Tracing the Roots: The Fascinating History of When Soccer Was Invented"

The history of soccer, or as it is known in most parts of the world, football, is an intriguing tale of evolution of a game that has captured the hearts of billions across the globe. Tracing the roots of soccer isn’t a straightforward process as influences from several cultures seem to have shaped the sport we know today.

In ancient times, the Chinese played a game known as 'Tsu Chu', where players used a leather ball filled with feathers and hair, the aim being to kick it through a small hole, nearly half a meter in diameter, positioned some nine meters off the ground. Records indicate that the game may date back to the Han dynasty around 206 BC.

Around the same time, