Have you ever wondered how the game of soccer came to be? Soccer is a popular game with a unique history. Throughout history, soccer has been significant and plays a major role in sports as well as entertainment. . However, soccer wouldn't be what it is today if not for its history. Soccer has come from games such as Tsu-Chu and Kemari to an internationally popular game.
Soccer's past has certainly influenced soccer it greatly. Various sources consider soccer a game with an incredible history: “All through history, many ball games have emerged as well as perished with newer games taking roots from previous game” (Wikipedia). In other word, soccer does not have a petty past, but a fruitful one. Some believe that its origin lies in the Middle-East where signs show that a game similar to soccer was played using balls made of straw. Soccer's earliest, proven existence was traced to ancient China around 2500 BC. A game called Tsu-Chu was played by in China, but served mainly as a training exercise for soldiers. In Japan around 300-600 AD the Japanese played a similar game called Kemari where you tried to keep the ball alive as long as possible.
Soccer not only existed in eastern Asia, but in the Mediterranean area as well. The Greeks played a game called Episkyros, which was quite similar to the game of soccer with the exception that it allowed the usage of hands. It remained popular from 2000 BC to the fall of the Greek. The Romans later picked up this game and altered it to a game called Harpastum, which remained popular from the rise of the Roman Empire to about 800 AD. The seeds of soccer by then were spread throughout Europe ready to sprout for the Middle Ages.
Although the Middle Ages was no exception to the growth of soccer, but soccer during the Middle Ages revolved around the game of mob football. It was considered to be very violent and with massive areas as the game's field. Soccer from there grew in popularity over the year finding popularity among sailors, regular citizens, and etc that used soccer as a recreation activity when not working.
One major cause of soccer's popularity was due to soccer associations. Some were just a gathering for people who wanted to play soccer. Some were an attempt to unify England. Most of these associations died over the years and ceased to exist after a few years. Around the late 1800s, the need for an international organization to oversee this popular game became obvious with soccer's prominence. Until around the early 1900s, there was little progression for professional soccer. On May 21, 1904, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in Paris.
The World Cup is a major event that is another reason to soccer's notability. The World Cup is a grand tournament that invites a total of 32 teams from 6 confederations. “FIFA accepts a total of 6 confederation bodies: AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, UEFA, OFC, and CONMEBOL” (Expert Football).
Soccer has played a major role in sports as well as entertainment. From a training exercise or entertainment to a universally famous game with professionals earning millions is a big step for about soccer's progress in the past 100 years. However, soccer may have gotten so popular that bribery and favoritism is a major part of it. Rumors fly of bribery between countries and the judges. Aside from that, soccer has also affected various other sports like football and rugby. Jim Harscky, a historian on soccer, said, “The sport of rugby was actually invented at a soccer institution by a student that started playing a new sport combining soccer and his hands. What came out of that was rugby and creating football later on.”
Soccer has proven to play a major part in history. Soccer would only have taken the shape it has today because of its progress and importance in history. Not only does it affect sports, but other topics like entertainment and more.
