American football is played between two teams of eleven players using an oval shaped ball.
The aim of American football is to outscore your opponent with touchdowns and field goals.
American football is sometimes called “gridiron”.
It is generally agreed that the first American football match was played between Princeton and Rutgers on November 6, 1869. Many rules changes were made in the following decades to help improve the game.
American football squads are typically made up of players who specialize in offensive, defensive or special teams situations.
Offensive positions can include quarterback, running back, offensive line, tight ends and wide receivers.
Defensive positions can include defensive line, defensive tackles, defensive ends, cornerbacks and safeties.
Special teams positions can include placekicker, long snapper, holder, punter and punt returner.
American football is the most watched sport in the United States.
College football is also extremely popular, with crowds sometimes exceeding 100,000 people.
The NFL (National Football League) averages higher attendances than any other sports league in the world.
First played in 1967, the Super Bowl is one of the most watched annual sporting events in the world. Companies pay approximately $7 million to run a 30 second advertisement during the game.
Professional American football games are usually 60 minutes in length, although they may run for over 3 hours when including stoppages in play.
Players wear helmets and significant padding to help prevent injuries. Studies suggest repeated head injuries can cause long term mental health issues, with this becoming an important topic in recent years.
Famous American football players include Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Patrick Mahomes, Ray Lewis, Peyton Manning, Lawrence Taylor, Johnny Unitas, Reggie White and Randy Moss.
Tom Brady has the most Super Bowl wins as an individual player with a total of 7.
