4 ms·

Plenty of other contact team sports exist (Rugby, AFL etc) - how is American Football different? How does an American Football player get tackled differently to

by locusm 15y ago

Plenty of other contact team sports exist (Rugby, AFL etc) - how is American Football different? How does an American Football player get tackled differently to say a Rugby Union player?

MattF 15y ago
In American Football the tackler uses his body more as a missile, typically leading with the head. In Rugby the tackler leads more with the shoulder, making sure the head is out of the way, and it's more of a "wrap-up" technique. Also, I would think that the velocities and masses involved in American Football are higher - it is more of an anaerobic sport due to the short play duration, frequent breaks between plays, and frequent player substitutions.
- locusm 15y ago
  After watching more youtube vids I see your point, the leading with the head especially. Must have serious neck muscles...
hristov 15y ago
There are significant differences. In Rugby there is no forward pass so it is very hard to get the kind of high speed collisions you get in the NFL.
locusm 15y ago
Watching this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhmMU6afIHo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhmMU6afIHo Not sure if those are legal tackles but the number of head high hits, coathangers etc is pretty astounding. That would see you sent off in Australia with a multiple match ban and other punishment.
- bodhi 15y ago
  Probably about half of them would be illegal under current rules I think. Horse-collars, leading with your head and helmet to helmet contact have been outlawed, but generally all you'll get during the game is a 15 yard penalty, and maybe a $x thousand dollar fine a few days after the game.
dpeck 15y ago
the way the impacts happen. in rugby contact rarely happens with players moving in directly opposite directions, usually its at an angle that reduces the impact,and seldom involves the head. football is the opposite, especially with runs up the middle , receivers cutting across the middle of the field, and the smaller, but constant, impacts experienced by the linemen on both sides of the ball.
marknutter 15y ago
Having played both, there are some key differences: - American Football allows blocking, whereas rugby does not. This means it's perfectly legal to blindside someone as hard as you can, often helmet to helmet. - Football allows tackling above the waist without wrapping your arms around the other player, whereas rugby does not. This means people can launch themselves at the other player as hard as they want without wrapping up, basically turning themselves into large projectiles. The goal, up until recently (since the league started cracking down), was to have a helmet-to-helmet collision in order to knock the other player out (most often happening to wide-receivers). Knocking out another player is a point of pride and a strategic advantage as well. - Football has armor, Rugby does not. This actually works against Football. It encourages harder hits and head-to-head collisions. Football helmets protect against skull fractures but not concussions. The brain moves independent of the skull in a high impact collision despite how shock absorbant the helmet may be. In rugby, players are a LOT less likely to crack each other's heads together because of the risk of fracture. I played rugby for 7 years through high school and college, and Football 2 years in high school. I never received any concussions in Rugby (let alone any serious injury at all), but did receive them in my short experience playing football, and at the Junior Varsity level no less. If I ever have a son, as much as I love the sport, he is banned from playing American football.
- bps4484 15y ago
  from my understanding of rugby, another big difference is rules regarding how a team keeps possession of the ball. In rugby (to the best of my knowledge) it's important to fall properly so that your team can ruck over you and keep possession. There is little to no incentive to try to ram forward at full speed, especially if it means falling improperly, which would just lead to a turnover. In football it's the opposite, every yard is fought for because the team maintains possession after being tackled, and the way you keep possession long term is by moving 10 yards in 4 downs. In rugby this means 2 players slamming directly into each other at full speed happens very rarely, while in football it happens all the time, and is in fact practiced.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    In football, if you don't fall on the ball properly, you might fumble it and turn over possession prematurely. It's not exactly the same but more similar than you're making it seem.

by locusm 15y ago

Plenty of other contact team sports exist (Rugby, AFL etc) - how is American Football different? How does an American Football player get tackled differently to say a Rugby Union player?

MattF 15y ago

In American Football the tackler uses his body more as a missile, typically leading with the head. In Rugby the tackler leads more with the shoulder, making sure the head is out of the way, and it's more of a "wrap-up" technique. Also, I would think that the velocities and masses involved in American Football are higher - it is more of an anaerobic sport due to the short play duration, frequent breaks between plays, and frequent player substitutions.

locusm 15y ago
After watching more youtube vids I see your point, the leading with the head especially. Must have serious neck muscles...

hristov 15y ago

There are significant differences. In Rugby there is no forward pass so it is very hard to get the kind of high speed collisions you get in the NFL.

locusm 15y ago

Watching this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhmMU6afIHo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhmMU6afIHo Not sure if those are legal tackles but the number of head high hits, coathangers etc is pretty astounding. That would see you sent off in Australia with a multiple match ban and other punishment.

bodhi 15y ago
Probably about half of them would be illegal under current rules I think. Horse-collars, leading with your head and helmet to helmet contact have been outlawed, but generally all you'll get during the game is a 15 yard penalty, and maybe a $x thousand dollar fine a few days after the game.

dpeck 15y ago

the way the impacts happen. in rugby contact rarely happens with players moving in directly opposite directions, usually its at an angle that reduces the impact,and seldom involves the head. football is the opposite, especially with runs up the middle , receivers cutting across the middle of the field, and the smaller, but constant, impacts experienced by the linemen on both sides of the ball.

marknutter 15y ago

Having played both, there are some key differences: - American Football allows blocking, whereas rugby does not. This means it's perfectly legal to blindside someone as hard as you can, often helmet to helmet. - Football allows tackling above the waist without wrapping your arms around the other player, whereas rugby does not. This means people can launch themselves at the other player as hard as they want without wrapping up, basically turning themselves into large projectiles. The goal, up until recently (since the league started cracking down), was to have a helmet-to-helmet collision in order to knock the other player out (most often happening to wide-receivers). Knocking out another player is a point of pride and a strategic advantage as well. - Football has armor, Rugby does not. This actually works against Football. It encourages harder hits and head-to-head collisions. Football helmets protect against skull fractures but not concussions. The brain moves independent of the skull in a high impact collision despite how shock absorbant the helmet may be. In rugby, players are a LOT less likely to crack each other's heads together because of the risk of fracture. I played rugby for 7 years through high school and college, and Football 2 years in high school. I never received any concussions in Rugby (let alone any serious injury at all), but did receive them in my short experience playing football, and at the Junior Varsity level no less. If I ever have a son, as much as I love the sport, he is banned from playing American football.

bps4484 15y ago
from my understanding of rugby, another big difference is rules regarding how a team keeps possession of the ball. In rugby (to the best of my knowledge) it's important to fall properly so that your team can ruck over you and keep possession. There is little to no incentive to try to ram forward at full speed, especially if it means falling improperly, which would just lead to a turnover. In football it's the opposite, every yard is fought for because the team maintains possession after being tackled, and the way you keep possession long term is by moving 10 yards in 4 downs. In rugby this means 2 players slamming directly into each other at full speed happens very rarely, while in football it happens all the time, and is in fact practiced.
- philwelch 15y ago
  In football, if you don't fall on the ball properly, you might fumble it and turn over possession prematurely. It's not exactly the same but more similar than you're making it seem.