In a football scoreboards feature, we compare the great games of football and rugby and ponder the quesion: which is the toughest?

The first obvious difference is that football players play in small bursts often of just a few seconds, and the football scoreboards show that they generally play no more than 40% of each game as each football team essentially consists of three teams, and subs are unlimited. Rugby players can be substituted, but often they play for the whole game and they spend much more time running as they game is stopped much less than football. This means that rugby players have to have much more stamina, but it also means that football is open to stronger and bigger players with less natural endurance. Football players can be considerably bigger; in fact the heaviest football players are around 380 pounds, whilst rubgy players max out at around 280 pounds.
Continue reading “NFL Football vs Rugby – Which is the Toughest?” →

In a football scoreboards feature, we look at 5 great influential football players. Professional sports are all about elite skills. If you have the elite skills required for playing a sport at the highest level, then it is possible that a scout might recognize your potential and recruit you. Professional sports are also about doing the best you can, and trying to constantly outshine in your area of expertise. However, having the skills that get you onto a team is very different from having the skills that set you apart from the rest of the players in your team and otherwise. These 5 football players had the skills and the ability to outshine everyone else, and gave the defensive coordinators aneurisms because of their ability to out-smart every single player who crossed their path. The 5 football players are players who changed the way the game is played forever; they are the game changers. Here are the 5 football players who, in my opinion, have changed the way the great game was played.
Continue reading “5 Football Players Who Changed the Game Forever” →

In a football scoreboards feature, here are 5 great tips for the budding quarterback. In American football the quarterback is the undisputed leader of the game and is generally considered as the single most influential player on the field. For this reason many youngsters aspire to play exactly in that position. Here are the football scoreboards 5 tips:

Leadership: Quarterbacks need to be outstanding leaders, and there is no way around this. This means leadership before and after a game, as well as on the spot during a play. The quarterback should always have a plan B in the event that the primary move does not work out. Motivation is also a key quarterback skill. If you can bring the best out of the players around him, you are worth a lot more than just your throwing arm. If you are a good driver, and gain the respect of your henchmen, you are one big step towards becoming a great quarterback

Training: The throwing technique needs to be worked over and worked over again – no matter how much you work on it there is always room for improvement. The elbow of the throwing arm should be kept elevated at all times above your shoulder.

Precision and consistency: Unfortunately, unlike many of the other players, if you make a mistake as a quarterback, everyone is going to know about it. For this reason precision and consistency is required. Only with years of hard training can a quarterback develop the precision skills that are needed to be the best.

Speed of movement: A wide range of exercises need to be included in your training regime to gain the speed and strength required to perform at the highest levels. Training programs should include running, jumping, crawling, skipping, climbing, and any other such bodily movement, in order to train to the maximum every muscle group in the body.

Attitude: Belief is often what separates the men from the boys. Even the very best players in the world sometimes suffer from loss of confidence, and the impact on their game is devastating. Self-belief is often the biggest stumbling block which otherwise promising young players trip up on. Visualization techniques can help you with this: you see yourself successfully performing plays, and repeat this over and over again until it almost feels real. Know it will happen, and you are already half way there. Attitude also refers to your relationship with other teammates. The best players enjoy healthy competition but no more. The ego is left behind and what is most important is the good of the team overall. Work for and with the team, and you will get noticed fast.

Keep these 5 tips in mind, work hard, enjoy what you do, and you will be successful.

For more information, go to:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarterback

In football scoreboards news, we look at the 18 game season and ask, is it too much?

Bill Polian, the President of the Colts, recently was quoted as saying that the creation of an 18-game regular season is essentially unavoidable. This is after people from across the NFL industry have been voicing their opposition to the idea. Non-less than the players themselves, who are almost unanimously against the proposal.
Continue reading “NFL – Is the 18 game season too much?” →

In football scoreboards news, we look at the history of American football, and how it led to the marginalization of kicking in the modern game.

In every type of football kicking the ball is an important element of the game. In association football (Soccer), Australian football, Gaelic football, and rugby football (the forefather of American football), kicking the ball is a vital way to score points, and to advance to the end zone.
Continue reading “How kicking lost its way in American football” →

In football scoreboards news, we look at the history of football and why Canadian differs from American football in this important way.

The CFL has just a rich history as the NFL. Its origins can be traced back to the 1860’s when rugby football was played in Canada. Over the decades, as in American football, Canadian football slowly formed into the game we know today. The first gridiron match was played in Toronto in 1861, and it quickly took off in popularity. The development of the game at the beginning practically mirrored that of in the US, but a bit later on the relevant associations started making independent decisions and some different rules were adopted.
Continue reading “Why are there only 3 downs in Canadian football?” →