| If you want to understand the history of soccer, | | | | Despite being quite a serious, "dark" period of time, |
| you have to admit that for some reason, humans | | | | somehow the medieval people managed to take |
| have a natural urge to kick things. Whether it's to | | | | some time for some sports, including soccer. The |
| release frustration, or simply for fun, we do this even | | | | forms of soccer played during this time were |
| without noticing. How many times have you not | | | | obviously incomparable to our current definition of |
| walked on the street as a kid (and not only), simply | | | | the sport; hence they are usually classified as "mob |
| kicking that pebble or cone on the ground in front of | | | | soccer". While their dads were off at war, children |
| you out of boredom. It's this natural urge that stands | | | | would often grab a patched up leather ball, hit the |
| at the basis of the history of soccer. - When was | | | | nearby field and start a "war" on the field. The lack |
| soccer invented? When speaking about the history | | | | of rules often lead to fights and serious injuries and |
| of soccer a lot of people regard England as the place | | | | the sport was regarded as dangerous in many |
| that soccer was born and although this could be a | | | | locations. A clear example of this can be found in the |
| true statement in a particular context, the truth is | | | | London British Museum, where an engraving shows a |
| that the English were the first to organize soccer | | | | group of men struggling to win a leather ball, with a |
| around 1863, however they did not "invent" it per | | | | second image showing a man with a broken arm. You |
| say. So if 1863 is the year the sport got "baptized", | | | | do the math. - Modern-day soccer As mentioned |
| then what year was soccer invented and where? | | | | above, although we don't know when soccer was |
| Since soccer or soccer-likesports can be traced way | | | | invented, we do know when it was organized as a |
| back to ancient times, it's difficult to pin-point a | | | | sport under a clear set of rules. Being a popular |
| specific year, but historians of the phenomenon | | | | practice in England, soccer was played chaotically and |
| usually chop it down into 3 periods of time. - History | | | | oftentimes it would lead to the same on and |
| of soccer during ancient times They might not have | | | | off-pitch battles similar to the ones occurring during |
| had our modern commodities, but ancient people sure | | | | medieval soccer matches. On each match, the two |
| knew how to have their fun. And, you guessed, | | | | teams would agree on a particular set of rules, but |
| kicking a "ball" around (obviously, the balls were | | | | with the lack of a referee arguments would often |
| extremely rudimentary compared to what is used | | | | spark up. In order to keep things in order, a few |
| today) was considered a fun activity in many areas | | | | English clubs met in London on October 26, 1863 in |
| all around the globe, most of them developing at the | | | | order to create a set of well-defined and universal |
| same time, without interaction from one another. In | | | | rules for the game. The Football Association was |
| history of soccer the first written statement | | | | born and although their set of rules did not apply to |
| regarding the start of soccer comes from a Chinese | | | | all clubs immediately, in a few decades, as soccer |
| military manual at around 300 BC, which describes a | | | | clubs switched from amateurism to professionalism, |
| practice called "cuju" that involved the players kicking | | | | their laws and conduct restrictions became standard |
| a leather ball through a hole in a silk cloth stretched | | | | for everyone. As you can see, there's really no "right" |
| between two poles. On the other side of the globe, | | | | way to answer the "When was soccer invented?" |
| in the Americas, the Aztecs were playing a similar | | | | question and you'll have your fair share of arguments |
| sport, although some compare it to basketball more | | | | at hand regardless of what period you believe was |
| than soccer. The purpose of the game was to kick | | | | the spark that caused the wildfire that soccer is |
| the ball through a small stone circle that was placed | | | | today. And you'll probably agree with me on this: it's |
| high up on the arena's walls, hence the relation to | | | | not really that important to know when soccer was |
| basketball. Now I don't know about you, but to me it | | | | invented, but rather acknowledge that we are lucky |
| sounds a lot more difficult to place a small leather ball | | | | to be able to enjoy this wonderful sport at its best, |
| exactly in the middle of a stone circle that's well high | | | | as we can in modern times. |
| above your head with your foot, than striking a | | | | Niv Orlian is the author and the owner of a Soccer |
| modern "high-tech" ball in an 8 yard goal. - History of | | | | Fans website that provides information on various |
| soccer during the Middle Ages We usually think of | | | | topics related to soccer such as the history of |
| the medieval era as a time when war was viewed as | | | | soccer. |
| a necessity and a "job" rather than a calamity. | | | | |