Football & Baseball - Research Paper Example

A Comparison between Football and Baseball Two of the most popular games in the world, Baseball and Football, have a large number of fans. They are very different games and are played passionately by fans of the game and professionals, all over the world. The games are played with a particularly high degree of enthusiasm amongst the people of the United States of America where the people play these games as a means of entertainment and also training. The importance of both these games in the United States of America can be understood if one looks at the sheer number of movies that have been made with either of these two games as the theme.

Such movies often serve as allegories for the larger game of nation-building and its sustenance. This shows one how seriously either of these games are played, in either nation. Both these games have very different rules and the objectives of the games are also very different. The amount of time that is taken to play these games too, is not the same. The number of players who are supposed to take the field during a match of baseball is nine. The two teams play, alternating between offense and defense.

There is usually a pitcher who throws the ball in an action that is referred to as pitching. The pitcher usually pitches from the Pitcher’s mound in the middle of which there is a rubber slab from which the pitching is supposed to be done. When the ball is released, the pitcher may leave the rubber slab but till then, one foot of his must be on the slab. The pitcher pitches the ball at a batter who tries to hit the ball and takes runs. Behind the batter is positioned another important member of the game, the catcher.

The catcher is somebody who collects the ball in case the batter is unable to hit the ball. After being unable to hit the ball three times, the batter is considered to be out and can be considered so after the confirmation of the umpire who stands behind the catcher. There are other means of getting a batter to be out. One of this is catching the batted ball and throw-ins are another. Three outs are allowed in an innings and as soon as this is over, the next team is invited to bat and the team which had been batting would then have to take over the responsibility of pitching.

The main objective of the game is to accumulate runs and the team that gathers more runs wins. Runs can be accumulated by running or by hitting a homerun. While attempting to do either, the batter runs the risk of getting out (Kendrick, n.d.). Football as a game is also divided into two halves, offense and defense. The game stretches over a period of sixty minutes. The objective of the game remains to score more points than the other team. In each team, not more than eleven players are allowed to play at a single point of time.

When one team is on the offensive, the other is on the defense. This would then reverse, depending upon the success of the defense. If the team that is on the offensive does not manage to go past the first ten yards of the defense for four times, the team on the defense gains control of the ball. When the team on the offensive manages to breach the defensive wall, it can try to reach the end of the opponent which would mean that a touchdown would have been effected. This is worth six points. If the ball is kicked to this area, then that team gains three points.

There are ways in which the team on the defensive may score points. If it intercepts the ball and causes the offensive team’s member to fumble, it may take possession of the ball and take it to the end of the opponent’s zone, which would qualify as a touchdown. Two points can be gained if the offensive team’s member is tackled in his own team’s area. There are thus, various means in which points can be scored during this game (Football: Rules, n.d.). Both these games require a great deal of physical strength and endurance.

A great amount of practice and training goes into these games. Apart from the physical exertion, the game also entails the use of a great amount of mental energy and thus, provides exercise and leisure to both the mind and body of the player.References“Football: Rules”. (n.d.). Kids Sports. Retrieved 23rd March, 2012, from http://www.ducksters.com/sports/footballrules.php Kendrick, Scott. (n.d.). “Basic Rules of Baseball and Softball”. About.com. Retrieved 23rd March, 2012, from http://baseball.about.com/od/thebasics/a/basebasicrules.htm