Six big differences between World Cup football and American sports: a beginner’s guide
US sports fans used to baseball, basketball and American football will have a few things to get used to if they intend to enjoy the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Here are some of the important things to remember
Despite the United States not qualifying for this edition of the World Cup, which is set to kick off in Russia this week, interest in the event is expected to be high in North America.
Soccer, as it’s known to some, is growing in popularity in the US where it’s vying for a slice of the audience pie from other staple sports such as American football, baseball and basketball.
Football is considered by many Americans as the sport of Europeans and Latin Americans, where most of the famous teams and players originate, so it will come as little surprise to those Stateside that the culture and rules of Association Football are unusual. Here are some of the main departures from staple sports in the US.
Game duration
In actual playing time, an NBA game is 48 minutes long – four quarters of 12 minutes – while American football is divided into four 15-minute quarters.