The NFL doesn't have wingers.
So who plays on the flanks?
Anyone from Wide recievers, flankers, halfbacks, running backs, tailbacks, tight ends etc...it all dependes on the offensive allignments and play called. But mostly WR's. So much for players doing one thing from one position.
This is where your going down a slippery slope of apple/oranges argument. Change of possession in league happens more frequently, even though real estate is much harder to come by in football. Your also forgetting that players in American football have constant one-on-one contact - such is not the case in league. This is where endurance is taxed in different ways between the two sports.
You allow forward passes, how come it's harder to gain ground?
To keep the ball another 3-4 possesions, all the team has to do is gain 10 yards. That's it. Averaging 4 yds a run is pretty good in the NFL. That's a minumum requirement in league. It's also the result of constant one-on-one contact and every offesnive play starting from a scrum.
One one one contact is virtually constant in the forwards in League as well.
That's if they were carrying or defending the ball on every play, but that's not the case.
There is another misnomer in Gridiron, the fact that all players have contact each play means that the available players aiming to tackle to ball carrier is less. The defence is diverted in a rediculous drive for 'impact'that has absolutely nothing to do with the concept of stoppnig the ball carrier (the position of the ball in Gridiron determines where the play is, right?)
You got the positioning of the ball correct, but the 'rediculuos drive for impact' has everything to do with stopping the ball. It's part of the (fast) flow that league fans seem to miss. It's called winning the line of scrimmage. It's where the game begins - controle the line and you'll win the game.
Watch the first tackle of Origin tonight. some bloke getting belted by 3-4 opponents. No padding either. And no 5 minute break to recover.
There isn't any 5 minute break to recover and multiple hitting takes place on every play in American football.
Where each play is more important unto itself in football, a series of 6 in league equals about 1-2 plays. If that. Where your used to seeing and expecting the same ol plays in normal play of the ball and know where the ball is going, in football, you have to be careful of the fact that ball can end up anywhere from 5-50 yds downfield in seconds.
In football, your offensive choices are: run right, left or up the middle. Run wide right or left. Pass right or left or over the middle. Screen passes, left right or up the middle. Pass middle routes in the flat or crossing routes 10-20 yards down field. Pass short or long on the sideline rotes. Pass deep left or right.....or down the middle. Pass deep left or right on sideline routes.
I won't mention the trick plays or misdirection plays which happen all the time. The closest thing to a trick play in league is a kick 'n chase.
Firstly, if 6 League rucks is equal to 2 Gridiron plays, then that means that League is 3 times as tough as Gridiron. I know you will guffaw at that. But a set of 6 takes roughly 60-90 seconds, when the ball can travel anywhere on the ground. How many MINUTES does it take to have 6 plays in Gridiron?
6 plays? About 2+ minutes. That's why each play is very important in football. It's more of a ches match where league is like checkers. 2-3 turnovers in a football game can kill a team. 2-3 knockons in a league game is considered a very well played match.
Skills in League require split secopnd decisions to be made - not in over rehearsed moves that take a minute of discussion to set up, and allow for zero spontenaiety.
Spontenaiety happens the moment the ball is snapped and timing is of the essential - even down to a basic handoff. Screw that up by a half step and you'll look stupid fumbling the ball over. And the timing aspect in the passing game is out of this world. The speed that takes place is increadible.
Watch Joey and Lockeyer tonight. They will do things completely beyond the scope of thought of a NFL quarterback.
Just like many things are beyond many peoples capabilities in the American passing game. It takes a lot just to complete a stupid 5 yard pass.
As for multiskilling, forget it. I recall (name forgotten) an ex AFL player who played gridiron in the US. His job? To kick a ball 50m in 4.6 seconds. 4.7 would be a failure.
Your talking about hang time and your a bit off in your representation of it. And a punter has to be able to do more than what your saying, including holding for extra points/field goals and is required to have some capability at the QB position - one of the most important positions - or he'll never punt in the NFL, no matter how far he can punt.
So he gets to do 3 types of kicks? How about tackle? Passing? Organising? Chip kicks?
There are many types of kicks, tackles, passes, organizing etc....
Had to be 4.6. Imagine Andrew Johns having nothing else to do but put an occasional kick with specific measurements! The amazing thing about the Johns brothers was their ability to pull a kick up a few inches short of the dead ballline regardless of WHERE they kicked it from. That level of brilliance is never used un NFL.
It's a talent that's highly graded in a punters ability to constantly kick inside the 20 without any return. And it's very hard to do. Never used? It's done all the time.
How many players do they need to produce those vast array of skills? You said yourself that a kicker may need to have 3 different kicks. How many are needed to simulate the wide variety of possibilities?
Not 3 different kicks, 3 completely different football skills.
Pre interchange, there were only 2 replacements allowed during a game. These players had to play an entire reserve grade match to qualify for their reserve status. And before that, there were no reserves at all. League folklore is full of men like Eric Weissel, Alan Prescott, John Sattler etc who have played hugely improatnt matches with broken bones. Weissel once set up an Ashes victory with a 75m run on a broken ankle. Gridoron's answer to this is......?
I could match your broken ankle story - like to see a link for yours, though - with Jack Youngblood playing with a broken leg in the Super Bowl.
Don't need a link - it's well known League knowledge. If you don't know the stories of Weissel, Prescott or Sattler, you shuold not be arguing anything on a league forum.
It's not my fault I don't know the full history of league. That would be pretty weeird if I did. I'm not saying it's not true, but saying it doesn't make it so AND reading the actual story would help, too.
The population difference is very crucial. With 15 times the population, you would expect the basic athlete, upon entry into the Gridiron big time, to be bigger, stronger and faster than his League counterpart. Yes, the genetic fetures of African ancestry means a pool of large people.
Genetics don't mean a damn thing here. There are loads of "white' people with the same attributes and even a fair amount of Pacific Islander blood in the NFL.
Rubbish. If you can't see the genetic differences between races, you're blind!
Of course I can see the difference in one's color of skin. But there isn't any differences in the ability of a player in the NFL because of it.
And the final nail in the Gridiron coffin - apart from the USA - the land of sporting isolationism - has been adopted by exactly ZERO countries,despite over a century of hype. Maybe other countries can't get the gear - it's all bought by motorcycle riders and bedding manufacturers.
Don't know what you mean by adopted, but it is played in other countries - Canada, Australia, Europe etc.... and the ratings for the Super Bowl dwarf anything in the rugby union or league world.
Europe isn't a country. It's presence here is so small that certain small breeds of weasles garnisheer greater support. And I bet the Australian Gridiron team has never played a test in front of 35 000 like the USA Tomahawkes have!
I know Europe is not a country. I just didn't feel like listing all the places where NFL Europe plays. Not sure about the Tomohawks as I've only seen em once. But crowds of 65-100,00 is weekly event, depending on team or college.
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