Portal:American football

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

The American Football Portal

American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with possession of the oval-shaped football, attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it, while the defense, the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive. A game is won by the team with the higher number of points, which are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal.

American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby. The first American football match was played on November 6, 1869, between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton, using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp, the "Father of American Football", established the snap, the line of scrimmage, eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass, created the neutral zone, and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football, which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football.

American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football, with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA. The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. (Full article...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Recognized content - show another

Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

The 2012 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game held on Christmas Eve 2012, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The eleventh edition of the Hawaii Bowl, sponsored by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, began at 3:00 p.m. HST and aired on ESPN. It featured the SMU Mustangs from Conference USA against the Mountain West Conference co-champion Fresno State Bulldogs, and was the final game of the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams. The Mustangs accepted their invitation after compiling a 6–6 record in the regular season, while the Bulldogs accepted their invitation with a 9–3 regular season record.

The pre-game buildup focused primarily on the strong rushing attacks of both teams as well as the overall sound offense of Fresno State. Most analysts predicted a resounding victory by Fresno State. Fresno State was a 12-point favorite over the Mustangs. Contrary to predictions, SMU won the game by a score of 43–10, largely thanks to the play of defensive end Margus Hunt, who forced two fumbles and totaled three sacks (including one safety) as well as two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. Consequently, Hunt and Fresno State's Davante Adams, who totaled 13 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown, were named the game's co-Most Valuable Player (MVP). (Full article...)

List of recognized articles

General images

The following are images from various American football-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 11902 football game between the University of Minnesota and the University of Michigan (from History of American football)
Image 2Diagram of a Canadian football field (from Canadian football)
Image 3High school football stadium in Manhattan, Kansas (from History of American football)
Image 4The Big Game between Stanford and California was played as rugby union from 1906 to 1914 (from History of American football)
Image 5A game between the 4th Canadian Armoured Division Atoms and First Canadian Army Red and Blue Bombers, in Utrecht, Netherlands, October 1945 (from Canadian football)
Image 6A modern down indicator box is mounted on a pole and is used to mark the current line of scrimmage. The number on the marker is changed using a dial. (from Canadian football)
Image 7Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium with the Hall of Fame in lower right (from Pro Football Hall of Fame)
Image 8A football signed by the 1974 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement class (from Pro Football Hall of Fame)
Image 9A college football game between Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy (from History of American football)
Image 10The Hall is made up of several sections with display of the inductees at its heart (from Pro Football Hall of Fame)
Image 11Touchdown monument outside the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in Hamilton, Ontario (from Canadian football)
Image 12Colorado's first football team in 1890 (from History of American football)
Image 13Sewanee's 1899 "Iron Men" (from History of American football)
Image 14A moment of the second game between Tufts and Harvard at College Hill, October 1875 (from History of American football)
Image 15Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo looks down field with the ball during the 93rd Grey Cup game at BC Place. (from Canadian football)
Image 16An early American football team, from the turn of the twentieth century (from History of American football)
Image 17Footballs and a helmet at a Calgary Stampeders (CFL) team practice (from Canadian football)
Image 18Original entrance to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (from Pro Football Hall of Fame)
Image 191906 St. Louis Post-Dispatch photograph of Brad Robinson, who threw the first legal forward pass and was the sport's first triple threat (from History of American football)
Image 20Morgan Athletic Club (pictured c. 1900), predecessor of the Arizona Cardinals (from History of American football)
Image 21Tom Davies of Pittsburgh runs against undefeated and unscored upon Georgia Tech in the 1918 game at Forbes Field (from History of American football)
Image 22An arena football goalpost structure featuring the rebound nets on either side of the uprights. (from Arena football)
Image 23Inside the original structure in 2008 (from Pro Football Hall of Fame)
Image 24A game between the Hamilton Tigers and the Ottawa Rough Riders, 1910 (from Canadian football)
Image 25An AFL goalpost (from Arena football)
Image 26Jim Thorpe was the first president of the NFL. (from History of American football)
Image 27Sign at the old entrance to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (from Pro Football Hall of Fame)
Image 28Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, originally built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games, pictured in 2005. (from Canadian football)
Image 29Walter Camp, the "Father of American Football", pictured here in 1878 as the captain of the Yale University football team (from History of American football)
Image 301897 Latrobe Athletic Association football team: The first entirely professional team to play an entire season. (from History of American football)
Image 31One of the two Harvard vs. McGill games played in 1874 (from History of American football)
Image 32A Native American college football team (from History of American football)
Image 33Don Hutson in 1940. (from History of American football)
Image 34Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (gold jerseys with black accents) vs. Triangle Torch (black jerseys with red and yellow accents) play an Indoor Football League at Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 25, 2016 (from Arena football)

Selected image

Gerald Ford

Credit: Gerald R. Ford Library

Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, played center and linebacker for the Michigan Wolverines, helping his team to two national titles.

More selected pictures

Selected biography - show another

Trevor Williams (born September 15, 1993) is a former American football cornerback. He played football at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland, where he was a two-year letterman and two-year team captain. He was named first-team All-State his senior year in 2011. Williams played college football at Penn State for four years. He was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference in 2014 and 2015. He played in 49 games during his college career, recording 84 tackles and five interceptions. After going undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft, he signed with the San Diego Chargers. He was also a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Pittsburgh Steelers. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies

Calendar

2023 season: NFL • NCAA FBS (Bowl games)
Jan 8	College Football National Championship: #1 Michigan vs #2 Washington
Jan 13-15	NFL: Wild Cards
Jan 20-21	NFL: Divisional games
Jan 28	NFL: Conference games
Feb 4	NFL: Pro Bowl Games
Feb 11	NFL: Super Bowl LVIII