an essay on american football

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Roots in soccer and rugby

Walter camp and the creation of american football.

• Managing the violence of the game
• Expansion and reform
• Sport and spectacle
• Red Grange and professionalism
• Knute Rockne and the influence of coaches
• Birth and early growth of professional football
• Football for American youth
• The racial transformation of American football
• Scholarships and the student athlete
• Bowl games and the national championship
• Ascendance of the NFL
• Showmanship on the field
• Franchise shifts and free agency
• Tactical developments
• The play of the game
• Super Bowl results
• College football national champions
• American professional football all-time records
• Football in Canada

American football

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• Table Of Contents

American football , version of the sport of football that evolved from English rugby and soccer (association football); it differs from soccer chiefly in allowing players to touch, throw, and carry the ball with their hands, and it differs from rugby in allowing each side to control the ball in alternating possessions. The sport, played with 11 on each side, originated in North America , primarily in the United States , where it eventually became the country’s leading spectator sport. It also developed simultaneously in Canada , where it evolved into a 12-man game, though Canadian football never achieved the great popularity and status of ice hockey there. American football has not been taken up in the rest of the world to the same degree as other American sports such as basketball and baseball . Since the 1980s, however, primarily through the marketing efforts of the National Football League , teams and leagues have been established in Europe , and the game has achieved a degree of international popularity through television. The sport is sometimes called gridiron football because of the vertical yard lines marking the rectangular field.

Football in the United States

The game emerges.

Gridiron football was the creation of elite American universities , a fact that has shaped its distinctive role in American culture and life. After several decades of informal, student-organized games that were tolerated by faculty as an alternative to more destructive rowdiness, the first intercollegiate football game was played on November 6, 1869, in New Brunswick , New Jersey , between in-state rivals Princeton and Rutgers according to rules adapted from those of the London Football Association. This soccer-style game became the dominant form as Columbia, Cornell, Yale , and a few other colleges in the Northeast took up the sport in the early 1870s, and in 1873 representatives from Princeton, Yale, and Rutgers met in New York City to found the Intercollegiate Football Association and to adopt a common code. Conspicuously missing was Harvard , the country’s premier university, whose team insisted on playing the so-called “ Boston Game,” a cross between soccer and rugby. In May 1874, in the second of two matches with McGill University of Montreal (the first was played by the rules of the Boston Game), Harvard’s players were introduced to the rugby game and immediately preferred it to their own. The following year, for Harvard’s first football contest with Yale, representatives of the two schools agreed on “ concessionary rules” that were chiefly Harvard’s. When spectators (including Princeton students) as well as Yale players saw the advantages of the rugby style, the stage was set for a meeting in 1876 of representatives from Harvard, Yale, Princeton , and Columbia to form a new Intercollegiate Football Association based on rugby rules.

(Read Walter Camp’s 1903 Britannica essay on football.)

Harvard made the first breach in rugby rules. Rejecting the traditional manner of putting the ball in play—players from both teams massed about the ball in a “scrummage,” or “scrum,” trying to kick it forward through the mass of players—Harvard opted for “heeling it out,” or kicking the ball backward to a teammate. The further transformation of English rugby into American football came chiefly through the efforts of Walter Camp , who even during his lifetime was known as the “Father of American Football.” As an undergraduate and then a medical student at Yale, Camp played football from 1876 through 1881, but—more important—beginning in 1878, he dominated the rules committee for nearly three crucial decades. Two of Camp’s revisions in particular effectively created the gridiron game. The first, in 1880, further refined Harvard’s initial innovation , abolishing the scrummage altogether in favor of a scrimmage, which awarded possession of the ball to one of the two teams. It was then put in play by heeling it out. (Snapping the ball with the hand became legal in 1890, though snapping with the foot continued as an option until 1913.)

The second crucial rule change was necessitated by the first. Camp’s more orderly manner of initiating play did not require the team in possession of the ball to give it up. After Princeton simply held the ball for an entire half in its 1880 and 1881 contests with Yale, both games ending in scoreless ties that bored spectators as much as they frustrated Yale’s players, Camp proposed a rule that a team must advance the ball 5 yards or lose 10 in three downs (plays), or it would be obliged to surrender the ball to the other side. Camp was also responsible for having 11 players on a side, for devising a new scoring system in 1883 with two points for a touchdown, four points for the goal after a touchdown, and five points for a field goal (a field goal became worth three points in 1909, a touchdown six points in 1912), for creating the quarterback position, for marking the field with stripes, and for proposing several other innovations , but it was those two simple rules adopted in 1880 and 1882 that most fundamentally created American football.

After the crucial rule changes, the play of the game was relatively open, featuring long runs and numerous lateral passes, as in rugby. In 1888 Camp proposed that tackling below the waist be legalized, in order to offset the advantage of speedy backs streaking around the ends. The new rule resulted in the rise of mass plays, an offensive strategy that massed players on a single point of the defense, most famously in Harvard’s “ flying wedge” in 1892. This style of play proved so brutal that the game was nearly abolished in the 1890s and early 1900s.

American Football History: Timeline & How it started

January 24, 2024

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American Football, a sport deeply rooted in history, holds a special place in the nation’s heart.

In this deep-dive of American football history.

Learn who invented American Football, how it grew and what makes it popular today!

Let’s kick off!

📹   Video

Table of Contents

American Football History Summary

1900s – 1910s, 1930s – 1940s, 1950s – 1960s, 1980s – 1990s, 2000s – 2010s, who invented american football, how did american football become so popular, where did american football originate.

• ⏳ Origins and Evolution: American football was birthed in the United States, drawing inspiration from early forms of rugby. Walter Camp , the “Father of American Football,” played a pivotal role in the late 19th century, introducing defining rules that transformed the game into its recognizable form today.
• 🚀 Rise to Prominence: The NFL’s establishment in the early 20th century and its partnership with television in the mid-20th century catalyzed the sport’s popularity. Iconic players, teams, and the cultural phenomenon of the Super Bowl further solidified its position in American culture.
• 🥇 Noteworthy Growth and Adaptation: Over the decades, American football experienced global expansion, technological advancements, and adaptability to challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. The league’s continuous evolution and commitment to player safety and fan engagement ensured its lasting influence in global sports.

American Football History Timeline

Walter Camp, often dubbed the “Father of American Football,” began to shape the game during this period. He introduced the line of scrimmage, the downs system, and the scoring scale, setting the groundwork for the modern game.

Camp’s influence was not just limited to rules. He advocated for the forward pass and organized the first college football conferences. By the end of the 1880s, American Football had begun to resemble the game we recognize today.

The early 20th century marked the emergence of professional football teams. In 1920, the American Professional Football Association (APFA) was founded, which two years later became the National Football League (NFL) .

The NFL started modestly but quickly began to overshadow college football in terms of popularity. Pioneers like Jim Thorpe and teams like the Canton Bulldogs marked this era, setting a foundation for the league’s future dominance.

The 1920s were pivotal for the NFL. Teams like the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears were founded. Big names like Red Grange entered the scene, driving massive crowds and popularizing the sport.

This decade also saw the establishment of iconic stadiums, including Lambeau Field and Soldier Field. The league began to consolidate, and the foundation for a professional sporting dynasty was firmly set.

The game continued to evolve, with new rules like the forward pass becoming more integral. Strategies began to shift, with coaches like Paul Brown introducing more complex game plans.

World War II impacted the league as many players enlisted. Despite challenges, the NFL persisted. The 1940s concluded with the merger of the NFL and its rival, the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).

The NFL’s partnership with television in the 1950s was transformative. The 1958 NFL Championship, known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” was broadcast nationally, revolutionizing sports broadcasting.

In 1960, the American Football League (AFL) was established, creating competition for the NFL. This led to the Super Bowl’s inception in 1967, following a merger agreement between the two leagues.

The 1970s saw teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys dominate. However, controversies like gambling allegations against key players also marred the era.

With Super Bowl broadcasts drawing massive viewership, halftime shows and commercials became cultural touchstones. The Super Bowl rapidly evolved into an unofficial American holiday.

The NFL started hosting games internationally in the late 1980s, notably in London’s Wembley Stadium. This global outreach brought the sport to new audiences worldwide.

Names like Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, and Lawrence Taylor emerged, defining the era. Their legendary plays and moments solidified football’s place in American culture.

Advances in technology improved game analysis and player safety. Concerns about concussions led to rule changes, emphasizing players’ well-being.

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ray Lewis made their marks during this period. Their on-field heroics and record-breaking performances captivated audiences and enriched the league’s legacy.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 introduced unprecedented challenges. The league had to adapt with limited audiences, rigorous testing protocols, and revised schedules.

With advancements in digital platforms, streaming games and virtual fan engagements became the new norm. The NFL’s adaptability kept it at the forefront of global sports.

For a lighter take on the sport, check out our collection of American football Instagram captions .

Walter Camp invented American Football. He, often dubbed the “Father of American Football,” significantly shaped its rules in the late 19th century.

American Football’s became popular due to televised games, iconic players, and the cultural significance of events like the Super Bowl.

American Football originated in the United States, evolving from early forms of rugby played at colleges like Rutgers and Princeton in the 1860s.

Max is a sports enthusiast who loves all kinds of ball and water sports. He founded & runs stand-up-paddling.org (#1 German Paddleboarding Blog), played competitive Badminton and Mini Golf (competed on national level in Germany), started learning ‘real’ Golf and dabbled in dozens of other sports & activities.

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10 Great Longform Essays About Football in American Culture

Pre-superbowl reading—or a way to avoid it completely.

Football is not the most literary of sports. Baseball has a much more intellectual pedigree, fueled by an intense American nostalgia, literary and otherwise; boxing has drawn the attention of Ernest Hemingway, Norman Mailer, Joyce Carol Oates and Katherine Dunn; tennis only needs David Foster Wallace (but Álvaro Enrigue is good too); and even soccer has  Among the Thugs (not to mention Monty Python’s “ Literary Football Discussion “); American football, though, can only be associated with a few good works of literature—though there are some out there . But literary or not, football is part of the fabric of American culture, and so you’re likely aware that this weekend it’s throwing its grand annual competitive soiree: the Superbowl. If you’d rather be reading, but still want to engage in the cultural moment, I recommend starting with one of these great longform essays about football in contemporary American culture, which cover everything from our evolving understanding of CTE to football’s relationship to television, domestic violence, and yes, of course, Trump. If you’ll be watching the game, well, read up anyway—there will be lots of time to talk about all these essays during the million and one commercial breaks.

Reid Forgrave, “ The Concussion Diaries: One High School Football Player’s Secret Struggle with CTE ” GQ , 2016

A heartbreaking and humane essay written, in part, to honor the last wishes of a young ex-football player who killed himself after years of struggle with CTE—chronic traumatic encephalopathy—and asked his family to share his words with the world. On football culture, toughness, family, and fear.

Zac left instructions: Print his story off his laptop, post it to Facebook, use the pain of his life and too-early death to warn the world about CTE. Get people like us—football fans, football players, football lifers—to face the truth about people like him.

And now we have. Those were his instructions, so that’s what his family did. So now what?

We could ban football. (But we love football.) We could allow people to play football only once they turn 18, which is what Omalu has proposed. (And what happens when 18-year-old athletic phenoms—freight trains who have never learned to tackle properly—are suddenly turned loose on one another? Is that better?) We could take away tackling. (Sorry, no one’s watching the National Flag Football League.) We could build a safer helmet. (Which will only encourage players to use their heads as weapons.) We could have a consistent concussion protocol through all levels of football. (We already do in the NFL. Ask Cam Newton how well it’s working.)

Every solution ends up not solving enough of the problem.

And for most of us, this is perfectly okay. The paradox of CTE’s discovery is that it’s given most of us a sneaky ethical out, hasn’t it? No professional football player can claim now to be unaware of the risks. It’s a free country. We’re all adults here.

Unless we’re not adults. Unless we’re kids, like Zac was. Can we really let kids keep doing this? If so, how? Now what?

Mark Edmundson, “ Football: The Lure of the Game ” Los Angeles Review of Books , 2014

In this personal love letter to football, Edmundson considers the beauty and joy of the sport in poetic prose—and even compares football to poetry (“they overlap more than you think,” he writes) as well as America itself (violence and grace; freedom and exploitation; glory and ignominy: terrible beauty).

I sometimes wonder (being, I suppose, of a wondering disposition) what it is that draws us to the game. By Saturday afternoon in the fall—assuming I’ve kept away from mid-week games—I’m feeling something like an addict’s need. The urge to see some football really does feel nearly physical. It’s an American hunger, this interest in the game: I’m almost sure of that. Football’s played in Canada but, despite impressive marketing efforts, it hasn’t caught on in Europe or anywhere else. I don’t think it ever will. That is unless America and the world become synonymous, the way Rome became synonymous with the world for some time. Football is the American game, like rock is the American music, and black speak is the American vernacular, burgers and fries are (like it or lump it) American food, and golden beer served at sub-zero temp is the American drink.

If visitors from a galaxy far away landed in our precincts, landed in New York City, say, and asked us to show them (not tell, show them) what we were all about, how would we respond? I’d be tempted to take them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the palace of Western culture. Or I might be inclined to guide them up between the sentinel lions at the New York Public Library and into the great reading room. But in either case, I’d be wrong. I’d be idealizing. No, surely the best place to take them, if they wanted to see America, would be out to the Meadowlands to watch the Giants go to war with the Redskins, or take on the Dallas Cowboys, blue versus gray, the Civil War one more time. Maybe better, one would take them up close to a flat screen TV—high definition, surround sound, the works—and let our visitors view the images that have now become, if this is possible, more life-like than life. And you would point to the screen in joy and consternation and sometimes in dismay or something close to horror. And you’d be tempted to say: This is who we are. This is what we Americans are about. But then, what exactly would you mean?

Chuck Klosterman, “ Will Violence Save Football? ” GQ , 2015

Klosterman’s essay about football discusses and dismisses the two prevailing theories about football—that it will die out, and that it will change dramatically—instead arguing that it’s actually violence, and the tendency of fans of a widely decried pleasure to close ranks, that will keep the sport around. His argument is, in 2017, frighteningly familiar and relevant.

A few months after being hired as head football coach at the University of Michigan, Jim Harbaugh was profiled on the HBO magazine show Real Sports. It was a wildly entertaining segment, heavily slanted toward the intellection that Harbaugh is a lunatic. One of the last things Harbaugh said in the interview was this: “I love football. Love it. Love it. I think it’s the last bastion of hope for toughness in America in men, in males.” Immediately following the segment, the reporter (Andrea Kremer) sat down with Real Sports host Bryant Gumbel to anecdotally unpack the story we’d all just watched. Gumbel expressed shock over Harbaugh’s final sentiment. To anyone working in the media (or even to anyone who cares about the media), Harbaugh’s position seemed sexist and ultra-reactionary, so much so that Rush Limbaugh felt the need to support it on his radio show.

This is what happens when any populist, uncomfortable thought is expressed on television.

There’s an embedded assumption within all arguments regarding the doomed nature of football. The assumption is that the game is even more violent and damaging than it superficially appears, and that as more people realize this (and/or refuse to deny the medical evidence verifying that damage), the game’s fan support will disappear. The mistake made by those advocating this position is their certitude that this perspective is self-evident. It’s not. These advocates remind me of an apocryphal quote attributed to film critic Pauline Kael after the 1972 presidential election: “How could Nixon have won? I don’t know one person who voted for him.” Now, Kael never actually said this.†† But that erroneous quote survives as the best shorthand example for why smart people tend to be wrong as often as their not-so-smart peers—they work from the flawed premise that their worldview is standard. The contemporary stance on football’s risk feels unilateral, because nobody goes around saying, “Modern life is not violent enough.” Yet this sentiment quietly exists. And what those who believe it say instead is, “I love football. It’s the last bastion of hope for toughness in America.” It’s not difficult to imagine a future where the semantic distance between those statements is nonexistent. And if that happens, football will change from a popular leisure pastime to an unpopular political necessity.

††What she actually said was: “I live in a rather special world. I only know one person who voted for Nixon. Where they are I don’t know. They’re outside my ken. But sometimes when I’m in a theater I can feel them.”

Timothy Michael Law, “ Football’s Cancer ” Los Angeles Review of Books , 2015

There’s more than one kind of violence at play here; this essay tackles systematic racism and exploitation as the primary problems with football in America.

Commentators are presently drumming up hysteria over concussions in the NFL and criticizing the sport for its overt violence, but there is a more surreptitious malady. Outbursts of violence in society, according to Žižek, sidetrack us. The violence in the background, structural and systemic, is more pernicious.

If football is ailing, it is not because it is too dangerous but because high-stakes players have figured out how to use it to create enormous wealth by exploiting a working class of athletes while minimizing their responsibilities to them. Economic exploitation is the cancer spreading throughout the body of the sport, proliferating cells as it corrodes the health of its overwhelmingly black workforce.

Most of the players are black, the fans white. For these few hours on Saturday, white college kids, alumni, and Bulldog fans who have come from near and far will act as if they have seen gods on earth. The scene is electric, and you might be easily fooled into thinking that here is proof of post-racial America. Once you’ve lived outside the South, you realize how remarkable it is that football’s popularity is greatest in Southern states that were and remain the most segregated, where antebellum hierarchies are reflected in attitudes outside of stadiums but where, during fleeting moments of athletic competition, predominately white audiences cheer madly for black athletes. Racism persists in the South in ways that some younger Americans elsewhere can no longer fathom, but black athletes and entertainers have been making white audiences (in both the North and South) laugh and cheer for centuries—so long as they are staying in character. A hip-hop artist and an athlete may sing to us, rap to us, play for us, but we still want to control the script.

Žižek cautioned that we often fail to notice systemic evils because secondary and tertiary concerns distract us. To address malignant biases and our own propensity to exploit requires the kind of uncomfortable work that keeps many fearful of seeing a therapist. The media fascination with concussions allows them to appear serious about football’s problems, but since they are part of the profiteering, exploitative machine, we should never expect to find this urgent confrontation among football’s talking heads.

In not a few ways, football’s cancer is the same cancer that has attempted to silence and demonize the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Young black men remain useful as long as they turn a profit for the managerial class and don’t shout too loudly about their labor conditions and opportunity. The impulse that drives many to consider football’s maladies of little consequence is the same impulse that drives the #AllLivesMatter response, and this impulse stems ultimately from a recalcitrant attitude that refuses to look squarely in the mirror, beyond the surface Žižek warned about.

Malcolm Gladwell, “ Offensive Play ” The New Yorker , 2009

In which Malcolm Gladwell asks the question: “How different are dogfighting and football?”

