistol-Flex
* Trips
* Wildcat
* Jump shift
* Minnesota shift
* Notre Dame Box

Defensive formations|

* 2-level
* 4–3
* Miami 4–3
* Seattle Cover 3
* 3–4
* 3–3–5
* 4–4
* 46
* 5–2
* 5–3
* 6–2
* 7–2–2
* 7–1–2–1
* Dime
* Nickel
* Prevent
* 8-in-the-box

Other|

* Resting the starters

* Category

* v
* t
* e

American football in the United States

History|

| Early|

* American Football Union
* Intercollegiate Football Association
* National Football League (1902)
* New York Pro Football League
* Ohio League
* Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit
* World Series of Football (1902–03)

|

Modern|

| Major|

* All-America Football Conference
* American Football League (1926)
* American Football League
* American Football League (1936)
* American Football League (1940)
* United States Football League
* World Football League

|

Minor|

* Alliance of American Football
* American Association
* Anthracite League
* Atlantic Coast Football League
* Continental Football League
* Dixie League
* Midwest Football League
* NFL Europe
* Pacific Coast Professional Football League
* United Football League (1961–1964)
* United Football League
* United States Football League
* XFL (2001)
* XFL (2020)

Developmental|

* The Spring League
* Your Call Football

Halls of fame|

* Professional
* College
* Arena
* Indoor

Professional|

| NFL|

* History
* Playoffs
* AFC Championship Game
* NFC Championship Game
* Pro Bowl
* Super Bowl

|

Other outdoor|

* American 7s Football League
* United Football League

Indoor leagues|

* American Arena League
* Arena Football Association
* American West Football Conference
* Arena Football League
* American Indoor Football
* Champions Indoor Football
* Indoor Football League
* National Arena League
* Great Lakes Arena Football
* Fan Controlled Football

Proposed leagues|

* American Patriot League
* American Spring Football League
* Freedom Football League
* The Arena League

Related topics|

* Researchers Association

College|

| NCAA|

| FBS|

* National championship
* Playoff National Championship
* Playoff
* Bowl game

|

FCS|

* Championship

Other|

* NAIA
* National Championship
* NJCAA
* Championship
* National Signing Day

Junior|

| High school|

* High School Football National Championship
* National Federation of State High School Associations
* National Signing Day

|

Youth / middle|

* American Youth Football
* Pop Warner

Women's|

* Extreme Football League
* United States Women's Football League
* Women's Football Alliance
* Women's National Football Conference

International|

* USA Football
* National men's team
* National women's team

Related|

* List of American football films
* Donald Trump and American football

* Category
* Commons
* Portal

* v
* t
* e

International American football

* IFAF
* World Championship
* Women's World Championship
* Junior World Championship
* World University Championship
* Olympics (1904, 1932, 2028 flag)
* World Games (2005, 2017, 2022 flag)

Africa|

* IFAF Africa

Asia|

* IFAF Asia
* Beach flag football at the 2014 Asian Beach Games

Americas|

* IFAF Americas

Europe|

* IFAF Europe: European Championship
* Women's European Championship
* European Junior Championship
* ELF
* BIG6
* Eurobowl
* EFL
* EFAF Cup
* EFAF Challenge Cup
* EFAF Euro Top 20

Oceania|

* IFAF Oceania

* v
* t
* e

Football codes

Association|

* Amputee
* Beach
* Crab
* Five-a-side
* Futsal
* Indoor
* Freestyle
* Keepie uppie
* Footbag
* Paralympic
* Powerchair
* Jorkyball
* Roller
* Rush goalie
* Swamp
* Street
* Three-sided
* Walking

Australian rules|

* AFLX
* Lightning football
* Metro footy
* Nine-a-side
* Rec footy
* Variations

Gridiron|

* American
* Eight-man
* Flag
* Nine-man
* Seven-man
* Six-man
* Sprint
* Touch
* Wheelchair
* Arena
* Canadian

Rugby|

* League
* Masters
* Mod
* Nines
* Sevens
* Tag
* Wheelchair
* PD Rugby League
* Union
* American flag
* Beach
* Mini
* Sevens
* Snow
* Tag
* Touch
* Tens
* X
* Tambo
* Touch
* Wheelchair

Other codes|

* Circle rules
* Gaelic
* Harrow
* Lelo burti

Hybrid codes|

* Austus
* Boston game
* Eton field
* Eton wall
* International rules
* Samoa rules
* Speedball
* Swedish
* Universal
* Volata

Rules and
regulations|

| Modern|

* Association
* Gridiron
* American
* Rugby league
* Rugby union

|

Former|

* Cambridge
* Sheffield

Ancient games|

* Caid
* Cuju
* Calcio Fiorentino
* English school games
* Episkyros
* Harpastum
* La soule
* Marn Grook
* Medieval
* Ba
* Camping
* Cnapan
* Cornish hurling
* Old Division
* Royal Shrovetide
* Uppies and Downies

