You are comparing Soccer (football) to hockey or football (American Football)? Hockey is played on a frozen surface with five men on skates flying at high speed in a rink a quarter the size of a pitch (only slightly larger than soccer's penalty area or "18 yard box"), taking upwards of 60 shots on goal (30 a side), there is no comparison (best game on earth to watch, a a virtual "quicksilver ballet"). Football (American or Canadian) is played on a similar size pitch as soccer with similar objectives, but you can pick up the ball and run with it, and all you need to do is get it across the entire end of the opposing teams side of the field, all the while your teammates are allowed to block the other team to keep them from stopping you. The strategics if the "plays" the opposing team's coaches send out and try to counter is what makes football enjoyable to watch for people that like that sort of thing. With soccer you are trying to kick the ball (no hands) into the opposing team's goal which is 100 meters away and only a tenth the size of the end zone of football, and guarded by a goalie. It is the challenge of getting the ball even close to the opposing team's goal, let alone getting a decent shot (struck with your foot) that has a chance of getting by the 10 guys on the other side AND past their goalie, that makes it enjoyable to those who like that kind of thing. When you understand the game, and the strategies involved, watching it is more enjoyable. When you can watch hockey, however, why would want to watch anything else?