Football vs. Footy — What's the Difference?

Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word football normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used.

Football (association football) (soccer in US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand)

Any of various forms of team game involving kicking (and in some cases also handling) a ball, in particular (in the UK) soccer or (in the US) American football

The game or sport of football, usually Australian rules football or rugby league, but not soccer

A ball used in football, either round (as in soccer) or oval (as in rugby and American football) and typically made of leather or plastic and filled with compressed air.

The ball used in a game of footy.

A briefcase containing authentication codes and other items that allow the US president to authorize a nuclear strike at any time

A short sock.

A game played by two teams of 11 players each on a rectangular, 100-yard-long field with goal lines and goalposts at either end, the object being to gain possession of a ball and advance it in running or passing plays across the opponent's goal line or kick it through the air between the opponent's goalposts.

Having foots or settlings.

The inflated oval ball, slightly pointed at both ends, that is used in this game.

Of bad quality; mean, poor.

Soccer.

Having foots, or settlings; as, footy oil, molasses, etc.

Rugby.

Poor; mean.

The ball used in soccer or rugby.

(Informal) A problem or issue that is discussed among groups or persons without being settled

(general) A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to get a ball into a goal or zone defended by the other team.

Association football: a game in which two teams each contend to get a round ball into the other team's goal primarily by kicking the ball. Known as soccer in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

American football: a game played on a field of 100 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide in which two teams of 11 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.

Canadian football: a game played on a field of 110 yards long and 65 yards wide in which two teams of 12 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.

Australian rules football.

Gaelic football: a field game played with similar rules to hurling, but using hands and feet rather than a stick, and a ball, similar to, yet smaller than a soccer ball.

Rugby league.

Rugby union.

(countable) The ball used in any game called "football".

(uncountable) Practice of these particular games, or techniques used in them.

An item of discussion, particularly in a back-and-forth manner

The leather briefcase containing classified nuclear war plans which is always near the US President.

To play football.

An inflated ball to be kicked in sport, usually made in India rubber, or a bladder incased in Leather.

The game played with a football{1}, by two opposing teams of players moving the ball between goals at opposite ends of a rectangular playing field. Outside the United States football refers to soccer, and in England, also to rugby, but in the United States the shape of the ball and the rules of the game are different.

Soccer or rugby.

Something which is treated in a rough manner, usually as part of a dispute; as, a political football.

Any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal

The inflated oblong ball used in playing American football