1)Football and wrestling are two COMPLETELY different sports. In football, you don't get trained to hit someone so it looks hard, but doesn't hurt them. You learn to hit them for real wearing pads. Also, anyone playing tackle football without pads anywhere is not that smart. Too much risk and not enough reward.
2)Get them the way you please, but if all you're getting are cuts and bruises, then you're lucky.
OK now Im questioning your perspective on backyard wrestling. You will never catch any of my people swinging any sharp, shattering or blunt object at anyone. Never see us jumping off sheds and rooftops onto abandoned mattresses . Hell, everything we do is choreographed, so we are well aware of when to fall how to fall and what to expect from the other person. Thus the reason why I limited at cuts and bruises.