The Causality Relation between the Kazakhstan Stock Market and the US Dissertation

The Causality Relation between the Kazakhstan Stock Market and the US Dollar, the Euro and the Russian Ruble - Dissertation Example The relation between the Kazakhstan tenge and other currencies is examined by statistical time series analysis. The relationship of exchange rates over a specific period of time is studied based upon bivariate and multivariate variables. Currency has continuously evolved as the domestic and international vehicle for trade. This paper will define and discuss the history of the causality relation between the Kazakhstan Stock Market and the tenge, and the US Dollar, the Euro, and the Russian Ruble. The research includes a quantitative analysis by using several statistical methods to support the hypotheses. The sample data represents performance analysis from June 2000 to December 2012. Skilled trader George Soros earned one billion dollars in one day, trading currency on the Foreign Exchange market (XE Currency, 2013). Massive amounts of World trade are made possible through stock exchanges. Today, world trade systems have become high-tech, electronic passageways for intercontinental commerce. The Foreign Exchange market (FOREX) is as big as the World Wide Web. Averaging trillions of dollars in transactions each day, the FOREX operates 24 hours a day. However, the stock market did not become what it is today, overnight. Time, trial and error, and the demand for commerce have shaped the stock market exchange into what it is today. The stock exchange is the most crucial element of international trade. Stocks are like football teams, the true fans root for their favorites whether they win or lose. And when they lose, they don’t exchange them for better prospects, they go back to the play room drawing board. Some have argued tha

An esay about the culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An esay about the culture - Essay Example This particular civilization and culture was one that developed in an isolated area of the globe in which little if any interaction with foreign cultures took place. As a result of this, the unique cultural level of development place within the Eskimo culture was almost entirely naked; not borrowing from the experiences, religions, points of view, or technologies that other cultures might have provided. By means of comparison and contrast, the culture of the Arabs was one that impacted greatly upon other regions in and around those areas that were primarily settled by Arabs. The underlying impact that geography had with regards to this level of cultural development had to act that there were few if any actual barriers within the Arab world between those regions that they colonized, traded with, and impacted in terms of their religion. When viewing North Africa, or the Arabian Peninsula for that matter, is readily noted that few if any barriers exist with respect to individuals freely moving about. As compared to the litany of different cultures, religions, and philosophies that existed within a divided Europe, the similarity and cohesion that existed within the Arab cultures was facilitated by this overall lack of geographic barriers. Finally, the cultures of South America, prior to the introduction of Europeans to this land, were extraordinarily insular. This is not to say that powerful empires such as the Inca did not exist; rather, it merely helps to underscore the fact that even though these powerful empires existed, they only had an immediate cultural impact within a close geographic proximity of themselves. However, unlike the case of the Eskimo culture which is previously been discussed, the issue that was exhibited within South America in pre-Columbian times had to do with the fact that the geography of South America was so formidable and differentiated. Massive rivers, high mountain ranges, deserts, and dense jungles

Business Have Social Responsibility Other Than Maximizing Profits Philosophy Essay

Business Have Social Responsibility Other Than Maximizing Profits Philosophy Essay Companies do not operate in vacuum, according to Times of Malta (2010), yet they are a necessary part of society in which they operate. As a result, like any other responsible social citizen, businesses also have certain social responsibilities to fulfill such as maximizing profit without which the very existence of the businesses would be in jeopardy. There is of course another very vital reason as to why businesses should be considerate about fulfilling their social responsibility. If they perform as socially responsible citizens they would gain social approval that would enhance their goodwill among prospective customers and this in its turn would increase their sales. Moreover, they would not attract governmental penalties that would be their business in any risk of shutting down. Any form of unethical social acts will make it that much more difficult for them to convince prospective customers and impact will be more severe and more damaging to their organization than one can ima gine and can jeopardize their business to close down. The added problem of penalties imposed by the government, which would make it even more difficult for them to survive. At this stage, the difference between charity and social responsibility must be clarified. For example donating funds to a hospital is sure a creditable act it cannot be called as fulfilling social responsibility as a business does not fulfill any responsibility by doing charity. It is not obliged to do an act of charity but it is obligated to the society to fulfill its social responsibility. Carrying this similarity a little further, if a businessman earns money through illegal means and uses that money to open and run a hospital that treats poor patients free of cost, still that businessman cannot be said to have carried out his social responsibility. A business is said to be socially responsible if it does not engage in any activity that might harm the society even if it increases profit in the short run. Soci al responsibility of businesses implies nonparticipation in cheating customers through false advertisements and eliminating dishonesty to society itself. Social responsibility also includes decent working conditions to employees and taking care of their health and welfare. Profit, not social responsibility, should be the sole motive of business Profit itself should be the main aim of businesses. It might apparently sound rather outrageous, especially if we view this statement from the perspective of distancing profit from ethics and morality. Society may tend to view profit by itself as something unethical and immoral and any attempt at making profit is looked upon as being manipulative to society Milton Friedman illustrates, The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits (Friedman 1970), tries to put things in proper perspective by discussing certain very basic and relevant issues in regards of businesses increasing profits as the initial goal. Before society look s into what is exactly meant by social responsibility of corporations one has to admit that corporations initial goal have a long prosperous future and are not expected to have similar social responsibilities that are not involved in the business aspect. At the most, one might admit that these businesses can have social responsibilities that would, quite obviously, be different from real social responsibilities of real persons that do not own businesses. Honoring social responsibility therefore falls on managers of those corporations as they are persons that implement and execute policies and activities. This brings us to another important aspect, that is, the relationships between managers and their stockholders, who are the real owners, of a corporation. Managers are responsible of any action on their part to fulfill so-called social responsibility. However, this does not mean that managers being individual citizens cannot do anything to fulfill what they might perceive as social responsibility. But they can do so with their own money and not with companys funds whose money and utilization has to be done according to the wishes and desires of their stockholders as they are working as a team for their business. Stockholders on the other hand can also with their own money engage in any form activity that they may believe to fit as fulfillment of social responsibility. Freidman also explains that That is why, in my book Capitalism and Freedom, I have called it a fundamentally subversive doctrine in a free society, and have said that in such a society, there is one and only one social responsibility of businessto use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.(Freidman, 1970) So, it is perhaps clear that the whole concept of corporate social responsibility is more of a controversial nature rather than hav ing a solid and logical base. But does that mean corporations should never engage in any activity other than profit maximization? The answer obviously cannot be in the No. According to Cosans in his scholarly article The Coperate Stake in Social Cohesion, a corporate has to operate within the legal and ethical norms of the society in which it operates and any violation of those norms would surely invite executive penalty and social censure and consequent loss of goodwill. Therefore, no corporation can take such a risk and can never engage in any activity that is either illegal or unethical (Cosans 2008). A corporation can surely set free the concepts of social responsibility if its investors decide so. A donation for a charitable purpose can be considered as an act of social responsibility, it can also be seen as an act that is motivated by genuine unselfishness to unwell and ill organizations less privileged individuals. Yet, it is perhaps needless to state that such attempts are t riggered purely by profit maximization motive and surely not social responsibility. As Freidman states if businesses to want to be socially responsible they must do it at their own expense The difficulty of exercising social responsibility illustrates, of course, the great virtue of private competitive enterpriseit forces people to be responsible for their own actions and makes it difficult for them to exploit other people for either selfish or unselfish purposes. They can do goodbut only at their own expense. (Friedman, 1970) So, however one may look at it, the main objective of corporations firmly remain maximization of profits. Corporations must fulfill their social responsibility John Steinbeck in his classic Grapes of Wrath had described profit making in such an controversial viewpoint that any one reading that text would instantly become a hater of large corporations. The setting is indeed overemotional where we find the bank on one side and the unfortunate starving farmers o n the other. The bank can be seen as such a monster that it cannot survive without making profit and it is prepared to oust people from their homes on to the roads where an uncertain future stares at them simply because it has to earn profit by some means or the other. The bank is owner of hundred thousand acres of land and is evicting small and marginal landowners from the only land they have simply because these poor farmers could not pay interest on small amounts borrowed from this bank (Steinbeck 1988). Steinbeck illustrates profit making in such harsh and dishonest ways in which the bank tries to make profit from the farmers who cannot afford to pay the bank. Just because they are poor quite obviously does not give them the right to usurp the money they had taken as loan. Steinbeck though very expressive in describing the sadness of these poor people is however silent on why should investors in these banks suffer due to the inefficiencies of these poor farmers. Though it did no t rain that year and farmers were unable to grow cotton for no fault of theirs but this definitely cannot be a justification for denying investors of the rightful due. The bank workers suggest the farmers to choose for social security measures and leave to West California, but the farmers remain stubborn on refusing to vacate the land Grampa had acquired after killing Indians and snakes. Steinbeck illustrates no remorse for the bank who had lent out money to these farmers and the employees of the bank and rather he remorses for the farmers. One might say, the author remains focused on describing in graphic detail the agonies and deprivations of these poor farmers and not understand the banks point of view as an organization and its duties. Even through the farmers harsh and immoral comments saying bring one war and once the cotton prices get high they would be able to repay all the money they owe to the bank (Steinbeck 1988). Possibly Steinbeck also realized the emptiness of the exp ression he had used to describe the vulnerability of the farmers and he tries to bring some balance through the driver who caustically remarks that such language might bring praise for the tenant man but would not be enough to earn three dollars per day the tractor driver is earning. The sorrow is sensitive by the unrealistic attempt by the tenant man to defend his dwelling from collapsing by lifting his rifle but not being sure who to aim at. It seems Steinbeck was also not sure who exactly to blame for this unpleasant situation and he chose the most convenient enemy the faceless profit eating monster called the bank. Such an outcome of profit making will only raise eyebrows rather than any serious thoughts (Steinbeck 1988). Moses Oketch however presents an highly balanced and reasonable