These are dogs that will never live a normal life. But the kind of crime embodied by dogfighting is so morally repellent that it demands an extravagant gesture in response. In a fighting dog, the quality that is prized above all others is the willingness to persevere, even in the face of injury and pain. A dog that will not do that is labelled a “cur,” and abandoned. A dog that keeps charging at its opponent is said to possess “gameness,” and game dogs are revered.

In one way or another, plenty of organizations select for gameness. The Marine Corps does so, and so does medicine, when it puts young doctors through the exhausting rigors of residency. But those who select for gameness have a responsibility not to abuse that trust: if you have men in your charge who would jump off a cliff for you, you cannot march them to the edge of the cliff—and dogfighting fails this test. Gameness, Carl Semencic argues, in “The World of Fighting Dogs” (1984), is no more than a dog’s “desire to please an owner at any expense to itself.” The owners, Semencic goes on,

understand this desire to please on the part of the dog and capitalize on it. At any organized pit fight in which two dogs are really going at each other wholeheartedly, one can observe the owner of each dog changing his position at pit-side in order to be in sight of his dog at all times. The owner knows that seeing his master rooting him on will make a dog work all the harder to please its master.

This is why Michael Vick’s dogs weren’t euthanized. The betrayal of loyalty requires an act of social reparation.

Professional football players, too, are selected for gameness. When Kyle Turley was knocked unconscious, in that game against the Packers, he returned to practice four days later because, he said, “I didn’t want to miss a game.” Once, in the years when he was still playing, he woke up and fell into a wall as he got out of bed. “I start puking all over,” he recalled. “So I said to my wife, ‘Take me to practice.’ I didn’t want to miss practice.” The same season that he was knocked unconscious, he began to have pain in his hips. He received three cortisone shots, and kept playing. At the end of the season, he discovered that he had a herniated disk. He underwent surgery, and four months later was back at training camp. “They put me in full-contact practice from day one,” he said. “After the first day, I knew I wasn’t right. They told me, ‘You’ve had the surgery. You’re fine. You should just fight through it.’ It’s like you’re programmed. You’ve got to go without question— I’m a warrior. I can block that out of my mind . I go out, two days later. Full contact. Two-a-days. My back locks up again. I had re-herniated the same disk that got operated on four months ago, and bulged the disk above it.” As one of Turley’s old coaches once said, “He plays the game as it should be played, all out,” which is to say that he put the game above his own well-being.

Jamil Smith, “ The Necessity of Football ” New Republic , 2015

In this essay, Smith, a onetime associate producer at NFL Films—where his job was to assemble glorifying montages—argues that it actually the inadequacies  of football, and not its saving graces, that make it so necessary to the American experience.

I have no excuse, really. Every time I’ve thought about leaving the sport behind, I remember my favorite photograph: a black-and-white shot my mother took of me in my football uniform in the eighth grade, standing next to my father and smiling after a win. But nostalgia is a reason to love the game, not a reason to need it. Perhaps, then, this is where I should tell you why—even in the wake of Omalu’s revelations—I feel we still need football. Not to rescue the NFL’s largely black labor force from its humble origins, or to entertain the masses that refuse to let it go in the wake of mounting tragedies. We need it partially because football serves as a kind of fun-house mirror for our national character.

The reflection comes in various forms: social movements, national tragedy, political spectacle, and yes, our sports. And we are a dramatic country, so much so that the volume of theatrics we see in every corner of our lives dulls our senses. We need more, and we need it louder. And in spectator sports, we want to see the best versions of ourselves reflected back at us, or else why would we consider it entertainment? We want to believe that inside that arena, everything will be all right because our men are the strongest, and our fight is the hardest. This is why between 2012 and 2015 the Department of Defense paid 18 NFL teams a total of more than $5.6 million for marketing and advertising, including flying military bombers over stadiums at taxpayers’ expense. It’s also why we watch hit montages week after week, delighting in the crack of the pads or the punch of the music without wondering whether that player just got pushed a bit further toward CTE. Football marries artfulness to brutality, providing the most honest interpretation of American character that we have available, and I enjoy football despite its horrors because I have learned to do the same in my life in America.

The problem is that too few of us recognize ourselves in the beauty and the carnage the NFL presents each Sunday. The game won’t change because we’re not changing. I hope a new audience will be exposed to Dr. Bennet Omalu’s story and understand that the only way to get football to change is to present its faults in an uncompromising fashion, pressuring the NFL and those who love the sport to face themselves and do better. Omalu exemplifies a model of America in which its citizens, in virtually every political context, work to change this nation for the better. Abandoning football won’t fix the sport—Americans need it so that, one day, we might learn to see ourselves for who we truly are.

Louisa Thomas, “ Together We Make Football ” Grantland, 2014

A look at the NFL’s history of domestic violence—players who commit it, fans and teams who ignore it—and what that says about sports culture and the myth of football as a “family.”

Domestic violence does not happen on a football field. It happens in bedrooms, cars, parking lots, elevators. Intimate-partner violence and sexual assault are epidemic in the military. They are pervasive in Silicon Valley, on college campuses, in small Alaskan towns. They exist in all countries and in all times. Getting rid of football would do nothing to change this.

And yet there are connections between a culture that sidelines women and disrespects them, a culture that disrespects women and tolerates violence toward them, and a culture that tolerates violence toward them and commits violence toward them. Nearly half—48 percent—of all arrests for violent crimes among NFL players are arrests for domestic violence.

Men have worried that masculinity was under threat for as long as football has been around. The sport as we know it, after all, began during an era and in a class so nervous about decline that there was a condition, neurasthenia, to describe men’s anxiety. The easiest way to prove you were a man was to adopt an attitude of aggression. Those who were vulnerable or different were, and are, not merely unwelcome. It’s as if they were contagious. It is as if they were dangerous.

The NFL calls itself a family. If that’s the case, it’s a family of fathers and sons but not wives and daughters. It’s a family that more closely resembles the mob than a family connected by blood or love. It’s a family that protects its own by cutting others, a family that privileges loyalty over what’s right. But loyalty goes only so far in the NFL—because at some not-so-distant point, the family turns into a business. When concussions enter into it, or salary caps, or age, the family becomes about winning Sunday’s big game or about the business’s bottom line. If it’s a family, then it’s a fucked-up family.

Nicholas Dawidoff, “ The Comprehensive Illusion of Football ” The New Yorker , 2015

Television changes everything—including football.

“Before modern TV, it must have felt more abstractly gladiatorial,” Richard Linklater, the filmmaker, who was himself a Texas high school quarterback, says. We were discussing the way that these days, on television, you can impart personalities to the players and coaches on the screen. The N.F.L. has wired participants for sound and improved its broadcasts’ camera angles and photograph definition. Camera operators pan the field and sidelines for raw reactions. The emotion fans tend to feel most keenly is outrage, and, following along, producers have lately specialized in conveying assorted shades of indignation. We think of Giants coach Tom Coughlin as a man perpetually aggrieved and consider Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan a puerile teen-ager—after all, that’s how they behave in our homes. Of course, both men are far more complex. “Once you can see their eyes, everything changes, and you think you know them,” Linklater says. “TV does that—that powerful, possessory bond with the audience. The public might fawn over actors they know from movies, but if they know you from television, they act like they’re a relative. They really think they have access, and they almost consume them.”

Part of football’s appeal is the violence, which gives it the feeling of a real-life action movie. But the violence has always been risky for TV, as well as for the players. Long before there was any public controversy concerning the long-term effects of football-related blows to the head, TV sought to make the game more palatable by magnifying its balletic beauty and deëmphasizing the brute concussive aggression of the hitting. One of the game’s most notorious collisions took place on “Monday Night Football” in 1985, when Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacked Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann. The reverse camera angle revealed Theismann suffering a grotesque compound leg fracture. That was too much reality for family television. In the decades since then, much to the dismay of defensive coaches, the most revealing football rules changes have put restraints on contact and otherwise eased the task of completing passes. Part of this is that America loves touchdowns, and another piece of it is that passing looks prettier on TV. But concerning ourselves with the graceful choreographies of receivers and defensive backs also relieved us of the unsettling responsibility for witnessing what’s going down off-camera.

Paul Solotaroff with Ron Borges, “ The Gangster in the Huddle ” Rolling Stone , 2013

An in-depth profile of former Patriots tight end and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez—who, four years later, has yet another murder trial coming up in less than two weeks.

Most people, even self-important stars blowing thousands on bottle-shape women, might have simmered down about now. But the 23-year-old Aaron Hernandez wasn’t like most people; for ages, he hadn’t even been like himself. The sweet, goofy kid from Bristol, Connecticut, with the klieg-light smile and ex-thug dad who’d turned his life around to raise two phenom sons– that Aaron Hernandez had barely been heard from in the seven hard years since his father was snatched away, killed in his prime by a medical error that left his boys soul-sick and lost. Once in a great while, the good Aaron would surface, phoning one of his college coaches to tell him he loved him and to talk to the man’s kids for hours, or stopping Robert Kraft, the Patriots’ owner, to kiss him on the cheek and thank him damply. There was such hunger in that kid for a father’s hand, and such greatness itching to get out, that coach after coach had covered for him whenever the bad Aaron showed–the violent, furious kid who was dangerous to all, most particularly, it seems, to his friends.

Robert Lipsyte, “ Donald Trump Represents the Worst of Football Culture ” The Nation , 2017

An essay that bemoans Trump—a failed team owner himself—as emblematic of the worst aspects of “jock-culture”, but looks to Colin Kaepernick and others like him as a ray of hope.

His kind of boastful, bullying, blowfish persona is tolerated in locker rooms (as in sales offices, barracks, trading floors, and legislatures), just as long as the big dog can deliver. Which he has done. It’s no surprise that his close pals and business associates in SportsWorld include two other notorious P.T. Barnums, boxing’s Don King and wrestling’s Vince McMahon (whose wife, Linda, is now Trump’s pick to head the Small Business Administration).

Another typical jock-culture trait is rolling over for the alpha(est) dog in your arena, be it the team leader, coach, owner, or even the president of Russia. One wonders, had Trump become a successful NFL owner, would he have wimped out as completely as New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft did when Russian President Vladimir Putin pocketed his Super Bowl ring in 2005 and walked out of their Moscow meeting room with it. It was never returned.

As the season ended, Kaepernick’s teammates awarded him their Len Eshmont Award for “inspirational and courageous play,” making a mockery of reports in the media that he had been alienating the rest of the team. Edwards describes the media and the sports establishment as clueless when it comes to Kaepernick’s growing support among athletes—a phenomenon that promises “some turbulent times over the upcoming Trump era.”

Kaepernick’s most transcendent transgression has been the way he punctured the comfort of football’s sweaty sanctuary, letting in both light and some hard truths—including this reality: that objectified and extravagantly well paid performers can still have real thoughts about the world outside the white lines, a world becoming more and more perilous for those who think Trumpball should not be the national pastime.

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The Evolution of American Football: a Cultural Odyssey

This essay about the history of American football traces its evolution from its origins in the 19th century to its present-day status as a cultural phenomenon. It explores key milestones such as the first intercollegiate game in 1869 and the establishment of professional leagues like the NFL. The essay highlights the sport’s growth, challenges, and enduring popularity, including its impact on American society and entertainment. From rule changes to technological advancements, American football reflects the dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation, shaping its identity as a cherished aspect of American culture.

How it works

American football, a quintessential component of contemporary American culture, boasts a rich and intricate history that spans over a century. Its roots trace back to the mid-19th century, emerging from a fusion of traditional European ball games and indigenous American sports. While its precise origins remain debated, it is widely acknowledged that American football evolved from rugby and soccer, gradually morphing into a distinctively American pastime.

One of the pivotal moments in the history of American football occurred in 1869 when the first intercollegiate game was played between Rutgers and Princeton Universities.

This landmark event laid the groundwork for the sport’s institutionalization and popularization across educational institutions in the United States. Over the ensuing decades, American football underwent a series of transformations, with rule changes, innovations in equipment, and evolving strategies shaping its trajectory.

The early 20th century witnessed the formalization of American football’s rules and regulations, with the establishment of organizations such as the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) and the American Professional Football Association (APFA), later renamed the National Football League (NFL). These developments facilitated the sport’s transition from an amateur pastime to a professional spectacle, captivating audiences nationwide.

Despite its burgeoning popularity, American football faced numerous challenges throughout its history, including controversies surrounding player safety, racial integration, and commercialization. The advent of televised broadcasts in the 1950s propelled the sport into the forefront of American entertainment, ushering in an era of unprecedented growth and commercial success.

In the latter half of the 20th century, American football underwent further evolution, characterized by technological advancements, strategic innovations, and cultural shifts. The rise of iconic figures such as Vince Lombardi, Joe Namath, and Walter Payton contributed to the sport’s mythology, cementing its status as a cornerstone of American identity.

The 21st century has witnessed American football’s continued ascent, propelled by global expansion efforts, multimedia platforms, and a fervent fan base. However, the sport grapples with pressing issues such as concussion awareness, player activism, and the changing landscape of media consumption. Nevertheless, American football endures as a symbol of resilience, camaraderie, and collective aspiration.

In conclusion, the history of American football is a testament to the enduring power of sport to transcend boundaries, unite communities, and reflect the complexities of society. From its humble origins on college campuses to its status as a multi-billion-dollar industry, American football embodies the cultural zeitgeist of the United States, evolving in tandem with the nation itself. As we embark on the next chapter of its journey, it is imperative to honor the legacy of those who came before us while embracing the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

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American Football in American Culture Research Paper

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American football evolved from British roots but has closer relations to Rugby that to soccer (Camp, 2009). It got its name from the fact that men playing it were on foot and not on horseback (Camp, 2009). Outside of the United States, the name football mainly refers to soccer. In this case, players use their feet to play, as opposed to American football, where hands are the key limbs used in the sport.

The distinction between American football and rugby came about with rule changes instituted to improve the game in the early part of the twentieth century (Camp, 2009). The Second World War saw the introduction of American football as a standard part of recruit training. This era saw the sport become a national unifying element. It encapsulated, in the view of some generals, all the values required of a soldier (Falk, 2005).

American football has certain elements that relate closely to American culture (Falk, 2005). America as a country came about as a melting pot of cultures because many immigrants from different parts of the world moved to the States in search of the American dream (Gems & Pfister, 2009). They came with their cultural influences and contributed to what is now a unique cultural expression.

The elements of American culture found in American football include sacrifice, hard work, courage, and equal opportunity (Falk, 2005). As a national value, America was the product of sacrifice on the part of the settlers. They left predictable lives in their native countries to pursue a dream in the new world.

This element continues up to date where many people choose to move to America to test their fortunes rather than remain in their home countries where they have sure opportunities, albeit unrewarding. They come along with a mind dedicated to hard work with the hope of seeing the reward for their efforts.

They also display a lot of courage to take this journey. In the olden days, it meant braving the rough seas. In the modern world, it means going through rigorous immigration checks to get a pass into the country. The assurance of equal opportunity for all in America drives the immigrants. Americans as a people believe in equal opportunity for all (Gems & Pfister, 2009).

The nature of the game makes it require the same elements that describe the national psyche of America. All players must be ready to sacrifice by enduring long hours of rigorous training to attain sufficient levels of fitness for play. The training and the playing are all hard work. It is one of the sports that demand the most physical and mental exertion from the players.

Every player must display courage because a clash with an opponent may end up in career-ending injuries. This is a constant risk. Finally, the sport has in its ranks Americans from all walks because teams demand only the best. This means that the only qualifier for the sport is fitness to play it, regardless of creed and color (Gems & Pfister, 2009).

In as much as American football serves as a microcosm of American culture, it is also an active part of it (Falk, 2005). The National Football League (NFL) final is truly a national event that attracts unparalleled following in the sporting arena.

It forms an important part of the American festive season and provides vast opportunities for business and social interaction. It is a high point for many in America. Local leagues in some areas provide identity to their regions such as Odessa, Texas, while the college leagues continue to command a great national following (Falk, 2005).

Reference List

Camp, W. (2009). American Football. Canal Winchester OH: Badgley Publishing.

Falk, G. (2005). Football and American Identity. New York NY: Routledge.

Gems, G. S., & Pfister, G. (2009). Understanding American Sport: In Culture and Society. New York, NY: Routledge.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Impact — The Cultural and Societal Impact of American Football

The Cultural and Societal Impact of American Football

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Published: Jun 13, 2024

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Introduction, cultural significance, social impact, economic footprint.

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American football is a game that captivates and excites from the first minutes. This is a favorite sport in the United States, and sometimes the most controversial one. An essay on American football that looks like a real pleasure for someone who enjoys this sport can turn into a challenge when it comes to writing itself. How to choose a proper American football essay topic? Where to start and how to look for information?

That's where our directory of free essay examples comes into play. Here is where you can find good samples of an essay about American football that can be used as a source of inspiration and a starting point. The list of examples is quite extensive and isn't limited to topics on the history and forecasts of who will win the Super Bowl. You'll also find here interesting and controversial topics that are great for an argumentative essay.

If you have difficulty writing your essay about American football and Google " do my essay for me " all the time with no results, you can always take advantage of the WowEssays.com writing service. Our competent writers will complete any type of your college assignment, both according to your outline and from scratch.

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Essay on Football and How to Accomplish It

Football has a special place in the life of Americans. That is one of the most popular national sports with millions of devoted fans throughout the globe. Therefore, there is no surprise that many pupils and even college students are assigned an essay on football. At times, they even choose it on their own if they have an opportunity to write about sport.

When it comes to writing an essay about football, you may not worry about the way it should be composed. The structure and all demands are already well-known to you. It’s only necessary to refresh your mind. There are the following stages:

• Select a topic;
• Find information;
• Create an outline;
• Compose a thesis;
• Write a rough draft;
• Revise your draft;
• Write and submit the final copy.

A football essay for college is a relatively easy assignment. Students are commonly free to choose the topic they like. Thus, they’ll be more enthusiastic about it. It’s necessary to find some facts about the sport you’ve selected. Your thesis statement should clearly inform about your main purpose and its importance.

Related essays:

• Movie Media: Representing American Educational Culture essay
• Justifications of War: How do people justify war? essay
• Commitment to Faith essay
• Head and Neck Injuries in Football essay

After you make a plan, write the first rough draft. It may be even a bit messy. Anyway, you’ll definitely check it and will rewrite to make it perfect. When all things are put properly, you only should submit your paper.

Football Essay Topics to Get Exciting Paper

In order to succeed, it’s necessary to cover an important issue. It is expected to be interesting to your audience and bring some significance. Here are some excellent football essay topics:

• Why was American football included in the program of the Olympic Games?
• My personal attitude towards American football.
• History of football.
• Violence in football.

