The similarities between American Football and Rugby cannot be overlooked. In fact, one of the greatest American pastimes has developed from Rugby in the 19th century and evolved into a technologically advanced game that we know today.

Rugby is the older brother of the two, having a greater background. However, even though Rugby is played in more places around the world, American Football seems to be the more popular of the two.

Today we explore the main differences between these two sports and if you are interested you can also redeem the bet9ja promotion code as well.

Ways of Scoring

Although similar, the system of scoring points between the two is different.

In American Football players need to carry the ball over behind the opponent’s touchline to score. This is called a touchdown. After each touchdown, they also have an added conversion where they need to kick the ball between the posts. They can also attempt and do that if they don’t reach the touchline and attempt to score a field goal anywhere off the field by kicking the ball through the posts.

In rugby, the ball has to be carried behind the opponent’s touchline and then placed down. This is called a try. Players can also score by kicking the ball between the goalposts and depending on the rules it can be called a conversion, a drop goal, or a penalty kick, depending on the in-game situation.

Number of Players

A rugby team has more players on the field during a match. In rugby, there are 15 players on the field whereas in American Football there are 11 players on the pitch from one side.

Protective Equipment

The greatest visual difference is in terms of protection. Looking at a Rugby player you will notice that they wear a minimal amount of protection. Most of them only have their team jerseys on and a gum-shield.

On the other hand, players in American Football carry loads of protection. Besides a helmet, they have shoulder and chest pads, leg protection, and a gum-shield. Protection in Rugby is optional while in American Football it is mandatory.

Physical Contact

Both games are brutal in nature. A novice looking at both a Rugby or an American Football game will more than likely feel surprised how tough and physical the games are. American Football may seem more aggressive between the two. This is mostly because of all the protective equipment that makes each class more devastating.

However, Rugby players make more tackles during a match. In American Football, players make 4 tackles on average while in Rugby there are 15 tackles on average in a game.

The Field

American Football is played on a much shorter field. The size of the field in American Football is 109.73m in length and 48.77m wide. The field in Rugby is a lot larger as it is 120m long and 70m wide. This is mainly to account for the higher number of players on the field.