view of why corporations should fulfill their social responsibility. While admitting that earning of profit is essential for the survival of a business and unless it survives it cannot perform any responsibility in terms of social or otherwise, Oketch speak out that for any business to prosper it needs to earn the trust of the community wherein it operates. This trust can only be earned if the corporation works towards social consistent that looks beyond the narrow imprison of shareholders to the wider ground of stakeholders. If it can execute unbiased and reasonable norms of corporate governance it would win unqualified support of its employees and who does not know that motivated and committed human resource is the greatest asset any corporation can ever possess. Oketch terms transparent and fair governance as one example of how corporations can fulfill their social responsibility. Zero tolerance of corrupt practices also would paint the organization in very favorable light in the eyes of society and it would consider the organization to be even more trustworthy. Other examples of social responsibility include engaging in partnership with governments and non-governmental or ganizations to undertake programs that might not have any direct bearing with its line of business but are burning social issues nonetheless like fight against HIV and AIDS. The main thrust of Oketchs argument is that a business must undertake socially cohesive measures as part of its social responsibility if it wants to survive and prosper (Oketch 2004). Conclusion If we keep the viewpoint of Steinbeck aside and look into the positions taken by Friedman and Oketch we find that there is hardly any difference between the two approaches. Both these authors endorse the primacy profit making and while Friedman does not elaborate more than mentioning that every business should operate within the legal and ethical framework of the society they are functioning in, Oketch goes on to detail the various steps a corporation should take to fulfill its social obligations and responsibilities. He further elaborates the extent of corporate attention from only shareholders to all stakeholders. But Friedman also hints at it when he mentions legal and ethical obligations. All the actions that corporations should initiate for social consistent have a single aim that of increasing mutual trust with society as a whole. Friedman termed it as goodwill and I guess was not very far off the mark. Therefore it can be concluded that if a corporation takes all necessary steps to make certain a steady long term profit, it is clear to carry out all those activities that are termed as corporate social responsibility not out of any social or ethical or even moral compulsion but out of pure and complete profit motive.

Personal Narrative on Friends :: essays research papers

When you’re young, you don’t care about how a person looks or acts, they’re just people, friends. Growing up, you’ll find that qualities a friend has to have or can’t have become very important. It took a special kind of friend to show me that the true heart of a person is what really counts. Almost at the age of seven, I made a friend named Dani. I liked being with her because she was always smiling. We played together and giggled a lot. Sometimes, she’d randomly dance, spin around, or run away alone, but I never cared or wondered why. One day, there were these older kids pointing and laughing at her. I skipped up to them. â€Å"Dani’s my friend,† I blurted out happily. They laughed even harder. â€Å"Don’t hang with her, kid. She’s mental,† the one whose face was the most red warned me. â€Å"Huh?† I was puzzled. â€Å"Yeah. She’s like- a retard!† again, they looked like hyenas, laughing their heads off as they walked away leaving me totally confused. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with Dani, but there was a large part of me that just had to listen to the big kids because they were always right. The next day at school, I tried to avoid Dani. The cool kids said she was a â€Å"retard† and that didn’t sound good. At recess, I sat on the ground, lonely. Suddenly, I heard the loud familiar laughs from yesterday. I looked to my left and saw the same cool kids. I also noticed Dani, dancing with something she picked off of the ground. â€Å"Jessica!† her eyes lit up. The other kids stared at me, as if I was some translator for two very different languages. Dani stood up and was about to hug me, but I moved away. â€Å"No, Dani!† I couldn’t believe myself, I was talking to her as if she were a dog. â€Å"You are a ‘re-tard’,† I still didn’t really knew what that meant, but using the word made me feel older. â€Å"I’m not playing with you anymore.† I tried to look like my mother when she refused to buy me more candy. Dani studied my face for a moment. â€Å"Go away!† I exclaimed. That did it. Dani cried, and I felt cold tears sliding down my cheeks too. She scurried away until I couldn’t see her anymore. The big kids were practically choking on their saliva, laughing so hard.

Victim Blaming

According to the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, victim blaming can be defined as â€Å"a devaluing act that occurs when the victim(s) of a crime or an accident is held responsible — in whole or in part — for the crimes that have been committed against them†. It can appear in forms of negative social response from authoritative organizations (lawyers, police, etc. ) or from the victim’s social circle (friends, family, school, etc. ) towards the crime that has occurred. In our case, the crime that has occurred-or, more accurately, might occur-is rape.The exam question subtextually sends this message: â€Å"If you do not want to be raped, do not behave this way. If you do not behave this way, rape will not happen. † If we want to stop rape, should we not, instead, teach rapists about the wrongness of nonconsensual sex (sexual intercourse while under the influence of alcohol does NOT count as consensual sex, explained in the next paragra ph)? If we keep telling our women to cover up and avoid ‘trouble’, we are making no attempt to stop the assaulter. We cannot constantly tell women to run away when we are making no, or little, attempt to educate the men.We constantly give conditions to rape: if she was drunk, walking around alone at night, wearing clothing deemed ‘provocative’, etc. then it is not rape. In some cases, the victim is in a drunken state and therefore is unable to give proper consent. This is when they are taken advantage of and are raped. However, when someone is drunk they are unaware of their surroundings and therefore unaware of their actions. We cannot blame someone for getting raped while drunk. I agree that they should not get drunk in the first place, but they are not responsible for another individual’s actions.