Cover these and similar ideas. Think of captivating topics, which can be potentially interesting for your audience. You may investigate different facts and events that gave life to this impactful kind of sport. Highlight the cases of concussion, compare football with soccer, how can American football be popularized and something of the kind. Thus, your chances to succeed sufficiently enhance.

American Football vs Soccer Topics for Essay

Many people mess up two quite different kinds of team games American football vs soccer. Before the American football appeared, soccer in Europe was called football. Afterward, there arose a need for a division. That may be one of the topics. You may write about these two kinds.

• American football vs. Soccer: Which one is more popular?
• Isn’t American football more spectacular than soccer?
• Performance in American football and soccer: Which kind is more demanding?
• Can American football become more popular than soccer?
• Skills and tactics in soccer and their difference from American football.

Football Concussion Ideas

Another theme you may talk over is football concussion. That is a pretty cruel and tough game. One of the common traumas is a concussion. No matter how good your helmet is, there is always a high possibility to suffer a concussion. You may argue on this matter and reveal the possible consequences, which are actually awful. They are similar to boxing outcomes. Many players suffered from multiple sclerosis that was induced by frequent impacts into the head.

• Concussion in football and its consequences.
• Can equipment protect from a concussion in football?
• The course of rehabilitation from a concussion in football.
• Isn’t it better to changes football rules to avoid concussion?
• How to prevent concussion in American football during the game?

Violence-in-Football-Related Topics

Another important theme is violence in football. Many people oppose it. They say that such violent kinds of sports spoil younger generations. Youngsters watch how players simply destroy one another on the field. Therefore, this is a “hot” topic.

• Isn’t violence in football a drawback?
• Football vs. Ice-hockey: Which one is more violent?
• Should some rules be altered to make football less cruel?
• How to avoid traumas in football when there is so much violence.
• How does violence in football affect fans?

History of American Football Topics

Undoubtedly, any subject and theme should be reviewed from the historical viewpoint. It’s always interesting to find out how some inventions were made or some events developed. Thus, the history of American football may give you some food to chew on:

• The historical meaning of football for the U.S.A. citizens.
• The significant events that led to the establishment of football in the U.S.A.
• Outstanding personalities who developed football.
• Recent innovations in football.
• The most impressive records in American football.

Football Essay Outline Features

If you struggle with an outline, use our example. The football essay outline may look like this:

• The focus question
• The major argument
• The evidence #1,2,3…

Make a captivating introduction and implement your thesis. Afterward, develop your concept with examples and facts. Conclude with 2-3 strong sentences to underline the importance of your concept.

333 Football Research Topics & Essay Titles

Football is a game that millions of people around the world enjoy watching and playing. With 3.57 billion views of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, this sport appears to be the most popular. Besides, each match is more than just a game — football is all about passion, skill, and teamwork.

In this article, our expert team has collected great football topics to write about and research that you can use for your school or college assignments.

🔝 Top 12 Football Topics to Write About

✍️ football writing prompts, 📝 football titles for essays, 🗣️ football speech topics, 💡 football topics for presentation, 🔎 football research topics, ⚽ football essay outline, 🔗 references.

• The history of football.
• Football as the world’s most popular ball game.
• The development of modern football.
• The greatest football moments.
• Why do tactics play a vital role in football?
• Football as a traumatic kind of sport.
• What is football’s most prestigious competition?
• The legends of American football.
• The impact of football on society.
• Advantages of playing football.
• Men’s and women’s football.
• The issue of racism in football.

Are you looking for some prompts on the football topic? Then you are at the right place! Below, you can find ideas for writing your essay.

Why Football Is the Best Sport: Essay Prompt

Football is a global sport that connects practically everyone on the planet. It has the power to bring an entire city or nation to a standstill. In the essay that explains why football is the best game, you can share your own experience or the emotions of your friend who is passionate about this game. Also, you can list the reasons why people love this sport. For example:

• Football connects millions of people.
• There are no age restrictions to enjoy the match.
• The world’s best talents are football players, such as Lionel Messi.
• Watching or participating in football evokes genuine emotions.

Prompt for Panyee Football Club Essay

Have you ever heard about a football club that is floating on water? Panyee FC is one of them! Since there is not enough space on the island, football fans and players built a football pitch in the middle of the sea. Find the answers to the following questions about Panyee Football Club and use this information in your essay:

• What is the history behind Panyee Football Club?
• Why is a Panyee FC pitch built on water?
• What are the core values of Panyee Football Club?
• Can we say that Panyee FC is a symbol of passion for football?

Why Football Is Dangerous: Essay Prompt

The fact that football has the greatest injury rate of any other kind of sport should not come as a surprise. Football players often incur injuries like ankle sprains, knee injuries, concussions, and acromioclavicular sprains. In your essay on the dangers of football, you can raise the following questions:

• Why is it so easy for football players to get injured?
• What types of injuries are most common during a football game?
• What precautions must be taken to prevent trauma?
• How does injury impact the future career of a football player?

Prompt for Essay on Concussions in Football

While every sport has some risk of getting hurt, football, as a high-impact sport , is infamous for causing severe injuries. Concussions are a common injury among football players. They happen when the head is hit hard enough to cause a minor brain injury. To research the topic of concussions in football, write your essay based on the following aspects:

• The effect of concussion on the brain.
• Statistics on concussion in American football.
• Medical concussion protocol.
• The recovery process after a concussion.
• Screening procedures examining football players for brain damage.

If you’re looking for the most engaging football essay titles, check out the ideas we’ve collected below!

Topics for a Descriptive Essay on a Football Game

• The thrill of a last-minute goal in football.
• The intensity of the players’ warm-up and last-minute preparations.
• Sports psychologist: working with athletes.
• The different styles of play in football around the world.
• The rapid movement of players and the choreography of their tactics.
• The role of a coach in football.
• Capturing the joys and frustrations of the players and fans.
• The interaction between players and referees: decisions, protests, and resolutions.
• A description of a football stadium and its architecture.
• The art of dribbling in football.
• How do players and fans celebrate a goal?
• Describing pre-match rituals and superstitions in football.
• How do fans create a supportive atmosphere for their team during the game?
• The joy and excitement of attending a live football match.
• Describing how coaches handle their emotions on the sidelines.
• The description of food served during the football game.
• The magnetic pull of the scoreboard: watching the numbers change.
• The vibrant fan gear and merchandise in a football stadium.
• The drama of penalty kicks: tension, hope, and heartbreak.
• The description of a goalkeeper’s save.
• The sounds of the football match.

Football Argumentative Essay Topics

• Is football too dangerous for young children to play?
• Does football develop leadership skills and teamwork?
• Title IX in the female sports development.
• College football players should be paid for their performance on the field.
• Should football stadiums have stricter security measures?
• Is the use of performance-enhancing drugs in football acceptable?
• Reasons why the NFL should expand to include more teams.
• Why paying college athletes is beneficial.
• Is the NFL doing enough to prevent concussions and other injuries in players?
• Should football games be played on artificial turf or natural grass?
• Is it ethical for colleges to recruit high school football players?
• Should players be allowed to protest during games?
• Does youth sports play a part in the character formation ?
• Reasons why cheerleading should be considered a sport in football.
• Should the Super Bowl be considered a national holiday?
• The economic influence of football: the benefits and costs.
• Is football too focused on commercialization and profit?
• Should football players be allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes?
• The NFL should have a shorter season to reduce the risk of injuries to players.
• Using performance-enhancing drugs in the world of sport.
• Should college football teams be allowed to schedule games against non-college teams, such as high school teams?
• Should the NFL have a salary cap to ensure fairness among teams?
• Football players should wear full body armor to reduce injuries.
• Is football too expensive for schools and communities to support?
• Should the NFL allow players to use alternative therapies for pain management?
• Should football players be required to take regular drug tests ?
• Should the NFL have stricter penalties for players who break the rules, such as suspensions or fines?
• Children participation in sports.
• Football players should take classes on financial management to prepare for life after football.
• Should the NFL have a quota for hiring minority coaches and executives?
• High school football players should pass a physical exam before being allowed to play.
• Should the NFL have stricter rules on player conduct off the field?
• College football players should be allowed to transfer to other schools without penalty.
• Should the NFL have a policy on players using social media ?
• Football players should attend media training to prepare for interviews and press conferences.
• Sport psychology: biases and influence of external rewards.
• Should the NFL have a policy on players participating in political activism?
• Football players should undergo regular psychological evaluations.
• Should the NFL have a policy on players using alcohol and drugs off the field?
• Should football players be required to wear protective eyewear to reduce eye injuries?
• College football teams should provide mental health resources for their players.
• Should high school football teams limit the number of weekly practices to reduce the risk of injuries?
• Paying college athletes: reinforcing privilege or promoting growth?
• Should college football players be allowed to unionize?
• Should football be banned in schools to protect students from injuries?
• Is playing football in college detrimental to academics?
• Should college football players be allowed to hire agents?

Ideas for a Narrative Essay about Football

• The first time I stepped onto the football field: an unforgettable experience.
• Overcoming adversity: how I bounced back from a football injury.
• A story of teamwork: how football taught me the value of collaboration.
• The most memorable football match I have ever witnessed.
• Coping with stress in athletes.
• The importance of football in building lifelong friendships.
• From underdog to champion: my journey with the football team.
• A day in the life of a football player: behind the scenes.
• The role of football in shaping my identity.
• A tale of rivalry: the intense football match against our arch-nemesis.
• The impact of football on my physical fitness and well-being.
• How a football coach changed my life.
• The thrill of scoring the winning goal: a football victory to remember.
• The evolution of football: from my grandfather’s time to the modern era.
• A football match that taught me the importance of humility.
• The emotional rollercoaster of supporting a football team.
• Lessons learned from defeat: how football taught me resilience.
• A football game that tested my leadership skills.
• Football and community: how the sport brings people together.
• A football camp experience: training, team building, and friendship.
• From fan to player: fulfilling my football dream.

Football Essay Topics: Compare and Contrast

• Regular football vs. American football: a comparative analysis.
• Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo: contrasting two football legends.
• Comparing football and soccer .
• College football vs. professional football: similarities and differences.
• The World Cup vs. the Super Bowl: contrasting two major football events.
• The roles and impact of offensive and defensive players.
• The Premier League vs. La Liga: comparing two dominant football leagues.
• Contrasting playing styles and cultural significance of football in Europe and South America.
• Club football vs. international football: examining the differences in competition and loyalty.
• Football stadiums vs. arenas: comparing the experiences of live football events.
• The similarities and differences between Olympic football and FIFA World Cup.
• Football in the past vs. modern-day football.
• Comparing the roles and responsibilities of quarterbacks and goalkeepers.
• Football fan culture in Europe vs. the US: contrasting fan traditions and behaviors.
• Amateur football vs. professional football.
• Football uniforms vs. gear: analyzing the equipment used in the sport.
• Comparing and contrasting famous football team rivalries.
• Football team dynamics vs. individual brilliance: contrasting the impact of teamwork and individual performances.
• Football referees vs. video assistant referees (VAR).
• Club vs. country: comparing the passion and loyalty for club and national teams.
• Football and injuries: comparing the risk and types of injuries in the sport.
• Football leagues during the pandemic vs. regular seasons.
• Football commentary vs. live match experience: comparing the different ways of engaging with the sport.
• The impact of football on local vs. global economies.
• Football documentaries vs. fictional football movies.
• The role of football in promoting diversity vs. perpetuating stereotypes.
• Football fandom vs. player idolization: contrasting how fans engage with the sport.
• Comparing the traditional grass pitches vs. artificial turf.
• The impact of social media on football vs. traditional media.
• Comparing the challenges of football in different weather conditions .
• Football in mainstream culture vs. football subcultures.
• The health benefits of football vs. injuries and health risks.
• Betting in football vs. gambling.
• The cultural significance of football in different regions.
• Football literature vs. football films: contrasting different forms of storytelling about the sport.
• Football stadiums: traditional vs. modern architecture .
• College football vs. professional football: differences in gameplay and culture.
• Offensive vs. defensive strategies: which is more important?
• Comparing traditional and modern football training methods.
• The history of football in America and Europe.
• Injuries in football vs. soccer: which sport is more dangerous?

American Football Topics

• The evolution of American football: from its origins to the present day.
• The impact of race on American football.
• Concussions and brain injuries in American football.
• The psychology of football: understanding the mental game of players and coaches.
• The role of women in American football: from cheerleaders to coaches and executives.
• The strategies and tactics used in American football.
• The role of coaches in American football: leadership and game planning.
• The significance of the offensive line in American football.
• The impact of college football on the NFL.
• The influence of the media on American football.
• The role of the head coach in American football.
• The importance of physical fitness in American football.
• The impact of technology on American football: from instant replay to virtual reality training.
• The economic impact and financial aspects of American football.
• The history of Super Bowl halftime shows.
• American football and national identity.
• The impact of weather on American football games.
• The influence of player protests on American football.
• The role of American football in the entertainment industry (movies, TV shows, etc.).
• The development of American football youth programs: benefits and challenges.
• The importance of the running back in the offense in American football.
• The role of the defensive line in stopping the run and rushing the passer in American football.
• The influence of American football on sports marketing and sponsorship.
• The impact of fan behavior on American football.
• Exploring the legacy of American football’s great players and their impact on the sport.
• The influence of a new coach on team culture and performance in American football.
• The consequences of player suspensions in American football.
• Player trades in American football: exploring how teams acquire new talent.
• American football and sportsmanship: fair play and ethical considerations.
• The impact of player injuries on American football: exploring the recovery process.
• The role of American football in building teamwork and camaraderie.
• The impact of American football on society’s perception of masculinity .
• The history and cultural significance of American football rivalries.
• The role of American football in promoting community engagement and volunteerism.
• The influence of American football on US pop culture.
• American football and social justice: protests, activism, and athlete empowerment.
• The role of American football in public health and fitness initiatives.
• The ethics of sports gambling in American football.
• American football and sports diplomacy: international relations and competitions.
• The future of American football: challenges and opportunities.

Are you looking for exciting football topics to talk about? Check out our suggestions for persuasive and informative speeches about this sport!

Football Persuasive Speech Topics

• The benefits of playing football for overall physical fitness.
• The importance of youth football programs in fostering teamwork.
• Kids and sports: lack of professional sports guides.
• The positive impact of football on character development and leadership skills.
• The role of football in promoting gender equality and inclusion.
• The economic benefits of hosting major football events like the World Cup or Super Bowl.
• The need for increased safety measures and concussion protocols in football.
• The necessity of providing proper healthcare and support for retired football players.
• The role of football in breaking down cultural and racial barriers.
• Balancing college sports and academic mission.
• The benefits of investing in football infrastructure and facilities for communities.
• The positive influence of football in reducing youth involvement in crime and drugs.
• The potential of football as a tool for empowering disadvantaged communities.
• The role of football in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among fans and spectators.
• The benefits of including football as part of the physical education curriculum in schools.
• The positive effects of football in promoting national pride.
• Corporate social responsibility in sports organizations .
• The use of football as a platform for raising awareness and funds for charitable causes.
• The importance of football in boosting tourism and international visibility of cities.
• The potential of football in fostering international diplomacy and cultural exchange.
• The importance of providing equal opportunities for females in football at all levels.
• The impact of football on local economies through job creation and tourism revenue.
• The significance of iconic moments in football history.

Football Informative Speech Topics

• The different positions in football and their roles.
• The psychology of football fans and their passion for the game.
• Agencies in the international football industry .
• Famous football stadiums around the world and their significance.
• The rules and regulations of football: understanding the game’s structure.
• The role of referees and their importance in enforcing the rules of football.
• Positive self-talk and its impact on athletes.
• The evolution of football equipment: from leather balls to high-tech gear.
• The most successful football clubs in history and their achievements.
• Exploring the tactics and strategies used in modern football.
• The science behind successful football coaching.
• Sports coaching career and its history.
• Football rivalries: the history and intensity behind classic match-ups.
• The art of scoring goals: techniques and skills of top goal scorers.
• Football and media: the influence of broadcasting and coverage on the sport.
• The psychological aspects of football: mental preparation and performance.
• The cultural impact of football around the world.
• The development and growth of women’s football.
• Physical therapy services for sports injuries.
• The importance of nutrition and fitness in football.
• The significance of football academies in nurturing young talent.
• The role of technology in modern football: VAR, goal-line technology, and more.
• Football hooliganism : understanding the causes and efforts to combat it.
• Famous football managers and their managerial styles: strategies for success.

If you need compelling topics about football for your presentation, here are some ideas you can consider:

• The FIFA World Cup: the most significant event in international football.
• Techniques and skills in football: dribbling, shooting, passing, and more.
• Leadership development in football management .
• The rules and regulations in football.
• Football tactics: exploring different formations and strategic approaches.
• Famous football players of all times: their achievements and impact on the sport.
• Football and sports injuries: common types, prevention, and treatment.
• Steroid use effects on professional young athletes.
• Football stadiums around the world: architecture and unique features.
• The business side of football: sponsorship, transfer fees, and revenue streams.
• Football and social media: the influence of digital platforms on the sport.
• Football documentaries and films: capturing the drama and passion of the sport.
• The effects of football on fashion and popular culture.
• Virtual reality technology in soccer referee training .
• The financial impact of football on cities and regions.
• Football and sports journalism: media coverage and analysis of the sport.
• Football stats and analytics: how data is revolutionizing the sport.
• The causes and consequences of fan violence in football.
• The cultural rituals and traditions associated with football matches.
• Football and the environment: sustainable practices and stadiums.
• The impact of football on tourism.
• Health care site: fitness, sports, and nutrition.
• Football and celebrity culture: players as icons and brand ambassadors.
• Football in video games: the popularity of virtual football experiences.
• The importance of infrastructure in hosting major football events.
• Football tactics in different eras: from Catenaccio to Tiki-Taka.
• Football and broadcasting: the growth of televised matches and media rights.
• Football training drills for improving agility and speed.
• Physical activity and sports team participation.
• Strategies for effective team communication on the football field.
• The importance of proper warm-up exercises in preventing injuries in football.
• Tips for strengthening and conditioning specific muscle groups for football players.
• Defensive formations and tactics for shutting down opponents in football.
• Analyzing football game films to improve performance and strategy.
• Recovering from football injuries: rehabilitation exercises and protocols.
• Sports-related problems and conflicts .
• Sports psychology techniques for boosting confidence and mental resilience in football.
• Nutrition and hydration guidelines for optimal performance in football.
• The connection between globalization and football.
• The role of stretching routines in preventing muscle imbalances in football players.
• Practical strategies for successful penalty shootouts in football.
• Steroid usage in professional sports.
• Football scouting and player evaluation techniques for talent identification.
• The use of technology in football training and performance analysis.
• Football equipment maintenance and safety guidelines for players.
• Preparing and executing penalty kicks in pressure situations in football.
• Advanced passing techniques in football: long passes, through balls, and more.

