Explain Grid Iron to me

[SomeRandom]

Guys. In the spirit of learning about different cultures
I want my American friends explain to me the game of grid iron.
In Australia I have to keep track of at least 3 different codes of football. Australian Football league (AFL) which is a variation of Gaelic Football mixed with an Aboriginal football game variant (possibly) National Rugby League (NRL) and the international Rugby Union. Soccer is optional
Each with their own rules and quirks.
I want to learn another
Explain Grid Iron to me

 

[Lyndon]

bunch of wusses using padding and helmets to keep from getting hurt!!

 

[Viker]

bunch of wusses using padding and helmets to keep from getting hurt!!

If they didn't use helmets and padding they'd murder each other.

 

[Viker]

I'll let this do it. It's better than my own words.

 

[Lyndon]

Australians have no trouble playing football without helmets and without murdering each other

 

[SomeRandom]

Australians have no trouble playing football without helmets and without murdering each other

To be fair some players do wear padded helmets of sort, to protect from head injuries. Nothing like in Grid Iron though

 

[Viker]

Australians have no trouble playing football without helmets and without murdering each other

You ever seen grid iron tackles? All that padding and helmets only slightly reduce damages.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

You ever seen grid iron tackles? All that padding and helmets only slightly reduce damages.

I think it gives a better understanding to think of the padding and helmets in American football more as weapons than as protection.

 

[Viker]

I think it gives a better understanding to think of the padding and helmets in American football more as weapons than as protection.

True. I've seen many defensive/offensive tackles turn into human missiles. Helmets are almost warheads.

 

[SomeRandom]

I think it gives a better understanding to think of the padding and helmets in American football more as weapons than as protection.

I can understand that. It still makes you guys look like pansies though. Sorry

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Guys. In the spirit of learning about different cultures
I want my American friends explain to me the game of grid iron.
In Australia I have to keep track of at least 3 different codes of football. Australian Football league (AFL) which is a variation of Gaelic Football mixed with an Aboriginal football game variant (possibly) National Rugby League (NRL) and the international Rugby Union. Soccer is optional
Each with their own rules and quirks.
I want to learn another
Explain Grid Iron to me

American football is an adaptation of Canadian football, tweaked to have an extra down (to encourage more offense) and with a shrunken field (which itself was only because the Harvard campus didn't have room for a full-sized rugby pitch).

Really:

Comparison of American and Canadian football - Wikipedia

 

[Martin]

I can understand that. It still makes you guys look like pansies though. Sorry

Yeah, a bunch of wimps.

 

[Augustus]

To be fair some players do wear padded helmets of sort, to protect from head injuries. Nothing like in Grid Iron though

Much as I used to mock the soft yanks for wearing helmets, pads and leggings. To be fair to them, it is a much more violent game.

Rugby is a game of tackles and the occasional big hit where you see who is about to hit you and rarely at full speed. American Football is a game of collisions often with the intent to injure where you are often blindsided by a giant human sprinting off a 20 meter run up.

If you are familiar with what is allowed and not allowed in rugby and the penalties for breaking these rules, you'll probably be quite shocked at some of the hits (not really tackles) in American Football.

Hitting someone from behind while they are 3 feet off the ground sending them spinning upside down to land on their head? Fine.

You'd probably get a 6 month ban in rugby for that.

You also might get penalised for knocking someone unconscious with your helmet, but then again, you might not.

I don't know how more people don't end up in wheelchairs.

 

[ChristineM]

Guys. In the spirit of learning about different cultures
I want my American friends explain to me the game of grid iron.
In Australia I have to keep track of at least 3 different codes of football. Australian Football league (AFL) which is a variation of Gaelic Football mixed with an Aboriginal football game variant (possibly) National Rugby League (NRL) and the international Rugby Union. Soccer is optional
Each with their own rules and quirks.
I want to learn another
Explain Grid Iron to me

Seems to me to be like rugby but the players wear Kevlar armour

 

[Father Heathen]

I can understand that. It still makes you guys look like pansies though. Sorry

Uhhh, even with the helmets, chronic traumatic encephalopathy has been a serious problem. One that pro leagues have tried to keep a lid on.

And who is "you guys?"

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

In American football, you have an offense. That offense's goal is to overcome the other team's defense. They can run the ball. They can do short passes or screens. They can do long passes and Hail Mary plays. They can do trick plays. You have 4 plays, or "downs". The shortest term goal is to get at least 10 yards positive offense every 3-4 downs or you might have to punt the ball to the other team.

But there are a lot more rules and situations than just that, too.

 

[Father Heathen]

I can understand that. It still makes you guys look like pansies though. Sorry

Real men shrug off spinal injuries and brain trauma.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

If you're a bit more of a hands on learner, buying Madden for a video game console is an okay way to learn, but start with the tutorials. Also, you don't have to buy the latest Madden game to learn - you can get one that's a year or two old and it'll generally only cost $10.

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

Real men shrug off spinal injuries and brain trauma.

Unless there are women around they find attractive.
Then even a bruise or a splinter is enough to be a victim that deserves pity.

 

[sun rise]

If they didn't use helmets and padding they'd murder each other.

There was a story "combat football" by Norman Spinrad about what happened when they lost all that padding and were permitted to slug each other as well. The teams after a time were not geographical but ideological. Can you imagine a MAGA vs BLM game with slugging allowed and guns and drugs in the stadium?

The story was before BLM etc, but that's what it was all about.