History of Football
History of Football
Association football, more generally known as just football or soccer, is an organized sport played between two groups of eleven players each. It is so popular that it is played by more than 250 million people in more than 200 countries and dependencies worldwide, making it the most popular sport in the world. Football is predominantly played between men and women and is considered one of the most sociable sports. With its wide appeal and wide variety of teams, leagues, and rules, it is not surprising that the game has had a long history.
A good example of the early football games and the beginnings of the game can be found in the Ancient Olympics, which is what most Americans refer to when they mention the game of football. Olympic football was played between two different teams every four years, and the games were usually short affairs lasting no more than fifteen minutes. Ancient Rome, Greece, and ancient Egypt also played football, though these nations have significant differences in their histories.
The first true football game, which is believed to be played in the United States, took place in the early “good old America” during the early nineteenth century between the members of both Harlow’s Beer Pong Association and the Union County Flyers. The game was a lot looser than it is today, with goals being scored without the ball having to touch the ground. With little regulation and no one playing by the rules, this football resulted in plenty of wild celebrations when a goal was scored – it even had its own slang! The game wasn’t just for American footballers; it was also played between the colleges and high schools all across the United States, with the football being played in the school’s backyard and the beer drinking and gambling taking place on the sidewalks along the roads.