The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to American football:

American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with possession of the oval-shaped football, attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it, while the defense, the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive. A game is won by the team with the higher number of points, which are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal.

What type of thing is American football?

American football can be described as all of the following:

• A sport
  • A ball sport
    • A football sport
      • A form of gridiron football
  • A team sport

American football equipment

• Ball (gridiron football)
• Custom-made medical device
• Dicker-rod
• Eyeshield
• Football helmet
• Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer
• Head impact telemetry system
• Helmet sticker
• History of the football helmet
• Inflatable tunnel
• Mouthguard
• National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment
• Penalty flag
• Protective equipment in gridiron football
• Revolution helmets
• Shin guard
• Shoulder pad (sport)
• Tee
• Winged football helmet

History of American football

History of American football

• Early history of American football
  • American Football Union
  • Intercollegiate Football Association
  • National Football League (1902)
  • New York Pro Football League
  • Ohio League
  • Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit
  • World Series of Football (1902–03)
• Modern history of American football
  • Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada
    • History of the National Football League
    • All-America Football Conference
    • American Football League (1926)
    • American Football League (1936)
    • American Football League (1940)
    • American Football League (1960)
    • United States Football League
    • World Football League
  • Minor leagues
    • Alliance of American Football
    • American Association
    • Anthracite League
    • Atlantic Coast Football League
    • Continental Football League
    • Dixie League
    • Midwest Football League
    • NFL Europe
    • Pacific Coast Professional Football League
    • United Football League (1961–1964)
    • United Football League
    • XFL (2001)
  • Developmental leagues
    • The Spring League
    • Your Call Football
• Halls of fame
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • College Football Hall of Fame
  • Arena Football Hall of Fame
  • Indoor Football Hall of Fame

Professional American football

Professional gridiron football

• Outdoor American football
  • Major league football
    • National Football League (NFL)
      • NFL playoffs
      • Pro Bowl
      • Super Bowl
  • Minor league football
    • American 7s Football League
    • United States Football League (2022)
    • XFL (2020)
• Indoor American football, also known as arena football
  • American Arena League
  • Arena Football Association
  • American West Football Conference
  • Champions Indoor Football
  • Indoor Football League
  • National Arena League
  • Fan Controlled Football

Proposed leagues

• American Patriot League
• American Spring Football League
• Freedom Football League
• The Arena League

College American football

College football

• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
  • NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
    • College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS
    • College Football Playoff National Championship
    • College Football Playoff
    • Bowl game

NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)

• NCAA Division I Football Championship

Other college football championships

• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
  • NAIA Football National Championship
• National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
  • NJCAA National Football Championship

Junior American football

Junior American football

• High school football
  • High School Football National Championship
  • National Federation of State High School Associations
• Youth / middle school football
  • American Youth Football
  • Pop Warner Little Scholars

Women's American football

Women's American football

• Extreme Football League
• United States Women's Football League
• Women's Football Alliance
• Women's National Football Conference

International American football

• USA Football
• United States men's national American football team
• United States women's national American football team

American football organizations

American football governing bodies‎

American football leagues‎

American football teams‎

Other American football organizations

• American Football Coaches Association
• American football in Nigeria
• American Youth Football
• British American Football Referees' Association
• British Youth American Football Association
• Collegiate Sports Video Association
• D3football.com
• NFL Coaches Association
• Pop Warner Little Scholars
• Professional Football Researchers Association
• Pros Vs Heroes
• Wisconsin Football Coaches Association

American football publications

Persons influential in American football

See also

References

External links