History of Football Essay

Football, American, distinct type of football that developed in the United States in the 19th century from soccer (association football) and rugby football. Played by professionals and amateurs (generally male college or high school teams), football is one of the most popular American sports, attracting thousands of participants and millions of spectators annually. The forerunner of American football may have been a game played by the ancient Greeks, called harpaston. In this game there was no limit to the number of players. The object was to move a ball across a goal line by kicking, throwing, or running with it. Classical literature contains detailed accounts of the game, including its rougher elements, such as ferocious tackling. Most modern versions of football, however, originated in England, where a form of the game was known in the 12th century. In subsequent centuries football became so popular that various English monarchs, including Edward II and Henry VI, forbade the game because it took interest away from the military sport of archery. By the middle of the 19th century football had split into two distinct entities. Still popular today, these two sports included the football association game, or soccer (the word being a slang adaptation of the three letters, s-o-c, in Association), and rugby, in which players ran with the ball and tackled. Modern football evolved out of these two sports. The Playing Field and the Ball The football playing field is rectangular in shape, measuring 100 yd (91. 4 m) long and 53. 5 yd (48. 9 m) wide. At both ends of the 100-yard dimension, white lines called goal lines mark off the entrances to the end zones. Each team defends one end zone. A team must carry, pass, or kick the ball into the 10-yd (9-m) end zone on the opponents’ half of the field to score. Lines parallel to the end zones cross the field at 5-yd (4. 5-m) intervals. These lines give the field a resemblance to a large gridiron. Another set of lines, known as the sidelines, runs along both sides of the field. In addition, two rows of lines, called hash marks, run parallel to the sidelines. The hash marks are 53 ft 4 in (16. 3 m) from each sideline in college and high school football, and 70 ft 9 in (21. 6 m) from each sideline in the National Football League (NFL). Each play must begin on or between the hash marks. Before each play, the officials place the ball either between the hash marks or on the hash mark closest to the end of the previous play. Situated in the middle of the rear line of each end zone are goalposts, consisting of a 10-ft (3-m) vertical pole topped by a horizontal crossbar from which two vertical upright posts extend. In college and professional football, the posts are 18 ft 6 in (about 5. 6 m) apart. The football consists of an inflated rubber bladder encased in a leather or rubber cover. The ball is an extended spheroid, having a circumference of 28. 5 in (72. 4 cm) around the long axis and 21. 25 in (54 cm) around the short axis. It weighs between 14 and 15 oz (397 and 425 g). Playing Time A game of football is divided into four periods, known as quarters, each consisting of 15 minutes of playing time. The first two periods constitute the first half; the second two comprise the second half. Between the halves, a rest period, usually lasting about 15 minutes, is permitted the players, who may leave the field. The teams change halves of the field at the end of each quarter. The clocks stop at the end of each quarter and at certain other times, when particular events occur or when designated by the officials. The Players Football is played by two opposing teams, each fielding 11 players. Each team tries to move the ball down the field to score in the end zone defended by its opponents. During a football game the teams are designated as the offensive team (the team in possession of the ball) and the defensive team (the team defending a goal line against the offensive team). Players involved in kicking situations are known as the special teams. The 11 players of the offensive team are divided into two groups: 7 linemen, who play on the line of scrimmage (an imaginary line designating the position of the ball) and a backfield of 4 players, called backs, who stand in various positions behind the linemen. The lineman whose position is in the middle of the line is called the center. On his left is the left guard and on his right is the right guard. On the left of the left guard is the left tackle, and on the right of the right guard is the right tackle; similarly, on the ends of the line are the tight end and the split end. The back who usually  stands directly behind the center and directs the play of the offensive team is known as the quarterback. In a balanced backfield formation, or â€Å"T-formation,† the fullback stands behind the quarterback, and the left and right halfbacks stand to either side of the fullback. Teams often use wide receivers in the place of tight ends, split ends, halfbacks, or fullbacks. Wide receivers line up on the line of scrimmage but wide of the rest of the formation. The defensive team consists of a row of linemen, who comprise the defensive line, a row of linebackers, and a collection of defensive backs, known as the secondary. The defensive line can use any number of players, though most teams use three or four linemen. Defensive linemen principally are responsible for stopping the opposition’s rushing attack and, in passing situations, putting pressure on the quarterback. The linebackers line up behind the defensive line and, depending on the situation, are used to stop runners, pressure the quarterback, or cover the opposition’s receivers. Teams usually employ three or four linebackers. The secondary is comprised of cornerbacks, who cover wide receivers, and safeties, who cover receivers, offer support in stopping the rushing attack, and pressure the quarterback. The secondary commonly consists of two cornerbacks and two safeties. Protective Equipment To protect themselves from the often violent bodily contact that characterizes football, players wear elaborate equipment, including lightweight plasticized padding covering the thighs, hips, shoulders, knees, and often the forearms and hands. Players also wear plastic helmets with guards that cover most of the face. The Officials Play is supervised by impartial officials. Professional and major college football programs use seven officials: a referee, an umpire, a linesman, a field judge, a back judge, a line judge, and a side judge. The officials carry whistles and yellow