Monday, May 9, 2011

Switzerland takes on American Football


Football (the kind we have in America) as always been extremely unique to the citizens of the United States, and there aren't too many other countries that have organized teams for the sport.

Switzerland, a country known for its strong following of winter sports (e.g. cross-country, bobsledding, and ice hockey) has named football to be the third most popular sport in the country, behind ice hockey at number two and soccer at number one.

The Swiss American Football League has 16 member clubs, including one just across the border in Austria. According to the rules of the league, each team can have up to 6 players from America and Canada, and they may also employ American coaches to help them with the game. One of the stark differences between Swiss football and American football is that the season is played during the spring, when there's no snow on the ground.

The sport was introduced to the country only thirty years previously, but it has become known as a family event, as opposed to soccer when the players often go to drink beer when a match is over.

You can see the article here.