Return to Home Page 1997 FOOTBALL (U.S) and Futbol (R.O.W.): A Cultural Perspective on their Relative Popularity by Paul Herbig Abstract: This paper discusses the origins and regional popularity of three similar sports: soccer, rugby, and football. It indicates why certain sports are popular in some parts of the world but not in others. Conclusions are made in relation to cultural attributes. INTRODUCTION: The three sports of soccer, rugby, and football are all related. Though notable similarities exist among the three sports, their differences truly distinguish them from one another and make each one appealing to their respective fans. Each sport maintains a regional identity due to its origin. The sport of American football is over one hundred years old. Though the modern American style of football originated in the United States, it evolved from its early European style which resembled both rugby and soccer. Rugby and soccer are the classical forms of football but have never gained the popularity in the United States that American football has (Encarta’95). It is important to note that the word football is used throughout most of the world to describe what Americans call rugby and soccer. For this reason, football will appear throughout this paper describing all three sports. However, the word American football will be used exclusively to describe American football and futbol to designate soccer. Derivation of Football (all) In all actuality, an ancient Greek game called harpaston could be considered football’s ancestor; it involved running, throwing, and kicking a ball to score. Most modern versions of football, however, originated in England, where a form of the game was known in the 12th century. This early English version spawned both rugby and soccer (Encarta ‘95). SOCCER (futbol) Soccer is considered the father of all football. It is the oldest of the three types of football which are played today: soccer, rugby, and American football. Soccer is also considered “the ‘national sport’ of several European and South American countries, and of many countries in Asia” (Fishwick 448 ‘72). Soccer originated in school yards as early as the mid-1800’s in the country of England. As soccer began to spread throughout the country, rules were developed to regulate the game. Football clubs were developed around this time; each devising their own set of rules. These members formed one group with one governing set of rules, thereby creating the Football Association established in London in 1863 (Fishwick 448d ‘72). From the sport’s humble beginnings in school yards and backlots, soccer evolved into a spectator sport that demanded a higher quality of play. Professional players were what the public wanted to see. Thereafter, the game was dominated by professional clubs and drew more and more of its public from the working class. The Football Association would oversee professional play which started with 12 teams in the year 1888 (Fishwick 448d ‘72). The late 1800’s saw the spread of soccer internationally. The exciting and revolutionary game had gained fan support in central Europe, where its popularity soared (Encarta ‘95). Countries such as Germany, Spain, France, and Italy were only a few of the nations that picked up the game by the turn of the century (Fishwick 448d ‘72). Once these European countries perfected the game, international competition began. Soccer was introduced by Europeans to the countries located in Latin America soon after the game’s spread throughout Europe. Latin Americans fell in love with the sport which caught on like wildfire in their part of the world. Next, the countries located in Asia were introduced to soccer after World War II (Encarta ‘95). Thereafter, the game became immensely popular producing great competition. Shortly before the sport hit Asia, an international competition called the World Cup was designed. The Olympics have also played a huge role in the global enthusiasm of soccer. Even with all the attention the sport has received from the World Cup and the Olympics, the United States has been reluctant to make room for soccer. Only in the 1970’s did widespread interest in soccer develop in the U.S., spurred by the worldwide popularity of the star Brazilian player Pele. In the late 60s, an American professional soccer league was formed, however, it never caught on and stopped play in the 80s (Encarta ‘95). A new professional league in the United States recently opened play and soccer fans hope it lasts. The word soccer is an American term given to the sport which Europeans and people around the world typically call football (futbol). Soccer is a term devised from the word association, which was used to shorten up the phrase, association football (Encarta ‘95). Americans obviously gave the sport this name to designate it from their version of football which is known throughout the rest of the world as American football. Soccer resembles American football and rugby in some ways, but the soccer ball and the rules which govern the sport set soccer apart. The soccer ball is spherical in shape and is usually decorated with black and white squares on it. The game is played predominantly with the feet. