Rugby vs Football Comparison Guide – What’s the difference?

It’s amazing to think that the country you live in ultimately decides which side of the rugby v football debate you’re on.

It’s particularly ironic too given that American football is a sport that took its inspiration from rugby back in the 1800s – from bone-crunching tackles to fleet-footed offensive play.

The American football vs rugby argument has waged on for more than a century, but the two sports have involved in such individual fashion that any notion of rugby versus football is moot – these are two very different sports, albeit with some common threads.

So what is the main difference between rugby and football? This article will reveal all…

Historical Evolution

By the middle of the 19th century, rugby – which had been played casually across the UK for a number of years – finally became a formal sport with its own governing body (the RFU) and a set of playing rules drawn up.

A number of British expats took rugby to the United States and Canada around this time, so to answer the question, ‘what came first: rugby or American football?’, it’s true to say that rugby was a forebearer of the sport that would become football.

Walter Camp, a Yale coach, innovated a game in which the rules of rugby were tweaked to introduce forward passes, legal blocking and the line of scrimmage – in the late 1800s, football became more popular than rugby in North America.

So did American football come from rugby? Absolutely, although by 1919 football had become a professional sport in its own right – spawning the NFL and CFL monsters we know today.

American Football vs Rugby Rules

There are certain similarities between rugby and American football, and you can definitely see how one spawned the other when watching games side by side. However, the rules confirm how far the sports have drifted apart.

The main difference between rugby and football is in the passing of the ball. In football, the quarterback is able to throw the ball in any direction they choose, whereas in rugby a forward pass is deemed illegal – the ball can only be passed backwards or sideways.

The rugby v football differences are also headlined by the tackling phase. In football, as soon as a player is tackled then that particular play is concluded, with the offensive team typically retaining possession of the ball after the reset.

But in rugby, play continues after a tackle – the tackled player can offload the ball to a colleague, or a ruck or maul can form in which the two teams battle for possession.

American football coaches have access to different players for offense, defense and their ‘special teams’, with up to 48 players picked for game day and eleven on the field at any one time. But in rugby, a team has a set 15 players, with replacements called upon from the bench.

The scoring systems are different too. A touchdown in football yields six points, whereas a try in rugby (essentially the same as a TD) nets five points – although both field goals (football) and penalty kicks (rugby) score three points.

A football game is scheduled to last 60 minutes – of course, it takes much longer due to the stoppages in play. Another difference between American football and rugby is that games in the latter last 80 minutes, with one last play allowed until there’s a stoppage.

Fields of Play: Rugby Field vs Football Field

Is a rugby pitch bigger than a football pitch? The answer, typically, is yes.

In football, and especially NFL games, the playing field is a fixed size: 110 metres long and 49 metres wide. The end zone must be 9.1 metres deep.

In rugby, pitch sizes can be modified by the home team based upon their playing style and stadium requirements. But they must be no more than 144 metres long and 70 metres wide, while the goal area must be between ten and 22 metres deep.

The smaller fields of football enable quarterbacks to throw their passes more accurately given the shorter distances, while rugby pitches are designed to allow for kicking – a more frequent tactic in that particular sport.

Tackling Techniques: Rugby Tackle vs Football Tackle

Rugby has very particular rules when it comes to tackling. A player cannot be tackled above shoulder height for safety reasons, with the tackler forced to wrap their arms around the opponent before taking them to the ground.

In football, a tackle can be anything from a shoulder block to a shirt pull, while the blocking of players off the ball is permitted – in rugby, no physical contact is allowed between anyone other than the ball carrier and the tackler.

Rugby Boots vs Football Boots

The difference between rugby and football boots is that the former were designed to be worn on muddy pitches in the UK – hence why the cleats can be up to 21mm in size.

American football boots tend to look very similar to their rugby counterparts, but because games are played typically on artificial surfaces the cleats are generally shorter and less pronounced.

Rugby Cleats vs Football Cleats

So can you wear football cleats for rugby? You could, in theory, because the basic design and build are the same.

However, because football boots have smaller cleats on them, you may not get the desired grip and stability if playing rugby on a soft turf pitch.

Rugby Ball vs Football Ball

Another common question asks, ‘is a rugby ball bigger than a football?’, and the answer is that they are generally the same size – both roughly eleven inches, with a football slightly larger in terms of circumference (typically due to the greater air pressure over the ‘flatter’ rugby ball).

Both oval shaped, another key difference between rugby ball and football is that a football has the stitched laces on it – that’s to afford the quarterback and their pass targets better grip. A rugby ball is mostly smooth, save for some ‘dimpling’.

And the last line for the rugby ball vs American football comparison is the shape – a rugby ball is somewhat rounded at the ends to allow it to bounce and roll, whereas a football is far pointier.

Is Rugby More Dangerous Than Football?

With solid helmets and robust padding compulsory in football, it’s no wonder many feel that the answer to the question, ‘what’s more dangerous: rugby or football?’ is unequivocally rugby.

The players in rugby can choose to wear protective headgear and padding under their shirts if they wish, but it’s not written into law – therefore, the number of head injuries in rugby tends to be greater than in football.

Is rugby more dangerous than American football? There are certain plays on the field that would also draw that conclusion – rugby scrums, for example, have caused players serious neck and back injuries over the years.

Even with the advent of the high tackle rule, the statistics show that there are more injuries and concussions suffered in rugby than in football.

Injuries in Rugby vs Football

The data suggests that rugby injuries vs American football injuries compare at a ratio of 3:1, although it’s concussion and facial wounds that occur more than any other injury type.

When comparing rugby vs football injuries, there are some areas in which football still comes out on top – knee injuries, and specifically ACL tears and strains, are more common than in rugby. Quarterbacks also tend to run the gauntlet of joint injury; particularly shoulder, elbow and wrist ailments.

Are there more concussions in football or rugby? The answer is resolutely rugby – in fact, some research studies have found that there are more concussions suffered on the rugby field than any other sport.

Head Injuries in Rugby vs Football

Even though the use of protective helmets tends to lower the rate of concussions and head injuries, high velocity impact in football does not render the sport completely free of such problems.

However, when comparing head injuries: rugby vs American football, there’s no doubt that rugby is the bigger culprit.

The high tackle rule and protective headgear have reduced the risk somewhat, while the introduction of ‘smart’ mouthguards will help medical teams to assess the nature of any head injuries suffered by a player.

Is Rugby More Popular Than American Football?

There’s no doubt that American football is more popular in North America than rugby is in the UK.

But on a global scale, is rugby more popular than football? For context, the Super Bowl is broadcast in more than 130 countries and has a non-American TV audience of around 900 million.

The Rugby World Cup, meanwhile, tends to be watched by over a billion people around the globe; indeed, the 1995 edition had a total viewership of an estimated 2.5 billion.

There are many other measures of popularity, of course, so it’s almost an impossible question to answer.

Comparative Analysis: Similarities and Differences

So is rugby the same as football? Clearly not, as this table of differences shows:

	American Football	Rugby
Scoring System	6pts – touchdown 3pts – field goal 2pts – safety 1pt – extra try	5pts – try 3pts – penalty kick 3pts – drop goal 2pt – conversion
Safety Equipment	Mandatory – helmets and shoulder pads	Optional – light headgear and bodily padding
Number of Players	11	15
Field Dimensions	110m x 49m	Up to 144m x 70m
Ball	Pointed oval	Rounded oval
Length of Game	60 minutes of play	80 minutes

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