The origin of the word “football” has been the subject of debate. The name “football” (or “foot ball”) is usually thought to relate to the action of kicking a ball with one’s foot.

An additional interpretation is that football was originally a term for a variety of foot-based activities played throughout Medieval Europe.

Conversely, American football, soccer, and rugby are all descendants of the same sport. Rugby takes its name from an English school named after a town.

And it appears that supporters of our sport simply didn’t care if it was referred to as anything other than football, pushing the other sports to differentiate themselves. Other countries refer to it as “American football” or “gridiron football,” which includes the CFL.