Why is (American) football called "football"?

Question

Serious answers please, I've always wanted to know...

Why is football called "football"? You primarily use your hands, there already is a sport called "football" (known to us Americans as soccer)...

so, why?

Answer 1

you change who has the ball by way of the foot.

Answer 2

because god made soccer and it sucked

then god made some improvements and it still sucked

then god made more improvements

and he saw

and it was good

Answer 3

Why NOT?

Sheeeze....

Answer 4

When you typed this question, didn't you see on the right hand side of the screen that this question has already been asked about a billion times already?

Google it!  

Answer 5

Hope this helps,

Why It's Called Football

Some might say, simply, "because they kick the football."

But the real story is deeper. The origin of American football is in the history of the world's most popular sport: soccer. When soccer -- more universally known as "football" (which of course makes sense because soccer players use their feet) -- players decided to change their centuries-old game with restrictions such as the no-use-of- hand rules, people who disliked this broke away to create rugby. In the states we have created our own version of the game under the same old name "football" with more of a rugby style, the whole time forgetting why we call it that.

Here are other answers:

American football is a derivative of rugby football, and while the feet are used more often in rugby than on the gridiron, much of the game is still played by handling the ball. Both variations are still considered football.

North America style football didn't used to allow the "forward pass" and much more of the play involved foot work, such as the "drop kick" and the running punt kick. In the first rules, only the " side pass" was allowed, as long as the two players were side by side, with no forward motion of the ball, similar to rugby rules. The Canadian Football League ( CFL ) still allows a drop kick to score a field goal, and also has a thing called a "rouge" when the kicker is able to kick the ball thru the end zone, so it lands out of play , it is worth 2 points. Both the NFL and the CFL still have the drop-kick available as a weapon - on the point-after-touchdown, or from the field for 3 points. The "rouge" is worth a single  

Answer 6

Cause it's better then soccer, and the object is to stay on your feet with the ball as long as you can, and in the process score points!

Answer 7

no offense, but why do people ask these questions? why is a Apple called a Apple? I dont know/care, just enjoy the game =]

Answer 8

it should be called" throw-catch-hit" right..

Answer 9

Because soccer isn't a real sport.

Answer 10

Because the balls look like foots.

Answer 11

because we are americans and we take what we want---including any name we want----nfl football is the greatest sport in all of the world

Answer 12

because of the kicking aspect of the game

Answer 13

becuz the most important part of the game is your legs and you need your feet to use your legs so foot-ball  

Answer 14

The object of the game is to score by either running into the end zone or kicking....both motions would require your "feet"  Hence the name Football.     Geeeeeeeeez I'm a girl and I know that! haha xox

Answer 15

answer's here:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_America...