From Fútbol to Football

Summer. The smell of fresh cut grass, the chirping of birds, the obnoxious amount of sweat rolling down my face. What’s not to love? Catching a baseball game on TV is fine, but being there in person is incredible. From March until September, we cheer on our teams (or suffer through games. Yay Giants!) hoping that the season will continue into October. But as I said, the Giants aren’t doing too hot. And even though I follow them with passion and catch as many games as I can, this summer feels a little different.

Part of that may be due to the current quadrennial event. Fútbol’s finest gathered in the United States, Canada, and Mexico to compete for FIFA’s most honorable trophy. The tournament we know as the World Cup. Many of us have spent the past month enjoying the heart-stopping action. Matches going to penalties, come-from-behind victories, you name it- it’s probably happened in this cup. Hell, we even had some of the world’s iconic players retire. No more SUIIIII from my kids, no more rolling on the ground for 50 yards memes. Who am I kidding? There will be more SUIIIII’s in my house now. Because CR7 > Messi. I don’t get involved in that debate. I’ll just stick to minding my own business, rooting for El Tri, having memories of Gio and Chicharito. Watching Memo make game-saving saves. Then, watching him walk off the field one last time. I’m not crying. You’re crying. But anyways…

It’s been fun watching the World Cup, but as it comes to an end, I started thinking. We’re less than a month from football. Notice the spelling? I’m talking American Football. The NFL’s preseason starts in 22 days. Where did that time go? Seems like yesterday that the draft was happening, I was starting to get over that ugly blue and green team winning the Super Bowl, and I was gearing up for a great baseball season. But no, here we are, less than 25 days until the NFL. The Panthers and Cardinals kick off the season on August 6.

Photo courtesy of NFL

11 on 11. Mano y mano. High-energy, sort of hard-hitting, fun-filled games to watch for the next seven months. 100 yards to gain for the glory of a touchdown. Freshly painted logos at midfield. The perfectly symmetrical stripes signaling the yards. $5 tickets for a high school game on Friday night, an early morning wake-up on Saturday to watch the college game, then on Sunday tuning in to your favorite NFL team’s game. Good ol’ football.

But football doesn’t stop there. Did you know that there are many different varieties of football? The different variations range from Canadian football to flag football to indoor football. There are different types and speeds for everyone. Whether you like traditional pace, high speed or high scoring, there’s something for you.

The 11 on 11 game is the most commonly watched in America. Tackle football, where players are padded up and attempt to score at the end of the field by either passing or running. There are many different fouls and penalties that control the game and keep it fair. Such as offside, false start, holding, pass interference, just to name a few. The average score in the NFL is roughly 45 points combined. There have been adaptations to the game to accommodate different-sized schools. In smaller areas, schools may play nine-man, eight-man, or six-man football.

Have you heard of Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional de México? Yeah, me either. But, thanks to Jedidiah, I now know that there is also a professional football league in Mexico. The LFA, which started in 2016, follows the same rules as the NFL. It also has an alliance with the Canadian Football League. I haven’t heard of this league, but I am pretty damn interested in it now.. I mean, c’mon… teams called the dinos and raptors are eye-catching enough for me.. But it is also interesting to see how other cultures take to American football. Especially a country that is heavily invested in fútbol.

Photo Courtesy of Dinos Facebook

Canadian football is a close relative of the American version. With an added player on each team. There are twelve players per side, the field is larger (110 yards by 65 yards), and instead of having four downs to advance the ball ten yards, they only have three downs. This game has an average score of roughly 52 points combined.

Flag football is an alternative to tackle football. Being a, for the most part, non-contact option to the same game. Flag football has been around for a long time, but has picked up momentum and is continuing to grow in recent years. This has even led to flag football becoming an Olympic sport. The average score is roughly 36 points.

 Another type of football that has fluctuated in popularity is Arena football. The market for arena football is hard to grow. With most of the teams and fan bases in smaller markets. It has been said that fans are hesitant to build a fandom with a team due to the high amount of turnover and the chance of a team folding. Arena football is an indoor type of football played on a field roughly half the size of an 11-on-11 field. 50 yards long.

Photo Courtesy of AZ Central

The Arena Football League has rebound nets that surround the uprights to allow players to catch missed field goals. The Indoor Football League is the same in many ways, except that the nets are not present by the uprights. The average score is roughly 95 points a game.

The game has evolved to include all players. Since 2019, the USA Wheelchair Football League has provided an opportunity for adults with disabilities to play a game that they love and enjoy. Wheelchair football is similar in ways of able body tackle football, with adaptions to accommodate the different physical abilities of the athletes. There are 15 teams across the country, spanning from LA to New York.

Photo Courtesy of Move United Sport/USAWFL

Summer is great. Watching baseball, days at the lake, fishing. But there is something that fall brings with it that is hard to match. Friday night lights with the band playing hype songs. Saturday tailgates before a rowdy conference game. Sunday brunches while we wait for the NFL games to come on. Something about that brisk air and immense energy really ups the vibe. Needless to say, I’m excited for football. So, I have one question for you… ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?