penalty flags. They blow the whistles or throw the flags to indicate that an infraction of the rules has been committed. The referee is in charge of the game at all levels of play. The referee supervises the other officials, decides on all matters not under other officials’ specific jurisdiction, and enforces penalties. The referee indicates when the ball is dead (out of play) and when it may again be put into play, and uses hand signals to indicate specific decisions and penalties. The umpire makes decisions on questions concerning the players’ equipment, their conduct, and their positioning. The principal duty of the linesman is to mark the position of the ball at the end of each play. The linesman has assistants who measure distances gained or lost, using a device consisting of two vertical markers connected by a chain or cord 10 yd (9 m) long. The linesman must particularly watch for violations of the rule requiring players to remain in certain positions before the ball is put into play. The field judge times the game, using a stopwatch for this purpose. In some cases, the stadium scoreboard has a clock that is considered official. Game Procedure At the beginning of each game, the referee tosses a coin in the presence of the two team captains to determine which team kicks off or receives the kickoff. At the start of the second half, these conditions are reversed—that is, the team that kicks off in the first half receives the kickoff to start the second half. During the kickoff, the ball is put in play by a place-kick from the kicking team’s 35-yd (32-m) line, or the 30-yd (27. 4-m) line in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL kickoff was moved from the 35-yd line in 1994 to increase the importance of the kickoff return. The kicking team lines up at or behind the ball, while the opponents spread out over their territory in a formation calculated to help them to catch the ball and run it back effectively. If the kick stays within the boundaries of the field, any player on the receiving team may catch the ball, or pick it up on a bounce, and run with it. As the player runs, the player may be tackled by any opponent and stopped, known as being downed. The player carrying the ball is considered downed when one knee touches the ground. Tacklers use their hands and arms to stop opponents and throw them to the ground. After the ball carrier is stopped, the referee blows a whistle to stop play and places the ball on the spot where the runner was downed. Play also stops when the ball carrier runs out of bounds. A scrimmage (action while the ball is in play) then takes place. Before scrimmage begins, the team on offense usually gathers in a circle, called a huddle, and discusses the next play it will use to try to advance the ball. A coach either signals the play choice  to the team from the sidelines, or the team’s quarterback chooses from among the dozens of rehearsed plays in the team’s repertoire. The defensive team also forms a huddle and discusses its next attempt to slow the offense. Each play is designated by code numbers or words, called signals. After the teams come out of their respective huddles, they line up opposite each other on the line of scrimmage. If the quarterback analyzes the defensive alignment and decides that the chosen play should be changed, the quarterback can call an audible and shout the coded directions for a new play. Play begins when the center crouches over the ball and, on a spoken signal, snaps it—generally to the quarterback—by handing it between his legs. Based upon the chosen play, the quarterback can pass the ball, hand it off to a teammate, or run with it. During the scrimmage, the players on the offensive team may check the defenders using their bodies, but they are constrained by specific rules regarding the use of their hands or arms. The player running with the ball, however, is allowed to use an arm to ward off potential tacklers. The offensive players check defenders, or try to force them out of the way, by performing a maneuver known as blocking. Good blocking is considered a fundamental technique in football. Perhaps the most spectacular offensive play is the forward pass, in which the ball is thrown in a forward direction to an eligible player. The ball is nearly always thrown by the quarterback, and those who may catch it include the other three backs and the two ends. A forward pass may be made only during scrimmage, and then only from behind the line of scrimmage. A lateral pass may be made anywhere on the field anytime the ball is in play. The defending team tries to prevent the attacking team from advancing the ball. The defending players may use their arms and hands in their attempt to break through the opponents’ line to reach the player with the ball. The defending team tries to keep the offense from gaining any distance, or to stop the offense for a loss by tackling the ball carrier before the ball carrier reaches the line of scrimmage. The offense must advance the ball at least 10 yards (9 m) in four tries, called downs. After each play, the teams line up again and a new scrimmage takes place. If the team on offense fails to travel 10 yards (9 m) in four downs, it must surrender the ball to its opponent after the fourth down. A team will often punt on fourth down if it hasn’t gained at least 10 yards (9 m) in its previous three tries. In punting, the kicker drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. By punting, a team can send the ball farther away from its own end zone before surrendering it, thus weakening the opponent’s field position. Methods of Scoring. The object of the game is to score more points than the opposing team within the regulation playing time. In college football, a game can end in a tie if both teams have scored the same number of points at the end of regulation time. In case of a tie in an exhibition or regular-season professional game, the teams play an overtime period, known as sudden death, in which the first team to score is declared the winner. If neither team has scored at the end of this 15-minute overtime period, then the tie is allowed to stand. In professional playoff games no ties are allowed, and the teams play until one scores. A team scores a touchdown when one of its players carries the ball into the opposing team’s end zone or catches a pass in the end zone. A touchdown is worth 6 points. After a team has scored a touchdown, it tries for an extra-point conversion. This is an opportunity to score an additional one or two points with no time elapsing off the game clock. In college football, the offensive team lines up 3 yd (2. 