Football History, Origin, and Regulations

The history of football is extremely interesting. There are several conflicting beliefs about who invented football. Known in most parts of the world, it is undeniable that this is one of the most popular sports today. Let's explore how football has developed and spread over the years.

Football in ancient times

Some suggest that the history of football dates back to 2500 BC. In those days, the Greeks, Egyptians, and Chinese seem to have participated in games involving a kicked ball.

Most of these games included using your hands, feet, and even sticks to control a ball. The game was characterized by rough play and many physical challenges on the wet field, but Harpastum showed great heart and had a good game. The ancient Greeks competed in a similar game called Episkyros. Both games reflect rules closer to rugby than modern football.

The origins of football in ancient China

The most relevant of these ancient football games today is the Chinese game of Tsu'Chu (Tsu-Chu or Cuju, meaning "hitting the ball"). The practice of the game began during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and may have been a training exercise for soldiers.

Tsu'Chu involved inserting a small leather ball into a tight net between two bamboo sticks. The use of hands was not allowed, but a player could use his legs and other parts of his body. The main difference between Tsu'Chu and football was the height of the goal, which hung about 30 meters from the ground.

The history of football

Many cultures have had activities that have focused on using the feet in a ball game, including Kemari from Japan, which is still played today. Native Americans had Pahsaherman, Native Australians played Marn Grook, and Moari had Ki-o-Rahi.

Great Britain is the home of modern football

Football has been evolving in modern Europe since the Middle Ages. Somewhere around the ninth century, entire cities in England kicked a pig bladder to throw it from one point to another. Gambling has often been seen as a challenge and has even been banned at certain times in British history.

Various forms of what is now known as "folk football" have been played. Some of the British games were aimed at hitting a ball from one end of a city to another. The point was scored when the opposing team carried the pig bladder to the other end of town.

It is said that matches often had low scores. The standard rules were not applied, so almost anything was allowed and the game often became violent.

As the country industrialized, the spatial limitations of the cities became smaller and people had less free time, folk football declined. Versions of popular football have been played in Germany, Italy, France, and other European countries.

The emergence of modern football

Football began in public schools in Britain in the early 19th century. "Football" was a game in which the hands and feet were used during periods of play.

Two gates were placed at each end, goalkeepers and tactics were introduced later, and fighting was banned. However, the rules varied greatly: some resembled rugby, while others focused on passing and dribbling.

Rules and regulations continued to evolve in Britain, and football clubs began to appear as early as 1800. Again, even in its semi-organized form, the rules were very similar to those of rugby.

Over the years, schools began to play matches with each other. During this time, the players were able to use their hands and were allowed to pass the ball back, as in rugby.

In 1848, the "Cambridge Rules" were established at Cambridge University. That's when football started to change its face forever.

Creation of the Football Association

The word football was derived from an abbreviation of the word association. -Er The suffix was popular slang at the Rugby School and Oxford University. The association was called the Football Association and was founded on October 26, 1863.

During this meeting, the Football Association tried to bring together the different codes and systems used in the UK to form an accepted set of football rules. Driving the ball by hand was prohibited, as were hitting practices between players. This led to the Blackheath club leaving the association, preferring the rugby style.

Eleven clubs remained and the rules were agreed upon. However, even in the 1870s, several regions in Britain continued to play by their own rules.

Professional football

Over the years, several clubs joined the Football Association of England until the number reached 128 in 1887.

In 1872 the first Football Cup was played. Other divisions were formed, including the Football League in 1888, with teams from the north and middle of the country, and the first championship matches were played.

According to the rules of the time, players must remain amateurs and not receive money. This became a problem in the 1870s when several clubs demanded that spectators pay to watch matches.

The players were not happy and asked to be compensated for the matches. As the popularity of the sport grew, so did spectators and revenue. Eventually, the clubs decided to start paying and football became a professional sport.

Football is spreading all over the world

It didn't take long for other European countries to embrace the British love of football. Leagues began to appear worldwide: the Netherlands and Denmark in 1889, Argentina in 1893, Chile in 1895, Switzerland and Belgium in 1895, Italy in 1898, Germany and Uruguay in 1900, Hungary in 1901, and Finland in 1907.

The International Football Federation (FIFA) was formed in Paris in 1904 with seven members. They were from Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Germany has announced its intention to join on the same day.

In 1930, the first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay. At that time there were 41 FIFA teams and the event went down in history as the highlight of football. Today, FIFA boasts over 200 teams, and the World Cup is one of the biggest events in the world.