Comparison of American football and rugby union possession of the ball at their own 20-yard (25 yard line in College Football) line. An important difference between the two sports involves the aftermath of a score. In American football, the scoring team kicks off, except after a safety. In rugby union, the team conceding the score kicks off (in rugby sevens, a variant of rugby union featuring seven players per side, the scoring team kicks off). An American football team consists of an offensive unit, a defensive unit and a "special teams" unit (involved in kicking and kick returns). Only eleven players can be on the field at
United States national American football team United States national American football team The United States National American football team represents the United States in international men's American football competitions. It was controlled by USA Football, and was recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) until the 2015 split between IFAF Paris and IFAF New York. The United States is the most successful team at the IFAF World Championship, winning on all three of their entries in the tournament, most recently when hosting the event in 2015. The U.S. team suffered its first defeat at the 2017 World Games, being represented by college players. The