What's the difference between American Football and Rugby? American Football vs Rugby

[Tintin]

What are the differences between American Football and Rugby ?
Rugby and American football are among the most physical team sports. There’s no denying that both rugby and American football are among the toughest team sports in the world. And pretty similar to each other. Modern rugby started in Warwickshire in 1823 and on the other hand American football is relatively new.

In simple words what are the key features that tell them apart ?

[Yogesh]

Basic differences, Also included is Aus Rugby.

[Anubhav1]

Okay. So this question was an eye opener for me. Before this i always thought that rugby and American football or NFL are the same. However, after this i read a bit about both the sports and tried to understand the difference between the two. I loved rugby before this but now i love NFL more…
So the main differences between the two sports which might seem similar are:

Number of Players
In rugby there are 23 players, 15 on the field and 8 reserves. The starting 15, if they once leave the ground cannot come back on the field barring a serious injury or concussion or any other unavoidable emergency.
In NFL or American football a team is made up of three parts, defense offense and a third part which is comes under kicking scenarios. Defense and offense has 11 players each. The offense comes in action when the team has the ball whereas the defense comes in action when the opposition has the ball. The third team comes on to the field on situation such as kicking the ball for extra points or punt balls etc etc.

Time
The rugby is played in two halves of 40 minutes each whereas NFL is played in 4 halves of 15 mins each.

Tackling
In rugby in the Player who is carrying the ball has been tackled and is brought down to the ground but the defense or even offense passes the ball then the game continues whereas in NFL if the player carrying the ball is brought down to the ground the game stops. And the offensive team or the defensive team gets one more chance.
![images%20(17)|690x387]
(upload://2b8lxbTxNtTKvUin6j7advfkXyG.jpeg)

Ground Length
In rugby the ground is of 100 metres whereas in rugby the ground is of 100 yards where one yard is about 0.91 metres. Nfl ground is divided into 10 equal parts of 10 yards each. The team that is the offensive team or is attacking will get 4 chances to clear one 10 yard parts in four parts, if they manage it it’s called a touchdown and they get another 4 chances to clear the next part whereas if they fail the opposite team gets the offensive and the team attacking defends and the opposite team will get 4 chances to clear one part. This cycle continues.

[Yash]

American football developed from Rugby in the 19th Century but there are some fundamental differences between the games. The object of American football is to score more points than the opposition team by carrying the ball behind the opponents touch line (called a touchdown). Teams can also score points by kicking the ball between the posts which is known as a field goal.
The object of rugby is very similar, but the ball must be carried behind the opponents touch line and then placed down which is called a try.
Rugby teams are much larger than their American football counterparts. Rugby teams have fifteen players on the pitch at any one time whereas American football teams have just eleven
American football is a bit aggressive than Rugby.
If a football player manages to carry the ball across the opponent’s goal line or catches it there, he has scored a touchdown and his team is rewarded with six points. The scoring team now has an opportunity to get an additional point by kicking the ball through the goal posts (conversion) or two points if the ball is again advanced to end zone through run or pass (two-point conversion). In rugby, a touchdown is called a try and it’s worth five points.

[Jack]

American Football and Rugby are two distinct sports that share some similarities but also have significant differences. Here are the main differences between American Football and Rugby:

1. Gameplay and Objectives:

• American Football: The game is played with an oval-shaped ball and involves two teams of 11 players each. The objective is to advance the ball into the opponent’s end zone to score touchdowns or kick field goals to earn points.
• Rugby: Played with an oval-shaped ball as well, rugby involves two teams of 15 players each. The objective is to score points by carrying, passing, or kicking the ball and touching it down in the opponent’s in-goal area or kicking it between the posts and over the crossbar for a successful goal.

2. Scoring:

• American Football: Touchdowns (6 points) are scored when a player carries the ball into the opponent’s end zone or catches a pass in the end zone. Extra points can be earned by kicking the ball through the goalposts after a touchdown (1 point) or by scoring a two-point conversion. Field goals (3 points) are earned by kicking the ball through the goalposts from anywhere on the field.
• Rugby: Tries (5 points) are scored when a player touches the ball down in the opponent’s in-goal area. After a try, a conversion kick can be attempted for 2 additional points. Penalty kicks and drop goals are also possible and are worth 3 points each. You can check our Rugby World Cup 2023 Blog.

3. Passing and Forward Movement:

• American Football: Forward passes are allowed, and the offense attempts to move the ball by throwing it forward or running with it. The offense is given four attempts (downs) to advance at least 10 yards, with successful progress resetting the downs.
• Rugby: Forward passes are not allowed. The ball can be passed laterally or backward, and players advance by running with the ball or kicking it. The attacking team retains possession until a turnover occurs, such as a knock-on or a penalty.

4. Physical Contact and Protective Gear:

• American Football: Known for its heavy physical contact, players wear extensive protective gear, including helmets, shoulder pads, and various padding to minimize the risk of injury.
• Rugby: While still a physical sport, rugby has less protective gear. Players wear a mouthguard, sometimes a scrum cap for head protection, and optional padding for added protection.

5. Stoppage of Play:

• American Football: The game is divided into plays or downs, and play stops after each down, allowing time for the offense and defense to regroup and plan their strategies.
• Rugby: Play continues without interruption unless there is an infringement, such as a penalty or the ball going out of bounds. The game flows continuously, with minimal stoppages.

These are some of the key differences between American Football and Rugby. While they both involve running with an oval ball, they have different rules, strategies, and scoring systems, leading to unique playing experiences.