History|

* American
* Early
* Modern
* Association
* Australian rules
* Rugby league
* Rugby union

Comparisons|

* American and Canadian
* American and rugby league
* American and rugby union
* Association and futsal
* Association and rugby union
* Canadian and rugby league
* Canadian and rugby union
* Gaelic and Australian rules
* Gaelic and rugby union
* Rugby league and rugby union

Memorabilia|

* American football card
* Association football card
* Australian rules football card
* Rugby card

Related articles|

* Attempts to ban football games
* Oldest clubs
* Oldest competitions

* v
* t
* e

Team sports

* Sport
* Governing bodies
* National sport
* Sportspeople

Invasion games|

| Basket sports|

* Basketball
* beach
* deaf
* 3x3
* water
* wheelchair
* Cestoball
* Dueball
* Korfball
* Netball
* Fast5
* indoor
* wheelchair
* Rezball
* Ringball
* Slamball

|

Football
codes|

* Association football
* amputee
* beach soccer
* freestyle
* futsal
* Indoor soccer
* minifootball
* paralympic
* powerchair
* roller soccer
* socca
* street
* teqball‎
* Australian rules football
* AFLX
* Lightning football
* Metro footy
* Nine-a-side
* Rec footy
* Gaelic football
* Ladies'
* Circle rules football

Gridiron codes|

* American football
* eight-man
* flag
* nine-man
* six-man
* sprint
* touch
* wheelchair
* Arena football
* Canadian football

Hybrid codes|

* Austus
* Eton wall game
* International rules football
* Samoa rules
* Speedball
* Swedish football
* Universal football
* Volata

Medieval/historical
football codes|

* Ba game
* Caid
* Calcio fiorentino
* Camping
* Cnapan
* Cornish hurling
* Cuju
* Harpastum
* Kemari
* La soule
* Lelo burti
* Marn grook
* Pasuckuakohowog
* Royal Shrovetide
* Uppies and downies

Rugby codes|

* Rugby league
* masters
* mod
* nines
* sevens
* tag
* wheelchair
* Rugby union
* American flag
* beach
* mini
* sevens
* snow
* tag
* Tambo
* touch
* tens
* X
* Touch
* Wheelchair

Other related codes|

* Cuju
* Kī-o-rahi
* Jegichagi
* Yubi lakpi

Stick-and-ball
sports|

* Bando
* Cammag
* Gateball
* Hurling
* Camogie
* Super11s
* Shinty–Hurling
* Indigenous North American stickball
* Iomain
* Knattleikr
* Knotty
* Lacrosse
* box/indoor
* field
* intercrosse
* women's
* Ritinis
* Shinty
* Shinty–Hurling

Hockey sports|

* Ball hockey
* Bandy
* rink
* Broomball
* Field hockey
* indoor
* Floor hockey
* Floorball
* Ice hockey
* pond
* power
* ice sledge
* Ringette
* Rinkball
* Roller hockey
* in-line
* quad
* Rossall hockey
* Shinny
* Street hockey
* Underwater hockey
* Unicycle hockey

Polo sports|

* Auto polo
* Cowboy polo
* Cycle polo
* Elephant polo
* Hobby horse polo
* Horseball
* Motoball
* Pato
* Polo
* Arena polo
* Chovgan
* Snow polo
* Polocrosse
* Segway polo
* Yak polo

Other ball sports|

* Angleball
* Cycle ball
* Dodgeball
* Flickerball
* Gain-ground
* Balle à la main
* Ballon au poing
* Jeu de paume
* Longue paume
* Goalball
* Handball
* beach
* Czech
* field
* wheelchair
* Kaatsen
* Kin-Ball
* Lagori
* Mesoamerican ballgame
* Pelota mixteca
* Prisonball
* Pushball
* Quidditch
* Roll ball
* Tamburello
* Tchoukball
* Ulama
* Valencian pilota
* Llargues
* Whirlyball
* Yukigassen

Bat-and-ball
games|

* Baseball
* Baseball5
* Brännboll
* Corkball
* Cricket
* One Day
* Test
* Twenty20
* Danish longball
* Indoor cricket
* Kickball
* Lapta
* Matball
* Oină
* Over-the-line
* Pesäpallo
* Rounders
* Schlagball
* Softball
* Fastpitch
* 16-inch
* Stickball
* Stoolball
* Town ball
* Vigoro
* Vitilla
* British baseball
* English baseball
* Welsh baseball
* Wiffle ball
* Wireball

