h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So what about Canadian Football. It should have made the list. Granted the game is similar to American Football, but hwere else can you get the Rouge?

The Rouge? I have no idea what that is. Anyway, I thought there were no real differences between American Football and the CFL, which explains why Doug Flutie has managed star status in both leagues.

What about Canadian Football ????????? No, honestly, being English, I really don't know what the difference is - explanations on a postcard please ....

OK, Canadian Football is about the same as American Football. There are some differences, however.

The field itself is much larger. It is 110 yards long (with a 55 yard line), the endzones are 20 yards deep, as opposed to the normal 10 yards of American Football, and the goal-posts in the front of the endzone, like they used to be in the NFL. The field is also wider, but I don't know how much wider. The ball, itself, is also larger.

A big diiference is the number of downs each team has to go 10 yards. In American football, it's 4; in Canadian, it's only 3. Also, in the Canadian version, there are 12 men on the field, not 11 like in American.

While Canadian Football has all of the usual point values (touchdown=6, field goal=3, safety=2, 1 or 2 point conversions), it has one the American Football doesn't have, the Rouge. This is a single point awarded to a team that has just kicked the ball and the opposing team cannot return it. For example, team A is attempting a field goal. The ball misses wide left, and a member from team B picks up the ball 15 yards deep in the endzone. Team B must either try to return the ball or down the ball. If team B does not return the ball, team A is awarded one point. It is essentially a penalty for taking a touchback, except the ball is placed at the 35 yard line as opposed to the 20. This rule applies to punts and kick-offs that go into the endzone as well. Also, there are no fair-catches.

In American football, offensive players (like wide recievers) cannot be moving towards the line of scrimmage before the snap. The CFL has no such rule.

There are many more minor differences, but these are the major ones.

It's still essentially the same sport, though. Aside from the field variations and the number of players. As for having to return all kicks, I can't say I agree with that. If I were a special teams coordinator, I would have my punter kick the ball high into the air, for about 35 yards. This would give the coverage guys plenty of time to stake out the punt returner. I would very likely regain possesion of the ball, and the punt returner would certainly leave the field on a stretcher. But other than the field and # of players, it's no more different from the NFL than the college game is.

As for the goalposts, they aren't very different. The rest of the country moved them to the back of the endzone to keep people from killing themselves, but they arc forward a good ways into the endzone. Plus, they were lowered a bit. This makes them safer, but effectively still located at the front of the endzone.

I'm happy to chuck that lot in under the heading Canadian Football - but it might be even better if you wrote an individual user page on Canadian Football and then pointed me at it, and I'll work that in.

Smiley Ben: not until after you update my American Footbal section

An update is very much on the books - but I'm going to do everything at the same time since it's much easier that way, hence I'll do them at the same time.

no pressure...just wanted to make sure you hadn't forgotten