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to use his hands. In football and rugby, using one’s hands is essential for moving the ball down the field of play. Also in difference to its cousin sports, soccer is constantly moving ,and play rarely stops. Eleven players on each team must strategically move the ball down the field using their feet, head, or chest to place the ball in their opponents net. Once this occurs, a point is awarded to the scoring team. The field, is not more than 130 yd (119 m) in length by 100 yd (91 m) in width, and not less than 100 yd (91 m) in length by 50 yd (46 m) in width. At either end of the field is a goal - a pair of upright posts 8ft (2 m) high and 8 yd (7 m) apart, spanned by a crossbar and backed by netting. The entire game lasts 90 minutes which is divided into two halves that last 45 minutes (Fishwick 448a ‘72). A tied game is decided by a series of free kicks. In order for one team to win, it must make more free kicks than the other (Encarta ‘95). RUGBY The sport of rugby was said to have originated when a boy at Rugby School, England, during a game of football in 1823, picked up and carried the ball; previously, the rules had only allowed the ball to be kicked. It wasn’t until 1871 that the Rugby Football Union was formed which modified and established the rules of the game (Encarta ‘95). Rugby also resembles its cousin sports of soccer and football. The players dress very similar to soccer players, but the rugby ball looks more like the American football. The rugby ball “is an air-filled bladder covered with leather” (Rugby 473). It’s design is fatter than that of the American football for bouncing and drop-kicking. The player’s uniforms consist of long-sleeved jerseys, shorts, stockings, shin guards, and cleated shoes. Though rugby players play extremely rough, they are not outfitted with the padding that American football players wear. A rugby team is made up of of 15 players. The team is subdivided into 8 forwards, 2 halfbacks, 4 three-quarter backs and one fullback. Players can not substitute for one another during the game. Unlike football, when a rugby player gets injured, the team must continue to play a man short. A game of rugby, like its cousin sports, consists of two halves of play. Each half lasts 40 minutes each (Rugby 473). A typical rugby field measures about 110 yards long and about 75 yards wide (Rugby 473). Much like a football and soccer field, the rugby field has an out of bounds area which is called the dead ball line (Rugby 473). The goal is made up of uprights which are 5.6 m (18.5 ft) apart. They are connected by a horizontal crossbar 3 m (10 ft) above the ground. Plays in Rugby begin with a place kick and is generally continued by a scrummage or scrum, in which the forwards of each team pack together, arms across one another’s shoulders and heads down. From here, the teams try to kick the ball into the hands of one of their teammates. Players are allowed to pass the ball to one another as they go downfield, but unlike football, they are not allowed to pass the ball forward. If a player is tackled by an opponent, the player relinquishes the ball and play is continued. The object of all this play is for a team to touch the ball down across their opponent’s goal line for a try. A try is worth 4 points and entitles the scoring side to a free kick. After the touching for the score, a team’s kicker will attempt to kick the ball through the uprights of the goalpost for 2 points added to the 4. The touching down of the ball and the kicking through the uprights are what really show the resemblance between rugby and football. Rugby was officially introduced to the United States in 1875, but the sport never caught on (Encarta ‘95). Americans had already developed there own form of football which appeared to be drawn from both soccer and rugby. This form of football known worldwide as American football would become one of the three hottest sports in the United States. The other sports being baseball and basketball; both incidentally were also originated in the United States. American FOOTBALL American football, the modern style of football which we recognize in the United States, can trace its beginnings to the late 1800’s. The birth date of football in the United States is generally regarded by football historians as November 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers and Princeton universities met in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for the first intercollegiate football game. In difference to its predecessors, rugby and soccer, football is a more complex sport in which teams are outfitted with pads and helmets for protection. This protective gear makes the football player look like a soldier ready to engage in battle. In fact, many Americans refer to the game of football as “a war played on the gridiron.” There are squads on a football team which consist of players specifically chosen to play offense, defense, and special teams. Like rugby players, football players can use their hands to carry the ball. One major difference is that football players can pass the ball forward which is not allowed in rugby. Teams design offensive strategies to run and pass the oval ball down field in order to score a touchdown, which is worth 6 points. An after point attempt occurs when a team chooses to kick the ball through the goal posts located in the endzone, where touchdowns are scored, counting for 1 point added to the 6. However, the team could choose to tack on two points instead of the 1 by attempting what appears to be another touchdown. Kicking the ball occurs only for kickoffs, punts, field goals (worth 3 points), and extra point attempts. As one can see, football resembles both soccer and rugby. A football game usually lasts 60 minutes, which is divided into two 30 minute halves and subdivided into four 15 minute quarters. A tied game is decided in overtime. In high school and college football, an overtime game is won when one team scores and the other team does not match that score. In professional football, an overtime game is won by the first team that scores, commonly known as “sudden death overtime.” Football is played by young children in what is generally called the Pop Warner League. The game is better recognized at the high school, college, and professional levels across the United States. Football is