7 m) from the goal line of the opponents and passes, kicks, or runs with the ball. A running or passing conversion in which the ball crosses the goal line counts for 2 points. A conversion by place-kick that propels the ball between the goalposts and over the crossbar counts for 1 point. In professional football, the offensive team lines up 2 yd (1. 8 m) from the goal line. A conversion attempted by place-kicking the ball is worth 1 point. In 1994 the NFL introduced the running or passing 2-point conversion. On offense, teams may also attempt to score by kicking a field goal, which counts for 3 points. A field goal is scored by means of a place-kick, in which one player holds the ball upright on the ground for a teammate to kick. For a successful field goal, the ball must be kicked between the goalposts and over the crossbar. After each field goal and extra-point conversion, the scoring team must kick off to its opponents. Finally, a defensive team earns two points for a safety when it causes the team on offense to end a play in possession of the ball behind its own goal line. If the offensive team downs the ball behind its line intentionally, in certain situations, such as after receiving a kickoff, the play is known as a touchback and does not count in the scoring. When the offensive team suffers a safety, it must punt the ball to the opponents to restart play. Modern Football American football was made popular by teams representing colleges and universities. These teams dominated the game for most of the first 100 years of football in the United States. Even today, despite greatly increased interest in professional football, intercollegiate contests—played by some 640 team—are attended by more than 35 million spectators each year. Many college stadiums hold more than 50,000 spectators; one stadium, at the University of Michigan, holds more than 100,000. Many of the major universities are now grouped in conferences, such as the Big Ten (northern midwest), the Big Eight (midwest), the Pacific Ten (western states), the Southeastern Conference, and the Ivy League (northeast). The birth date of football in the United States is generally regarded by football historians as November 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers and Princeton universities met in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for the first intercollegiate football game. In the early games, each team used 25 players at a time. By 1873 the number was reduced to 20 players, in 1876 to 15 players, and in 1880 to 11 players, where it has remained. In the 1900s, college football became one of the country’s most popular sports spectacles. Ranked among the greatest United States sports heroes of the 20th century are such student athletes as Jim Thorpe of Carlisle Institute; George Gipp of the University of Notre Dame; Red Grange of the University of Illinois; Tom Harmon of the University of Michigan; Doak Walker of Southern Methodist University; Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard, the â€Å"Touchdown Twins† of Army (the U. S. Military Academy); Joe Namath of the University of Alabama; and O. J. Simpson of the University of Southern California. In 1935 the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City established an award honoring one of the outstanding college football coaches in the country, John William Heisman. Heisman is credited with legalizing the forward pass in 1906. The John W. Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the outstanding college player of the year, as decided by a national poll of sportswriters. After World War II ended in 1945, college athletes began to receive football scholarships, often paying the player’s room, board, tuition, and incidental expenses while enrolled in college. College Bowl Games and National Champions. College teams generally play about 11 games during the fall. The best college teams are awarded trips to so-called bowl games, matching outstanding teams in games that conclude the season’s competition. The tradition was begun in 1902 at Pasadena, California, when Stanford University invited the University of Michigan to come to California for a New Year’s Day contest. This event soon became the celebrated Rose Bowl game. Bowl games now represent the climax of the college season. Other notable bowl games include the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas; the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida; and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana. In recognition of the great public interest in these games, major corporations now sponsor many of the bowls. Today, the champion college team is selected by national polls of coaches and sportswriters. In the accompanying table, the teams from 1889 to 1923 were Helms Athletic Foundation selections; from 1924 to 1930, Rissman Trophy winners; from 1931 to 1935, Rockne Memorial Trophy winners; from 1936 to today, Associated Press (AP) poll selections; and from 1950 to today, United Press International (UPI) poll selections. In cases where two teams won the honor in separate AP and UPI polls, a note has been made. Many members of the football community debate whether a poll of writers and coaches should determine a champion or whether the colleges should institute a more formal playoff system. Detractors of a playoff system argue that with such a system, the popular bowl games would lose their identity. In addition, players’ seasons would extend by one or two months, cutting into academic time. However, advocates for a playoff point to the controversial 1993 season in which the Florida State Seminoles won the number-one ranking over Notre Dame, a team that beat the Seminoles convincingly earlier in the season. Beginnings of Professional Football The first professional football game in the United States took place in 1895 in the town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, between a team representing Latrobe and a team from Jeannette, Pennsylvania. In the following ten years many professional teams were formed, including the Duquesnes of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Olympics of McKeesport, Pennsylvania; the Bulldogs of Canton, Ohio; and the team of Massillon, Ohio. Among noted college players who took up the professional game during its early years were Willie Heston (formerly at the University of Michigan), Jim Thorpe (Carlisle Institute), Knute Rockne (University of Notre Dame), and Fritz Pollard (Brown University). The professional game attracted only limited public