Why do americans say "Soccer"?

This is also true in Australia. We have Australian Rules Football as MCMLXXV said. It does involve the use of feet more than American Grid Iron, but still allows the players to handle the ball. Soccer is growing in popularity especially since the last world cup where the Socceroos made it into the finals.

The funny thing about American foot ball is that there is almost no foot involved except for the kick ins. Then again the ball with which they play is not a ball but an oval. So I also really don't understand why they call it football. But, I guess it hurts american pride to re-use British words like football and Rugby for the two sports, so they coined their own version American Football and Soccer. So there you go. Cheers! Ram

i agree, americans try to make their own english where ever possible, i guess its the national pride or something, to distinguiish themselves from the english

Why do Americans call football soccer? Wikapedia says thatthe word soccer was first used by Charles Wreford-Brown, a football player from England who played for Oxford and who was appointed to The Football Association in 1892.It was a slang abbreviation of Association Football in the 1880's.American Footballwas being played in american collegesaround 1820's-1890's.It is a decendant from rugby football.

Its not just in America. Here in Australia we call it soccer as well, as we call australian rules football "football" its not about which has been around longer, i think its more to do with the sports popularity within a certain country

Americans already have term "Football" on American Football. In English, the term of American Football is Rugby. Soccer is originated term from England.