Do you need to write a research paper about football but don’t know where to start? Consider our list of football research questions and topics:

• How have football tactics evolved over the past decade?
• The impact of technology on decision-making in football.
• Business industry: trend analysis for soccer .
• The psychology of team cohesion and its effects on football performance.
• What is the role of nutrition and diet in optimizing football players’ performance?
• What is the relationship between football and concussions?
• How do FIFA World Cup events affect host countries’ economies?
• What is the carbon footprint of major football events?
• The effects of climate conditions on football matches.
• Shortage of officials at the high school sports level.
• The influence of social media on football players’ image and brand.
• The role of VAR in the fairness of football matches.
• The impact of home-field advantage in professional football.
• How does the football stadium atmosphere affect player performance?
• The rise of women’s football and its impact on gender equality.
• The economic implications of football player transfers and fees.
• The correlation between a team’s wage bill and on-pitch success.
• Factors influencing fan loyalty in football.
• Research handbook of employment relations in sport.
• The role of leadership and coaching in a team’s success.
• The impact of sponsorship deals on football clubs’ financial stability.
• The relationship between player positioning and successful goal scoring.
• The effects of VAR on the emotions and behavior of fans during football matches.
• How does football influence youth development and participation in sport?
• How can big data analytics improve football performance and decision-making?
• The effects of football on cultural identity and national pride.
• How do sports affect disabled people psychologically?
• The impact of football on the local community and economy.
• The influence of crowd noise on football referee decisions.
• The role of sports psychology in enhancing football performance.
• The impact of financial fair play regulations on football clubs.
• How does football betting affect match outcomes and integrity?
• The cultural significance of football chants and songs in fan culture.
• Steroid abuse in the world of sports .
• The influence of doping scandals on the reputation of football players and clubs.
• The role of football in promoting social inclusion and breaking down barriers.
• How do international football competitions affect tourism?
• The effects of player transfers on team dynamics and performance.
• The correlation between player height and success in football.
• The influence of different playing surfaces on football player performance and injury rates.
• How do referees maintain fairness and order in football matches?
• Achievement motivation theory in sports psychology .
• The impact of football on academic performance and school attendance.
• The role of football hooliganism in shaping public perceptions of the sport.
• The influence of football sponsorship on brand image and consumer behavior.
• The effects of football on social integration and community cohesion.
• How do rule changes affect football game dynamics?
• The influence of football on individual and societal gender norms.
• Sports analysis: steroids and HGH in sports .
• Investigating the impact of celebrity endorsement on football merchandise sales.
• The role of technology in improving football player performance and injury prevention.
• The correlation between alcohol consumption and football-related violence.
• The impact of fan protests and boycotts on football clubs and leagues.
• The effects of retirement on the mental well-being of former professional football players.
• The influence of football on urban development and infrastructure investment.
• How does football affect students’ academic motivation and educational attainment?
• The impact of football on destination marketing in tourism.

Structuring your essay on football is a piece of cake, and we’re going to prove it! Follow our mini guide with valuable tips and examples!

Football Essay Introduction

The first paragraph of an essay is crucial to creating a strong paper. A successful introduction often starts by addressing broad ideas related to the essay’s topic. Follow the steps below to write a compelling introduction:

1. Start with a hook.

Make a good first impression by using a captivating hook . In football essays, it can include a surprising fact, statistics, a question, or a relevant quote. Here’s an example:

What is the one thing that can unite a country and foster its pride? Yes, it is football!

2. Provide background information.

Give essential details on the essay’s main subject. This part can include the history of your topic, an explanation of key terms, and anything that can help your reader understand the context of your issue.

Football is a group of team sports that involve kicking a ball to score goals.

3. End with a thesis statement.

Put a concise thesis statement at the end to outline your motivation for the paper and present central arguments. Let’s talk about this element in detail.

Thesis Statement about Football

The thesis statement is a sentence expressing the primary idea of a piece of writing and guiding the thoughts within the work.

There are several steps that you should take to develop a thesis statement:

• Research information on your issue.
• Limit your topic to a specific area.
• Brainstorm to come up with interesting ideas.

Look at the example of a football thesis statement:

Football offers the chance to feel pride for the favorite team and positively impacts physical, social, and emotional development.

Essay about Football: Body Paragraphs

The main body of an essay is the most crucial part where you deliver your arguments. Here are some tips on writing a good body paragraph:

• Start with a topic sentence to capture the key points.
• Provide additional information to support your opinion.
• Use a transition sentence to get to the next paragraph smoothly.

Here’s an example of what your topic sentence and supporting evidence might look like:

Topic sentence : Football requires effective communication and listening skills since the game will not work without them. Supporting evidence : Communication helps athletes perform and focus better on the pitch and improves the decision-making process.

Conclusion for Football Essay

A conclusion brings your discussion to a close. The following outline may assist you in completing your essay:

• Restate your thesis.
• Explain why your topic is significant.
• Summarize the core points.
• Call for action or provide an overview of future research opportunities

Check out an example of a paraphrased thesis and the summary of the main points:

Rephrased thesis : Football is a fascinating sport with many societal benefits. Summary : To sum up, football can be considered a hobby, a sport, or an obsession. But still, its most important role is to unite people or even entire countries.

We hope you will find our football topics to write about and research beneficial! Want to receive some more ideas? Try our free online title generator ! Just click the button, and the result will not keep you waiting!

• Health and Wellness | The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University
• Sports | Harvard Business School
• Head Injuries & American Football | McCombs School of Business
• Research | Global Sport Institute
• University Archives: History of Football | Marquette University
• NCAA and the Movement to Reform College Football | Library of Congress
• Medical Issues in Women’s Football | National Library of Medicine
• Football Injuries | University of Rochester Medical Center
• Head to Head: The National Football League & Brain Injury | NYU Langone Health

351 Anxiety Research Topics & Essay Titles (Argumentative, Informative, and More)

223 deforestation topics for essays, research papers, & speeches.

Essay On Football for Students and Children

500+ words essay on football.

Essay On Football- Football is a game that millions of people around the world play and love. It can be called a universal game because every small and big nation plays it.

Moreover, it’s a great relaxer, stress reliever, teacher of discipline and teamwork . Apart from that, it keeps the body and mind fit and healthy. It’s a team game that makes it a more enjoyable game as it teaches people the importance of sportsmanship. Leadership, and unity .

History of Football

The history of football can be traced back to the ancient times of the Greeks. Everyone knows that the Greeks were great sportsmen and have invented many games.

Football happens to one of them. A similar game like football is played in many countries but the latest version of football that we knew originates in England. Likewise, England formulated the first rule of the game. From that day onwards the football has progressed in ways we can’t imagine.

Importance of Football

Football is an important game from the point of view of the spectator as well as the player. This 90 minutes game is full of excitement and thrill.

Moreover, it keeps the player mentally and physically healthy, and disciplined. And this ninety-minute game tests their sportsmanship, patience, and tolerance.

Besides, all this you make new friends and develop your talent. Above all, it’s a global game that promotes peace among countries.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Learn Football

Learning any game is not an easy task. It requires dedication and hard work. Besides, all this the sport test your patience and insistence towards it. Moreover, with every new skill that you learn your game also improves. Above all, learning is a never-ending process so to learn football you have to be paying attention to every minute details that you forget to count or missed.

Football in India

If we look at the scenarios of a few years back then we can say that football was not a popular game in except West Bengal. Also, Indians do not take much interest in playing football. Likewise, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has some limited resources and limited support from the government.

But, now the scenario has completely changed. At this time football matches the level of cricket in the country. Apart from that, the country organizes various football tournaments every year.

Above all, due to the unpopularity of football people do not know that we have under-17 and under-23, as well as a football team.

Football Tournaments

The biggest tournament of Football is the FIFA world cup which occurs every 4 years. Apart from that, there are various other tournaments like UEFA cup, Asian Cup (AFC), African completions (CAF) and many more.

To conclude, we can say that football is very interesting that with every minute takes the viewer’s breath away. Besides, you can’t predict what’s going to happen the next second or minute in football. Apart from all this football keeps the one playing it fit and healthy. Above all, it can be a medium of spreading the message of peace in the world as it is a global game.

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How the NFL and American Politicians Politicized (and Helped Merchandise) Pro Football

In the ’60s and ’70s, gridiron fans like richard nixon and bobby kennedy embraced the sport that wanted their attention.

President Richard M. Nixon meeting with Washington Redskins coach George Allen (standing, center) and players, on November 23, 1971. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons .

by Jesse Berrett | July 5, 2018

Roosevelt did not extend that consideration to professional football players, whose sport did not register politically. As a result, the NFL nearly shut its doors during World War II. So many players were called to serve that several franchises had to merge. In fact, the league didn’t take off until it closely associated itself with national politics. For the last half-century, the intertwining of American football and politics has sustained both pastimes, and no one played both games more enthusiastically than Richard Nixon.

By the 1960s the United States was involved in a different war, and the politics of sport had changed, nowhere more so than in the nation’s capital. Washington was “a male town, and football is its game … the right metaphor for its politics,” journalist Hedrick Smith wrote. “Not to possess Redskins season tickets spells a fatal absence of status,” observed Mary McGrory, an astute observer of local mores. The Washington Post detailed David Broder, its prizewinning political columnist, to cover a preseason game. The Harris poll named football America’s most popular sport in 1965, the Gallup poll in 1972.

What had changed? The NFL, to grow its business, spent the post-war decades single-mindedly pursuing cultural currency. Under PR-conscious commissioner Pete Rozelle, who took the job in 1960, the effort resembled nothing so much as an advertising campaign: in Rozelle’s mind, “anything that caused people to connect with pro football” would do. Conveniently enough, that’s exactly where politics were heading. “We’re moving into a period where a man is going to be merchandised on television more and more,” a Nixon aide explained to a reporter in 1968.

The NFL published its own books, made its own movies, and eventually sponsored an essay contest officially certified as part of the 1976 bicentennial celebrations. NFL Creative Services’ books depicted professional football as the essential expression of a complex and multifarious America. NFL Films sold viewers a vision of the game as a spectacular, vivid, and heroic showcase for passionate excellence.

The NFL’s intention was to persuade audiences both popular and elite that the sport deserved support because it was quintessentially American, perfectly in tune with the contemporary world, and deserving of solicitude should it encounter any legal roadblocks.

But the NFL never stopped politicking. Its cultural productions went global, usefully extending American soft power while cementing the association between NFL and Americanism.

Politicians benefited as well. Just as the NFL grew more adept at selling itself, so too did political figures begin to cultivate an interest in sports figures. In 1960, the John F. Kennedy campaign “put celebrity-gathering into mass production,” as one veteran consultant put it. A Nixon campaign organizer noted that “round[ing] up practically every All-American here” had helped the Republicans carry California.

Soon every politician was seeking out jocks. In 1968, Bobby Kennedy’s recruiters noted that athletic endorsements paid big dividends because “you are dealing with people who usually get press on their own steam.” Hubert Humphrey directed his campaign toward sympathetic sportswriters, attempted to get an article published in Sports Illustrated on the virtues of competition, and even scooped up Kennedy’s “top recruits” two days after his assassination. “With luck, if Teddy doesn’t run,” they could be enticed to hit the campaign trail for Humphrey.

Politicians across the spectrum hobnobbed with players and coaches, endorsed the campaigns of former players, and exerted themselves to win new franchises for their states. By the mid-70s, the collective intertwining of what one reporter called the “sport of politics and the politics of sport” had become inextricable.

The coziness between football and power rendered lobbying almost unnecessary: Lawrence O’Brien, Lyndon Johnson’s special assistant for congressional relations, recalled “inordinate efforts on behalf of the NFL in the Senate” by Senators in “constant quest…for a franchise location in their state.” No wonder that, when House Judiciary committee chair Emanuel Celler stalled a bill allowing the NFL to bypass the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and merge with the rival AFL in the fall of 1966, the House and Senate majority whips, Louisianans Hale Boggs and Russell Long, schemed to push it through the Ways and Means Committee. All it took was for the NFL to establish a team in New Orleans. “Pro football provides the circus for the hordes,” a disgusted Celler remarked.

In 1973, the House Interstate Commerce subcommittee “rammed through” without debate an NFL-backed measure preserving TV blackout rights for games that had not sold out 72 hours before their scheduled start. That blackout rule created incentives for fans and even cities to buy up unsold tickets. Without a sellout, TV stations would not show the home team’s games.

“It’s not true that Congress is divided, paralyzed, and unable to act with decision and leadership,” the journalist Nicholas von Hoffman acidly commented. “The pro football fans of America will be able to see their teams’ home games this year on television.”

Football on film sold America in ways that politicians liked. NFL Films perfected its craft with its magnum opus, They Call It Pro Football . Made in 1967, the 25-minute documentary neatly served the propagandistic, promotional, and political needs of both the league and the Defense Department. A number of reviews recognized the film’s social significance without fully grasping its extent, one extolling the “beauty and violence of the game—and its impact on the entire country.” At a briefing discussing how to sustain the morale of soldiers in Vietnam, General Creighton Abrams told Defense Secretary Melvin Laird that the men wanted football games.

“These films are important to them,” Abrams said.

“We better call Rozelle up tonight,” replied Laird, who quickly pledged “a two-minute bureaucratic drill” to ensure that the Armed Forces Network provided servicemen with more televised football.

Their bosses enjoyed these movies just as much. Secretary of State William Rogers brought a supply of NFL films on tour to show to foreign diplomats in the Far East in 1969. Air Force One flew an NFL film to Lyndon Johnson’s ranch in Texas, and Nixon later ordered a big-hits special for the White House. NFL Films’ productions were shown at the Continental Hotel in Paris, where homesick fans could savor the national pastime while munching hot dogs. They became a staple of life at military bases and on Navy submarines; and even in Saudi Arabia, where oil companies ordered copies of the films to console “American workers far from home.”

By the 1972 election, the merger between politics and football seemed almost complete. In April 1972, George McGovern announced an athletes’ committee heavy on football players. Its chair, Redskins guard Ray Schoenke, a history major and academic All-American at SMU, had walked into McGovern’s office the previous summer and volunteered his services. Schoenke made himself a one-man political operation. He handed out campaign literature at training camp, obtained rosters from the league office, and worked the phones every night.

But McGovern got crushed by Nixon in what a disappointed journalist panned as “one of the dullest political football games ever played before a nationwide TV audience.” No surprise. He was up against the country’s most football-friendly president.

Richard Nixon was a football fanatic who did the most to turn the game to political ends. Nixon’s connections to the sport ran deep. He frequently credited his coach at Whittier College, Chief Newman, with teaching him never to quit. He officially kicked off his first campaign for president on Whittier’s field before 20,000 roaring supporters and thanked Newman when accepting the Republican nomination in 1968. In his final memoir, In the Arena , Nixon recalled that “I learned more about life sitting on the bench with Chief Newman than I did by getting A’s in philosophy courses.”

He was not averse to putting those lessons to use. Nixon and his staff invoked football and attended games at strategic junctures throughout 1969 and 1970 with clear political intentions.

In November 1969, the administration countered nationwide anti-war marches with “National Unity Week,” featuring flag displays and what a White House memo called “a patriotic theme or event” at halftime of every televised college football game. Nixon told reporters that he was going to spend the Saturday afternoon of the march the  right  way: “It was a good day to watch a football game.”

The next fall, he kicked off his campaign for a Republican Congress before an enthusiastic crowd at Kansas State by contrasting the school’s football team (good) with youth protest (bad). He followed that up by sharing a podium with Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, celebrating the recently-deceased Vince Lombardi as “an apostle of teamwork,” and accompanying the Secretary of Defense and Wisconsin’s Republican candidates for Senator and Governor to Bart Starr Day, an event honoring the legendary Packer quarterback in Green Bay. A reporter traveling with the campaign found Nixon’s rah-rah approach utterly predictable: “It may be hard for some politicians to reduce a major political campaign to football terms, but not this one.”

In 1971, Newman’s successor at Whittier, George Allen, became coach of the Redskins. Nixon and Allen had supported each other’s endeavors since the 1950s, and the relationship deepened in Washington. Allen campaigned for Nixon and attended White House functions, and Nixon sent Allen a shoebox-full of notes, called him at home, and even attended practice at Allen’s invitation in 1971 to encourage his players.

The 1972 convention ratified what Nixon’s Republican detractors termed “game-plan politics.” “The President likes football analogies, and the relationships of field position and ball control were the essential elements of what the campaign organization tried to do,” the head of his advertising agency explained about the smoothly-run spectacle.

Bart Starr introduced convention chair Gerald Ford, and newly-elected New York Representative Jack Kemp, a former NFL quarterback and “No.1 [political] draft choice,” as a Sports Illustrated reporter following his campaign had described him, gave an “electrifying” speech seconding the nomination of Spiro Agnew. Numerous Republican power brokers nurtured Kemp’s political ambitions for a decade: Herb Klein, Nixon’s communications director, gave him a newspaper column, Reagan and the RNC hired him, and the White House publicly supported (and graced him with a congratulatory phone call after) his first run for Congress.

Despite Nixon’s electoral dominance, football’s triumph wasn’t partisan. No single participant succeeded in cementing a dominant political meaning for the nation’s most popular sport. Instead, football’s popularity provided a new language for politics and debate. Was one candidate trying a Hail Mary with a last-minute attack? Was another running out the clock with a lead? Had miscommunication in the Congressional huddle made a key bill fail? A political scientist complained in 1975 that “the discourse of politics” threatened to be “completely absorbed by the language of sports.”

The NFL, a profit-minded entity, both cultivated and profited from all this political attention. So when Richard Nixon told the crowd at Bart Starr Day that “the 1960s will be described as the decade when football became the No. 1 sport,” that sport’s number-one fan was merely adding a presidential signature to what a broad popular referendum had already decreed.