also played in Canada, where the game is predominantly the same. The Canadian Football League is a professional football league consisting of players from both Canada and the United States. The World Football League is a professional football league made up of teams from the United States, Canada, and Europe. The WFL was created to stimulate participation and fan support for American football around the world. The league kicked off its first season in the spring of 1991 but along with the CFL, has never come close to matching the popularity status of its historically rich American predecessor, the National Football League. SUGGESTIONS FOR REGIONAL POPULARITY What is the reasoning behind the regional popularity of each of these sports? That is, why is soccer is the most popular sport for the rest of the world (other than the U.S.), and why has American-style football remained popular only in the U.S. and Canada? Rugby’s popularity has remained steady in England and Australia, though never having reached the level of hysteria which follows soccer and football. Rugby’s popularity in Australia is most likely due to the fact that Australia is a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations and has a parliamentary form of government. Since England shares much of its traditions and recreations with Australia it is easy to see why an English-born sport such as rugby would also find a home in England’s sister country. Therefore, nationalism is one of the reasons why sports such as soccer, rugby, and football have remained a solid form of entertainment in their home countries and those which are either close in proximity or share common bonds such as government and culture. It is difficult to answer the question as to why American football has remained popular only in North America while soccer’s popularity reigns in the rest of the world but not in the U.S. However, once again, one must assume that the sports’ origins have much to do with it. The fact that soccer was developed in Europe and football in the United States supports the notion that Americans and Europeans remain patriotically loyal to their country’s sports. “The pervasive informal emphasis upon patriotic symbols and values makes it apparent that nationalism has a significant place in sport” (Edwards 125). However, nationalism does not explain why soccer (and not football or rugby) has expanded so quickly and throughly into Latin America and Asia. Soccer’s expansion into these countries is better explained by economics. Soccer enthusiasts will attest to the fact that soccer uniforms cost considerably less than football uniforms. A soccer player’s jersey, shorts, socks, and shoes total approximately between fifty to one hundred dollars. This simplicity and informality is a chief reason for the worldwide popularity of the game (Encarta ‘95). In contrast, a complete football uniform consisting of helmet, pads, jersey, pants, socks, and shoes totals in the vicinity of five hundred dollars or more. The difference is astounding considering the number of players on either a soccer or football team (a full squad of American football players can easily approach 45 or 50, over three times as many as are on a typical Soccer team). Therefore, with an economic cost one tenth or one-twentieth of that of American football, it is easy to understand why many third world or underdeveloped countries such as those in Latin America and Asia have embraced soccer over American football. The regional popularity of the two sports can also be attributed to the exposure of each sport’s championship games. Every four years, countries fanatical about soccer impatiently await the World Cup. Whereas, in the United States, football fans look forward to annual college bowl games as well as the Super Bowl, which highlights the end of the football season. The World Cup is the name given to a series of soccer games played every four years between national teams from different countries to determine a world champion. The series began in 1930 by “Jules Rimet, a Frenchmen then president of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), who presented a cup for the winner of an international competition” (Fishwick 448). Since the World Cup’s creation, the series had never been hosted by the United States until only recently in the summer of 1994. This perhaps is one of the reasons why the sport of soccer had never quite caught on in the United States. Soccer’s ultimate championship, the World Cup, was brought to the United States in an effort to boost its popularity in this country. “Although FIFA felt that soccer could not displace baseball, basketball, and American football in popularity, it wanted greater television and marketing exposure. It also wanted the United States to create a major outdoor league” (Litsky 366). Well, FIFA and U.S. soccer fans got their wish. In the spring of 1996, the United States scheduled the long awaited debut of its professional organization called the Major Soccer league which sports ten franchises (Litsky 368). American sports fans are rabid about their own football. Football fans enjoy the exposure they receive from football and devote much of their weekends in the fall to the game they love. For football fans, Saturdays in the United States are set aside for “college gameday.” Collegiate football is arguably the most popular form of amateur sports in the United States. This year, 1996, marks the 127th year of college football. Throughout its great history, fans young and old have been drawn to the pageantry of the sport. Rich traditions have been formed by institutions of higher learning such as the University of Notre Dame, the University of Southern California, and the University of Texas to name just a few. Fans and alumns pay top dollar not