support during its first 30 years. The first league of professional football teams was the American Professional Football Association, formed in 1920. The admission fee was $100 per team. The teams pledged not to use any student player who still had collegiate eligibility left, as the good will of the colleges was believed to be essential to survival. The teams also agreed not to tamper with each other’s players. Jim Thorpe, a player-coach for one of the teams, became president of the league during its first year. The American Professional Football Association gave way in 1922 to the National Football League (NFL). Red Grange, the famous halfback from the University of Illinois, provided a tremendous stimulus for the league when he joined the Chicago Bears in 1925 and toured the United States that year and the next. His exciting play drew large crowds. Thereafter, professional football attracted larger numbers of first-rate college players, and the increased patronage made the league economically viable. Strategically, the early NFL game was hardly distinguishable from college football at that time. There was no attempt to break away from collegiate playbooks or rule books. For 13 years the NFL followed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Rules Committee recommendations. In the league’s early years, players considered the low-paying NFL a part-time job and held other jobs during the day. Thus, while college coaches could drill their players daily for hours, professional football coaches arranged practices in the evenings, sometimes only three or four times a week. Development of Offensive Strategies The offensive techniques and formations prevalent in the contemporary game developed from the ideas of early and mid-20th century coaches such as Walter Camp, Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding â€Å"Hurry Up† Yost, Bob Zuppke, Knute Rockne, and Paul Brown. Following very few historical precedents, these men innovated unique strategies that changed the nature of football forever. Stagg, operating out of the early T-formation, originated the between-the-legs snap from center to quarterback and put a player in motion in the backfield before the snap of the ball. In 1906 Warner unbalanced his line, placing four players on one side of the center and two on the other side, while shifting the backfield into a wing formation. The quarterback functioned as a blocker, set close behind the line and a yard wide of the center. At the same depth, but outside the line, was the wingback. Deep in the backfield was the tailback, who received most of the snaps, and in front and to the side was the fullback. This formation became known as the â€Å"Single-Wing,† and it remained football’s basic formation until the 1940s. From the Single-Wing emerged Warner’s â€Å"Double-Wing,† with wingbacks set wide on either side of the line. This formation forced the defense to spread itself across the field in order to protect against the pass, thus creating favorable conditions for the offense to execute unexpected running plays. The strategy is the same as today’s â€Å"draw† and â€Å"end-around† concepts, but Warner’s teams could also pass from the formation. Warner would also open up the lines completely, splitting the ends into modern â€Å"slot† positions, inside the wingbacks. This was a four-receiver formation that evolved into the â€Å"Shotgun† offense, popularized by the San Francisco 49ers of 1960. Like the double-wing, the â€Å"Shotgun† utilized two wideouts and two slot players, with the passer set deep in the backfield next to a running back. The NFL’s newest formation of the 1990s, the â€Å"Run and Shoot† offense, also resembles Warner’s formation. With Warner’s innovations, wing formations came to dominate the NFL. Coach Zuppke at Illinois ran single- and double-wing formations, often sending four or five receivers downfield in pass patterns. Some teams would use a short-punt formation, with the quarterback and wings set on different sides, providing a more balanced look. At Notre Dame in 1923 and 1924, Rockne instituted his famous Four Horsemen offense. At the beginning of a play, Rockne set up the backs in a four-square, box alignment on one side. Then, in the famous â€Å"Notre Dame Shift,† the backs would shift out of the box and into a single or double wing. In later years, other coaches imitated Rockne’s innovation and achieved similar success. For example, former Washington Redskins’ coach Joe Gibbs implemented an offensive strategy called the â€Å"Explode Package. † Modeled after Rockne’s Notre Dame Shift, the Explode Package helped the Redskins defeat the Miami Dolphins in the 1983 Super Bowl. In Gibbs’s system, the backs and receivers would jump into new positions before the snap, thus unsettling the defense. Although talented, the quarterbacks of the 1930s and parts of the 1940s seldom completed 50 percent of their passes, while many were even less successful. A major cause of these low percentages was the primitive nature of pass-blocking schemes. With little protection, passers always had to throw while avoiding incoming rushers. In the 1940s Paul Brown, the coach of the Cleveland Browns, installed a blocking system which transformed the passing game forever. Brown changed the system by arranging the linemen in the form of a cup. They pushed most incoming pass-rushers to the outside. Anyone who penetrated the line was met by a firmly planted fullback named Marion Motley. From that point on, the passing game achieved a new significance. Other teams implemented strong blocking lines, providing the quarterback with more time to release the ball. The contemporary game of the 1980s and 1990s is noted for its exciting and effective passing plays in both the professional and college ranks. Artificial turf, the surface in many of the nation’s stadiums, provides excellent footing for quarterbacks and receivers. With strong protection, talented quarterbacks make a perceivable difference to a game. For example, quarterback Joe Montana keyed the San Francisco 49ers’ three Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. Montana, who benefited from good protection, could instinctively read defenses and had the ability to deliver the ball accurately to his receivers while on the move. In college football, the University of Miami Hurricanes dominated the game in the late 1980s with a flashy passing game and a quick defense that could react effectively to the pass. Development of Defensive Strategies One striking aspect of modern football is its emphasis on defense as well as offense. This