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

The Anatomy of American Football: Evidence from 7 Years of NFL Game Data

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation School of Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Affiliation Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States of America

• Konstantinos Pelechrinis, 
• Evangelos Papalexakis

• Published: December 22, 2016
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716
• Reader Comments

How much does a fumble affect the probability of winning an American football game? How balanced should your offense be in order to increase the probability of winning by 10%? These are questions for which the coaching staff of National Football League teams have a clear qualitative answer. Turnovers are costly; turn the ball over several times and you will certainly lose. Nevertheless, what does “several” mean? How “certain” is certainly? In this study, we collected play-by-play data from the past 7 NFL seasons, i.e., 2009–2015, and we build a descriptive model for the probability of winning a game. Despite the fact that our model incorporates simple box score statistics, such as total offensive yards, number of turnovers etc., its overall cross-validation accuracy is 84%. Furthermore, we combine this descriptive model with a statistical bootstrap module to build FPM (short for Football Prediction Matchup) for predicting future match-ups. The contribution of FPM is pertinent to its simplicity and transparency, which however does not sacrifice the system’s performance. In particular, our evaluations indicate that our prediction engine performs on par with the current state-of-the-art systems (e.g., ESPN’s FPI and Microsoft’s Cortana). The latter are typically proprietary but based on their components described publicly they are significantly more complicated than FPM . Moreover, their proprietary nature does not allow for a head-to-head comparison in terms of the core elements of the systems but it should be evident that the features incorporated in FPM are able to capture a large percentage of the observed variance in NFL games.

Citation: Pelechrinis K, Papalexakis E (2016) The Anatomy of American Football: Evidence from 7 Years of NFL Game Data. PLoS ONE 11(12): e0168716. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716

Editor: Kimmo Eriksson, Mälardalen University, SWEDEN

Received: July 23, 2016; Accepted: November 23, 2016; Published: December 22, 2016

Copyright: © 2016 Pelechrinis, Papalexakis. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are available within the manuscript and deposited in Github: https://github.com/kpelechrinis/footballonomics .

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

1 Introduction

While American football is viewed mainly as a physical game—and it surely is—at the same time it is probably one of the most strategic sports games, a fact that makes it appealing even to an international crowd [ 1 ]. This has led to people analyzing the game with the use of data analytics methods and game theory. For instance, after the controversial last play call of Super Bowl XLIX the Economist [ 2 ] argued by utilizing appropriate data and game theory that this play was rational and not that bad after all.

The ability to analyze and collect large volumes of data has put forward a quantification-based approach in modeling and analyzing the success in various sports during the last few years. For example, pertinent to American football, Clark et al. [ 3 ] analyzed the factors that affect the success of a field goal kick and contrary to popular belief they did not identify any situational factor (e.g., regular vs post season, home vs away etc.) as being significant. In another direction Pfitzner et al. [ 4 ] and Warner [ 5 ] studied models and systems for determining a successful betting strategy for NFL games, while the authors in [ 6 ] show that the much-discussed off-field misconduct of NFL players does not affect a team’s performance. Furthermore, the spatial information collected from the RFID sensors on NFL players has been used to evaluate quarterbacks’ decision making ability [ 7 ], while efforts to assess the impact of individual offensive linemen on passing have been presented by Alamar and Weinstein-Gould [ 8 ]. Similarly, Correia et al. [ 9 ] analyzed the passing behavior of rugby players—the most similar sport to that of American football. They found that the time required to close the gap between the first attacker and the defense explained 64% of the variance found in pass duration and this can further yield information about future pass possibilities. Nevertheless, despite the availability of play data for American football and the proliferation of the sports analytics literature as well as the literature surrounding the NFL, there are only few—publicly open—studies that have focused on predicting a game’s outcome. Furthermore, some of the existing models make strong theoretical assumptions that are hard to verify (e.g., the team strength factors obeying to a first-order autoregressive process [ 10 ]). Close with our work, Cohea and Payton developed a logistic regression model to understand the factors affecting an NFL game outcome [ 11 ]. The benefit of our model as compared to the one presented by Cohea and Payton [ 11 ] is that the number of exploratory variables we are using is much smaller, making it easy for a fan to follow. Most importantly though we combine our model with statistical bootstrap in order to facilitate future game predictions (something that the model presented in [ 11 ] is not able to perform). Of course, predictive models for NFL games have been developed by major sports networks. For example ESPN has developed the Football Power Index, which is used to make probabilistic predictions for upcoming matchups [ 12 ]. Software companies have also developed their own models (e.g., Cortana from Microsoft [ 13 ]). Nevertheless, these models are proprietary and are not open to the public.

In this study we are first interested in providing a simple model that is able to quantify the impact of various factors on the probability of wining a game of American football. How much does a turnover affect a team’s probability of winning? Can you really win a game after having turned the ball over 5 times? While coaches and players know the qualitative answer to similar questions, the goal of our work is to provide a quantitative answer. For this purpose we use play-by-play data for the last seven seasons of the National Football League (i.e., between 2009 and 2015) and we extract specific team statistics for both the winning and losing teams. We then use the Bradley-Terry regression model [ 14 , 15 ] to quantify the effect and statistical significance of each of these factors on the probability of wining a game of American football. This model is a descriptive one, i.e., it quantifies the impact of several factors on the success of an NFL team. Similar descriptive models can be useful to the coaching staff since they provide an exact quantification of the importance of each aspect of the game. They can also be helpful for the fans—especially the novice ones—for better understanding of the game. Evaluating the obtained model through cross validation provides an accuracy of 84% in predicting the winning team of a matchup.

The above descriptive model is able to provide accurate predictions when the features are known, i.e., when the performance of the two competing teams of a matchup is known. This can be helpful in post analysis of games by comparing the actual outcome of the game with the expected probability of winning the game for each team given their performance. For instance, one can identify “unexpected” wins from teams that underperformed . However, even more challenging, and one of the most intriguing tasks for professional sports analysts, is predicting the winners of the upcoming NFL matchups, which is the second objective of our work. This task can not be completed simply by the regression model that quantifies the impact of various factors on the probability of winning a game. As we will elaborate on in following sections the majority of the features in the developed model includes performance statistics (e.g., total offensive yards, number of interceptions etc.). Hence, the winner prediction problem involves also predicting the features—i.e., the performance of each team—themselves.

Predicting the upcoming performance of a team can be based on its past performance. A factor that makes this task particularly hard for American football is the small number of games during a season, which translates to high uncertainty. Using a central tendency metric—e.g., mean—is not able to fully capture the variability of the performance. To tackle this problem we propose to use statistical bootstrap. In brief, resampling with replacement the features from the past games of a team will allow us to simulate the matchup between the teams several times and obtain a set of winning probabilities that will allow us to predict the final winner of the game. Our approach, FPM , is shown to exhibit an accuracy of approximately 64% over the past 7 seasons, which is comparable to that of the state-of-the-art systems such as Microsoft’s Cortana and ESPN’s FPI. However, given FPM ’s simplicity it should be treated as a baseline estimation. Simply put the output probability of our model can be thought of as an anchor value for the win probability. Further adjustments can be made using information about the specific matchup (i.e., roster, weather forecast etc.), hence, making it possible to significantly outperform existing proprietary systems. We further discuss this point in detail later in this work.

Our work complements the existing literature by contributing a descriptive and easily interpretable model for American football games. We further provide a prediction engine for upcoming matchups based on statistical bootstrap and the developed Bradley-Terry regression model. We would like to emphasize here that our regression model is rather simple and easy to implement. This, in fact, is one of our main contribution, since we demonstrate that such a simple and transparent approach is able to perform on par with state-of-the-art commercial tools for which due to their proprietary nature we have no telling of how complex they are. We view this as a first step towards exploring how we can maintain a simple and interpretable model that at the same time bears high predictive quality. In the rest of the study we present the data and methods that we used (see Section 2 ). We then present our regression model as well as FPM (see Section 3 ). We finally conclude and discuss the implications of our study (see Section 4 ).

2 Materials and Methods

In this section we will present the dataset we used to perform our analysis as well as the different methodological pieces of our analysis.

NFL Dataset: In order to perform our analysis we utilize a dataset collected from NFL’s Game Center for all the games (regular and post season) between the seasons 2009 and 2015. We access the data using the Python nflgame API [ 16 ]. The dataset includes detailed play-by-play information for every game that took place during these seasons. In total, we collected information for 1,792 regular season games and 77 play-off games. Given the small sample for the play-off games and in order to have an equal contribution in our dataset from all the teams we focus our analysis on the regular season games, even though play-off games are by themselves of interest in many perspectives.

Statistical Bootstrap: In order to perform a game outcome prediction, we first need to forecast the performance of each of the contesting teams. However, we only have a (small) set of historic performance data for each team. Furthermore given that the performance of a team is not stable , using a measure of central tendency (e.g., sample mean) does not accurately capture the variability in the data. To overcome this problem we will rely on statistical bootstrap [ 17 ]. Statistical bootstrap is a robust method for estimating the unknown distribution of a population’s statistic when a sample of the population is known. The basic idea of the bootstrapping method is that in the absence of any other information about the population, the observed sample contains all the available information about the underlying distribution. Hence resampling with replacement is the best guide to what can be expected from the population distribution had the latter been available. By generating a large number of such resamples allows us to get a very accurate estimate of the required distribution. Furthermore, for data with dependencies (temporal or otherwise), appropriate block resampling retains any dependencies between data points [ 18 ]. We will utilize bootstrap in the design of FPM .

3.1 Descriptive Model

In this part of our study we will present our descriptive generalized linear model. In particular, we build a Bradley-Terry model to understand the factors that impact the probability of a team winning an American football game. This model will be later used in our future matchup prediction engine, FPM , as we describe in Section 3.2.

Let us denote with W ij the binary random variable that represents the event of home team i winning the game against visiting team j . W ij = 1 if the home team wins the game and 0 otherwise. As aforementioned our model for W ij will provide us with the probability of the home team winning the game given the set of input features, i.e., y = Pr( W ij = 1| z ). The input of this model is vector z that includes features that can potentially impact the probability of a team winning.

The features we use as the input for our model include:

Total offensive yards differential: This feature captures the difference between the home and visiting teams’ total yards (rushing and passing) produced by their offense in the game.

Penalty yards differential: This features captures the differential between the home and visiting teams’ total penalty yards in the game.

Turnovers differential: This feature captures the differential between the total turnovers produced by the teams (i.e., how many times the quarterback was intercepted, fumbles recovered by the opposing team and turns on downs).

Possession time differential: This feature captures the differential of the ball possession time between the home and visiting team.

This ratio captures the offense’s balance between rushing and passing. A perfectly balanced offense will have r = 0.5. We would like to emphasize here that r refers to the actual yardage produced and not to the passing/rushing attempts. The feature included in the model represents the differential between r home and r visiting .

Power ranking differential: This is the current difference in rankings between the home and the visiting teams. A positive differential means that the home team is stronger , i.e., ranks higher, than its opponent. For the power ranking we utilize SportsNetRank [ 19 ], which uses a directed network that represents win-lose relationships between teams. SportsNetRank captures indirectly the schedule strength of a team and it has been shown to provide a better ranking for teams as compared to the simple win-loss percentage.

• PPT PowerPoint slide
• PNG larger image
• TIFF original image

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.t001

Based on the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test the features’ ECDFs for the winning and losing teams are statistically different (at the significance level α = 0.01). The probability mass function for the home team advantage is also presented.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.g001

Our basic data analysis above indicates that the distribution of the statistics considered is significantly different for the winning and losing teams. However, we are interested in understanding which of them are good explanatory variables of the probability of winning a game. To further delve into the details, we use our data to train the Bradley-Terry regression model and we obtain the results presented in Table 2 . Note here that, as it might be evident from the aforementioned discussion, we do not explicitly incorporate a feature for distinguishing between the home and the visiting team. Nevertheless, the response variable is the probability of the home team winning, while the features capture the differential of the respective statistics between the home and road team (i.e., the difference is ordered). Therefore, the intercept essentially captures the home team advantage—or lack thereof depending on the sign and significance of the coefficient. In fact, setting all of the explanatory variables equal to zero provides us a response equal to Pr( W ij | 0 ) = 0.555, which is equal to the home team advantage as discussed above. Furthermore, all of the coefficients—except the one for the possession time differential—are statistically significant. However, the impact of the various factors as captured by the magnitude of the coefficients range from weak to strong. For example, the number of total yards produced by the offense seem to have the weakest correlation with the probability of winning a game (i.e., empty yards). On the contrary committing turnovers quickly deteriorates the probability of winning the game and the same is true for an unbalanced offense. Finally, in S1 Text we present a standardized version of our model.

Significance codes: ***: p < .001, **: p < .01, *: p < .05.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.t002

While the direction of the effects for these variables are potentially intuitive for the coaching staff of NFL teams, the benefit of our quantifying approach is that it assigns specific magnitude to the importance of each factor. Clearly the conclusions drawn from the regression cannot and should not be treated as causal. Nevertheless, they provide a good understanding on what is correlated with winning games. For example, if a team wins the turnover battle by 1 it can expect to obtain an approximately 20% gain in the winning probability (all else being constant), while a 10-yard differential in the penalty yardage is correlated with just a 5% difference in the winning probability. Hence, while almost all of the factors considered are statistically significant, some of them appear to be much more important as captured by the corresponding coefficients and potential parts of the game a team could work on. Again, this descriptive model does not provide a cause-effect relationship between the covariates considered and the probability of winning .

Before turning to the FPM predictive engine we would like to further emphasize and reflect on how one should interpret and use these results. For example, one could be tempted to focus on the feature with the coefficient that exhibits the maximum absolute magnitude, that is, the differential of ratio r , and conclude that calling only run plays will increase the probability of winning, since the negative differential with the opposing team will be maximized. However, this is clearly not true as every person with basic familiarity with American football knows. At the same time the regression model is not contradicting itself. What happens is that the model developed—similar to any data driven model—is valid only for the range of values that the input variables cover. Outside of this range, the generalized linear trend might still hold or not. For example, Fig 2 depicts the distribution of ratio r for the winning and losing teams. As we can see our data cover approximately the range r ∈ [0.3, 0.98] and the trend should only be considered valid within this range (and potentially within a small ϵ outside of this range). It is interesting also to observe that the mass of the distribution for the winning teams is concentrated around r ≈ 0.64, while it is larger for the losing teams ( r ≈ 0.8). We also present at the same figure a table with the range that our features cover for both winning and losing teams. Furthermore, to reiterate, the regression model captures merely correlations (rather than cause-effect relations). Given that some of the statistics involved in the features are also correlated themselves (see Fig 3 ) and/or are result of situational football, makes it even harder to identify real causes. For instance, there appears to be a small but statistically significant negative correlation between ratio r and possession time. Furthermore, a typical tactic followed by teams leading in a game towards the end of the fourth quarter is to run the clock out by calling running plays. This can lead to a problem of reverse causality; a reduced ratio r for the leading team as compared to the counterfactual r expected had the team continued its original game-plan, which can artificially deflate the actual contribution of r differential on the probability of winning. Similarly, teams that are trailing in the score towards the end of the game will typically call plays involving long passes in order to cover more yardage faster. However, these plays are also more risky and will lead to turnovers more often, therefore, inflating the turnover differential feature. Nevertheless, this is always a problem when a field experiment cannot be designed and only observational data are available. While we cannot claim causal links between the covariates and the output variable, in what follows we present evidence that can eliminate the presence of reverse causality for the scenarios described above.

Our model is trained within the range of input variable/statistics values on the left table. The figure on the right presents the probability density function for r for the winning and losing instances respectively.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.g002

Correlations between the different variables considered for obtaining the features for FPM . Insignificant correlations are crossed out.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.g003

Reverse Causality: In what follows we examine the potential for reverse causality. To fast forward to our results, we do not find strong evidence for it. To reiterate, one of the problems with any model based on observational data is the direction of the effects captured by the model. For example, in our case teams that are ahead in the score towards the end of the game follow a “conservative” play call, that is, running the football more in order to minimize the probability of a turnover and more importantly use up valuable time on the clock. Hence, this can lead to a decreasing ratio r . Therefore, the negative coefficient for the r differential in our regression model might be capturing reverse causality/causation. Winning teams artificially decrease r due to conservative play calling at the end of the game. Similarly, teams that are behind in score towards the end of the game follow a more “risky” game plan and hence, this might lead to more turnovers (as compared to the other way around).

One possible way to explore whether this is the case is to examine how the values of these two statistics change over the course of the game. We begin with ratio r . If the reverse causation hypothesis were true, then the ratio r for the winning team of a game would have to reduce over the course of the game. In order to examine this hypothesis, we compute the ratio r at the end of each quarter for both the winning and losing teams. Fig 4 presents the results. As we can see during the first quarter there is a large variability for the value of r as one might have expected mainly due to the small number of drives. However, after the first quarter it seems that the value of r is stabilized. There is a slight decrease (increase) for the winning (losing) team during the fourth quarter but this change is not statistically significant. Therefore, we can more confidently reject the existence of reverse causality for ratio r .

Ratio r is stable after the first quarter for both winning (left figure) and losing (right figure) teams, allowing us to reject the reverse causation hypothesis for r .

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.g004

We now focus our attention on the turnovers and the potential reverse causation with respect to this feature. In order to examine this hypothesis, we obtain from our data the time within the game (at the minute granularity) that turnovers were committed by the winning and losing teams. We then compare the paired difference for the turnover differential until the end of the third quarter for each game. Our results show that the winning teams commit fewer turnovers than their losing opponents by the end of the third quarter ( p -value < 0.01), further supporting that avoiding turnovers will ultimately lead to a win. Of course, as we can see from Fig 5 , there is a spike of turnovers towards the end of each half (and smaller spikes towards the end of each quarter). These spikes can be potentially explained from the urgency to score since either the drive will stop if the half ends or the game will be over respectively. However, regardless of the exact reasons for these spikes, the main point is that by committing turnovers, either early in the game (e.g., during the first three quarters) or late, the chances of winning the game are significantly reduced.

Turnovers spike towards the end of each quarter, with the highest density appearing during the two-minute warning.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.g005

In conclusion, our model provides quantifiable and actionable insights but they need to be carefully interpreted when designing play actions based on it.

3.2 FPM Prediction Engine

We now turn our attention on how we can use the above model to predict the outcome of a future game. In a realistic setting, in order to be able to apply this regression model we will need to provide as an input the team statistics/features. This is by itself a separate prediction problem, namely, a team performance prediction problem. Hence, we begin by evaluating the prediction performance of the Bradley-Terry regression model itself using traditional machine learning evaluation methods. In particular, we evaluate the prediction accuracy of our model through cross validation. In this way we do not need to predict the value of the features but we explore the accuracy of the pure regression model. Using 10-fold cross validation we obtain an accuracy of 84.03% ± 0.35% . To reiterate this performance is conditional to the input features being known. From the inputs required for our model only two are known before the matchup, namely, the home team (which will allow us to formulate the response variable and the rest of the features appropriately) and the SportsNetRank differential. Thus, how can we predict the rest of the features, since in a realistic setting we will not know the performance of each team beforehand? Simply put, our FPM prediction engine will need to first estimate the two teams statistics/features (i.e., total yards, penalty yards, etc.) and then use the Bradley-Terry regression model to predict the winning team.

