The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to gridiron football:
Gridiron football is a type of football including several varieties, played primarily in the United States and Canada. "Gridiron" refers to the field the sport is played upon, marked with a series of parallel lines resembling a gridiron used in cooking. In Anglo-America, the game is known simply as "football", but that's the term used to refer to "soccer" pretty much everywhere else, requiring the addition of "gridiron" to keep the two forms from getting confused.
Gridiron football is distinguished from other football codes by its use of heavy protective equipment, the forward pass, the system of downs, a line of scrimmage, distinct positions and formations, free substitution/platooning (the use of different players for offense and defense) and the ability to score points while not in possession of the ball (by way of the safety). Walter Camp is credited with creating many of the rules that differentiate gridiron football from its older counterparts. The game is a descendant of rugby football, itself an umbrella term for various similar codes.
What type of thing is gridiron football?
editGridiron football can be described as all of the following:
- Exercise – bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health or wellness.
- Aerobic exercise – physical exercise that intends to improve the oxygen system.[1] Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's energy-generating process (the citric acid cycle).
- Game – structured activity, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more concerned with the expression of ideas. However, the distinction is not clear-cut, and many games are also considered to be work (such as professional sports).
- Sport – form of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants.
- Competitive sport – sport in which one or more participants or teams compete against one another. The one that is the most successful in achieving the objective of the game or sport event is the winner.
- A type of football – sport that involves kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal.
- Goal sport – sport in which an attacking team must send a ball or puck into a physical structure or area called a "goal" in order to score points.
- Team sport – sport that involves players working together towards a shared objective.
- Recreational sport – sport engaged in as a leisure time activity.
- Spectator sport – sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. Spectator sports are a form of entertainment.
- Professional sport – sport in which the athletes receive payment for their performance.
- Competitive sport – sport in which one or more participants or teams compete against one another. The one that is the most successful in achieving the objective of the game or sport event is the winner.
Varieties of gridiron football
edit- Formal varieties
- American football
- Canadian football
- Indoor football
- Varieties with smaller teams
- Informal varieties
Rules of gridiron football
editHistory of gridiron football
editLeagues of gridiron football
edit- List of American and Canadian football leagues
- Indoor football leagues
- af2 – 2000–present
- American Indoor Football Association – 2005–present
- American Professional Football League – 2003–present
- Continental Indoor Football League – 2006–present
- Independent Indoor Football Alliance – 2008–present
- Indoor Football League – 2009–present
- Lingerie Football League – 2009–present
- Southern Indoor Football League – 2009–present
- United States Indoor Football League – 2009–present
- Women's leagues
- Independent Women's Football League, 2001–
- National Women's Football Association, 2000–2008
- United States Women's Football League, 2011–
- Women's Football Alliance, 2009–
- Women's Professional Football League, 1999–2007
- College football
Persons influential in gridiron football
editCoaches
edit- Jim Thorpe-Founder of the National Football League, the most popular of the Leagues.
- Walter Camp-Father of gridiron football.
Players
editWilliam Heffelfinger- First player to play football professionally.
Players positions
editOffense
editDefense
editSpecial teams
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Eleventh Edition)
External links
edit- NFL.com – Official website of the National Football League
- ESPN NFL – Comprehensive coverage of NFL news, scores, and analysis
- Pro Football Network – In-depth analysis, scouting reports, and NFL draft coverage
- Pro Football Focus – Advanced statistics and player grades for NFL and college football
- Over The Cap – NFL salary cap analysis and contract information
- Pro Football Reference – Comprehensive database of NFL statistics and history
- Gridiron Magazine – Digital magazine covering NFL news and features
- Gridiron Football – Youth flag football and 7v7 football programs and tournaments
- Russell Street Report – NFL coverage with a focus on the Baltimore Ravens
Links needing placement in outline above
edit(This is a temporary "link dump" area to put links that you don't know where in the outline they go yet. All these links should be placed, and this section removed, before this outline is moved to article space).
- IFAF International Federation of American Football, international governing body for American football
- CFL Canadian Football League
- EFAF European Federation of American Football
- BAFA British American Football Association
- Association of Professional Football Leagues – compact of NFL and three minor leagues, 1946–1948