American Football Vs. Soccer

James Espiritu
Dec 15, 2021
1 min read

Let's look at the differences between the 2 popular sports and how they stack up!

Number of players

NFL -11 players per team on the field at any point of time

SOCCER- 11 players per team on the field at any point of time, including a goal keeper

Object of the Game

NFL - Object of the game is to score points by carrying the ball beyond the opponents touch line. (Each such instance is called a touchdown). Also scoring by kicking it between the goal post called a Field Goal.

SOCCER - To score a goal. There is a goal at each end of the field. The object of the game is to put the ball in your opponent’s goal.

Time limit

NFL - Four 15-minute quarters, with a half-time intermission after the second quarter. The game clock stops frequently between plays.

SOCCER - 90 minutes. 45 minutes for each half of the game. There is added time to make up for time elapsed.

Ball

NFL - A prolate spheroid which is about 11 inches (28 cm) long and about 22 inches (56 cm) in circumference at the center and weighs around 0.875lbs.

SOCCER - A spherical ball

Major League

National Football League (NFL)

Barclay's Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), Bundesliga(Germany), Serie A (Italy), Ligue 1 (France)

Countries

NFL - USA, Canada

SOCCER - Worldwide

What is it?

NFL - American football is a game with intense physical aggression with players that have speed, power, and explosiveness that requires helmets and padding to be worn.

SOCCER - Soccer (called fútbol or football in most countries) is the most popular sport in the world. The objective of the game is to score goals by kicking the ball into the net behind the goal post.

Current World Champions

NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SOCCER - France

Number of Umpires / Referees

NFL - 3 to 6 referees plus booth review

SOCCER - 3 referees

Highest governing body

NFL

FIFA

Player Size

NFL player Brandon Banks 70 kg. (155 lbs.) was at one point 67 kg. (149 lbs.) is the lightest NFL player since 2010 while the largest NFL player was 162.3kg (358 lbs.) The largest running back is 122kg (268 lbs.) Brandon jacobs.

Soccer: any size. Taller players are preferred for defending

Field

NFL-V Length: 120 yards (109.728 meters) in total (100 yards (91.44 meters) of playing field, with two 10-yard (9.144 meters) end zones) Width: 160 feet (48.768 meters)

SOCCER - Standard–> Touch line (length): 90 m (100 yd) to 120 m (130 yd); Goal line (width) : 45 m (50 yd) to 90 m (100 yd) International matches –> Touch line (length): 100 m (110 yd) to 110 m (120 yd); Goal line (width) : 64 m (70 yd) to 75 m (80 yd)

Protective gear

NFL - Helmet, Shoulder/Chest pad/protector, upper leg padding and mouthguard are rightfully required.

SOCCER - Shin guards, Boots.

Major Tournaments

NFL Playoffs

World Cup, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, DFB Pokal, Coppa Italia, Coupe de France

Substitution

NFL - Unlimited

SOCCER - 3 players per game

Contact sport?

NFL - Yes; technically, collision sport

SOCCER - Yes