Football is the name given to a number of different, but related, team sports. The most popular of these worldwide is Association football, which also goes by the name of soccer. The English language word football is also applied to Rugby football (Rugby union and Rugby league), North American football (American and Canadian), Australian rules football, and Gaelic football.

While it is widely believed that the word football, or "foot ball", originated in reference to the action of a foot kicking a ball, there is a rival explanation, which has it that football originally referred to a variety of games in medieval Europe, which were played on foot.Professional Football Researchers Association Origins of Football These games were usually played by peasants, as opposed to the horse-riding sports often played by aristocrats. While there is no conclusive evidence for this explanation, the word football has always implied a variety of games played on foot, not just those that involved kicking a ball. In some cases, the word football has been applied to games which have specifically outlawed kicking the ball. (See football (word) for more details.)

All football games involve scoring with a spherical or ellipsoidal ball (itself called a football), by moving the ball into, onto, or over a goal area or line defended by the opposing team. Many of the modern games have their origins in England, but many peoples around the world have played games which involved kicking and/or carrying a ball since ancient times.

More on [ Football ]

ESPN.com - NFL

Yasinskas: Head coach-GMs form complex alliance
Pat Yasinskas Thu, 15 May 2008 08:50:03 -0700
Head coach-general manager marriages can lead to greatness or tear teams apart. Either way, they're never simple, writes Pat Yasinskas.
Herald reporter: Sources never said they saw tape
Associated Press Fri, 16 May 2008 04:33:25 -0700
The Boston Herald sports writer who reported the New England Patriots taped a pre-Super Bowl walkthrough by the St. Louis Rams in 2002 says he will regret the erroneous story for the rest of his life.
Report: NFL meets with convicted steroids dealer
Associated Press Fri, 16 May 2008 04:32:07 -0700
NFL investigators have met with a convicted steroids dealer, who has said he provided performance-enhancing drugs to professional football players, according to a newspaper report.

SI.com - NFL

Bucky Brooks: Snub motivates Texans' Williams
Thu, 15 May 2008 16:21:04 -0400
Mario Williams had a 9.5-sack improvement from '06 to '07. In the Scouts' Buzz, SI.com's Bucky Brooks writes he expects an even better '08 from the Texan.
Suspect accepts plea deal in Sean Taylor killing
Thu, 15 May 2008 17:30:53 -0400
Read full story for latest details.
Redskins waive KR Mathis, sign rookie DE Mapu
Thu, 15 May 2008 16:32:10 -0400
Read full story for latest details.

NYT > College Football

L.S.U. Quarterback Dismissed from Football Team
Sat, 10 May 2008 04:57:29 -0000
L.S.U. quarterback Ryan Perrilloux was kicked off the defending national championship team Friday after a college career marked by legal and disciplinary problems.
Presidents Seem Ready to Punt on B.C.S. Playoff
Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:14:53 -0000
Talk about change in the postseason structure had percolated through the bowl season, but no major changes appear to be on the horizon.
Question of Age Is Getting Old for Paterno
Sun, 20 Apr 2008 06:40:42 -0000
With spring practice having ended Saturday with an intrasquad game, Penn State Coach Joe Paterno and the university he brought into the spotlight are facing turbulent times.
In Ivy League, New Career Path Leads to N.F.L.
Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:31:53 -0000
Paul Raymond, the only Ivy League player with a decent chance of being drafted this year, could join a tiny, but slowly growing gridiron fraternity: Ivy League education, N.F.L. job.
Mendenhall Leaves a Gap for Illinois
Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:02:36 -0000
Illinois began spring practice three weeks ago wondering who would replace Rashard Mendenhall after he packed his bags for the N.F.L. draft and a likely first-round selection.
Long in the Shadows, a Player’s Legacy Is Restored
Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:34:59 -0000
Jackie Walker, an all-American linebacker at the University of Tennessee, had faded from the record books, largely because he was gay. But on Sunday, he will become part of the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.

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