Soccer and football are inevitably linked together, for a few reasons: most of the world knows soccer as football -- or "futbol" in South American locales -- and the sports feature several similarities in the shape of the field and shared positional labels such as fullback. Conversely, though, many differences clearly separate the two wildly popular sports.
Balls
Foremost of the differences between the two sports is the ball that is used. Football is played with an unusual shaped ball that is fat in the middle and pointed on the ends, measuring a bit less than a foot long and weighing slightly less than one pound, with a series of seams in the middle for gripping. Soccer uses a traditionally round ball, 27 or 28 inches in circumference and weighing between 14 and 16 oz. In youth leagues, participants sometimes use smaller balls in both sports.
Hands And Feet
In soccer, goaltenders are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands. They're expected to advance the ball up-field by passing it with their feet, and goals are scored by kicking or heading the ball past the goalie and into the net. In football, players pass, catch and hand off the ball to move it up field. The only players on a football team who kick the ball are kickers, who score three points by kicking it through the uprights, and punters, who transfer possession of the ball to the opponent by dropkicking it into the air.
Tackles
Soccer and football feature tackles, but the definition of a tackle varies a good deal between the two sports. In football, a play ends when a defensive player tackles an opponent by dragging him down with his arms, driving through him using the shoulder or knocking him to the ground by way of other allowable physical collisions. Soccer tackles are more restricted; players may dislodge the ball by sliding feet-first into opponents, but are disallowed from using their arms and can not tackle and opponent from behind.
Scoring
In soccer, one point is awarded for a goal, which can be achieved by kicking or heading the ball into the goal. Football has several scoring possibilities, Touchdowns, which are scored when a player advances the ball across the goal line, are rewarded with six points. The scoring team may then kick an extra point for one point, or try to advance the ball over the goal line again to earn a two-point conversion. If a team tackles the opponent in its own end zone, it results in a safety, worth two points to the defending team. Finally, football teams can earn three points by kicking a field goal -- in which the kicker boots the ball through the uprights.
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