Football is the name given to a number of different, but related, team sports. The most popular of these world-wide is association football (also known as soccer). The English language word football is also applied to American football, Australian rules football, Canadian football, Gaelic football and rugby football (rugby union and rugby league), and related games. All of these codes (specific sets of rules) are referred to as "football" by their followers...
All football games involve scoring with a ball. This is done by a team moving a spherical or prolate spheroid ball — which is itself called a football — to an opposing team's end of the field and into a goal, or over a line, both of which are defended by the opposing team. Depending on the code, the ball is moved mostly by kicking, carrying and/or passing by hand. Points or goals can be scored by players putting the ball between two goal posts. In many games, they can also be scored — or are primarily scored — when players carry the ball across the line. When scoring a goal, players may be required to put the ball either under or over a crossbar. Depending on the code, players may be required to use their feet (and possibly other specific parts of their bodies) to move the ball and score. The winning team is the one that has the most points or goals, when a specified length of time has elapsed.
Many of the modern games have their origins in England, but many peoples around the world have played games which involved kicking and/or carrying a ball since ancient times...
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