Why is Handegg called Football in the US and the real Football is called Soccer? Is it something personal?

[Anonymous]

I would like the see the American POV, please

[front2back]

Because of this thing called "vernacular language".

All sports that back in the 19th century that involved a ball and not using a horse (but your feet) were called "football". You ran around doing something that involved a ball, so it was called football. American Football is actually properly refered to as "gridiron" football, because the field used is a gridiron. "Football" is actually referred to as "Association" Football and was called "soccer" as a French influenced abbreviation for the name, the name was used in the USA, Canada and UK up until about the 1980s, when the last two started calling it football instead. "Rugby" football is just known as "rugby" today.

So why did Americans call their sport "football" only? Simple: Popularity. Soccer and Rugby weren't anywhere nearly as popular as Football was at any point in American history. Instead of just calling it "gridiron football" and soccer as "association football" and rugby as "rugby football" it was much easier to just refer to the most popular one as "Football" or "Gridiron" for convenience. Obviously, American football wasn't as popular everywhere else. So other countries called their most popular football sport (Association aka soccer) "football" instead, again for convenience. So really all that happened is Americans kept calling it what they've always been calling it, while other countries called it what they called it. Just language barriers.

It's honestly not that big of an issue. Refer to it as "fútbol" or "footy" and all Americans (and the world) will understand what you're talking about.

[Asker]

Thank you, nice answer.
Footy looks even worse than soccer ahah

[YoIDoWhatIWantAight]

First off it's nothing personal. Most of the U. S. doesn't care for soccer. I watch Liverpool because my uncle is from Liverpool. People in the U. S. call it soccer because that's just what we grew up knowing it as. The same as if you watch an American TV show you're going to hear all kinds of things that you know one thing called something different. But simply where the rest of the world watches soccer. The number 1 sport in america is Football. American kids grow up watching football whether its NFL or College. They grow up playing backyard full contact football without pads. I wish American Football would get more popular around the world but you know what they say "How's it feel to want?"

[Asker]

I guess American Football will just be like baseball, in a few years it's gonna totally crash, I mean, who watches MLB anymore? baseball is such a beautiful game...

[YoIDoWhatIWantAight]

No lol it'll be huge in America! Always!

[Asker]

Football players are a lot more popular than American Football ones already...

[YoIDoWhatIWantAight]

Maybe around the world, but in the U. S. Football is king. I live in the U. S. I live it every year. Trust me this country goes nuts for Football. The only reason anyone I know other than my Uncle and me watch soccer is because it's the off season and we're bored.

[Asker]

Ok... It's different

[cheeseysouffle]

I have a feeling you might have seen my post >.>... and I honestly have no idea. I am American but it never made sense to me. Handegg just makes me laugh so I call it that to mess with everyone who likes it.

[Asker]

I really didn't, but i would like to.
Hahahah why should it mess? It's an egg-shaped object played by hands

[cheeseysouffle]

right? Someone else asked what sports we liked and I said real football not hand egg. Just a lucky coincidence. A lot of people who like handegg , as we'll refer to it, call it football and believe that it is the original football that came before soccer. They think that soccer isn't a real sport and that it is really easy to play.

[Asker]

Ahahahah yeah, easy of course xD Then Rugby it's a lot difficult than Handegg cause they don't use protections

[AnimeDreama]

Soccer is not easy at all. Fuck those idiots who say it isn't a sport! Soccer requires a lot of skill and coordination or you fuck up the entire game for your team!

[Asker]

Yeaaaaah only the ones who live it know it! High five!

[cheeseysouffle]

yeah! I was a part of a team for a few years. The sport was rough and a lot of fun!

[Asker]

It's always fun... If there's no fun part, it's not being well played

[dymphnak]

Every place has its own quirks, America's got two Footballs.

[Anjellygirlyeah]

handegg? that sounds like a game from elementary school.

[Asker]

No it's the NFL sport

[Anonymous]

American (or gridiron) football possibly got it's name from the regulation size of the ball being a foot in length. A foot-long ball. Hence, football.

And soccer (named football for obvious reasons) didn't always used to be just a European sport, so the name here took a backseat to our football for the sake of avoiding confusion. You don't rename your native sport because of another that you didn't even play at the time, would you?

