Football versus Soccer

Even though football and soccer often share a name, the two sports are vastly different: they both contain their own merits though; each has its own athletes, rules, and fan base. Athletes in both sports are incredibly fit and in control of their bodies although they can differ. In soccer, all positions require speed, agility, and leg dexterity in order to out run their opponent and maneuver the ball while in football the variety of positions require different attributes. Height is only beneficial in soccer for some defenders and mid-fielders in order to gain an advantage to jump for heading while it can act to slow attackers who need speed and quickness above jump height. Speed, in both running and ball control, is required above all else to chase or lose the other team. To wrestle control of the ball from opponents, defenders in soccer must simply be stronger than the lightweight sized attackers. Only goalies need hand-eye coordination while the rest of the team needs only foot finesse. In football the many positions require their own set of needs. Quarterbacks must be tall to see the field over the lineman and have a good arm to throw the ball. Lineman must be as large and strong as possible to block or move the opposing line man. Runningbacks need speed and quickness to out run and dodge while having enough strength to break tackles and hold on to the ball. Receivers are similar except that they also need hand-eye coordination to catch passes and height to outreach the defense. Linebackers must be the most versatile, with strength to take down ball carriers and a combination of speed and coordination to keep up with receivers. Defensive backs need to keep up with receivers to stop passes. Mentally, it is demanded that players...

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...ry to a degree. Canada and Australia both have separate versions of the game. Soccer, though, is universally the same, no matter where you go. Soccer even has a spot in the Olympics while football does not. Also both sports’ athletes can earn outrageous amounts money and rise to super star fame nationally, like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, and internationally, like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Both games have a distinct way of capturing an audience’s excitement and can both be rather dull to the uneducated eye. Football breaks up the action into short, exhilarating periods of play followed by a rest. Soccer, though, never stops going, with 90 minutes of close to uninterrupted play. In conclusion, both sports have their own rules, athletes, and appeal even if they are drastically dissimilar. Both capture the dreams and inspiration of people all over the world.