The History of Soccer – The World’s Most Beloved Sport

 

By Rebecca Blain | Submitted On April 30, 2005

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Although it is clear that modern soccer spbo live skor or football originated in Britain, there are many other evidence to support the idea that this favorite game has a longer history.

How old and where did soccer begin? Understanding the evolution of soccer and the different versions you can play is key to understanding the variety of “soccer” available.

Below is a list of major cultures that played soccer. Learn how each culture differs from the game we play today. They didn’t use Lotto shinguards back in those days!

Chinese Soccer History

Japanese Soccer History

Egyptian Soccer History

Soccer History: Greek/Roman

British Soccer History

Chinese Soccer History

Many believe that this is the oldest soccer version. There is much debate about whether this version of soccer is the oldest or if Japan’s is the older. Originaly called “Tsu Chu”, the Chinese version of this game required players to hit a leather ball filled with fur into small holes. It was a honor to be part of a team, unlike Soccer.

When the game was first developed, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty was a keen player and fan and helped spread its popularity throughout China during his reign. Although the date of this game’s origins can be traced back to around 300 B.C. there are questions about dating. This could lead to the game’s origins being back as far as 5000 B.C. This version of Soccer is very old. Tsu Chu is still being played today, despite this. Although the games are very similar, Tsuchu has not had an effect on the current version of the game. It was originally created and intended for use in Great Britain.

Japanese Soccer History

Kemari, the Japanese version “Soccer”, may be one of the most unique forms of soccer, in comparison with modern soccer. Kemari was a game called “Keep it up”. It was played with a bigger ball and was filled with saw dust. This version uses a “pitch” or the field. The pitch is designated by four trees: the maple, cherry, pine, and willow. To have a permanent pitch or field established, many great Japanese houses would plant trees.

Kemari was usually played with between two and twelve people. It was established in 1004 B.C. and is currently tied for the title of oldest game with China’s Tsu Chu. It is believed that Japan’s Kemari and China’s Tsuchu players were the first to play an “International” version of Soccer. However, it is possible to date it to roughly 50 B.C. Although 611 A.D. is more certain. This game is a sister sport to Soccer and has not affected the modern version.

Egyptian Soccer History

Although not much information is available about Egyptian Soccer or other ball games it is believed that there was an Egyptian version of the game played by young women during Baqet III’s reign. Although images of the sport are depicted on his tomb, no one knows how it was played or whether it had any impact on the outcome of modern soccer. Although there are records of the game dating back to 2500 B.C. it is not known much beyond the fact that it was played using a ball. It is not known much about the sport or how it was played, so it has been removed from the runnings as evidence of a similar game to soccer.

Soccer History: Greek/Roman

The games created by the Greeks in the midst of their culture are perhaps the closest to modern soccer. There were many types of football games that they had, some of them requiring hands and some that could not be played. After the Roman conquest of Greece, Harpastum was the basis for modern soccer. This game is probably a modified version Greek’s Harpaston, which roughly translates to handball. Although it is grossly misspelled, this game is one of the precursors of modern soccer.

British Soccer History

Soccer was first developed in Britain in the 8th century. It was not intended to be a leisure sport but a war game. One legend about the origins of soccer is that of a Danish prince who was executed and whose head was used to kick a ball. Villages and other communities have played a game in which they had to kick a ball towards a goal since that ‘legendary” tale. Although it was violent and could cause injury or death, it was very popular. It was so violent that King Edward III made laws in 1331 to ban the sport from being played. However, it didn’t work and the sport continued to thrive.

Some stories even tell of games involving hundreds to hundreds of players. These games saw many deaths, some in the hundreds. Eton College created a set of rules in 1815 to make the game less violent and more like a sport. Other colleges and universities adopted the Eton College banner and started to play with similar rules. The rules were later evaluated and rated, and in 1848, the Cambridge Rules were established. The Cambridge rules prohibited shin-kicking and carrying the ball. These aspects were allowed by rugby rules, which also permitted the two types of soccer or football to split up to form their own communities.

On October 26, 1863, representatives from London schools and clubs sent representatives to Freemason’s Tavern. This is where the Football Association was founded. Rugby supporters formed the Rugby Association from this group. This was the beginning of modern soccer. The Football Association banned the use of hands during the game in 1969.

When someone asked him if he was a Rugger (a Rugby player), the term “Soccer” was born. The suffix -er indicated that the person was involved in a specific sport. Charles Wreford Brown replied, “Soccer!” Charles Wreford Brown replied with “Soccer!”, taking the phrase from Association SOC and adding the -er. It stuck. The game is still called Football by British people, but Americans and other countries refer to it as Soccer, particularly if there is a lot of support for American Football. Since the Association’s foundation, “Football”, has grown in popularity and is now one of the most loved games on Earth. Despite the lack of violence at its inception, the sport is now played by hundreds of thousands.