Net and wall games|

* Ball badminton
* Biribol
* Bossaball
* Fistball
* Fives
* Eton
* Rugby
* Footbag net
* Football tennis
* Footvolley
* Jianzi
* Jokgu
* Newcomb ball
* Peteca
* Sepak takraw
* Throwball
* Volleyball
* beach
* indoor
* sitting
* standing
* pioneerball
* snow

Tag sports|

* Kabaddi
* Kho kho
* World Chase Tag

Water sports|

* Synchronized swimming
* Underwater football
* Underwater rugby
* Water polo
* canoe
* inner tube
* Yacht racing

Other non-ball sports|

* Airsoft
* Bo-taoshi
* Buzkashi
* Combat (juggling)
* Curling
* wheelchair
* Guts
* Hornussen
* Jereed
* Makura-Nage
* Paintball
* Roller derby
* Synchronized skating
* Tug of war
* Ultimate

* v
* t
* e

Professional gridiron football leagues in North America

American football

| Major|

* National Football League (1920–present)

|

Other|

* American 7s Football League (2015-present)
* Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (2016–present)
* United Football League (2024–present)

Defunct national|

* American Football League (1926)²
* American Football League (1936–1937)²
* American Football League (1940–1941)
* All-America Football Conference² (1945–1949)
* American Football League (1960–1969)¹
* Continental Football League (1965–1969)
* World Football League (1974–1975)
* United States Football League (1983–1985)
* World League of American Football/NFL Europe/NFL Europa³
* XFL (2001)
* United Football League (2009–2012)
* Alliance of American Football (2019)
* XFL (2020, 2023)*
* United States Football League (2022–2023)*

Defunct regional|

* American Football Union (1886–1895)
* Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit** (1890–1905)
* Ohio League² (1902–1919)
* New York Pro Football League² (1908–1919)
* National Football League (1902)
* Anthracite League² (1924)
* Eastern League of Professional Football (1926–1927)
* American Football League (1934)
* Midwest Football League (1935–1940)
* Dixie League³ (1936–1947)
* American Association (American football)³
* American Football League (1938–1939)
* Eastern Pennsylvania Football League (1938)
* Pacific Coast Professional Football League³ (1940–1948)
* American Football League (1944)
* American Football League (1946–1950)³
* American Football Conference (1959–1961)
* United Football League (1961–1964)
* Atlantic Coast Football League³ (1962–1973)
* Midwest Football League (1962–1978)
* Professional Football League of America (1965–1967)
* Texas Football League (1966–1971)
* Seaboard Football League (1971–1974)
* American Football Association (1977–1983)
* Regional Football League (1999)
* Spring Football League (2000)
* World Football League (2008–2010)
* Stars Football League (2011–2013)
* Fall Experimental Football League (2014–2016)
* Fútbol Americano de México (2019–2022)

* ¹ Merged into the NFL. All teams still active as members of the NFL's American Football Conference.
* ² Teams moved to NFL
* ³ Official NFL minor league; see also Association of Professional Football Leagues
* * Merged into the UFL, still active as conferences within

Canadian football

| Major|

* Canadian Football League

|

Predecessors|

* Direct
* Interprovincial Rugby Football Union
* Western Interprovincial Football Union
* Other
* Ontario Rugby Football Union
* Quebec Rugby Football Union

Junior|

* Atlantic Football League
* Canadian Junior Football League
* Quebec Junior Football League

Arena football

| Current|

* American Arena League 2
* Arena Football One
* Great Lakes Arena Football
* Indoor Football League
* National Arena League
* The Arena League

|

Defunct|

* American Indoor Football
* American Indoor Football Alliance
* American Professional Football League
* American West Football Conference
* Arena Football Association
* Arena Football League (1987–2008, 2010–2019)
* Arena Football League (2024)
* arenafootball2
* Arena Pro Football
* Can-Am Indoor Football League
* Champions Indoor Football
* Champions Professional Indoor Football League
* Continental Indoor Football League
* Independent Indoor Football Alliance
* Indoor Football League (1999–2000)
* Indoor Professional Football League
* Intense Football League
* Lone Star Football League
* National Indoor Football League
* Professional Indoor Football League (1998)
* Professional Indoor Football League (2012)
* Southern Indoor Football League
* Supreme Indoor Football
* Ultimate Indoor Football League
* United Indoor Football
* X-League Indoor Football
* World Indoor Football League (2007)
* World Series of Football (1902–03)

On hiatus|

* Fan Controlled Football

Women's football

| Outdoor|

* Women's Football Alliance (2009–present)
* United States Women's Football League (2009–present)
* Women's National Football Conference (2018–present)

|

Defunct Outdoor|

* Women's Professional Football League (1965–1973)
* National Women's Football League (1974–1982)
* Women's Professional Football League (1999–2007)
* National Women's Football Association (2000–2008)
* Independent Women's Football League (2000-2018)

Arena football|

* X League (2009-present)

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