by Wayne Reeves

Created on: March 05, 2009

Call it American Football, Gridiron or just plain Football - the game could be considered to be the ultimate team sport - easily suited to be enjoyed on many different levels by everyone around the world.

As popular as football is in the USA, it's been a tougher sell in recent times to bring the game outside to a global audience. The Super Bowl has always been the biggest game that most people are aware of -

it is usually the first experience for many of what football is all about.

The initial stumbling block about football is that it is often referred to as "American Football" - despite what many say this can stir up negative connotations in relationship with the game ("it's their game so why should we bother with it?"). If only people gave the great game a chance to develop at a grass-roots level - they would then see just how involving the sport is for all shapes and sizes, not just for well-toned athletic types.

Football requires all manner of skill-sets: lineman on offense to block, quarterbacks to throw, running backs to run, receivers to catch, linebackers to tackle, defensive lineman to pass-rush and defensive backs to cover the pass. Give the game to schools and you can encourage all children to take part whatever their abilities, forget the NFL and their quest for the best-of-the-best, it can be a fun game that we can all play.

Different versions of football have been created over the years; full-contact replicates the NFL with flag football being a non-contact game that primarily concentrates on passing (flag is ideal for a school setting, you learn the basics of football without the real threat of injuries). Arena football is the indoor game, full-contact but on a short field (the American Arena league recently folded due to financial issues).

At this point in time, playing football outside the states is a hidden pastime enjoyed by many; confined to small leagues run on a shoestring budget down to people that play around in pick-up games in the park - played by passionate amateur players around the world just because they love the game.

It is understandable that an imported sport that isn't culturally natural would take some time to adapt into an "alien" society, but it should be given a real chance to grow. It doesn't have to compete with any homegrown sports but should be seen as an option and not a gimmick from America.

With the NFL now setup for a third-straight regular-season game outside the USA (in London) it has to be ingrained into the psyche of young people across the whole nation of the UK and beyond; if the sole reason the NFL play the game to just sell tickets and some extra merchandise then the game cannot go truly global.

Football doesn't have to be America's game for eternity.

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