Comparison of Culture between European Soccer and Football in North America - Essay Example

Comparison of Culture between European Soccer and football in North America The culture of European soccer bears similarities and differences when compared to the North American football. The cultures have transformed over the years to become some of the most viewed sports games in the world. North American football underwent modifications to stay in consistent with FIFA laws while European soccer has provided a platform where most of the FIFA rules are observed. The Similarities between European Soccer and Northern American Football Cultures Gender participation There is a prevalence of men players in both North American football and European soccer. The popularity and distribution of men players is an old practice that has been sustained in both regions over the years. Men are the dominant team players when clubs are scouting for new players across the globe. The players compete at international levels who have spread the soccer gospel and involved both female and male fans. Europe has seen a gradual participation of women in soccer with FIFA unveiling women world cup championship and other professional leagues. North America has not invited or obtained the same level of participation of female football players. However, the statistics are in favor of male dominance than female participation on both regions notes Parrish. Lucrative ventures Europe and North America have created leagues that make money for the league stakeholders and owners of the professional clubs that participate in the championships. Major League Soccer, Barclay’s Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A among other major leagues in Europe and America enter into collective bargaining and negotiations with top players. The activity takes place between the end and beginning of the each season. The league and club owners scout for top players and offer lucrative bids to other clubs in an effort to develop and improve the team performance. The engagement results to club profits every year in order to sustain player’s remuneration (Parrish N.p). The Differences between European Soccer and Northern American Football Cultures Timeframes of the league seasons The professional games are played at different time frames within the year. Europe hosts professional soccer leagues such as Barclay’s Premier League in England, Spanish La Liga, Bundesliga in Germany and Italian Serie A. The professional leagues run from mid-august to the end of May the leagues involve home and away games. The games are played in the soccer fields of the top teams that have qualified for the league based on the results and performance of the previous season. North America or United States a single league dubbed Major League soccer, and it runs from Mid-March and is finalized in November. European and North America soccer cultures crown champions differently by the end of the season. A playoff is used to determine the champion in American football while in European winner holds the best regular-season record (Parrish N.p). The structure of the football The owners of professional soccer teams determine the structure of European football. The owners spend money to boost the quality of the players and games based on their performance in the previous season. They underwrite transfer signatories of world football stars to their clubs during off-season. Major Soccer League in Europe features a single entity structure where team owners are only involved ownership of teams while the players sign their contracts with the league other than the owners. The ultimate championships European soccer clubs compete for the quadrennial world cup championship alongside other national teams in the world. The teams compete in regional plays offs to qualify for the world cup. The best team in all FIFA regions in the world is determined during a tournament that takes place after every four years. World cup is the ultimate championship for most European-based national teams. American football teams compete for the most coveted championship called Super Bowl. Super Bowl comprises of 16 teams from National Football Conference and American Football Conference. It is a matchup championship that takes place annually in February. World cup teams can include amateurs but National Football League in North America admits professional players (Parrish N.p). Development of players North American Major Soccer League is charged with player development every year. The docket sets out on a mission to find players who standout in college competitions. The college players are trained until to professional ranks in order to join the national teams. European soccer sports player development relies on scouting done by individual clubs. The European soccer clubs sign and develop the players who have qualified for professional ranks. The qualification age ranges between 10 and 14 and trainee in the centers stay until they become of age to join the main team. For example, Arsenal Football Club has a 10-fields training center in Hertfordshire countryside that hosts young players. The fields are manned with professional staffs trained in football to offer skills, tactics, strength sessions, diets, rest, and psychology that pertain to football. The cultural impact in both regions Soccer has become one of the biggest cultural influencers in Europe. The game has been rated as number one sport in Europe by fans. The fans turn up in large counts in the soccer fields to show support and loyalty to their teams when there are international and local derbies. Football fanatics in North America are different from their Europe counterparts. The fans do not like football as much as they do with basketball and baseball based on the television ratings and attendance. However, United States features a larger number of soccer players than European countries such as Germany and Italy. Europe culture of sports has notable similarities when compared to North American sport such as football. Both regions spot differences in that have transformed the nature of sports over the years. Soccer and football in Europe and America cultures have not allowed participation of women in the professional leagues. FIFA unveiled world cup for women, but club owners and league officials have not yet admitted women to play prime positions in Europe and North America. The leagues have also been noted for engaging in lucrative deals of transferring players. Contrastingly, there are noteworthy differences in the way the two cultures develop players. The championships happen at different times of the year in Europe and North America where the sports are structured differently. The games have brought varied cultural impacts in Europe and North America too. Work Cited Parrish, Rogue. Differences & Similarities Between American & European Soccer | livestrong.com. Livestrong.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. Read More