The proposed prediction engine consists of 3 modules; a bootstrap module, a regression module and a statistical test module.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.g006

Delving more into the evaluation of our predictive engine we present the accuracy for each season in Table 3 . We also provide the accuracy of a baseline system, where the winner of a game is predicted to be the team with the better running win-loss percentage through the current week. If two teams have the same win-loss percentage the home team is chosen as the winner since there is a slight winning bias for the home team as we have seen earlier. Note here that the baseline is very similar to the way that the league ranks the teams and decides on who will qualify for the playoffs (excluding our tie-breaker process and the league’s rules with respect to the divisions). As we can see our predictive engine improves over the baseline by approximately 9%.

FPM outperforms the baseline prediction based on win-loss standings every season in our dataset. The overall accuracy of our system is 63.4%.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.t003

One of the reasons we utilize bootstrap in our prediction system is to better capture the variability of the teams’ performances. As one might expect this variability is better revealed as the season progresses. During a stretch of few games it is highly probable to have a team over/under-perform [ 22 ]. Hence, the bootstrap module during the beginning of the season might not perform as accurately as during the end of the season. In order to examine this we calculate the accuracy of our prediction system focusing on games that took place during specific weeks in every season. Fig 7 presents our results, where we see that there is an increasing trend as the season progresses.

During the last part of the season the bootstrap engine can exploit the variability of a team’s performance better, hence, providing better prediction accuracy. The linear trend slope is 0.01 (p-value<0.05, R 2 = 0.41).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.g007

Finally, we examine the accuracy of FPM ’s predicted probabilities. In order to evaluate this we would ideally want to have the game played several times. If the favorite team were given a 75% probability of winning, then if the game was played 100 times we would expect the favorite to win 75 of them. However, we cannot have the game play out more than once and hence in order to evaluate the accuracy of the probabilities we will use all the games in our dataset. In particular, if the predicted probabilities were accurate, when considering all the games where the favorite was predicted to win with a probability of x %, then the favorite should have won in x % of these games. Given the continuous nature of the probabilities we quantize them into groups that cover a 5% probability range (with only exception being the range (90%, 100%], since there are very few games in the corresponding sub-groups). Fig 8 presents on the y-axis the fraction of games where the predicted favorite team won, while the x-axis corresponds to the predicted probability of win for the favorite. As we can see the data points—when considering their 95% confidence intervals—fall on the y = x axis, which translates to an accurate probability inference. The corresponding linear regression provides a slope with a 95% confidence interval of [0.76, 1.16] ( R 2 = 0.94), which essentially means that we cannot reject the null hypothesis that our data fall on the line y = x where the slope is equal to 1.

The win probability provided by our model is in alignment with the fraction of the games won by the favorite for the corresponding win probability.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.g008

4 Discussion and Conclusions

Finally, the models themselves can be helpful to many different involved entities associated with the sport. For example, it can facilitate better understanding of the game by novice fans. The impact and importance of ratio r will allow the newcoming fans to appreciate the running game. Similarly, agents and players can use knowledge obtained by similar models for negotiating purposes. It is well-known that running backs are among the least paid players in an NFL roster for a number of reasons (e.g., high risk of serious injuries etc.). Nevertheless, they are extremely important for the success of a team as our model indicates. Moreover, our descriptive regression model can be used by media personnel for a post-game analysis. For instance, “surprising” wins can be identified, while critical parts of the game that led to the final results can also be pinpointed.

Supporting Information

S1 text. standardized fpm ..

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168716.s001

Author Contributions

• Conceptualization: KP.
• Data curation: KP.
• Formal analysis: KP EP.
• Investigation: KP.
• Methodology: KP EP.
• Project administration: KP EP.
• Resources: KP EP.
• Software: KP.
• Supervision: KP.
• Validation: KP.
• Visualization: KP.
• Writing – original draft: KP EP.
• 1. Lamb C, Hair J, McDaniel C (2012) Essentials of Marketing. ISBN-13: 978-0538478342.
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• 3. Clark T, Johnson A, Stimpson A (2013) Going for three: Predicting the likelihood of field goal success with logistic regression. In: The 7th Annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
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What are the rules of american football how does nfl work.

American football's fundamentals are similar to any team sport.

Two teams go head-to-head over 60 minutes with the winner being the team which scores the most points. 

However, to someone who has never watched the sport before, there are a whole myriad of rules being implemented and DAZN breaks down the rules below. 

How long is an American football game?

An American football game is scheduled to last 60 minutes in total and is split into four 15 minute quarters. 

What are the rules of an American football game? 

• Two teams of 11 players are on the field at any one time (one on offence and the other on defence) who compete over four 15 minute quarters. 
• Each team is given three 'time-outs' per half with a 12 minute half-time interval. 
• The objective of the offense is the move ball down the field and score points by reaching the opposition's 'end zone' or scoring a field goal by kicking the ball through the uprights and over the crossbar. 
• The objective of the defence is stop the opposing offense from reaching a scoring position and regain possession of the ball. 

While there may be 22 players on the field, a typical American football team is made up of 48 players. 

What are downs? 

The term 'downs' is a vital phrase used in an American football, but to newcomers to the sport, it can be a little confusing.

However, below is the simplest way to explain the meaning behind the word 'downs'. 

• The offense, who will be in possession of the ball, need to move the ball by at least 10 yards and will have four chances or downs to make the 10 yards. 
• If the offense manages to gain 10 yards within those four downs, the count resets and they are given another four chances to advance another 10 yards.
• If the offense fails to move 10 yards within four downs by the defence, the ball will be given to the team playing defence and they will be given a chance to score points. 

How to score points in an American football game? 

As mentioned previously, the winning team in an American football game is the one who can score the most points and points can be scored in a number of ways. 

Touchdown (6 points)

A touchdown is scored when the offense crosses the opposition's goal line by catching or running the ball into the end zone. 

Field Goal (3 points)

If the offense believes they are close enough to the uprights, they will bring out the kicker who will attempt to kick the ball through the upright posts and over the crossbar. 

Extra Point (1 or 2 points)

Teams can score an extra point by kicking the ball through the uprights after a touchdown. 

Two points are scored if the offense can take the ball into the end zone for a second time after a touchdown, but this is more difficult. 

Safety (2 points)

The defence can score two points if they tackle the member of the opposing offense with the ball in their own end zone. 

• Library of Congress
• Research Guides

Sports Industry: A Research Guide

• Introduction
• General Resources
• Sports Marketing & Management
• Venue Management & Naming Rights

Search the Library's Catalog

• Sports Betting
• Subscription & Internet Resources
• Using the Library of Congress

While several professional football leagues have come and gone, the focus of this section will cover the National Football League (NFL), the premier league for professional football (American-styled football) worldwide. The National Football League was established in 1922 with eight teams when the American Professional Football Association changed its name to the National Football League soon after. During the late 1960's, it merged with another professional football league, the American Football League (AFL) expanding the number of teams to 13. While the NFL has been a not-for-profit since the 1940’s, in 1966, the league itself (not the individual teams) became a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization when it merged with the American Football League, but in 2015 the League announced it was planning to drop its tax-exempt status.

Presently, the NFL is made up of 32 teams with a newly realigned conference structure implemented in 2002. The League is governed by a Commissioner and the Executive Committee, which includes one representative—an owner or top officer—from each team. Few professional sports have experienced the growth, stability, and success as the National Football League. Its longevity and expansion is a testament to that success. Its effort to branch out into international markets has been less successful. It created the World League of American Football in 1991 (it changed its name to NFL Europe in 1995) but attendance fluctuated, and it ceased in 2007. The NFL also began playing games in London in 2007. It began with at least one game a season, and later added more. In October of 2018 it was announced that in 2019, there would be a total of four games played in the UK - two at Wembley and two at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium. Also, in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, one game was played in Mexico City.

The NFL utilizes a number of different types of revenue sharing methods. Retained revenues and shared revenues are the two main types of revenue sources for NFL franchises. Retained revenues, consisting of revenue generated and kept by individual teams, include 60% of stadium (gate) receipts for home games, naming rights, sponsorship, luxury suite revenue, concessions and local broadcast rights. A few points on revenue:

• Building new stadiums and selling stadium naming rights have contributed enormously to the revenues of NFL franchises. This trend has continued to grow within the league - since 1990 16 new stadiums have been built.
• The primary source for shared revenue in the NFL is through national broadcast rights fees, away game ticket sales, and licensing. In December 2011 the NFL announced a new media deal running though the 2022 season.
• The NFL's marketing enterprise has also generated substantial revenue for the league via NFL Ventures. Organizationally, NFL Ventures includes several subsidiary elements: NFL Enterprises primarily concerned with the advertising, publicizing, promoting, broadcasts of NFL games; NFL Properties which oversees the licensing and sponsorship; NFL Productions which produces NFL-related programming; and NFL International which promotes the NFL internationally.

Salary Caps

Despite the NFL's longevity, the league finds itself challenged by the current player free agency and team salary cap system. The salary cap is the result of league revenue sharing between teams and players, which is based on an agreement of defined gross revenues (DGR). The league then defines the share of DGR that will go to each franchise's player roster. The salary cap actually serves as a ceiling placed on spending which is equally applied to all teams. In comparison to the other professional sports implementing the salary cap system, the NFL has proven to be effective at managing player salaries and the expanding cost involved in operating the league.

Other Leagues

Other leagues have been established. This includes the XFL which is a professional American football league in predominantly mid-sized to major markets founded in 2018 using the same name as a league founded in 2001. In 2023 there are eight teams and the season is ten games and runs from February to May.

There is also the United States Football League (USFL) which is also a professional American football league that first played in 2022. The league operates eight teams in four cities as of 2023.

Books & Periodicals

These are just a few of the more business-themed resources related to football. Note that there may also be relevant information in the General Resources section of this guide.

The following materials link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog . Links to digital content are provided when available.

Internet Resources

We have included some resources that are not business specific in an effort to provide sources that can help researchers understand the sport itself and its structure.

• Compensating Differentials and the Social Benefits of the NFL External In this paper Gerald Carlino utilizes wage equations to measure differences in compensation in various metropolitan areas which have NFL franchises. The study looks at the effects that NFL franchises and new stadiums have on cities and residents, and the value of the investment. Working Paper No. 02-12/R ( Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)
• "An Evaluation of the Economic Impact of National Football League Mega-events" External This piece was written by Victor A. Matheson and Robert A. Baade and published August 2011. This article is mostly focused on big events and not regular season play.
• "Exclusive: Leaked Documents Show Operating Profits For NFL Ventures Rose 29 Percent Last Year" External This piece by Tommy Craggs published in July 15, 2011 was originally published on a Deadspin, this article on leaked NFL Ventures documents with 2009 and 2010 financial information.
• "Getting to the 2011-2020 National Football League Collective Bargaining Agreement." External International Journal of Sport Finance by Kevin G. Quinn. May 2012 (Vol. 7, No. 2 : pp. 141-157) This is an historical look at the relations between the union and the players league particularly the 1993 Collective Bargaining Agreement, this article is examines the economic issues leading up to the 2011 NFL lockout and the resultant CBA with the NFLPA. Also available in the ABI-INFORM database.
• "Padding Required: Assessing the Economic Impact of the Super Bowl," External Matheson, Victor A. and Robert A. Baade. European Sport Management Quarterly. January 2004 (Volume 6, 2006, Issue 4). This ran in a special edition of the on Impact and Evaluation of Major Sporting Events
• "Should Cities Be Ready for Some Football?" External Business Review by Gerald Carlino and Edward Coulson The authors examine the issue of whether the public should finance stadiums for NFL franchises if cities benefit from having NFL franchises and new stadiums. This publication has published articles about sports in the past including "FROM BEN HUR TO YOGI BERRA Discussion of that Fabulous Convalescent, the Spectator Sports Industry" in August 1961. External This also ran in the Second Quarter 2004 (pp. 7-17) of the Business Review.
• "Super Bowl or Super (Hyper)Bowl? Assessing the Economic Impact of America's Premier Sports Event" External This was written by Robert A. Baade and Victor A. Matheson This article looks at the economic impact of a Super Bowl on a host city.

Official Sites

• Canadian Football League (CFL) External
• National Football League (NFL) External
• National Football League - Operations External
• National Football League Players Association External
• XFL External
• Athlon Sports.com - NFL External
• CBS - NFL External
• ESPN.com - NFL External
• FOXSports.com - NFL External
• NFL Network External
• Prof Football Reference External
• Sports Illustrated - Pro Football External
• Spotrac.com - NFL External The site was begun as a tool for fantasy players but not includes team payroll, player valuation, and is more of an overall research tool.

If you are looking to search the catalog for more general titles see the Search the Library's Catalog page. Additional works on the business of football and histories of individual franchises in the Library of Congress may be identified by searching the Online Catalog under appropriate Library of Congress subject headings. Choose the topics you wish to search from the following list of subject headings to link directly to the Catalog and automatically execute a search that will allow you to browse related subject headings. Please be aware that during periods of heavy use you may encounter delays in accessing the catalog. For assistance in locating the many other subject headings which relate to football as a business, please consult a reference librarian .

• Football--United States.
• Football--Economic aspects.
• Football teams.
• Football teams--United States.
• National Football League.
• National Football League--History.
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• Last Updated: Jul 3, 2024 11:51 AM
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The Basics of American Football, Explained

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The 50 Most Cited Papers Pertaining to American Football: Analysis of Studies From the Past 40 Years

Anna s. jenkins.

* Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.

Michael L. Moore

Jordan r. pollock, joseph c. brinkman.

† Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Jens Verhey

Anikar chhabra, background:.

Bibliometric citation analyses have been widely used in medicine to help researchers gain foundational knowledge about a topic and identify subtopics of popular interest for further investigations.

To identify the 50 most cited research publications related to American football.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study.

The Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database was used to generate a list of publications relating to football. Articles were filtered by the total number of citations, and the top 50 most cited articles studying the sport of football were selected for this analysis. Articles were analyzed by author, publication year, country of origin, institution affiliation, journal, article type, main research topic area, competitive level, and the level of evidence. A total of 247 articles were reviewed to reach the top 50 articles.

The most studied topic within the top 50 articles was concussion/chronic traumatic encephalopathy (n = 40). Collegiate football was the most studied level of competition (n = 25). The journal publishing the greatest number of top articles was Neurosurgery. Two institutions, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Boston University School of Medicine, produced over one-third of top 50 articles (n = 18).

Conclusion:

Our analysis indicated that most of the top 50 publications related to the sport of football focused on concussion and CTE, were observational, and were published during or after 2000. The most studied level of competition was collegiate football.

Football is America’s most popular sport, in both participation and fandom. 84 - 86 , 90 The most of any sport, football has more than 1 million high school and 40,000 college participants, and National Football League games consisted of 75 of the 100 most watched telecasts in the United States in 2021. 45 , 84 , 85 Despite its popularity, football results in more catastrophic injuries and fatalities than any other American sport. 51 Football-related injuries account for roughly 380,474 emergency department visits in youth aged less than 25 annually. 100 As awareness of football-related injuries has grown, national attention has fallen on the corresponding long-term negative impacts on player health. 40 , 55

The growing concern surrounding football-related injuries has further increased demand for research to understand injury risk factors and prevention. Topics of research relating to football are broad, ranging from performance to injury-related topics 4 , 17 , 56 , 107 to social and political issues. 38 , 101 , 103 With such a wide scope of research, it has become difficult to identify the most significant and impactful findings relating to football injuries. Bibliometric analyses provide a way to condense this ever-growing research, as articles with a greater number of citations are often considered the most influential in a field, and bibliometric citation analyses provide quantitative representation of an article’s impact. 1 , 16 , 27 , 28 , 95 Bibliometric citation analyses help researchers to focus on the most impactful scientific articles, build foundational knowledge, and identify areas for future work. They have been widely used in medicine, § medical education, 6 biomechanics, 49 ecology, 110 biotechnology, 25 and various other fields. 5 , 22 , 66

The purpose of this study was to identify the 50 most frequently cited research publications related to the sport of American football. Because of the increasing national interest and debate surrounding injuries in football and player long-term well-being, we hypothesized that the majority of publications relating to football would be in the field of medicine.

The present study was deemed minimal risk and exempt from institutional review board approval, as analysis was conducted on publicly available data. The Clarivate Analytics Web of Knowledge database was utilized to query journal articles and their respective citation metrics. A similar study design and data analysis protocol was followed as previously described in other peer-reviewed studies conducting bibliometric analyses on orthopaedic topics. 2 , 10 , 11 , 15 , 41 , 57 , 83 , 106 No citation tracking service is perfect and all-inclusive; however, the Clarivate Analytics Web of Knowledge database represents a trusted, highly extensive database that archives over 21,000 peer-reviewed journals, including 1.9 billion cited references from more than 171 million records globally. 99 Additionally, articles dating back all the way to 1900 are included in the database and its citation tracking. This database has previously received recognition for its high-quality citation links, citation accuracy, comprehensive and wide-reaching journal coverage, and consistent use by numerous previous citation analyses. 9 , 108

The Clarivate Analytics Web of Knowledge database was queried on April 14, 2022, for all article titles, abstracts, and keywords including the term “football.” No restrictions on language, journal, date, or country of origin were placed. The initial query resulted in a total of 23,573 articles, which were subsequently arranged in descending order based on the total number of citations they had accumulated. Then, the title and abstract of each article were reviewed to determine its relevance and potential inclusion into the top 50 most cited list. For inclusion, the article in question had to specifically enroll football players at any competitive level into their research study or review. Studies analyzing >1 sport were considered if football was included and was a primary focus of discussion in the paper. If inclusion of a study was in question, the full article was obtained and reviewed independently by 2 authors (J.R.P. and M.L.M.) to decide on inclusion or exclusion. If the authors could not agree, the senior author (A.C.) determined whether or not the article was included. Articles with only a peripheral mention of football in their methods or discussion were excluded. Additionally, articles that studied football (soccer) were excluded.

