FOOTBALL HISTORY
The history of football goes back at least 2000 years. In
beginning, this sport involved the throwing of rocks, stakes and spears etc. Football
is a family of team sports involving kicking a ball to score the goal.
PRECURSORS OF FOOTBALL
Initially, football is
called soccer in some parts of the world such as north America, Australia,
Ireland. The first known ball game that involved kicking the ball, took place
in China in 2nd and 3rd century BC under the name
cuju. Cuju was played with round ball (leather ball with feathers inside). Modified
form of this game was then spread to Japan by the name of kemari during
Asuka period. In kemari, several people stand in a circle and kick ball
to each other, trying not to drop the ball to the ground. Older than cuju was Marn Gook
which was played by Australians in 1800s according go white emigrants. The ball
was made by encased roots or leaves. The rules were unknown but with other
version of this game, a chief feature was to keep the ball in air.
ANCIENT ROME AND GREECE
The ancient romans and Greek are known to have played several ball games,
some of them involving the use of feet. The ball was made by shreds of leather
filled with hair. The roman game harpastum is believed to have been
adapted from Greek team game referred as episkyros or phaininda. These games seem
to have resembled with rugby football. The roman Politian Cicero describes the
case of man who was killed having a shave when a ball was kicked into barber’s
shop. Roman ball games already knew the air-filled balls. It was a roman
culture that bring football to British land.
NATIVE AMERICANS
There are number of references to traditional, prehistoric ball
games, played by indigenous people in different parts of the world. For
Example, men from ship commanded by English explorer named John Davis, went
ashore to play a type of football with Inuit in Greenland in 1586. Later Inuit
game was played on ice knowns as Aqsaqtuk. Match began with two teams
facing each other in parallel line, before trying to kick the ball. William Strachey
a colonist at Jamestown, recorded the game played by native Americans named as pashaheman,
in 1610. Pasuckuakohwog, a game similar to modern football was played amongst
Amerindians, reported in 17th century. Games played in Mesoamerica
by indigenous people with rubber ball had some similarities with volleyball and
basketball.
OCEANIA
On the Australian continent several tribes of people played catching
and kicking games with stuffed balls that have been generalized by Marn Grook. The Māori in a New Zealand played a game known
as ki-o-rahi, consisting of teams of seven players that play on circular field
divided into zones and score points by touching the “pou” (boundary marker) and
hitting central target.
TURKIC PEOPLE
Mahmud al-Kashgari described a game called “tepuk” among Turks in Central
and east Asia. In this game, people try to attack each other’s castle or area
by kicking the ball which is made up of sheep leather.
FOOTBALL TAKING ITS FORM
Modern form of football was developed in England in 12th
century, in this century, games similar to football was played on roads and meadows
in England. Besides of kicks, game also involved punches with fist. This early
form of football was rough and violent than modern form of football. For a long
time period games played I schools were considered rugby. At rugby, rules
included the possibility to pick the ball with the hands.
For creating proper rules of game, it was done at a meeting in
Cambridge in 1848, but with no final solution. The first football association
was formed in England and it was decided that carrying a ball with hands are
not allowed. This meeting also standardized the size of ball and also its weight.
In the end of association, the game was divided into two codes: association
football and rugby.
FOOTBALL CLUBS
Football clubs have existed since 15th century but unorganized.
Forst football club was formed in 1824 in Edinburgh. The professional football
club, “Notts County” was formed in 1862.
An important step for emergence of teams was industrialization that
led to crowd of people meeting at places. Football teams were established in
larger cities and new roads bring them together. In 1885, football league was
stablished during first session 12 clubs joined the league and soon more clubs
became interested and joined the league.
INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL GAMES
The first match was played between Scotland and England at Hamilton
crescent. Twelve years later, the first international tournament held in 1883 and
four national teams: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales were included.
Football was a British phenomenon for a long time, but gradually spread to European
countries. The first game that held
outside the Europe occurred in Argentina in 1868. The federation international football
association (FIFA) was formed in 1904 and foundation act was signed by France,
Sweden, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Netherland, Spain. England and the British
countries didn’t join FIFA in the start as they started this game. They joined
next year but wouldn’t take part in world cup until 1950.
At the end, the main aim is to encourage more players to
participate in football and maximize the entertainment. Soccer and other sided
games have been developed to prove the best vehicle for joy and activity.
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