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Why is it called football? (American Football)

By Michael Simon

October 6, 2025

5 min read

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Why is it called football in the USA? Because in England, “football” used to refer to any game played on foot. That included “rugby football,” the sport which American football evolved from.

Early Meaning of “Football”

In medieval Europe, “football” was a pretty broad term. It didn’t just mean kicking a ball with your foot. Instead, it referred to games played on foot, rather than on horseback. These folky football games were rough contests with few rules, and they were the ancestors of today’s football codes.

From Soccer and Rugby to American Football

By the 1800s in England, two organized versions of “football” emerged: association football (what most of the world now calls soccer) and rugby football. Rugby allowed players to carry the ball, while soccer limited play mostly to the feet. Both sports spread to American colleges in the mid-19th century.

The first intercollegiate game in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton looked more like soccer. But in the 1870s, Harvard and other schools adopted rugby-style rules. Over time, Americans added their own twists—like the line of scrimmage, the down system, and later the forward pass. This created a distinct game that still carried the familiar name “football.”

Why the Name Stuck in America

Even though players mainly carry the ball by hand, the name “football” stuck because of tradition and its connection to rugby football. By the early 1900s, the American version was clearly different from both soccer and rugby, but the word “football” was already part of its identity. In other countries, people often use the word “American football” or “gridiron” to avoid confusion.

Football vs. Soccer

In most of the world, “football” means soccer. The word “soccer” actually began in England as a nickname for “association football.” But in the U.S., since the word “football” was already tied to the American game, the term “soccer” caught on and stayed. Today, “football” in the U.S. almost always means the American game of touchdowns and tackles, while “football” abroad usually means soccer.