A total of 247 articles were reviewed to reach the 50 most cited studies that met the inclusion criteria outlined above. The full text for the 50 included studies was obtained and reviewed in order to obtain the following pieces of information: first and last author name, publication year, country of origin (determined by the affiliation of the first author), institutional affiliation (of both the first author and last author), journal name, study type, primary research topic area (concussion/chronic traumatic encephalopathy [CTE], physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, microbiology, training and testing, sports medicine, performance analysis, sports psychology, coaching, and social science), level of competition (high school, college, and/or professional), and level of evidence. Articles were designated as a review article if they incorporated a systematic approach to reviewing the literature or if a meta-analysis was performed. If an article incorporated the results and discussion of previously published literature, but a systematic approach to reviewing the literature was not outlined, the article was classified as expert opinion. Additionally, an article was categorized as being either medical or nonmedical based on whether the focus of the study involved the treatment, assessment, rehabilitation, classification, or diagnosis of medical pathology. Epidemiologic studies that assessed injury or medical condition prevalence or incidence were included. If an article did employ ≥1 of the above focuses in its design, it was categorized as nonmedical (eg, biomechanics, sports performance, exercise testing, etc). The level of evidence was assigned to each article based on the guidelines published by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. 43

Once the top 50 most cited articles were identified and the above information was extracted for each study, summary statistics were calculated. These calculations included the total number of citations and the total number of publications accumulated each year and the total number of articles representing a specific study type, level of evidence, and field of research. Additionally, the most cited and most represented first/last authors, countries of origin, publishing journal, and academic institutions were calculated. The citation density of each article was also calculated by taking the total number of citations divided by the number of years since publication.

The 50 most cited publications related to football are listed in Appendix Table A1 , along with their rank, number of citations, and citation density. The number of citations per article ranged from 213 to 1434, and 7 articles were cited over 1000 times. The mean number of citations per articles was 419, and the median was 329. The average citation density was 25.8 (range, 10.7-102.4).

Descriptive characteristics of the top 50 articles are shown in Table 1 . Of the top 50 articles relating to football, 46 related to medicine, with 40 articles focusing on concussion or CTE and 6 on sports medicine. The next most common topic was microbiology (n = 2), follwed by sports psychology (n = 1), and training and testing (n = 1). All articles were published in the United States. Over half of the top 50 most cited articles were cohort studies (n = 26), and 11 were descriptive studies. Most of the top 50 articles relating to football focused on 1 specific level of competition, with 16 publications focusing on college football, 14 on professional, and 10 on high school. One article studied both high school and professional football, 4 studied high school and college, and 5 studied all 3 levels. College was the most well-studied level of competition, with half of the top 50 articles including college football in their analysis (n = 25).

Descriptive Characteristics of Top 50 Most Cited Articles Relating to Football

The top 50 articles were all published between 1976 and 2017 ( Figure 1 ). When analyzing which years produced the top-cited publications, we included ranking by citation density as well as number of citations to address the factor of time to accrue citations. The top 5 articles ranked by citation density were published between 2007 and 2013, whereas the top 5 articles ranked by number or citation were published between 1976 and 2017. Of the top 50 articles, 19 were published between 2003 and 2007, and 39 of the top 50 were published in 2000 or later. The number of citations each of the top 50 articles received per year ranged from 0 (in 1981) to 2301 (in 2019) ( Figure 2 ).

Number of top 50 most cited articles relating to American football published by year.

Total number of citations generated by the top 50 most cited articles relating to American football each year.

The majority of the 50 most cited articles had an evidence level of either 2 (n = 11), 3 (n = 18), or 4 (n = 19) ( Figure 3 ). Level 1 (n = 1) and level 5 (n = 1) research comprised less than 4% of top publications.

The level of evidence of the top 50 most cited articles relating to American football.

When assessing author impact, we found that 14 authors published ≥1 of the 50 most cited articles relating to football. Table 2 further breaks down author impact, listing each of these 14 authors’ total number of publications, first author publications, last author publications, total number of citations, and average number of citations per publication. The most prolific author within our analysis was Kevin M. Guskiewicz, with the greatest number of total citations (4113) and publications (n = 6). The affiliated institutions for the first author and last author of the top 50 articles are presented in Table 3 . The 2 institutions publishing the greatest number of top 50 articles were the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Boston University School of Medicine, each with 9 publications.

Descriptive Data of Authors Publishing 2 or More of the Top 50 Most Cited Articles Relating to American Football

Institutions of First and Last Authors of Top 50 Most Cited Articles Relating to American Football

Regarding publication source, the top 50 most cited articles were published in 20 different journals ( Table 4 ). The journal publishing the greatest proportion of top 50 articles was Neurosurgery (n = 9). The next 3 journals with the most publications within the top 50 articles were the Journal of Athletic Training (n = 6), Journal of the American Medical Association (n = 6), and American Journal of Sports Medicine (n = 5). All of the articles published by Neurosurgery and the Journal of the American Medical Association focused on CTE/concussion; half published by the Journal of Athletic Training focused on CTE/concussion. The majority of articles (n = 28) were not open access journals, compared with 22 that were open access.

The Publishing Journals of the 50 Most Highly Cited Articles Relating to American Football

As hypothesized, the majority of highly cited publications on American football were medicine related and focused on injuries, although we did not hypothesize that the majority of studied injuries would pertain to concussion and CTE. The major findings of our research showed that of the top 50 publications, 46 (92%) were in the field of medicine, with 40 (80%) studying concussion or CTE. The predominance of concussion and CTE research reflects increasing awareness and concern surrounding head injury in football. 39 , 69 A review of the publications included in our analysis may help physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, and coaches who work with football players to establish foundational knowledge on injury prevention recommendations and treatment guidelines.

The top-cited article in our analysis had 1434 citations, studied concussion and CTE, and was published in 2009. 76 In comparison, a recent bibliometric analysis of concussion-related publications found that the top article was cited 3204 times and was published in 2022. 102 Additionally, we found a mean of 419 citations per article, while the mean citation frequency of top concussion-related publications was reportedly 1033. 18 We postulate that articles in our analysis accrued fewer citations than top concussion-related publications because of a narrower focus on concussions related to football.

Our finding that all top 50 articles were published within the United States is expected given football’s predominantly American domain and is consistent with findings previously reported by Sharma and Lawrence 102 regarding popular concussion literature. As with other bibliometric analyses relating to sports medicine, the majority of our studies were observational, with 48 (96%) of 50 publications having level 2, 3, or 4 evidence. 47

Collegiate football was the most studied level of competition among the top football-related publications. This is somewhat unexpected, given the predominance of competitive football players at the high school level compared with the collegiate level (1 million and 40,000, respectively). 84 , 85 Our findings may suggest a study bias toward higher-level players and indicate the need for additional research on youth and high school football, especially considering differences in the neural development of younger players, which likely alters injury prevention strategies and treatment practices. The discrepancy between participation rates and the focus of top publications may also reflect differences in funding, with higher-level football attracting more funding for research. Alternatively, it is possible that higher-level players are more studied because of logistical advantages of injury surveillance. Additionally, concussion and CTE are cumulative injuries that become more deleterious as frequency of injury occurs, often presenting later in one’s career (or even postmortem, when CTE cases are confirmed), and therefore more easily studied in older players.

The present analysis revealed that 19 (38%) of the top 50 most cited articles were published between 2003 and 2007, and the top 5 articles by citation density were each published in or after 2007. More recent works have had greater influence in football-related research based on citation density, as public awareness of football-related injuries aligns with an exponential increase in concussion-related research between 2000 and 2020. 102 There has been a shift of national attention on the risks of brain injury specifically in the sport of football; although participation in football has always been associated with an increased risk of concussion, awareness of football-related head injury rapidly increased in the 21st century, a phenomenon that has been termed “the first concussion crisis.” 40 The publications identified in our analysis may have contributed to increased national awareness of football-related head injury; they may also have been a product of media attention on football injury. Our finding that the top 5 articles by citation density were published between 2007 and 2017 may reflect the increase in national awareness of and subsequent concern over football-related injuries that occurred in the early 2000s. 30 , 39 , 40

Kevin M. Guskiewicz from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Michael McCrea from the Medical College of Wisconsin were the top 2 authors in the football-related injury literature. 33 , 34 - 36 , 37 , 39 , 71 – 75 At the institutional level, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Boston University School of Medicine were the 2 most proliferative institutions in football injury research. Both institutions had >1 primary author producing top articles, and together these 2 institutions contributed over one-third of the top 50 publications. As bibliometric analyses provide insight into which authors and institutions are most prominent in a particular field, our findings suggest the dominance of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Boston University School of Medicine in football research. 28 , 29 , 60 , 61 It is also important to consider, however, that most of the top-cited publications studied neuro-related injuries and may have come from investigators whose work specialized in this area. 33 – 37 , 71 – 75 As such, in building upon their prior research, these investigators may often cite their prior publications and publications from their own institution. Additionally, certain institutions may have more research funding and larger departments, particularly if orthopaedic/football research is a priority of the institution.

Evaluating journal impact on football-related research, Neurosurgery was the journal with the most publications in the top 50, followed by the Journal of Athletic Training and Journal of the American Medical Association. The articles published by these journals predominantly focused on CTE and concussion, the most highly studied topic. As citation analysis has been used to evaluate journal impact, students and practitioners seeking to remain at the cutting edge of football injury literature may focus their attention on these journals. 28 , 29 Furthermore, journals that published multiple top publications were exclusively journals with a focus on medical topics, an unsurprising finding given that the overwhelming majority (92%) of published articles in our analysis were medicine related. While the majority of articles were not open access, a significant portion (44%) were, likely lowering barriers to readership and subsequent citation of their publications.

While our analysis indicates areas that are particularly well studied relating to football, it also highlights a few gaps in the current literature. One gap is in the study of injuries unrelated to CTE and head injury: below-the-head injuries occur frequently and, as with concussion and CTE, can cause significant and long-term disability to players. Research relating to the prevention and treatment of these injuries merits attention. Additionally, future research may focus on innovations in faster and safer injury rehabilitation.

Limitations

The top 50 publications were selected by number of accrued citations, a metric that may be influenced by a variety of factors, including research funding disparities by competition level, positive outcome bias, time since publication date, institutional prestige, and dissemination bias. Therefore, while citation frequency is an indicator of article importance, it should not be used as the sole determinant of study quality or study influence on injury protocols and clinical practice. Citation density accounts for time elapsed since study publication date and was included in our analysis to assess article citation frequency equitably across time. Another limitation of our work is the exclusion of the newest publications, a shortcoming of all bibliometric analyses, as newer publications are not allowed adequate time to accrue citations. Often, studies reach prominence several years after their initial publication date. 28 A final limitation is our use of only 1 database. While the database utilized in the present study is commonly employed in bibliometric analyses, other databases may yield slightly different findings. 2 , 10 , 11 , 15 , 41 , 57 , 83 Other commonly utilized databases include PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. 9 , 26 , 52

Our analysis indicated that most publications related to American football focused on concussion and CTE, were observational, and were published during or after 2000. The most studied level of competition was college. Our list of the top 50 most cited studies provides researchers, medical students, residents, and fellows with a foundational list of the most important and influential academic contributions to the literature on American football.

Appendix Table A1

The Top 50 Most Cited Articles Relating to American Football

§ References 3 , 7 , 8 , 13 , 27 , 32 , 44 , 53 , 54 , 59 , 63 , 78 , 81 , 82 .

Final revision submitted August 28, 2022; accepted September 15, 2022.

One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: A.C. has received education payments from Arthrex and consulting fees from Zimmer Biomet. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

Ethical approval was not sought for the present study.

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Essay Writing Topics Related to the History of American Football

Students experienced in academic writing already understand that half the success in writing a high-quality essay is choosing a topic. Many people must pay more attention to the importance of selecting a topic and stop taking the first thing that catches their eye. Such an approach can be fundamentally wrong because the case largely determines the essence, content, and space for development in your future essay.  An adept essay help online   knows that selecting the right topic is crucial for crafting a compelling and well-rounded academic paper.  If you ever feel overwhelmed with topic selection or any part of the essay writing process, consider using an essay writing app or seeking professional guidance from a reliable college essay writing service to guide and assist you in crafting a compelling essay.

We have prepared a list of the best essay topics related to the history of American football. Carefully read and analyze our options, and choose something you like. If you don’t find a perfectly suitable topic at our top, don’t be upset. You may consider using an essay topic generator to explore more new topics or develop existing ones.

11 Creative Essay Topics Related to the History of American Football

• Considering the American Football Industry as an Investment Opportunity: When Everything Relies on the Kick of a Ball
• Rugby and American Football
• Is it Healthy to Get Addicted to American Football?
• The Cultural Impact of American Football
• Which Sport Brings in More Money: Baseball or American Football?
• Parental Methods and Approaches: The Moms of American Football
• The Impact of International Politics and Processes on American Football
• Impact of Racial Integration in American Football – Spotlight on Iconic Players
• The Historical Significance and Popularization of Super Bowl Sunday
• Understanding Transformational Changes in American Football Equipment Over the Decades
• College Football’s Influence on Professional Leagues: A Correlative History Study

12 Argumentative Essay Topics Related to the History of American Football

• Should American Football’s Violent History Prompt a Future Footprint to Less Aggressive Competition?
• Did Racial Integration Within American Football Lead to Greater Competitive Spirit?
• Could Changes in Reportage and Commentary Have Altered Public Perspective of Historical Incidents in American Football?
• Is the Super Bowl an Exaggerated Display or an Essential Component of American Pop Culture?
• Does American Youth Emulate Harmful Behavioral Traits from Professional Football Players Due to Television Influence?”
• ‘Old School vs. New School’ – Has Modern Technology Disrupted or Aided Traditional Elemental Gameplay in NFL History?
• The Debate Over Safety Measures: Has Improvement Lessened the Raw Essence of Traditional American Football?  
• Were Predominantly Black Colleges Key in Revolutionizing American Pro-Football? Argument Against Race-Norming
• Televised Games Responsible for Increasing Commercialization: Is It Damaging Authenticity of Sportsmanship?
• Helmet-to-Helmet Hits: Staunch Defense Strategy Or Dangers Waiting on Heels- Analyzing Consequences Throughout
• Arguments Regarding Coaches’ Roles Through Decades – Leadership Over Team Strategy vs. Individual Brilliance
• Implementing Strict Rules In Tackling Compared To Early Years: Protector From Severe Injuries Or Limitation On Intense Matches

11 Critical-Thinking Essay Topics Related to the History of American Football

• Analysis of NFL Expansion: A Consideration of Market Saturation and Geographic Resonance
• Historical Impact on Sports Rules and Regulation Adjustment in the NFL – Creative Evolution or Legal Cover?
• Was American Football’s Integration Process a Cause for Societal Change, or Simply Reflective of it?
• Transforming Tactics and Formations Throughout Decades in American Football: Are Modern Coaches More Innovative?
• The Super Bowl Halftime Show – Catering to Wider Audience or Distracting from Core Intent?
• Screened Violence: Historical Study On How Broadcasting On-field Aggression Impacts Behavior of Young Viewers
• Conflating Politics and Sports: Examination of Events Where American Football Squares Up with Socio-political Issues
• Lessons From Past Tragedies: Evaluating The Necessity for Increased Protective Measures Over Time in Professional Leagues
• Revisiting History: Confederacy & Civil War Influence on Conventional South-North Rivalries in Early College Leagues
• Interrogating Stereotypes Against Women Enthusiasts: Is Gender System to Blame or Traditional Disinterest Organically Evolved?
• Development of Offensive Techniques Post Forward Pass Introduction: Has It Been Advantageous or Just Lacked Defensive Balance Solutions?

7 Exciting Essay Topics Related to the History of American Football

• Football Culture Across America: North vs. South, an Analytical Comparison
• ‘Monday Night Fever’: The Influence Of Television On American Football Development
• The Emergence and Impact of Women’s Role in the Male-Dominated Sport
• Role and Effectiveness of Coaches Through Historic Evaluation – Story of Vince Lombardi
• A Historical Analysis of How American Football Shapes a Parallel Economic Industry
• Heart Conditions Prevalent Among Retired Players; Connection To Intense Cardio Pressure or Steroid Consumption Liability?
• Depression among High Impact Sports Players Post-career- Untangling C.T.E Patterns in American Football History

9 Health Care Essay Topics Related to the History of American Football

• Concussions and the NFL: A Study on Its Historical Handling and Modern Response
• Injuries in American Football: Medical Breakthroughs Leading to Faster Player Recovery Over Time
• Historical Progression of Injury Prevention Techniques Within the Sport of American Football
• The Evolution and Efficiency of Helmets in Minimizing Head Injuries Amidst the Brutality of Pro-Football
• Football’s Physical Punishment: Investigating Long-Term Health Consequences After Retirement
• Substance Abuse Among Professional Athletes: Isolation, Stressors And Pressures Tracing Back to Dark Chapters From ’80-’90s?
• American Sports Leagues Grip On Opioid Crisis
• Examining the Transformation Of Player Diets Through History
• Chronology Of Safety Equipment Development with Rising Athlete Welfare Understanding Throughout Decades

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At the Democratic Convention, a Historic Nomination

What story did the democrats tell about kamala harris and will it be enough to win.

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

[BACKGROUND CHATTER]

I’m standing in a sea of people coming out of this vast convention. And people are holding signs, smiling. There’s confetti everywhere. There are balloons, white, red, and blue. And there’s a lot of excitement.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. And this is “The Daily” from inside the Democratic National Convention Hall, where Kamala Harris has just accepted her party’s nomination, becoming the first woman of color in US history to do so.

Today, the story this convention told about Harris and whether that story could be enough to win.

It’s Friday, August 23.

[SERENE MUSIC]

The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day. What shall our our legacy be? What will our children say? Let me in my heart, when my days are through, America, America, I gave my best to you.

On night one of the Democratic National Convention, the evening was really defined by this very emotional, quite bittersweet goodbye from President Biden.

And there’s nothing we cannot do when we do it together.

God bless you all. And may God protect our troops.

It was the closing of one chapter so that another could begin. It was Kamala Harris’s moment.

[UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC]

So right now, it’s 7:40. We are on the floor at the Democratic National Convention. It is a crazy party atmosphere, which is like a massive understatement.

Day two kicked off with delegates gathering on the convention floor, casting their votes in a kind of symbolic way to make Harris the party’s nominee.

This giant festival of lights, people in cowboy hats, people with blinking bracelets, people with Christmas lights wrapped around their hats, heads, shoulders, people wearing donkey hats. I mean, it’s very, very, very celebratory in here.

We need to see that we’re moving on. We are turning a chapter in America.

How do you feel right now?

Awesome, excitement, energized. Ready to win this election.

I love it. I love it. People are just excited, electrified, and they’re just loving it, and they’re happy.

This has been the most electrifying event I’ve ever attended in my life. It’s my first convention. But what a convention to come for, right? To make history right now, as we charge forward to November 5, to elect the first female Black president. I’m excited.

So with Harris now the nominee, a new campaign slogan appeared everywhere. And that was, “A new way forward.” But in a campaign that’s just four weeks old, it was really an open question what “a new way forward” actually meant.

We’re not going back!

