American football around the world

[carlo]

As it surely happened for most European countries, Football was imported in Italy at the end of WW2 by the US troops.
The first game in Italy was played in Bari on Nov 23, 1944 and the second in Florence on Jan 1, 1945 with an attendance of 25,000 (!) and the Army won vs Air Force 20-4. The game was nicknamed "Spaghetti Bowl"...

From: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_americano

[Ciscorlie Horford]

Hold on there chief, watch what you say and know the topic you are talking about. There is actaully a lot of strategy involved in rugby. I've played for a few years now and is a lot more organized and thoughtful than you think. Have you ever played or tried to learn the game?

backup inside center of High School team in my sophmore year, needless to say I never got step on the field b/c I was bad.

[usausa]

backup inside center of High School team in my sophmore year, needless to say I never got step on the field b/c I was bad.

Ok, if you have tried it, then I shall respectfully disagree with your opinion.

[cscarlos]

I heard that in the WC USA send players from the 3rd devision.
Lol,what? All the hundreds off NFL players are busy and even second division players are to good for this tournament??

[usausa]

I heard that in the WC USA send players from the 3rd devision.
Lol,what? All the hundreds off NFL players are busy and even second division players are to good for this tournament??

Team USA was composed of a mix of FBS (D1), FCS (D1A), Division 2, and Division 3 players, but mostly Division 3 (probably 75-80%). Everyone was over 20 years old and was an outgoing senior. All of the D1 players were pretty much backups/bench players. For most of these players, it was their last games of football.

To bring NFL players for one would take a lot of insurance money in case of injury but also it would be overkill. This team destroyed Canada in the gold medal game...if NFL or even Division 1 All-Americans formed the team it wouldn't help the game right now...too many blowouts...too physical right now for the rest of the world who is not used to playing at the intensity these NFL players do.

[cscarlos]

Team USA was composed of a mix of FBS (D1), FCS (D1A), Division 2, and Division 3 players, but mostly Division 3 (probably 75-80%). Everyone was over 20 years old and was an outgoing senior. All of the D1 players were pretty much backups/bench players. For most of these players, it was their last games of football.

To bring NFL players for one would take a lot of insurance money in case of injury but also it would be overkill. This team destroyed Canada in the gold medal game...if NFL or even Division 1 All-Americans formed the team it wouldn't help the game right now...too many blowouts...too physical right now for the rest of the world who is not used to playing at the intensity these NFL players do.

Yea.....but for bball it's not the same? Lebron Kobe and wade worth enough to play against the world but any NFL player is to good to play?

I would say that the only reason is that in basketball the world is closer to the level of the NBA than the world to the NFL, cus of that USA bring the big guns cus they know that against the top teams they might loose,

[cscarlos]

What is currently the champ in your country?
In Israel it's the "judan rebels", a very reliouges team but with Christian and palestinan players.

[cscarlos]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtaTzB5pm60

jerusalem big blue lions are in this clip!! come on big blue!!!

[Hepcat]

Canada: Football is popular there, they have their own profesional league and is call the Canadian Football League. This league, have been around for many, many years. You have canadians playing in the NFL and players like Waren Moon, Doug Flutie just to mention a few, start in Canada before playing in the NFL. Back like in the 50s or 60s, they play friendly games against NFL teams, canadians only get to beat them once. Also they have High School and college leagues. They do draft for CFL league.

It's not American football that's played in Canada. While the players in Canada wear the same equipment as in the States, what's played in Canada is Canadian football which has substantially different rules than the U.S. game. The games in Canada and the United States evolved at the same time but separately from each other since Harvard journeyed to Montreal to play McGill in 1874.

Here are some of the rule differences:

1. The Canadian field is 110 yards long with two twenty yard endzones. The U.S. field is 100 yards long with two ten yard endzones.

2. The Canadian field is 65 yards wide. The U.S. field is 53.3 yards wide.

3. The Canadian game is played with twelve men per side while the U.S. game is played with eleven men per side.

4. The Canadian game is played with only three downs(chances) to move the ball ten yards in total. The U.S. game has four downs.

5. Receivers in Canada must land with their first foot in bounds when they catch the ball. In the States both feet must land in bounds.

6. Unlimited motion is allowed in Canadian backfields. In the States forward motion is not allowed toward the line of scrimmage before the snap of the ball.

7. The defending team must line up a full yard from the line of scrimmage in Canada. In the U.S. it's the other side of the ball.

8. A single point is awarded to teams kicking the ball through the endzone or tackling a returner in the endzone in Canada. This concept bewilders Americans with their puny endzones.

9. Only twenty seconds are allowed between plays in Canada while forty seconds are allowed between plays in the States (although admittedly time is whistled in much more quickly in the States).

10. The Canadian ball is just slightly bigger since it does not taper quite as quickly as the American ball. The Canadian ball also has two stripes.