Are you a football fan

18 Interesting Facts about Football

Are you a football fan? Have you just started learning this sport from a private football coach?

We have compiled a selection of 18 interesting facts about football for you. Read on!

  1. The National Football League (NFL) hired its first full-time official (Sarah Thomas) as recently as 2015. The first woman to become an NFL official was Shannon Easton but she did not join as a full-time official.
  2. American Football evolved from English sports such as soccer and rugby. It became highly popular in American colleges by the end of the 19th
  3. The Super Bowl happens to be the most-watched TV broadcast in the US. Currently, Super Bowl XLIX with 114 million viewers is the most-watched event in the US.
  4. Walter Payton and David Patton are the only two players to have managed the rare feat of catching, rushing and throwing a touchdown, against the same opponent in the same match.
  5. More than two-thirds of NFL players go bankrupt just two years after the end of their football careers.
  6. In 1958, a fan ran onto the pitch during a championship game; the game had to be paused for some time. Later on, it was found that the fan was actually an NBC employee who intentionally caused this distraction to buy enough time for his network to fix a technical glitch.
  7. Byron White is one of the most decorated players to have played in the NFL. He was a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, a Rhodes Scholar, a war hero, and a Supreme Court judge.
  8. Chicago Bears is the only team that has not changed its name or city since the year 1922. The NFL had its inaugural season in 1920. At first, it was known as the American Professional Football Association (APFA).
  9. During the initial years, the NFL struggled financially. Now, the NFL records revenues worth over $9 billion each year. After deducting the expenses such as players’ wages, maintenance of stadiums, etc., the NFL makes a neat profit of around $1 billion.
  10. In order to promote the passing game and help quarterbacks get a good grip, the NFL management altered the shape of the ball in the year 1934. With new rules in place, the ball got skinnier and longer in shape.
  11. The forward pass was legalized in 1906 after a bunch of college football coaches altered the rules of American Football to reduce injuries on the field. Earlier, a forward pass was not allowed within 5 years of the center.
  12. The Pittsburgh Steelers have registered the highest number of Super Bowl victories. Denver Broncos have registered the highest number of Super Bowl losses.
  13. A sports equipment manufacturing company, Wilson has been supplying footballs for the NFL games since 1941. The company has an exclusive contract for providing footballs to the NFL; it now produces thousands of footballs every day.
  14. Football cheerleaders are not paid much. They make around $100 per game but end up spending a lot on buying makeup and other accessories.
  15. Football coach Don Shula has registered the highest number of victories. He coached the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins. The two teams together registered 328 seasons with Don Shula as head coach.
  16. A football is made out of cow skin (and not pigskin).
  17. Until the year 1943, it was not a compulsory requirement for football players to put on helmets.
  18. At one point in time, then US President Roosevelt threatened to ban the sport if necessary changes in rules weren’t brought to ensure player safety.