We’re not going back! We’re not going back!

And then over the course of the week, as speaker after speaker took the stage, we started to get an answer. The story of forward would be told through the story of Kamala Harris herself. And the question hanging over the week was really whether that story could appeal to a broad majority of Americans, voters outside of the convention hall who will ultimately decide the election.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

Astead, welcome to the show.

Thank you for having me.

Again. The second time in a week. And I’m very excited for it.

So Astead, we had on the show on Monday to answer a question for us, that I think a lot of people have, which is, who is Kamala Harris? And you ended that conversation by saying that the Democratic Party also recognizes this reality, that for a lot of people, she is still this unknown quantity.

And that the party had a big task here at the convention this week, which was to find a way to finally tell her story. It does seem like they’ve tried to do that. Let’s walk through the case that they’re making for her. And what you’ve seen here in your reporting for your show, “The Run-Up.”

Yeah, I mean, I think that the Democrats have definitely laid out a case for her as a candidate, but also a story for her as a person. They have leaned into the different parts of her biography to really follow through on what, I think, is the best version of her campaign, which is a little bit for everybody. There is a story there about more moderate legislation, but pieces of progressive history. There’s different parts of her bio that speak to Black communities, immigrant communities.

Of course, the historic nature of her gender and the roles like that. And I really think it has followed through on what I expected for this week, which is that she seems to function politically as a mirror of some sort, where the party wants to position her as someone who basically, no matter what you’re looking for in terms of a vessel to beat Donald Trump, you can find it in this candidate.

Let’s dig into that more. Where did the convention start, that story?

Hello, Democrats!

Yeah, I think it really starts in her personal biography.

And I’m here tonight to tell you all about the Kamala Harris that I know.

They have told a story that she often tells about her being a first generation American.

Her mother moved here from India at 19.

And being a daughter of an immigrant mother who really raised two daughters in the Bay Area from working class roots. And that’s been a real thing that they’ve tried to own.

Kamala was not born into privilege. She had to work for what she’s got.

When she was young, she worked at McDonald’s.

They talk about her working at McDonald’s in college.

And she greeted every person without thousand watt smile and said, how can I help you?

I think it’s overall about trying to present this as someone who pulled himself up by bootstraps. It represents the American dream. And I think for Democrats, it really returns them back to the place they want to be. Democrats like thinking of themselves as a party who appeals to the diversity of America, both in racial ways, in gender ways, but also in class ways.

In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class.

And I think they used other parts of her identity, specifically thinking about being the first Black woman to accept a major party’s nomination.

We know folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth.

And I think Michelle Obama’s speech, specifically, spoke to the power and anxiety that sometimes that identity can bring.

My husband and I sadly know a little something about this.

For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black.

And I would also say that it was an implicit response to what Republicans and others have been trying to say, talking about Kamala Harris as a DEI hire, someone who was only in their position because of their identity. But the way that Michelle Obama framed it was that those identities have power.

I want to know. I want to know. Who’s going to tell him, who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?

Just because someone the first to be in a position, does not mean that is the only reason in the position. But it also doesn’t make those identities meaningless. The fact that she is a Black woman should be seen as a strength, not as a weakness.

Is there a risk to that, though? I mean, by openly talking about race, is there a risk that goes too far and begins to alienate voters outside the convention out in the world who they need to win in November.

I mean, there’s always a risk. But I don’t really think so. Democrats have had increasing trouble with Black voters. There’s been a downturn in Black vote share all the way dating back to 2012.

In Biden’s now suspended candidacy, that was one of the things driving his polling weaknesses was kind of tepid reception from Black voters. A pitch to them is something that is a upside of the Kamala Harris campaign. And the hope that they could consolidate that community is where any Democratic nominee needs to be as a baseline.

We both got our start as young lawyers, helping children who were abused and neglected.

One thing I noticed that came up a lot during the speeches was her background as a prosecutor. How did the party present that part of her biography?

As a prosecutor, Kamala stood up for children who had been victims of sexual abuse.

She put rapists, child molesters, and murderers behind bars.

They talk about it in the way that I think fuels what they want to say is the reason she can take on Trump, that this is someone who has stood up to bullies before, who’s not going to be intimidated easily —

And Kamala is as tough as it comes.

— who’s tough, and who doesn’t shirk away from a challenge.

And she knows the best way to deal with a coward is to take him head on, because we all know cowards are weak. And Kamala Harris can smell weakness.

I think all of that adds up to say, you can trust this person to go up against Donald Trump. You can trust this person to go up against the Republican Party, because she’s not someone who is scared.

She never runs from a fight.

A woman, a fierce woman for the people.

But then, of course, we heard about another side of Kamala Harris, a more personal side.

Yeah, and I think this is the part of Kamala Harris where I think was kind of most missing in the presidential run. Frankly, it’s the part that she keeps most private. She is a warm family member and friend.

Hello to my big, beautiful blended family up there.

And I think what the speech from her husband did was really show and lay that out.

I got married, became a dad to Cole and Ella. Unfortunately, went through a divorce, but eventually started worrying about how I would make it all work. And that’s when something unexpected happened, I ended up with Kamala Harris’s phone number.

He talks about the kind of awkwardness of their first interaction.

I got Kamala’s voicemail, and I just started rambling. “Hey, it’s Doug.”

And I think you have a real kind of sense of their genuine connection to one another.

By the way, Kamala saved that voicemail. And she makes me listen to it on every anniversary.

Like, yes, this is someone who is tough, who is taking on corporations and cartels and all of that stuff by day. But this is someone who also makes a point to cook Sunday dinner for family every week.

And she makes a mean brisket for Passover.

And makes sure to really go close to his kids and is very close with her family.

That’s Kamala. She’s always been there for our children. And I know she’ll always be there for yours, too.

Going back to the last time the Democratic Party nominated a woman, Hillary Clinton, she had presented herself in a very different way. She kind of ran away from that stuff. She was saying, I don’t bake cookies, that’s not what I do. I’m kind of out there with the men, fighting.

And this convention and this candidate, Harris, is very different. She’s a newer generation. And she can do her career and bake cookies. Those things are not in conflict. This is a different type of woman leader.

This week we talked to Senator Elizabeth Warren on “The Run-Up,” and one of the things that she mentioned was she feels that there’s been a big change from 2016, even 2020 to now. Not just the amount of women in public office, but she said they don’t have to choose between sides of themselves. And I think that’s what diversity means.

Of course, Kamala Harris can be a tough politician and also bake cookies. Hillary Clinton did that, too. It was just that she was told that was not the way that she had to present herself. What Kamala Harris is benefiting from is there’s a greater space and ability to choose multiple things at once. And so particularly if others are going to talk more directly about gender or race or other things, that kind of frees her from having the burden of doing that herself.

And in fact, Hillary Clinton, herself, did speak, of course, on day one. She talked about that glass ceiling in the history that has led to now, including her own experience in 2016.

Yeah, I thought the Hillary Clinton speech was really powerful. I think a lot of the speakers put this moment in historical context, both politically and personally.

My mother, Dorothy, was born right here in Chicago before women had the right to vote. That changed 104 years ago yesterday. And since that day, every generation has carried the torch forward. In 1972, a fearless Black congresswoman named Shirley Chisholm —

— she ran for president. In 1984, I brought my daughter to see Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated for vice president. And then there was 2016, when it was the honor of my life to accept our party’s nomination for president.

The last time I was here in my hometown was to memorialize my mother, the woman who showed me the power of my own voice. My mother volunteered at the local school.

I’m the proud granddaughter of a housekeeper, Sarah Daisy, who raised her three children in a one-bedroom apartment. It was her dream to work in government, to help people.

My grandmother, the woman who helped raise me as a child, a little old white lady born in a tiny town called Peru, Kansas.

I want to talk now about somebody who’s not with us tonight. Tessie Prevost Williams was born in New Orleans not long after the Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schools were unconstitutional. That was in 1954, same year I was born. Parents pulled their kids out of the school.

There was a way that I think the candidacy and the person was placed in a long legacy, both about gender identity and racial identity that kind of teed up this Thursday as a culminating moment, both politically and I think, in a broader historical context.

Together, we put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling. And you know what? On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States!

I wish my mother and Kamala’s mother could see us. They would say, keep going. Shirley and Jerry would say, keep going!

I think you can do a lot to set up a candidate to be in a good position. All of this stuff adds up to some part of the puzzle, but the biggest piece is the candidate themself. At the end of the day, they have to close the deal. And I think this moment is her chance to tell her own story in a way that sometimes she has not decided to. And that’s still what this whole convention success and failure will ride on.

We’re going to watch tonight. We’re going to watch with our colleague, Reid Epstein. And you are going to have a great episode of “The Run-Up” on Friday. We will all be tuning in.

Thank you. I appreciate you doing this, Sabrina.

Really thanks a lot, Astead.

Are you a delegate?

Sorry, we caught you mid French fry eating. What’s your feeling about Kamala and what her story has been? Are you getting to know her this week? Are there things you’ve learned about her this week?

Yeah, I’m learning more and more as we go along. The more and more I learn about her, the more I’m impressed with her. I mean, she worked at McDonald’s when she was going to college to try to pay her way through.

Her very small beginnings. Not a trust fund baby type of thing. I relate to that. Like, I was on food stamps this year. So it’s like if she can do it with that background, it gives everybody hope.

Hillary was my girl. When Hillary ran, I championed her as well. But I didn’t feel this way as I feel about Harris. I’m like, do I want to run for office? If she can do it, I can. She looks just like me, right? She represents, she works at McDonald’s. She paid for every. It’s relatable. And that’s what everybody needs.

We’re going to break that glass ceiling. I’m getting teary, teary in my eyes. And it just means so much to be inclusive.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC]

What does it mean to you that Kamala Harris is a woman? What does it mean to you that she’s a Black woman?

To have a Black woman become the president of the United States, and for her to turn the world upside down in 30 days, to know that I’m in the midst of this miraculous history is phenomenal.

One delegate who really stood out to us was Beverly Hatcher, a 76-year-old Black woman from Texas.

I was raised by a wonderful Baptist mama. I just lost her. But I am who I am because of my mother. We were always pushed to do whatever we wanted to do. I’ll never forget. I wanted to be a majorette. I taught myself, because we had no money for, what is it called, lessons

And a majorette is like the baton twirler, right?

Yes. And when I did finally try out in my 11th grade, I won right off. And my classmates, who were predominantly white, as years have gone by, have told me at class reunions and stuff, Beverly, the sleepy town of Wellington woke up.

Oh, my god, we got a Black girl getting ready to be the head majorette. But it happened because I had the drive and the will. My mother and my family stood behind me, and didn’t miss a parade, or a football game, or a basketball game.

And you see that in Harris?

Beverly, what would your mom say if she saw this?

My sisters have been telling me every day how proud my mom is. And I’m just happy. I’m happy to make her happy. Yeah.

We women, who have had mothers like Kamala, like Michelle, I remember Hillary’s mother, we women value their strength and their wisdom. And we’re just glad that they gave us a legacy to pass it on.

Thank you very much.

We’ll be right back.

Reid, hello.

OK. Kamala Harris just wrapped up her acceptance speech. Before we talk about what she said and the case she presented, tell us how her campaign was thinking about the stakes of this moment.

Sabrina, this evening was one of two opportunities, along with the debate next month, for her to speak to tens of millions of people at once. And so for that, the stakes were really high.

Her goal was to present herself as a serious person and a serious candidate, who was not the candidate who flamed out in 2019 or the unsteady vice president from the beginning of her term. She had to show that she had the gravitas to be the commander in chief, the political aptitude to reach out to the middle, and also to progressives in her party all at the same time.

A very tall order. Tell us how she went about doing that.

Good evening, everyone. Good evening.

Well, she started talking around 9:30 Chicago time to a packed United Center with 14,000 or 15,000 people, many, many wearing all white, the color of the suffragettes, a color that makes a statement just by wearing it. And when Harris took the stage —

— they erupted in a cheer that forced her for a couple of minutes to wait before she could start talking.

Thank you. OK, let’s get to business. Let’s get to business. All right.

And what did she finally say once she started talking?

She told the story of her life.

The path that led me here in recent weeks was, no doubt, unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys.

My mother, our mother, Shyamala Harris, had one of her own. And I miss her every day, and especially right now.

She talked about the influence of her mother, who raised her and her sister.

And she also taught us, “And never do anything half-assed.” And that is a direct quote. [LAUGHS]

She spoke about her family’s humble beginnings in Oakland.

Before she could finally afford to buy a home, she rented a small apartment in the East Bay.

Then she started talking about her career as a prosecutor.

In the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge and I said five words.

She brought back one of the lines that she used in her 2020 campaign about how when she stood up in a courtroom, she began with the same words.

Kamala Harris for the people.

And she said she would bring that same philosophy to the White House, that she was not working for specific individuals, but for the people at large.

And so on behalf of the people —

Eventually she did a bigger wind up to formally accepting the nomination.

— on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks —

And listed the people on whose behalf she did so.

— on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth —

It was really a kind of a feat of speech writing to build up to this big emotional moment.

— I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America.

And what did you make of that, how she was doing that?

It was building up this speech to be a serious political document and present her as a serious figure in this moment. And so she still has to prove to people that she is capable of being the commander in chief and running the country.

And how does she try to prove that she’s capable of being a commander in chief?

What she did was try to draw the distinction between herself and Donald Trump.

In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences, but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.

And she warns that Trump would not have guardrails on him if he were elected to a second term.

Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.

And how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had, himself.

The speech was very clear-eyed about the stakes of the election.

They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself.

There was a whole section in the middle of the speech where she ticked through, one by one, a whole series of warnings about things that Trump would do to the country if he were back in the White House.

Get this, he plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.

Simply put, they are out of their minds.

What else stuck out to you?

It was remarkable, the section of the speech where she talked about Gaza.

President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done.

She did not veer too far to the left.

I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself.

She managed to say things that would be appealing to both sides.

President Biden and I are working to end this war, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.

It was a remarkable moment to hear the arena erupt at the end of that section, to hear her support for both the Israelis and the Palestinians reveal that kind of enthusiasm, after the party has been really ripped apart for months about how to handle the situation.

Fellow Americans, I love our country with all my heart.

She ended this speech with a paean to patriotism.

We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world.

She dove headlong into the American exceptionalism argument that is native to Republicans and to older generations of politicians, like Joe Biden.

It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done. Guided by optimism and faith to fight for this country we love. To fight —

But is not something you always hear from younger Democrats, who are a little less comfortable with some of the flag waving.

Let’s vote for it. And together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told. Thank you. God bless you and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you all.

She seemed to really be taking aim at this criticism of her, which is that she’s this radical California liberal and she can’t be trusted with the keys to the country.

I mean, that was one of the tasks that she had tonight, was to make the argument, particularly to voters in the middle, the suburban voters that used to vote for Republicans, but have been repelled by Trump and driven to Democrats in the last several years, that they can vote for her without worrying that she’s some kind of Bernie Sanders acolyte.

And some of that is based on the way she ran her last presidential campaign. Some of it, frankly, is because she’s a Black woman from California. And that the voters who will determine this election are voters in less diverse states, for the most part.

So Reid stepping back here, it feels worth remembering just where we were at the end of the Republican National Convention that was just over a month ago. Things couldn’t have felt more different. The GOP was on top of the world, while the Democrats were in disarray over Biden’s refusal to leave the race.

And now here we are. And it feels like things couldn’t be better for the Democrats. At least that’s the feeling I’m having coming out of this convention.

I mean, the whole race has turned upside down from where it was when we left Milwaukee. And Democrats are upbeat. They are confident. It is a party that is remarkably united behind their candidate.

But you have to remember, this election will be very close. It is, indeed, a game of inches in the key battleground states. And what she was trying to do was to present herself as someone who can be trusted as commander in chief to win over the tiny slices of the electorate that will determine the winner in places like Wisconsin, and Michigan, and Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona.

And those are the states that will determine the election. And they have made a calculated decision that those voters needed to see her as a commander in chief, something they had not seen from her before. And we will see in the coming days and weeks whether she’s accomplished that in a way that brings enough of those people on board for her to win a term as president.

Reid, thank you.

Thank you, Sabrina. [WHIMSICAL MUSIC]

Here’s what else you should know today. On Thursday, the Supreme Court allowed Arizona Republicans, for now, to impose tougher voting requirements, including a new rule that people registering to vote there before the coming election must show proof of citizenship.

As a result, Arizonans newly registering to vote for this year’s presidential election must provide copies of one of several documents, such as a birth certificate or a passport, in order to prove that they are US citizens. Democrats have denounced the new rule as an attempt to prevent legal immigrants from voting.

And US Health officials have approved the latest slate of annual COVID vaccines, clearing the way for Americans six months and older to receive updated shots in the coming days. The approvals come amid a prolonged surge of COVID infections, which have risen all summer.

Remember to catch a new episode of “The Interview” right here tomorrow. This week, Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Jenna Ortega, the star of the Netflix series “Wednesday,” and the new “Bettlejuice” sequel, about her head-spinning success over the past few years.

One day I just I woke up in somebody else’s shoes. I felt like I had entered somebody else’s life. And I didn’t know how to get back to mine.

Today’s episode was produced by Lynsea Garrison, Rob Szypko, Jessica Cheung, Asthaa Chaturvedi, and Shannon Lin. It was edited by Rachel Quester, contains original music by Rowan Niemisto, Dan Powell, Diane Wong, and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

[THEME MUSIC]

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you on Monday.

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Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Astead W. Herndon and Reid J. Epstein

Produced by Lynsea Garrison Rob Szypko Jessica Cheung Asthaa Chaturvedi and Shannon Lin

Edited by Rachel Quester

Original music by Rowan Niemisto Marion Lozano Dan Powell and Diane Wong

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow ‘The Daily’ Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Last night, at the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination, becoming the first woman of color in U.S. history to do so.

Astead W. Herndon and Reid J. Epstein, who cover politics for The Times, discuss the story this convention told about Ms. Harris — and whether that story could be enough to win the presidential election.

On today’s episode

Astead W. Herndon , a national politics reporter and the host of the politics podcast “ The Run-Up ” for The New York Times.

Reid J. Epstein , who covers politics for The New York Times.

Background reading

Kamala Harris promised to chart a “new way forward” as she accepted the nomination.

“The Run-Up”: It’s her party now. What’s different?

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam and Nick Pitman.

Astead W. Herndon is a national politics reporter and the host of the politics podcast “The Run-Up.” More about Astead W. Herndon

Reid J. Epstein covers campaigns and elections from Washington. Before joining The Times in 2019, he worked at The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Newsday and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. More about Reid J. Epstein

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