The History Of Soccer

If you want to understand the history of soccer, you must admit that, for some reason, people have an innate need to kick the ball. Whether it's to relieve frustration or just for fun, we do it even without realizing it.

How many times as a child did you walk down the street, bored, kicking the pebble or cone in front of you into the ground? It is this natural desire that is the basis of all of soccer's history.

When was soccer invented?

When was soccer invented? Speaking of soccer history, many consider England the birthplace of soccer, and while that may be a true statement in a particular context, it is also true that the British were the first to organize soccer around 1863. So if 1863 is the year this sport was "baptized," when and where was soccer invented?

Since soccer or soccer-like sports date back to ancient times, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact year, but historians of the phenomenon usually divide it into three periods.

History of soccer in ancient times

They may not have had our modern conveniences, but the ancients knew how to have fun. And, guess what, kicking a "ball" (obviously an extremely rudimentary ball compared to what's used today) is considered a fun activity in many parts of the world. Most of them develop at the same time, without interaction with others.

In the history of soccer, the earliest text regarding the start of soccer comes from a Chinese military manual around 300 BC., which describes a practice called "cuju". On the other side of the globe, in the Americas, the Aztecs played a similar sport, although some compared it to basketball rather than soccer. The object of the game is to throw the ball through a small circle of stones placed high on the walls of the arena, hence the association with basketball.

I don't know about you now, but it seems to me much harder to place a small ball exactly in the middle of a stone circle that's well high above your head with your foot, than striking a modern "high-tech" ball in an 8 yard goal.

History of soccer during the Middle Ages

We often think of the Middle Ages as a period when war was seen as a necessity and a "job" rather than a disaster. Although it was a rather serious and "dark" period, the medieval people managed to make time for a number of sports, including soccer.

The forms of soccer played at the time were clearly incomparable to our current definition of the sport; therefore, they are often classified as "mob soccer".

While their father is away in battle, the children  often catch a patched  leather ball, hit the nearby yard, and start a "war" on the turf. The lack of rules often leads to fights and serious injuries, and the sport is considered dangerous in many places.

A clear example of this can be found in the British Museum in London, where there is an engraving showing a group of men struggling to win a leather ball, with the second showing a man with a broken arm. 

Modern soccer

As mentioned above, although we don't know when soccer was invented, we do know when it was organized as a sport according to a clear set of rules. As was common in England, soccer was played in a chaotic manner and often resulted in battles on and off the field similar to those played out in medieval soccer . In each match, the two teams agreed on a separate rule, but in the absence of a referee, arguments frequently broke out.

To keep things in order, a few English clubs met in London on October 26th, 1863, to create a well-defined and universal set of rules.

The Football Association was born, and although its code did not immediately apply to all clubs, within a few decades, as soccer clubs moved from amateur to professional, the laws and restrictions on their behavior have become the norm for all.

As you can see, there's really no "right" way to answer the question "When was soccer invented?" and you will have your fair share of arguments, whatever era you believe is the spark that ignited the fire of soccer today.


And you will probably agree with me on this point: it's not really important to know when soccer was invented but to realize that we are so lucky to be able to enjoy this wonderful sport for a long time. best way possible in modern times


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