only for game tickets but entire weekend parties to celebrate the game. College football fans are exposed to the famous bowl games at the end of each season. Their are a number of bowl games of which the most notable are: the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Orange Bowl, and the Sugar Bowl. Every year, the team which is voted the national champion must first win recognition by appearing in and winning one of the mentioned bowl games. Though these games are extremely popular and are televised nationally, none can compare with the American professional football championship, the Super Bowl (Encarta ‘95). The National Football League, the professional football organization of the United States, is currently in its 77th season of a storybook existence. The NFL awards one team out of thirty each year with the most prized possession in football, the Super Bowl trophy. In order for a team to win the Vince Lombardy trophy, it must have a winning record after a 16 game season, win each game of the playoffs, and defeat an equal opponent in the Super Bowl. In January of 1997, the NFL will celebrate its 31st Super Bowl. Its popularity has skyrocketed since its 1967 premier. Currently the Super Bowl routinely finishes among the all-time top 50 programs in television ratings, and the 1996 game reached an estimated 800 million viewers around the world. CONCLUSION All three sports have a common origin. Each sport evolved throughout the years into distinctive forms of play which contain their own equipment, rules, and faithful fans. Each sport has maintained regionality due to origins and economics. Though rugby is obviously enjoyed by its English and Australian followers, the sport has failed to catch on anywhere else. One main reason for this may be that there has not been a serious attempt to market the sport in countries other than the two already mentioned. For example, in the United States, one rarely if ever sees or hears advertisements for any rugby games. Even rugby teams which exist at many American universities remain more of a pastime or activity. There is no professional rugby league in the United States of which to speak of that match the likes of others such as Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, or the National Football League. College rugby players, for instance, know that they will not play the game at a professional level, and therefore, don’t take the sport that seriously. If the same can be said of many other countries, some of which have probably never heard of rugby, then the sport has no chance of expanding its popularity. Why American Football in the United States and not throughout the rest of the world must be explained by the unique characteristics of the American culture. Since all football (soccer, rugby, and American football), are blends of individualism and group play, and American football is argumentably the greater in terms of teamwork of the three forms of football, individualism (being highest in the U.S.A) cannot provide the cultural distinction. American competiveness may provide some of the answers but other nations (Japan and Germany) provide as high or higher values for competitiveness and soccer is preferred over American football elsewhere. Action is valued highly in The United States and many fans cannot get excited over soccer games with scores of 0-0; yet American football is not continuous but five seconds of action punctuated by thirty seconds of inaction. Soccer does not have the physical violence and confrontation that exists in both rugby and American football. Part of the explanation for preferences for soccer over rugby and American football for Asia can possibly lie in the less confrontational aspects of soccer, which is preferred in many Eastern cultures. For the masses from any country to make a particular sport part of their culture, they must grow up on the sport. In the book Sport A Cultural History, Richard D. Mandell explains how many sports are learned in school by children in different countries and therefore the sports are induced (158-177). Barry Edwards, in his book Sociology of Sport, argues that sport is a social institution and that many cultural aspects such as character development, discipline, competition, physical and mental fitness, religiosity, and nationalism can be learned in sports as well as personified by the athletes that play them (84-130). Therefore, when children in Europe, Asia, and Latin America grow up learning how to play soccer in school, watch soccer on television, and know that soccer is the national sport of their country, they will naturally develop into superior soccer players over those from the United States. On the flip side, children from the United States who are exposed to football at school, in college, and on television, grow up eating, sleeping, and drinking the sport. It is doubtful, considering this argument, that a football team made up entirely of non-Americans would ever defeat a team comprised of American players born and bred to play American football or vice-versa for futbol. BIBLIOGRAPHY Clark, C.M.H. “Australia.” The World Book Encyclopedia. 1972 ed. Edwards, Harry. Sociology of Sport. Homewood, Illinois: The Dorsey Press, 1973. Encarta ‘95. Soccer, Rugby, and Football. Computer Software, 1995. CD-Rom. Fishwick, George E. “Soccer.” The World Book Encyclopedia. 1972 ed. Grossman, Cathy Lynn. “Hooked On Austin Texas.” USA Today 20 September 1996: 7D. Litsky, Frank. “Soccer.” The World Book Year Book. 1995. Longhorn Scoreboard. Longhorn Foundation Newsletter. Austin, Texas. Vol. 2. No. 6 November 1996. Mandell, Richard D. Sport A Cultural History. New York: Columbia University Press, 1984. “Rugby.” The World Book Encyclopedia. 1972 ed. Wilcox, Marcus. Telephone interview. 24 Nov. 1996.