Football is the most popular sport in Britain. It was played in China as far back as 200 BC and came to England in the 12th century. Today, there are around 90professional teams in England and 40 in Scotland. Most people support their local team, and sometimes rival supporters get into fights. That’s when the ‘football hooligans’ hit the headlines.
Unlike in football, where the ball is round and players can only move it with their feet, in rugby, the ball is oval and the players can catch and kick it. rugby is a contact sport, so you can physically tackle the player who has the ball. The game originated at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, in the 18th century. American football and Australian rules football both developed from rugby.
Tennis is another old sport. It was played indoors in France in the 12th century, and the players used their hands to hit the ball. The scoring system is a little strange because the players score 15, 30 and 40 for each point. Deuce means the score is tied, and love means that a player has no points. Wimbledon, near London, held its first championships in 1877, and the grass courts have been famous ever since.
Cricket is an old English game. The pitch (field), where most of the action takes place, is 0.1 furlong (20.12m) long. There are two batters and eleven fielders, and the bowler uses a straight over arm action to throw the ball. A modern game lasts one day, while a major game can go on for three days, or an international game can take five. I can’t imagine cricket becoming popular in America. Baseball is a game with some similarities, but it is not played in England. I guess the two populations need very different sports.
<The UK and the USA-Compare and Contrast by Nan’undo>