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Although it may be impossible to pinpoint when and where 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 BC. C., it was documented that the Chinese military during the Han dynasty played a game that involved 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 on one side compared to the modern game of 11 players on one side.
Soccer became one of the most popular sports of the masses due to its popularity as a war game. A game of “soccer”, which 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 fought each other in game battles that could last all day. There were no structured rules to adhere to and kicking, biting, tearing and hitting turned the game into a virtual battle of survival. These matches became so violent that the English authorities made many attempts to ban football.
King Edward III of England passed laws in 1331 to abolish gambling and Queen Elizabeth I passed a law providing a one-week jail sentence for anyone caught playing soccer.
Despite these efforts, soccer became so popular in England over the next several centuries that it became the most popular sport of its time.
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 of the 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 colleges favored the Rules of Rugby which allowed hand carry, stumble and kick in the shins. which were contrary to the Cambridge Rules.
In 1863, the Football Association was created by eleven English football clubs and schools to establish a unique set of rules that will apply when they play against each other.
Supporters of the Rugby School rules opposed the changes and the two groups split. Subsequently, the Football Association changed the rules in 1869 where they prohibited the use of 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 “soccer” because the ball was played primarily with the feet, but in the late 18th century, the word “soccer” was first used by an Oxford University student named Charles Wreford Brown. . . Oxford students were known to use jargon in which they added “er” to the end of words that they intentionally shortened. The game of Rugby was called “rugger”. Brown shortened the word “association” and added “er” and the term “soccer” was born.
Since the 19th century, the game has evolved to where it is today. It is the Game in the World that more people play than any other sport and is universally recognized as the most popular game in sport history.
The World Cup, which is held every four years to crown a World Champion, draws millions of viewers to the 32 matches played and is watched by billions of fans around the world thanks to modern television technology by satelite.
Soccer’s popularity continues to grow as organized youth soccer programs are engaging a young fan base at a young age, which will fuel its growth for years to come.