when did american football start

Introduction

Historic artifacts and enduring traditions make it clear that football has been played in Egypt, Ancient China, and Rome. The game’s basic principles survived through the years and went on to be played during the medieval times.

History

Every sport has a history. Football history starts in China.

How To Start This Game

Around 476 BC to 221 BC, a sport called cuju was popularly played in China. The name is roughly translated as “kick the ball with the foot.” The ancient Chinese stuffed feathers inside a leather ball which they kick inside a rectangular playing field. To score a goal, they have to shoot it through an in a piece of cloth hung between two poles.

Why This Game Became So Popular

The game became so popular because it was used by military leaders as a competitive sport to keep soldiers physically fit.

As the game became more widely played, royal courts began organizing cuju matches played by professional cuju players. Teams composed of women and civilians participated in tournaments as well.

As Like As Present Soccer Football Game

Just like today’s soccer, cuju players are allowed to touch the ball with any part of their body except their arms and hands. Referees are present in the game to make sure that players follow the rules.Unlike modern-day football, the number of players who can play cuju is flexible. It could range from two to 10 while in matches sponsored by the royal court, the number is usually around 12 to 16.During the mid-17th Century, cuju began to decline in popularity. Its codes of play, however, survived throughout the ages, making it possible to still play the game today.

Rome Will Have This Game At The Same Time But Some Rules Is Different.

About the same period the Chinese were playing their referee-monitored cuju, the Ancient Romans were enjoying another version of football.The origin of soccer in Ancient Rome. Soccer in Ancient Rome has no rules, strategies, or tactics. It was played by 54 players (27 on each team) whose only aim is to get the ball to the opposing team’s goal.

How Word Born 'Football'

It became so popular that it was included in the early Olympics. Naturally, many players went home injured during that game.

Roman orator Cicero noted that it was mostly played by young boys. These boys would run around the town, kicking the ball on the ground.

He wrote about an incident where the carelessness of players led to death. It happened because they accidentally kicked the ball towards a barber who was shaving a customer.

The barber lost control of his blade and cut the customer’s throat.

"Who invented the word soccer"

In some countries, such as in the United States, Philippines, and Korea, the world’s most popular sport is referred to as soccer.

The word soccer was first invented in England to distinguish between rugby football and association football.

In order to avoid confusion, students referred to association football “a soccer” while they called rugby football “rugger.” They, later on, omitted the letter “an” in “a soccer” to make it sound fancier.

Soccer eventually outgrew the popularity of rugby football by far. The distinction between rugger and soccer was no longer necessary. People already knew which sport was meant when someone says “football.” Hence, the word football stuck in English usage.

Americans, however, have their popular sport of gridiron or American football, which goes by the plain name of football. And so they have to use the word soccer to avoid confusion.