What are the differences between american football and australian rugby?

Question

What are the differences between american football and australian rugby?

Answer 1

Americans injure themselves for life.

Answer 2

For awhile American Football was Played like Rugby during the 1870's and it was real popular among the Universities of the North East.

1875- A man by the name of Walter Camp (FATHER OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL) would write the first written rules that would make this game different then Rugby. Over time more rule innovations would be added to make the game unique.

I'll give you a basic run down and leave you some links as I'm not going to get too technical the differences are many. Please note RUGBY UNION IS USED to explain this question.

  Major difference in American Football players are allowed to block other players without the ball. In Rugby Union this would be considered 'obstruction' resulting in a penalty.

Instead of 15 players a side (RUGBY) this would be reduced to 11 a side. Team with the ball is called offense and the team trying to stop the other side from scoring is called defense.  They line up on the line of scrimmage. Center snaps the ball to the Quarter Back.

In Rugby the players play both sides of the ball and are limited in how many substitutions you can make. American Football players are either Defense or the Offense. You have unlimited substitutions.

In American Football you can pass the ball forward only if your behind the line of scrimmage. Rugby has no forward passes and you can move the ball forward by kicking it. In American Football this would be a penalty illegal play.

He would create 4 downs meaning a team that doesn't get 10 yards in 4 attempts would lose possession. On 4th down a team punts , tries for a field goal or get the necessary amount of yards for 1st down. Get the ball into the end zone to score what is known as  a touchdown.

Rugby doesn't have downs a team surrenders possession through laws of scrums, line outs, mauls rucks, kick offs and restarts.

Playing field American Football  100 yards PLUS END ZONES so that would make it 120 yards long and 160 feet wide.There are short lines called  Hash marks. Located on the very back line of each end zone is a goal post.

http://football.about.com/cs/football101...

Rugby pitch does not exceed 100m long and 70m wide. You have a Half way line (IN AMERICAN FOOTBALL HALF WAY IS 50 YARDS) 10-metre line, 22 metre-line, goal line and dead ball line the area in between is IN-GOAL NOT EXCEEDING 22M  GOAL posts are on the goal line (THIS AT ONE TIME WAS THE CASE IN AMERICAN FOOTBALL THEN THEY WHERE MOVED BEHIND END ZONE IN RUGBY WOULD BE CALLED DEAD BALL LINE)

http://www.irb.com/mm/Document/LawsRegs/...

RUGBY BALL is oval shaped. AMERICAN FOOTBALL is shaped like an egg.

GAME DURATION- Rugby is two halves of 40 minutes with a 10 minute half time break. Clock never stops and time can be added on refs discretion regarding lost time.

American Football- 4 Quarters of 15 minutes each divided into two halves . Clock stops for various reasons in regards to the rules. Half time break that usually lasts 15 minutes.

Scoring- Try is 5 points compared to the Touchdown of 6 points. Rugby the laws state you must ground the ball while  in American Football you just have to break the plain of the goal line.

After a try in Rugby a conversion is attempted kicking the ball

between the post over the bar 2pts. In American Football similar  concept called extra point worth 1 pt. Team can try a conversion meaning they run or pass the ball into the end zone.  

Football you have 3pts for a field goal when kicker kicks the ball that holder is holding  over the bar through the uprights. In Rugby it's 3pts for a drop goal. Look up the differences between American Goal posts and Rugby.

Rugby you also can score 3pts from a penalty goal this doesn't have a direct equivalent  in American Football. Where as the 2pt safety is unique to Football where you tackle the ball holder of the offense side in its own end zone.

Much has been made of the fact American Football player wears Helmet and Pads (helmet was not mandatory in PROS until 1940's) should only further high lite how really different the 2 games are. Reason  being you have full hits that do not require you to wrap your arms around the ball carrier. Tackles are also allowed above the plane of the shoulders. Ball carrier is often knocked to the ground by a defender making a running start and hitting the ball carrier.A full contact open field tackle if you would.

Let me also point out in American Football after a player is tackled to the ground ball is whistled dead. In Rugby he must release the ball and it's still in play.

Both games have strategy and plays that require you to understand the game to really know the strategy and not make false generalizations based on a bias.

Answer 3

In Grid-iron  (american) you wear big shoulder pads to help protect you because its a much rougher sport and in my opinion, you need no brains at all to play it and its such an oaf sport. unlike australian rugby where you need hand eye co-ordination and plenty or skill.

(:

Answer 4

The games are as far from each other as the two countries are geographically.

Answer 5

Real men play rugby.