trend began after World War II (1939-1945), when college teams were allowed free substitution of players—that is, a player could enter and leave the game an unlimited number of times, as long as the ball was not in play during the substitution. This feature of the game led to the modern two-platoon system, in which one group of 11 players enters the game to play offense and a second group enters to play defense. Such a system has fostered the development of individual skills and specialization among players. Defensive football has acquired an extensive terminology of its own. In some ways defense is more complicated than offense, because defensive teams have fewer restrictions on their manner of lining up. Generally, however, the defensive formation is determined by the way the offense lines up. For example, when defending against opponents who are expected to throw many forward passes, a team might use a formation with a four-player line of two ends and two tackles. Three linebackers would stand directly behind the front four. In addition, two cornerbacks placed wider and farther back could defend against mid-range assaults. Two safeties would position themselves deeper to protect against longer aerial attacks. Most of the innovative thinking by coaches in the NFL during the 1970s came on defense. Offensive statistics plummeted as defenses dominated. The newer game demanded speed at every position, in addition to strength and bulk. Great linebacker units with catchy names such as Doomsday in Dallas, Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain, Minnesota’s Purple People Eaters, and the Rams’ Fearsome Foursome dominated offenses. Teams turned the free safety position over to ferocious hitters such as the Raiders’ Jack Tatum and Dallas’ Cliff Harris. Rough, physical cornerbacks such as Pittsburgh’s Mel Blount and Oakland’s Willie Brown employed tight bump-and-run techniques on receivers downfield. Professional Football Today. The present-day NFL game is immensely popular. It is played during the late summer, through autumn, and into January. Professional teams play 4 exhibition games before the start of the regular season, followed by 16 games in the regular season and then playoff games, when they qualify for the playoffs. Teams play one game each week, using the time between games to recover, practice, and prepare for the next game. Each team receives one week without a game, known as a bye, during the season. The NFL is a big business for players, owners, advertisers, and other industries tied to the sport. NFL franchises generate huge revenues for host cities, in addition to promoting civic pride and national exposure. Thus, cities often compete for teams, offering prospective teams bigger and better stadiums, guaranteed fan support, and various economic incentives. In the 1980s three NFL teams relocated: the Raiders moved from Oakland, California, to Los Angeles in 1982; the Colts moved from Baltimore, Maryland, to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1984; and the Cardinals moved from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1988. Other teams have agreed to stay only with the promise of new facilities by their host cities. Throughout the years, other consortiums have sought to capitalize on the economic potential of the sport. For three years in the 1980s a new professional spring league, the United States Football League (USFL), competed with the NFL. The NFL lost players to the USFL, and NFL teams had to pay higher salaries to keep other players from leaving. However, the USFL soon folded, with much of its more talented personnel entering the NFL. Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the final contest of the professional season and determines the league’s annual champion. Currently the Super Bowl routinely finishes among the all-time top 50 programs in television ratings, and the 1994 game reached an estimated 750 million viewers around the world. Now probably the most important single-day sporting event in the United States, the Super Bowl had more modest beginnings. In 1967 the champions of the American Football League (which merged with the NFL in 1970) and the NFL met in what was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The name was later shortened to Super Bowl, named after a child’s toy, the Super Ball. In this first game, the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. The Los Angeles Coliseum, site of the game, fell far short of a sellout, although tickets were only $10 each. In comparison, the highest ticket price at the 1994 Super Bowl reached $250, with scalpers illegally charging more than twice that much. Rule Changes and Modern Developments The game of football has a history of constant rule changes. Rule changes have been implemented to bolster the excitement of the game of football and to increase the game’s safety. By 1906 the game was extremely rough, and many injuries and some deaths had occurred. Educators considered dropping the sport despite its popularity on campuses. United States President Theodore Roosevelt, an ardent advocate of strenuous sports, declared that the game must be made safer. As a result, football leaders revamped the game, and many of the rougher tactics were outlawed. In a constant attempt to maintain public interest in the game, NFL rulemakers review trends in their sport. For example, in the early 1970s, the rulemakers brought the hash marks in closer to the center of the field to give offenses more room to throw wide. The move, which increased scoring and made the game more exciting, also helped bolster the running game. Ten NFL runners gained more than 1000 yards in one season (1972) for the first time in history. During the next season, Buffalo Bills’ running back O. J. Simpson rushed for more than 2000 yards, the first time a player had gained that many yards in a single season. However, the passing game eventually suffered as defenses quickly adjusted. The Pittsburgh Steelers had a stranglehold on the NFL during the 1970s, with four Super Bowl victories. The dominant defensive athletes the Steelers put on the field shut down the wide-open passing attacks that had developed in the previous era. By 1977 scoring was the lowest it had been since 1942, while offensive touchdowns had fallen to their lowest levels since 1938. The rulemakers enacted serious measures after this low-scoring 1977 season, fearing a loss of public interest in the defense-dominated game. They established a zone of only five yards from the line of scrimmage in which a bump by a pass defender was permitted.