Many people are interested in the invention of soccer. While many sports have their roots in recent history, some sports can be traced back thousands of years to civilizations in the B.C. era. Organized athletics have been practiced by just about every civilization, from rudimentary team games to global tournaments found today.
The game of soccer is played worldwide and has become one of the greatest sports inventions of all times. While no single person can be credited with the invention of soccer, it is known that the game of kicking a ball around on a field that eventually developed into soccer was played over 3000 years ago.
The invention of soccer likely has its roots in ancient Asia. The earliest form of a soccer type game is dated back to Japan in the year 1004 B.C. Exact statistics and content of the game is unknown except that a ball was kicked around from one person to the next. In 50 B.C., a Chinese text was written which explains a game played between two teams, one from China and one from Japan.
The game described was very similar to that of soccer, and the text can be found in the Ethnological Museum in Germany. Greece and ancient Rome were also said to have played a game resembling soccer, but back then a team could consist of anything up to 27 players. One point of certainty is that the game we refer to as soccer was played in 611 A.D in Kyoto, Japan.
The invention of modern soccer, or football as it is better known outside the US, traces back to Britain over 1500 years ago. It is rumoured that the soccer ball consisted of inflated animal bladders and, allegedly, human heads. Solid proof confirming the latter practice has not yet been found. Claims exist that animal heads were also used as soccer balls, to represent a fertility rite during the pre-Christian times.
It is still not certain from where exactly the invention of soccer originated, who created the rules or how many players a team should have, but by the year 1066, soccer was a well established game. Various countries would play soccer according to their own set of rules but the idea of scoring a goal in your opponents net was a basic rule everywhere. During the 1300s, soccer was a street game and played much more roughly than it is today. In 1314 King Edward II outlawed soccer, but the game was renewed a decree by leaders that followed.
The invention of soccer underwent numerous adaptations over the next few centuries, but the invention of modern soccer has its roots in 19th century England. Several football clubs existed, each playing their own set of variations of the game.
In order to facilitate tournament play, they collaborated with each other to form a firm set of standard rules. On October 26, 1863, several clubs met and jointly established the first “universal” code. This code formed the basis of the rules that are used globally today.
From the simple kicking of ball, to the sport we know today, the invention of soccer has led to one of most popular sports in the world. The most well known professional soccer league is called the ‘MLS’ and every four years there is a soccer world cup.
All the history behind the game just goes to show, not all playing around is just a simple game that goes unnoticed. Football was created for fun and entertainment; today many people aspire to become of the world’s greatest players.