[Asker]

That's true, but you should rename it since Football is watched worldwide and barely no one watches NFL besides the US. The only sports played there that are watched worldwide I believe it's WWE, UFC and NBA

[Opinion Owner]

Rename it now? Yeah, after the last hundred and something years of calling it football... that would make a lot of sense lol. If people know what the names for the sports are, then it works. No need to change names so that you Euros stop getting your panties in a wad about it being called something different here ;)

[Asker]

It's not only euros, if you go to mexico football is football and it's just a few km from there
Only the US call football to handegg, that makes it confusing since we don't know which one are you talking about

[PrettyBama]

It's been like this since 1869. Were not changing it anytime soon.

[Opinion Owner]

Well blames yourselves, dude. A quick Google search will show you who first started calling it "soccer" anyway. Don't blame us for it lol

[Asker]

I guess you will, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Bradley are a lot more popular than any of the NFL players, I don't know any of them'

[Opinion Owner]

Well no dur, because you don't watch NFL as you've already said in this question lol. If you did, you would know NFL players. Common sense isn't hitting you very well right now, is it?

And a quick question from me: Why in the hell are we stressing over stupid names and terminology anyway? Do you not have anything else to do besides get frustrated over what name a sport is called?

[Asker]

I know it was in the UK, but no one uses it there, it was just a dumbass

[Asker]

I'm not the one who is stressed... I'm just telling you the truth!

[Opinion Owner]

Lol, let's tar and feather that dumbass for shits and giggles. What do you say to that?

[Opinion Owner]

And I'm answering about why we call it something different. You're the one who can't get over us calling it something different, and won't be happy until we call it what you want just so you'll be happy about it lol

You'll have to change all of the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to change what they call it as well. And while you're at it, you have to come up with a new name for gridiron football for us to use.

[Asker]

Of course! Why not?

[Asker]

Why not Gridiron? That would be perfect, looks like Harry Potter stuff

[Opinion Owner]

Because it would still be gridiron football, which would just be shortened down to football anyway. And since it's bigger here for us than soccer/football/whatever, football is football for us. And soccer is soccer.

And the world keeps turning anyway :)

[Asker]

I hope one day you will find your own originality like Rugby did, Freestyle, Futsal and name it Gridiron

[Opinion Owner]

We're Americans, we're too dumb for originality

[Asker]

That's right, even your country name has no originality

[Opinion Owner]

Dude, I'm messing with you right now hahaha. Are you seriously this personally concerned, irritated, and irked about what we call things vs. what you call things? Get a hobby dude, for real. Life is going to suck for you if you sweat the small stuff like this.

[Asker]

It's the truth maaaan come on! United States of America? What about United Countries of Europe? ahahahah

[Opinion Owner]

European Union doesn't give you the same vibe? lol You're either messing with me too, or just have an ax to grind with other countries.

[Opinion Owner]

Union, a word related to united. A word meaning "the state of being united or joined".

[Asker]

No, because European Union it's not a country and does not work as one...
Want more? You call youselves Americans, what about Brazilians? Aren't they Americans too? And Canadians? America is the continent, defining yourselves as Americans or North Americans is super selfish

[Opinion Owner]

United Statians better?

[Asker]

better! a hell of a lot better. The only state that's awesome is Texas, hell yeah

[Opinion Owner]

What about the other states you've been to? Why not them too?

[Asker]

But Texas is original in everything dude and the accent is amazing. Also they use a lot of Texan flags, and so many popular people and unique, like Chris Bosh, Usher, Selena, and of course... 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin the goddamn redneck

[Opinion Owner]

Where did you stay when you were in Texas?

[Asker]

I've never been in Texas

[Opinion Owner]

But it's your favorite state in the US? Interesting...

[Asker]

Yeah, I kinda like rednecks and shouthern people, they are honest and don't say bullshit like Californian girls and New York dumbs

[Anonymous]

Wtf is handegg?

[Asker]

It's the NFL sport

[Opinion Owner]

Ok cool guy if you say so.

[Asker]

It's not only me, that's how it's known

[Anjellygirlyeah]

I know, I was like wtf

[Opinion Owner]

To 100% its known as handegg? gtfio I watch football troll.

[Asker]

Just google it..

[Opinion Owner]

Ok everyone knows except for me. Done here

[Asker]

No, but outside US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand it's known as Handegg, becaouse of obvious reasons