by If you’ve ever watched an NFL game, you’ve probably noticed something odd.
Players spend most of the time throwing, catching, and carrying an oval-shaped ball with their hands.
Kicking? That only happens a few times per game during field goals, punts, or kickoffs.
So naturally, the question arises: Why is American football called football when you play it with your hands?
It’s one of the most common questions from new fans, curious kids, and even confused international viewers who grew up calling soccer “football.”
The name just doesn’t seem to match the action on the field. You’d think a sport dominated by quarterbacks throwing spirals and receivers making one-handed grabs would have a different name altogether.
But here’s the thing — the answer isn’t about what happens on the field today. It’s buried deep in history, across the Atlantic Ocean, in the sports culture of 19th-century Britain.
The story involves rugby, college rivalries, rule changes, and a coach who transformed everything. Once you understand where American football actually came from, the name starts to make perfect sense.
Why is American Football called Football When You Play it with Your Hands?
Let’s dig into the real story behind this century-old mystery.
Why is American football called football when you play it with your hands?
The answer is simpler than you think: American football got its name from its ancestor sport, rugby football. In the 1800s, any sport played on foot (rather than on horseback) was called “football.”
When rugby made its way to America and evolved into what we now call gridiron football, the name stuck, even though the game became more hand-focused over time.
It’s not about kicking a ball with your feet constantly. It’s about the game’s roots in British football traditions, where running, passing, and yes, occasional kicking, all happened on foot.
Understanding this historical connection clears up one of the most asked questions in sports today.
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Back in Time: How “Football” Began in Britain
To really understand why is football called football, we need to go back to 19th-century England. Back then, “football” was a catch-all term for several games played at schools and universities.
These weren’t organized sports yet — they were chaotic, rough-and-tumble matches with wildly different rules depending on where you played.
Two main versions eventually emerged:
- Association Football (Soccer): Emphasized dribbling and kicking the ball. No hands allowed except for the goalkeeper.
- Rugby Football: Allowed players to carry the ball with their hands and tackle opponents physically.
Both were called “football” because they were played on foot, not on horseback like polo or jousting.
The term had nothing to do with using your feet exclusively. It was more about the class of sport — common people playing games while standing and running.
Why is football called soccer in America? That’s because “soccer” is actually a British nickname for “association football,” shortened from “assoc.”
Americans adopted rugby football instead, which eventually became American football, so they kept calling soccer by its nickname.
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Rugby Football Crosses the Atlantic
In the 1860s and 1870s, American colleges started picking up rugby football from British traditions.
Schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Rutgers began organizing matches based loosely on rugby rules. But these games were brutal, unregulated, and dangerous.
At first, American football looked almost identical to rugby:
- Players could run with the ball
- Tackling was allowed
- There were scrums (like rugby’s scrum formations)
- Kicking still played a role in scoring
The term “football” came over with the sport. Since it was still called rugby football in England, Americans simply called their version “football” too. The name was inherited, not invented.
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From Rugby to Gridiron: Birth of the American Game
The real transformation happened in the 1880s, thanks largely to a Yale coach named Walter Camp.
He’s often called the “Father of American Football” because he introduced rule changes that separated American football from rugby completely.
Here’s what Walter Camp and other coaches changed:
- Line of scrimmage: Replaced rugby’s continuous scrum with a clear starting point for each play
- Downs system: Gave teams a set number of chances to advance the ball
- Forward pass (added later in 1906): Made throwing the ball a key strategy
- 11 players per side: Standardized team size
- Scoring system: Introduced touchdowns, field goals, and extra points
These changes made the game faster, more strategic, and uniquely American. But the name “football” remained because the sport still traced its lineage directly back to rugby football.
Why is American football called gridiron? The field’s yard-line markings create a grid pattern, giving the sport its nickname “gridiron football.”
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Why the Name “Football” Stayed (Even With Hands Involved)
So why is American football called football if you don’t use your feet? Because the name isn’t literal — it’s historical.
The sport evolved from rugby football, and even though hands became dominant, the cultural and linguistic roots kept the name intact.
Here’s the breakdown:
| Aspect | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Original Meaning | “Football” meant any game played on foot, not on horseback |
| Parent Sport | American football came from rugby football |
| Why Hands Are Used | Rule changes in the 1880s emphasized passing and carrying |
| Why “Football” Stuck | Tradition and history — the name was already established |
| Kicking Still Matters | Punts, field goals, and kickoffs remain key parts of the game |
Even today, kicking plays a crucial role. Field goals, extra points, kickoffs, and punts are all essential. So while hands dominate, feet haven’t disappeared from the game entirely.
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Common Questions from Fans
Let’s tackle some of the most popular questions fans ask online:
- Why is American football called football Reddit?
This question pops up constantly on Reddit threads. The answer remains the same: it’s a carryover from rugby football. Redditors often debate whether the name makes sense, but historically, it absolutely does.
- Is American football called football because the ball is a foot long?
This is a popular myth, but it’s false. The ball is about 11 inches long, not 12. The name comes from the sport’s British origins, not the ball’s size.
- What do Americans call rugby?
Americans simply call it “rugby” to distinguish it from American football. Rugby union and rugby league are both recognized as separate sports in the U.S.
- What is American football called in Europe?
Europeans usually call it “American football” to differentiate it from soccer, which they call “football.” Some also use the term “gridiron.”
Football vs. Soccer: Why the Confusion Exists
The naming difference between America and the rest of the world causes endless confusion.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Region | What They Call Soccer | What They Call American Football |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Soccer | Football |
| United Kingdom | Football | American Football |
| Europe | Football | American Football / Gridiron |
| Australia | Soccer | Gridiron |
Why the flip? When soccer became popular worldwide, most countries adopted “football” as the official name.
But in America, “football” was already taken by the gridiron game. So Americans kept calling soccer by its British nickname — “soccer.”
This linguistic split is why international fans often joke about American sports terminology. But both names are historically accurate.
In Short: It’s All About the Roots, Not the Feet
Why is American football called football when you play it with your hands? Because the name honors the game’s ancestry, not its current mechanics.
American football descended from rugby football, which itself was part of the broader “football” family of sports played on foot in 19th-century Britain.
The evolution from rugby scrums to forward passes didn’t erase the name — it just proved how adaptable the sport could be.
Today’s NFL game barely resembles its British origins, but the name remains a proud reminder of where it all began.
So next time someone asks you this question, you’ll know: it’s not about the feet. It’s about the history, the evolution, and the legacy of a game that transformed an entire culture.
Whether you call it football, gridiron, or just “the game,” one thing’s certain — it’s uniquely American, even if the name isn’t.
