Two separate sports that split from the same root. Soccer is played with the feet, a round ball and no handling except by the goalkeeper. Rugby is played with an oval ball that players carry, pass backwards and kick, with tackling as part of the game. Soccer is the standard American name for what most of the world calls football.
The core difference
Both descend from the loosely organised football games played at English schools in the nineteenth century. The split came over whether you could pick the ball up. The codes that said no became association football; the codes that said yes became rugby football.
- Soccer — round ball, feet only (except the goalkeeper), 11 a side, no tackling of the player.
- Rugby — oval ball, carried and passed backwards, tackling central to play, scoring by grounding the ball over the line.
Where the word soccer comes from
It is not an American invention. Soccer is British university slang from the 1880s, formed by shortening association to assoc and adding the -er ending that also gave rugger for rugby. Both words were coined in England; America kept soccer while Britain drifted to football, which is why the word now reads as American.
Why America needed a different word
Football in the United States already meant gridiron football, so the imported game needed a name that was not taken. The same happened in other countries with their own dominant football code — Australia and Ireland both use soccer for the same reason.
The two rugby codes
Rugby itself split again in 1895, over paying players:
- Rugby union — 15 players a side, the more widespread code internationally.
- Rugby league — 13 players a side, with different rules for the tackle and the restart.
They are distinct sports with separate competitions, so "rugby" alone can be ambiguous depending on where you are.
Frequently asked questions
Is soccer an American word?
It was coined in England in the 1880s, shortened from "association" football, alongside "rugger" for rugby. America kept it; Britain moved to football.
What is the main difference between rugby and soccer?
Handling and tackling. Soccer uses a round ball and feet, with no tackling of the player; rugby uses an oval ball that players carry and pass backwards, with tackling central to the game.
What is the difference between rugby union and rugby league?
They split in 1895 over paying players. Union has 15 players a side, league 13, with different tackle and restart rules. They are separate sports.