Football is the world’s most popular sport, with billions of participants and spectators. It is played everywhere from official football playing fields (pitches) to gymnasiums, streets, school playgrounds, parks and beaches. Its governing body, FIFA, estimates that in the 21st century there are 250 million players and over 1.3 billion people interested in watching the game.
The rules of football are fairly simple, and the game can be played by any number of people, from a single person on a beach to large groups in a stadium. The game is primarily played with a ball and two teams of eleven players, each wearing uniforms. Players are divided into offensive and defensive units, with the kicker, punter, quarterback and center positions usually being the most important players.
Each team has four chances, or downs, to advance the ball at least ten yards forward. If they fail to do so, the opponent gets the ball on that spot. Generally, teams will “go for it” on fourth down only if they are pretty close to the goal line.
A touchdown is worth 6 points, while a field goal is worth 3 points. The team that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored by throwing or carrying the ball into the opposing team’s end zone for a touchdown, or by kicking the ball through the goal post for a field goal.
In the early 1800s, as industrialization led to more urban populations, clubs began to form in towns and cities. These clubs were often made up of lower class workers who were paid to play on the teams. This started to shift the balance of power away from public school teams, who had always dominated the sport.
Until the mid-1900s, most professional football games were played in the United Kingdom, where most of the teams and the majority of spectators were British. However, the growth of rail transport allowed people to travel more easily to other parts of Europe and the United States, and interest in football increased rapidly. Eventually, the game spread to other countries, and by the late 19th century, there were many international competitions taking place.