Soccer History Opens the Door to the Origin of Soccer

Soccer is a competitive sport with a long history andof the finest colleges in England including Harrow,
its origins can be traced back to the mid 19thEton, Winchester, Rugby, and Shrewsbury. Although
century. Soccer history can be traced back to thethe rules were not universally adopted, several small
different forms of football that was popular inlocal clubs started playing the game based on the
England in the late 1840's. Even then, historiansrules around the 1850s. Of course, some local clubs
believe that soccer history can be dated back toeven went to the extent of creating their distinct
1004 B.C when players in Japan used to kick around acodes of rules for the game and one such club is the
ball around a small field. Interestingly Chinese historicalSheffield Football Club. Sheffield Football Club was
texts have revealed that a game similar to modernactually formed by ex-public school students in 1857
day soccer was being played out between teamsand this eventually led to the formation of Sheffield
from Japan and China around 50 B.C.FA in 1867.
Soccer history also reveals that Romans played aThe Football Association (FA) was formed in 1863
version of modern soccer and it was even introducedand the FA Cup was first organized in 1871. The FA
in the early Roman Olympics. But in the early RomanCup recreated soccer history and went on to attract
Olympics, soccer teams had 27 players on each sidehuge number of Britons to the sport. In 1885, the FA
battling for the trophy. According to soccer history,(Football Association) took an important step by
modern day soccer came into life when the first setrecognizing and accepting the legitimacy of
of rules for the game was drawn up in 1848 at theprofessional soccer players. Three years later in 1888,
Cambridge University. Come to think of it - England's12 clubs joined in to form the football league in
King Edward (1307-1327) had actually passed a lawEngland and this was one of the biggest historical
threatening imprisonment to anyone who played themoments. In fact, this is where modern soccer
game. The truth is that Cambridge University is nothistory was established.
the first to come out with soccer rules, it was EtonThe first international soccer match commenced on
College and they introduced certain rules for playing30 November, 1872 in Glasgow, Scotland. The two
the game in 1815.teams included an English all-star team and a Scottish
The Cambridge Rules of 1848 has found a place inall-star team and the match ended in a scoreless
soccer history. These rules have played an influentialdraw. The soccer world cup of FIFA world cup as
role in development of modern soccer and werewe know now was first held in 1930 in Uruguay and
written at Trinity College, Cambridge. The rules forthey became the world champions as well!
soccer were created by representatives from some