American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football,[1] is a competitive team sport known for mixing strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball[2] into the opposing team's end zone. The ball can be advanced by carrying it (a running play) or by throwing it to a teammate (a passing play). Points can be scored in a variety of ways, including carrying the ball over the goal line, catching a pass from beyond the goal line, tackling an opposing ball carrier in his own end zone, or kicking the ball through the 
goal posts on the opposing side. The winner is the team with the most points when the time expires. The sport is also played outside the United States. National leagues exist in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Mexico, Israel, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and several Pacific Island nations. The National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the world, ran a developmental league in Europe from 1991–1992 and 1995–2006.American football is closely related to Canadian football, but with significant differences. Both sports originated from rugby football.
