Cricket and football – differences and similarities

England

Cricket and football are some of the most popular sports in the world. Football attracts at least three billion players and features enough leagues to keep fans interested throughout the year.

At any time, fans can place wagers on their favorite teams and make money. And with the best football betting sites UK, they can review the current stats and keep track of their favorite teams. Football punters also enjoy placing wagers on cricket. After all, it ranks as the second most popular sport, with at least two billion fans. And interestingly, many of these cricket fans cross over to football. So, what makes them prefer one sport over another, and why do many fans follow both sports?

The similarities between football and cricket

Besides their huge fanbases, these sports share many similarities as follows:

1. Outdoor sports

Football and cricket take place outside. Unlike indoor games, these sports are often subject to weather conditions that can affect a team’s gameplay. For example, when it rains, the football stats often change. The same goes for cricket.

2. 11 players

Cricket and football are team sports comprising eleven players on each side. The players work together to score goals. Football involves passing the ball by foot to other players as they near the opponent’s goal. And each team tries to score a goal which the opponent’s keeper must defend. The same goes for cricket. While the players may not kick the ball to each other, they use batting to score goals, which the wicketkeeper must prevent.

3. The refereeing

Referees are often the center of attention in highly anticipated games. So, how do they fair in cricket and football? Cricket games feature two field umpires and a third empire who can be a television umpire. On the other hand, football relies on one referee and two assistant referees.

Additionally, both games are available on bookie sites, enabling punters to live stream, place live bets, or even place wagers based on their predictions.

The differences between football and cricket

If these games had many similarities, their fans would likely mesh. But aside from the ones above, these games have many differences that enable their fans to get the best of both worlds, as follows:

1. The gameplay

While they are team games with eleven players per side, their playing patterns differ. In football, the starting eleven play together, passing the ball between the defenders, midfielders, attackers, and so on. But in cricket, the players do not play at the same time. Moreover, the batting and bowling are not simultaneous. One group does the bowling while the other does the batting. So, while the goals are the same, the processes are different.

2. The fields

Both sports are outdoor games. But a football field differs from a cricket field. In football, the field measures anything from 90 and 120 meters in length and 45 and 90 meters in width. Moreover, it is rectangular. Cricket fields are oval or circular and measure anything between 137 and 150 meters.

3. The uniforms

Dressing in football requires t-shirts with short sleeves, soccer boots, socks, and a pair of shorts. Moreover, since the teams play together, they must wear contrasting colors. Teams often have different looks and determine the best uniform for each match based on what their opponents will wear. TV screens also use colors to help fans differentiate the teams and follow the stats. In cricket, the dressing comprises a shirt with long or short sleeves, a cap, spiked shoes, and full-length trousers. Players also wear jumpers.

4. Scoring

A football match lasts about 90 minutes, with 45 minutes per half. The game can often have overtime, especially during penalty shootouts. But the premise is the same – the team with the most goals at the blow of the last whistle wins the game. The game can also end in a tie. Cricket games can last up to five days! They involve a lot of batting and bowling as the opponents work to hit the ball and score runs. Teams gain points, and the accumulation determines who bags the win.

5. Penalties

Football rules dictate that players who disobey the rules get called out for fouls and can get yellow and red cards. A yellow card signifies a player has made a foul play, while a red card disqualifies them. Cricket does not have yellow cards. In fact, their first red card was in 2017. Players guilty of misconduct can thus get disqualified from the game.

6. Equipment

Football is a simple game. The players kick the ball in the opponent’s direction to get near the goal and score. They can use any body part except their hands to move the ball. If a player touches the ball with their hands, the referee blows the whistle on the foul. Moreover, players cannot use equipment to move the ball; only the keeper can have gloves to catch the ball. In cricket, players use a wooden bat to hit the ball. And they wear protective gear as the small hard ball can cause injuries when traveling at high speeds.

Verdict

When it comes down to it, they are both exciting sports that allow fans to follow every minute of action. And because of their core differences, fans can get more out of the games by following both options.

Stuart Broad

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