Draft:Outline of gridiron football

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to gridiron football:

Gridiron football is a type of football including several varieties, played primarily in the United States and Canada. "Gridiron" refers to the field the sport is played upon, marked with a series of parallel lines resembling a gridiron used in cooking. In Anglo-America, the game is known simply as "football", but that's the term used to refer to "soccer" pretty much everywhere else, requiring the addition of "gridiron" to keep the two forms from getting confused.

Gridiron football is distinguished from other football codes by its use of heavy protective equipment, the forward pass, the system of downs, a line of scrimmage, distinct positions and formations, free substitution/platooning (the use of different players for offense and defense) and the ability to score points while not in possession of the ball (by way of the safety). Walter Camp is credited with creating many of the rules that differentiate gridiron football from its older counterparts. The game is a descendant of rugby football, itself an umbrella term for various similar codes.

What type of thing is gridiron football?
Gridiron football can be described as all of the following:


 * Exercise – bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health or wellness.
 * Aerobic exercise – physical exercise that intends to improve the oxygen system. Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's energy-generating process (the citric acid cycle).
 * Game – structured activity, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more concerned with the expression of ideas. However, the distinction is not clear-cut, and many games are also considered to be work (such as professional sports).
 * Ball game – game played with a ball.
 * A type of football – sport that involves kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal.
 * Sport – form of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants.
 * Competitive sport – sport in which one or more participants or teams compete against one another. The one that is the most successful in achieving the objective of the game or sport event is the winner.
 * A type of football – sport that involves kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal.
 * Goal sport – sport in which an attacking team must send a ball or puck into a physical structure or area called a "goal" in order to score points.
 * Team sport – sport that involves players working together towards a shared objective.
 * Recreational sport – sport engaged in as a leisure time activity.
 * Spectator sport – sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. Spectator sports are a form of entertainment.
 * Professional sport – sport in which the athletes receive payment for their performance.

Varieties of gridiron football

 * Formal varieties
 * American football
 * Canadian football
 * Indoor football
 * Arena football
 * Varieties with smaller teams
 * Nine-man football
 * Eight-man football
 * Six-man football
 * Informal varieties
 * Touch football
 * Flag football
 * Street football

Rules of gridiron football

 * Comparison of American and Canadian football
 * Rules of American football
 * Rules of Canadian football

History of gridiron football

 * History of American football
 * History of Canadian football
 * History of indoor football
 * Origin of the Gridiron

Leagues of gridiron football

 * List of American and Canadian football leagues
 * National Football League
 * Canadian Football League
 * American Football League
 * World Football League
 * United States Football League
 * XFL
 * Indoor football leagues
 * af2 – 2000–present
 * American Indoor Football Association – 2005–present
 * American Professional Football League – 2003–present
 * Continental Indoor Football League – 2006–present
 * Independent Indoor Football Alliance – 2008–present
 * Indoor Football League – 2009–present
 * Lingerie Football League – 2009–present
 * Southern Indoor Football League – 2009–present
 * United States Indoor Football League – 2009–present
 * Women's leagues
 * Independent Women's Football League, 2001–
 * National Women's Football Association, 2000–2008
 * United States Women's Football League, 2011–
 * Women's Football Alliance, 2009–
 * Women's Professional Football League, 1999–2007
 * College football
 * NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
 * College Football Playoff National Championship
 * NCAA Division I Football Championship
 * NAIA Football National Championship
 * ONEFA

Coaches

 * Jim Thorpe-Founder of the National Football League, the most popular of the Leagues.
 * Walter Camp-Father of gridiron football.

Players
William Heffelfinger- First player to play football professionally.

Offense

 * Quarterback
 * Running back
 * Wide receiver
 * Tight end
 * End
 * Fullback
 * Guard
 * Center
 * Tackle

Defense

 * Linebacker
 * Defensive Tackle
 * Defensive End
 * Strong Safety
 * Free Safety
 * Cornerback

Special teams

 * Placekicker
 * Punter
 * Kickoff specialist
 * Long snapper
 * Holder
 * Punt returner
 * Kick returner
 * Gunner

Links needing placement in outline above
(This is a temporary "link dump" area to put links that you don't know where in the outline they go yet. All these links should be placed, and this section removed, before this outline is moved to article space).


 * IFAF International Federation of American Football, international governing body for American football
 * CFL Canadian Football League
 * EFAF European Federation of American Football
 * BAFA British American Football Association


 * Association of Professional Football Leagues – compact of NFL and three minor leagues, 1946–1948