Origins of Football

Soccer is not known until the 1004 B.C. in Japan. It all started when a few players in Japan took a ball and kick it around in the field. According to the Munich Ethnological Museum in Germany, there are a larger number of games in China and Japan that are very similar to Soccer. The first soccer game is held in Kyoto, Japan in 611 A.D.

During the reign of King Edward, he made a law that anyone who plays soccer will be put into prison. King Edward made the decree because he doesn’t like the noisy sound that is caused by the hustle of the soccer balls. The law was continued until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

By 1681, England officially approves soccer in the country. Soccer becomes revived in England once more. In 1800, Soccer was the most popular game and many contests are held in several regions. The rules of the soccer game were standardized in 1863 when eleven clubs and schools were assembled at the Freemason’s Tavern. The result of the meeting is establishment of the Football Association. The Football Association has a rule that forbid the players from touching the ball.

The origin of the word soccer can be traced by to Charles Wreford Brown. Charles used to be a student at the Oxford University. He always makes words into shorter versions. For example, he would shorten breakfast to brekkers and rugby to rugger. One day, his friend asked him if he would like to play rugger. Wreford replied, “No soccer!” He simply uses the soc in the word association and add er to form the word. Wreford that proceed to play the football game call soccer in England.

Later soccer was spread to the United States. From 1945 – 1973, the United States organization that is responsible for monitoring the soccer game is called United States Football Association. Since the word is too long, it change its name to United States Soccer Federation in 1974. The term soccer is also used in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.