why is american football called football

American football is called "football" because it evolved from games broadly known as "football," which originally involved moving a ball with the feet. American football developed from a hybrid of soccer (association football) and rugby, both of which were forms of football played on foot rather than on horseback. Despite the primary use of hands in American football, the name persisted due to its historical roots and cultural significance, as the sport retained connections to its football origins and was seen as a form of the football games played in Europe. The term "football" was already well- established when American football developed unique rules and became distinct from rugby and soccer, yet it kept the name for continuity and tradition.