Although it may be impossible to say precisely when and where the game of soccer originated, history has shown us glimpses of a game similar to our current version that has been played for over 3,000 years.
Around the 2nd or 3rd century B.C. C., it was documented that the Chinese army during the Han dynasty played a game that consisted of kicking a ball into a small net.
The ancient Greeks and Romans played a game similar to soccer, but their game could include up to 27 players per side compared to the modern game of 11 players per side.
Soccer became one of the most popular mass sports due to its popularity as a war game. A game of “football,” as the British called it, was played in eastern England during the 8th century, where the head of a defeated Danish prince was used as a ball.
During medieval times, towns and cities faced each other in battles that could last all day. There were no structured rules to follow and kicking, biting, tearing and punching turned the game into a virtual battle for survival. These matches became so violent that many attempts were made by the English authorities to ban football.
King Edward III of England passed laws in 1331 to abolish the game, and Queen Elizabeth I passed a law providing for a one-week jail sentence for anyone caught playing football.
Despite these efforts, soccer became so popular in England over the next few centuries that it evolved into the most popular sport of its day.
At this point, the sport’s only flaw was its lack of rules or standards. In 1815, Eton College, a famous English school, established a set of rules to be implemented by other schools, colleges, and universities.
A standardized version of these rules was later adopted in 1848 by most colleges and universities in England which became known as the Cambridge Rules.
Unfortunately, at this point, two different sets of rules were still in use. Some universities favored the Rules of Rugby which allowed for handcarrying, stumbling and shin kicking. which were contrary to the Cambridge Rules.
In 1863, the Football Association was created by eleven English football clubs and schools to establish a single set of rules that would apply when they played each other.
Supporters of the Rugby School rules opposed the changes and the two groups parted ways. Subsequently, the Football Association changed the rules in 1869 where they prohibited the use of the hands, except by the goalkeeper, which led us to the game of football as we know it today.
The English still called it a game of “football” because the ball was played primarily with the feet, but in the late 18th century, the word “football” was first used by an Oxford University student by the name of Charles Wreford Brown. Oxford students were known for using slang where they added “er” to the end of words they intentionally shortened. The Rugby game was called “rugger”. Brown shortened the word “association” and added “er” and thus the term “football” was born.
Since the 19th century, the game has evolved to where it is today. It is the World Game played by more people than any other sport and is universally recognized as the most popular game in sports history.
Held every four years to crown a World Champion, the World Cup attracts millions of viewers to the 32 matches played and is watched by billions of fans around the world thanks to modern satellite television technology.
Soccer’s popularity continues to grow as organized youth soccer programs engage a young fan base at a young age, which will fuel their growth for years to come.
