Football vs. Soccer Essay -- Comparison Contrast Essays

Football vs. Soccer Athletes who play football share the same goal as athletes who play soccer: score the most goals to win the game. In football, there are two areas on opposite sides of the field where one can score points by bringing the football over the goal line. Soccer shares this same concept by having two nets on opposite sides of the field where one can score a point by kicking the soccer ball into the net. Also, both sports share the concept of having an offense and defense, and both sports each have eleven players on a team on the field at a time. These are only few of many similarities between these two sports, but in actuality, they are significantly different. The rules, rituals, and concepts of both sports distinguish themselves from each other. First of all, the rules of football require one to equip himself with approximately twenty pounds of equipment, including a helmet, shoulder pads, and girdle pads. This is because football has the most contact involved out of all sports. In a football game, the norm is that the home team wears colorful jerseys and the visiting team wears white jerseys. Moreover, if a team’s offense is on the field, their defense is on the sideline. A team’s offense includes a center, who snaps the ball to the quarterback. The â€Å"QB† then has a choice to run with the ball, hand it off to a running back, or throw it to a wide receiver. The quarterback has an offensive line to protect him from the assailing defense. If a teammate happens to score a touchdown, he earns his team six points, which allows for the kicker to kick an extra point, and give his team a total of seven points. However, if the offense fails to travel at least ten yards within four attempts, or â€Å"downs,à ¢â‚¬  they have the opti... ...nd must support both the defense and the offense. In conclusion, football and soccer have their similarities, but these similarities are superficial. There are many fundamental differences, such as the use of one’s hands being illegal in soccer, except for the goalie when he/she is inside his/her respective eighteen-yard boundary. Another example is the alternation of a team’s offense and defense in football as opposed to the simultaneous effort of the offense and defense in soccer. These differences in rules, rituals, and concepts distinguish these two sports from each other. However, there are similarities, such as the fact that both sports allow eleven players on each team to play on the field at a time. Also, the area where one scores is in the same locations in both sports, the end zones of football and the goals of soccer are on opposite sides of the field.