Are you interested in the topic Football vs Cricket? As a sports enthusiast, it’s normal to notice some similarities between various games. For instance, both cricket and football have 11 players on each side. In these two sports, players use balls and share common positions such as goal/wicket keepers and substitutes. Also, here you will find information about different types of football.
What are the primary differences between football and cricket?
Football and cricket are different sports in terms of gameplay, equipment, and rules.
How is the gameplay in football different from cricket?
Football is a team sport played with a round ball, where players use their feet to kick the ball and score goals. Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams, where one team bats while the other team bowls and fields.
What equipment is commonly used in football and cricket?
In football, players use a ball, goalposts, and wear cleats, shin guards, and jerseys. Cricket players use a ball, bats, stumps, and wear protective gear such as helmets, pads, gloves, and jerseys.
How do the scoring systems differ in football and cricket?
In football, teams score by kicking the ball into the opponent’s goal, earning one point per goal. In cricket, teams score runs by hitting the ball and running between wickets, with each run earning one point. Additionally, cricket teams can score bonus runs through boundaries and sixes.
What are the durations of a typical football match and a cricket match?
A football match usually lasts for 90 minutes, divided into two halves. In cricket, matches can vary in duration, ranging from a few hours for shorter formats like Twenty20 to several days for Test matches.
Even though you may know the basics of these two games, have you always been interested in understanding the difference between football and cricket? Well, you are in luck because, in this article, we will be comparing football vs cricket in-depth.
What is Cricket?
The simplest definition of what is cricket is a bat and ball game. It’s played by two teams. Each team has eleven players who are divided into batsmen, bowlers, and fielders.
The history of cricket traces back to England. This game was initially popular amongst herdsmen. However, later on, it was adopted by the noble folk. It’s currently the 2nd most popular sport in the world.
The gameplay of cricket is pretty straightforward. The bowler throws a ball and the batsman is responsible for hitting the ball and attempting to make as many running scores as possible.
The rules of cricket have undergone several changes. But currently, there are three main versions: Twenty20, One-Day International, and the Five-Day test matches.
Cricket is played in an oval grass field which is referred to as the ground. There is an infield at the center of the ground which houses the pitch. The latter is square-shaped and mostly made out of dirt.
The batsman and bowler stand inside the pitch whereas the rest of the team stand in the outfield. Cricket players are required to wear special equipment which includes: batting helmets, pads, gloves, and guards.
A key difference between cricket and football is that this game mainly revolves around the batsmen. In each delivery, batters can fail to score or score from one to six runs. Batters are expected to switch places after hitting the ball.
Batters can also score runs by hitting the ball to the boundaries. If it’s hit past the boundaries, that counts as six runs. The opposing team has one main job, to prevent these runs and that’s what makes cricket so exciting.
What is Football?
Football is twice as popular as cricket. With a staggering fanbase of more than five billion people, football is a common sport, worldwide. Unlike cricket, this is super easy to understand what is football and how to play it. Some of the popular football tournaments include; the world cup, the UEFA champions league, Premier League, Bundesliga, and the La Liga.
Like cricket, football comprises of two teams with 11 players on each side. The objective of the game is to score as many goals as possible within the provided 90 minutes. Each game is divided into two main halves of 45 minutes.
In a football team, you’ll find one goalkeeper, a handful of defenders, midfielders, and strikers. Managers are tasked with selecting a suitable formation such as 4-3-3 and 4-2-4.
On both sides of the pitch, you’ll see a goalpost. Before the start of a match, the referee flips a coin to determine who plays first.
Simplier game
At the end of the game, if neither of the teams have scored or there is a tie in the number of goals, the match can end as a draw or proceed to extra time and then penalties. Football pitches are rectangular shaped. And if a ball leaves the pitch, the referee awards a throw-in to the opposing team.
There are seven substitutes on the bench and a referee. The referee is assisted by other referees who help in checking for fouls. Though football is much simpler than cricket, it’s a pretty exciting game.
Every weekend millions of fans flock to their respective stadiums to support their teams. It’s also worth mentioning that football has other variations such as volta, beach football, 5-a-side, and street soccer. Irrespective of the variations, all football games entail players using their feet to score as many goals as possible.
Football vs Cricket
There are many similarities between cricket and football. At the same time, there are notable differences that distinguish these two sports. Here is a head-to-head comparison of football vs cricket.
Football is More Popular than Cricket
Cricket is mostly popular in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the UAE. However, football is popular everywhere. If you go to Europe, there are tens of leagues and tournaments. The same applies to the US, Argentina, and Africa. It’s safe to say that Football is the most popular sport in the world and it’s followed by Cricket.
The Fields Have Different Shapes and Sizes
A football pitch is rectangular and players utilize every corner. In cricket, the ground is oval-shaped and most action occurs on the infield.
The Outfits are Completely Different
If you compare cricket and football games, you will realize that the uniforms are quite different. in a football match, it doesn’t matter whether it’s sunny or rainy, the players wear shirts, shorts, socks, and shoes. That’s it. In cricket, players wear guards, trousers, and hats. Sometimes, cricket players also wear jumpers.
Cricket players wear more protective gear than football players. The reason the outfits for football players are simple is to ensure flexibility and ease of movement.
The Gameplay
Even though football and cricket use the same number of players every game, the playing and scoring formats are quite different. In football, the match is played in 2-halves, each lasting 45 minutes. After 90 minutes, there’ll be an injury time followed by extra time in the event of a draw.
On the other hand, cricket deals with wickets and runs. Bowlers attempt to prevent batsmen from scoring runs while the former do the vice versa. The duration of cricket matches depends on the version being played.
Another interesting difference in the gameplay is regarding the substitutes. A football substitute can actively participate in the game, whereas subs in cricket can’t wicket, bowl, or bat. Still on cricket vs football, you should know that football can get pretty rough.
Player Physique and Fitness
If you are a devoted football fan, you’d be surprised to come across cricket players who have a bigger waistline. Football is a physically demanding game that requires players to be exceptionally fit and in their best shape. The same can’t be said for cricket.
Conclusion
The similarities between football and cricket are very few. On the contrary, these two games are quite different. That’s pretty evident from our comparison of football vs cricket. Nonetheless, both games are very exciting and entertaining. It’s why they both have billions of fans.
