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HISTORY OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL—from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  
The history of American football, the most popular
spectator sport in the United States, can be traced to early versions of rugby
football. Both games have their origin in varieties of British football (soccer)
played in the United Kingdom in the mid-nineteenth century, in which a ball is
kicked at a goal or carried over a line. American football resulted from several
major divergences from rugby, most notably the rule changes instituted by Walter
Camp, considered the "Father of American Football". Among these important
changes were the introduction of the line of scrimmage and of down-and-distance
rules. The sports clearly separated with the rule changes instituted in 1878 to
1880.
The major differences:
No forward pass.
All passes must be backwards, or in football terms,
lateral passes.
No blocking.
Players must not prevent equal access to play the ball,
this is interference. Continuous Play. Rugby is played in two forty minute halves. It is a power and stamina game. Once tackled, the ball is recycled and play continues. The ball carrier must release the ball and allow it to be put back into play. Sportsmanship No ‘end zone celebrations’ are tolerated. Only the captains are allowed to talk to the referee, and refer to them as “Sir” or “Ma’am”.
THE SOCIAL One of the most important traditions of modern rugby. After the game, both teams the referee and invited guests gather for a pint, some food, and share war stories.
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