Football vs. Volleyball — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on October 29, 2023
Football is a team sport where players advance an oval ball towards the opponent's end zone; volleyball involves hitting a ball over a net without letting it touch the ground.
Difference Between Football and Volleyball
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Football is a widely popular sport where two teams face off with the primary goal of advancing an oval ball, either by carrying or passing, towards the opposing team's end zone. Volleyball, on the other hand, sees two teams aiming to hit a spherical ball over a high net, ensuring it lands in the opponent's court and doesn't touch the ground on their side.
In terms of equipment, football players often wear helmets, shoulder pads, and other protective gear due to the sport's physical nature. Volleyball players typically don apparel like shorts, jerseys, and knee pads, reflecting the game's less collision-oriented nature but still demanding agility.
Football can be played on various surfaces, from grass to artificial turf, and features a specific field with marked yards, end zones, and goal posts. Volleyball is usually played on a rectangular court, either indoor with a wooden floor or outdoor on sand, known as beach volleyball.
Scoring in football involves touchdowns, field goals, and safeties, each with distinct point values. Volleyball scoring is based on rallies: points are awarded every time the ball hits the ground in the opponent's court or if a fault is committed by the opposing team.
To encapsulate, while both football and volleyball are team sports with objectives centered around a ball, their gameplay, equipment, venues, and scoring mechanisms significantly differ.
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Comparison Chart
Objective
Advance an oval ball to the opponent's end zone.
Hit a ball over a net without it touching the ground.
Typical Equipment
Helmets, shoulder pads, cleats.
Jerseys, knee pads, specialized shoes.
Playing Surface
Grass or artificial turf.
Indoor court or beach.
Scoring Mechanisms
Touchdowns, field goals, safeties.
Points awarded for rallies and opponent's faults.
Ball Shape
Oval.
Spherical.
Compare with Definitions
Football
It involves running, passing, and tackling.
The quarterback is crucial for the football team's passing game.
Volleyball
Volleyball is a sport where teams volley a ball over a net.
She served the volleyball with precision and power.
Football
The game has specialized positions like quarterback and linebacker.
He dreams of becoming a football running back.
Volleyball
Teams rotate and have specialized roles like spiker and setter.
The setter in their volleyball team has excellent skills.
Football
Played predominantly in North America.
Every fall, football becomes the prime entertainment for many.
Volleyball
Points are scored when the ball hits the opponent's court.
The team celebrated their volleyball win after a close match.
Football
Football is a team sport with an oval ball.
The players eagerly prepared for the upcoming football game.
Volleyball
It can be played indoors or on a beach.
The beach volleyball tournament attracted many spectators.
Football
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.
Volleyball
A game of agility, coordination, and strategy.
Volleyball practices often focus on improving team dynamics.
Football
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
A football club
A football match
Volleyball
(uncountable) A game played on a rectangular court between two teams of two to six players which involves striking a ball back and forth over a net.
Football
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.
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.
Football
A briefcase containing authentication codes and other items that allow the US president to authorize a nuclear strike at any time
Wherever the president travels, a military aide stays close with the football
Whose fingers would we prefer to have on America's nuclear football?
Volleyball
A game for two teams, usually of six players, in which a large ball is hit by hand over a high net, the aim being to score points by making the ball reach the ground on the opponent's side of the court.
Football
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.
Volleyball
A game played by two teams on a rectangular court divided by a high net, in which each team, using up to three hits per effort to return the ball, tries to drive the ball over the net onto the ground on the opposing team's side.
Football
The inflated oval ball, slightly pointed at both ends, that is used in this game.
Volleyball
The inflated, spherical ball used in this game.
Football
Soccer.
Volleyball
(countable) The inflated ball used in such a game.
Football
Rugby.
Volleyball
A game in which two teams hit an inflated ball over a high net using their hands
Football
The ball used in soccer or rugby.
Volleyball
An inflated ball used in playing volleyball
Football
(Informal) A problem or issue that is discussed among groups or persons without being settled
The issue of tax reform became a political football.
Football
(general) A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to get a ball into a goal or zone defended by the other team.
Roman and medieval football matches were more violent than any modern type of football.
Football
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.
Each team scored three goals when they played football.
Football
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.
Each team scored two touchdowns when they played football.
Football
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.
They played football in the snow.
Football
Australian rules football.
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.
Football
Rugby league.
Football
Rugby union.
Football
(countable) The ball used in any game called "football".
The player kicked the football.
Football
(uncountable) Practice of these particular games, or techniques used in them.
Football
An item of discussion, particularly in a back-and-forth manner
That budget item became a political football.
Football
The leather briefcase containing classified nuclear war plans which is always near the US President.
Football
To play football.
Football
An inflated ball to be kicked in sport, usually made in India rubber, or a bladder incased in Leather.
Football
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.
Football
Soccer or rugby.
Football
Something which is treated in a rough manner, usually as part of a dispute; as, a political football.
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
Football
The inflated oblong ball used in playing American football
Football
Scoring can be through touchdowns or field goals.
The kicker made a 50-yard field goal in the football match.
Common Curiosities
What ball is used in football?
In football, an oval-shaped ball is used.
How do volleyball players score points?
In volleyball, points are scored when the ball touches the opponent's court or if the opposing team commits a fault.
How many players are on a typical volleyball team?
A standard volleyball team has six players on the court.
How is volleyball different from beach volleyball?
Volleyball is typically played indoors on a hard court, while beach volleyball is played on sand outdoors.
Are football and volleyball played globally?
Yes, both football (especially soccer in some regions) and volleyball are played and loved worldwide.
What protective gear is used in football?
Football players wear helmets, shoulder pads, cleats, and other protective gear.
What's the duration of a standard football game?
A standard football game, excluding stoppages, lasts around 60 minutes.
What is the primary objective in football?
The main goal in football is to advance the ball to the opponent's end zone for a touchdown.
Are there different versions of football?
Yes, there are various versions, including American football, Canadian football, and what's known as soccer in the U.S.
Is serving important in volleyball?
Yes, serving initiates play in volleyball and can be a strategic move.
Why do volleyball players often dive on the floor?
Volleyball players dive to save the ball from touching the ground and keep the rally going.
Can volleyball be played by just two people?
Yes, especially in beach volleyball, where games can be played as 2 vs 2.
Are touchdowns the only way to score in football?
No, in football, points can be scored via touchdowns, field goals, and safeties.
What is a safety in football?
A safety in football occurs when the offense is tackled in its own end zone, awarding the defense two points.
Which sport, football or volleyball, is more contact-intensive?
Football is more contact-intensive, with players frequently tackling and blocking opponents.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
