Toughness of Football

          Both soccer and football are very physical sports, but have you ever heard of someone being too scared to play soccer because they may get hurt?  I sure haven't.  I am not trying to take anything away from the toughness of soccer players, I still believe that in the argument of "which is the tougher sport: soccer or football?" football wins hands down.  This coming from someone who has played soccer since the age of five and have never played more than pick-up football with friends.  In football the game is designed to be a punishing game and players are certain to get hurt.  Not only is football tougher physically than soccer but also it is tougher mentally as well.  There is more to just going out there and smashing into the other team,  studying film week after week and memorizing plays is what makes football so challenging.  

          Football players line up at the line of scrimmage an average of 200 times and using every ounce of strength they fight off their opponent in hopes to make a big play. They train their body and get into top physical shape in order to take and receive really hard hits on the field and in practice.  It does not matter that football players wear way more protective gear than soccer player, in football it is the opponents goal to tackle the opposing team, whereas, an aggressive hit in soccer will be called a foul.  It is a "smash mouth" league and many players are trying to deliver the biggest blow they can with twenty-two men lining up and go after each other play after play throughout the course of the game.  Never in soccer will someone lower their head and ram into the head of an opponent, soccer players are not trying the hurt their opponent.  Helmet or no helmet this type of hit is extremely dangerous and can caules serious head trauma.  This year the NFL recorded a 30 percent increase from last year in the number of concussions players received.  Players are getting stronger and faster year after year, therefore, the likelihood of injuries in the NFL are increasing.  The statistics show that in 2006 418,260 children were sent to the emergency room with injuries from playing football while soccer produced only 174,686.

          Remembering hundreds of plays from hundreds of different formations also makes football a mentally tougher sport than soccer.  Football is very strategic and plays are drawn up just to stop other plays or specific players.  In soccer the teams must spread the field and know where their teammates are at at all times; however, this should just come natural to experienced soccer players, not having to think about their formation.  In a typical playbook an NFL football team has anywhere from 250 to 300 offensive and defensive plays they must memorize and be able to execute with perfection.  Football is the ultimate team sport.  Soccer does not need 11 guys doing the right thing in order to be successful.  During a typical football play, you need 11 guys doing their job for the play to work.  If two guys slack off, then the play won't work.  If a lineman, for example, runs the wrong play the safety of the quarterback is at risk, or if a receiver runs the wrong route the ball may be easily intercepted.  It only takes one person to mess up and run one wrong play to possibly change the entire the outcome of the game.  Every player is depending on their teammate to execute their role in a play, and if one does not then they all fail as a team.   In soccer one or two players could possibly slack off or not hustle 100 percent for several minutes and the team would most likely be fine. In order for a football team to succeed all of the players on the team must dedicate time off the field to memorizing their plays to perfection and watching film of their team, and more specifically themselves, to find what they need to improve on for the next game.