Complex sentence: The word is French for "red", and some claim it originated at a time when the point was subtracted from the defending team's score (occasionally giving a team negative points, putting them in the red).
Split into simpler sentences: The word is French for "red", and the origin is unclear. One theory is that it originated at a time when the point was subtracted from the defending team's score (occasionally giving a team negative points, putting them in the red).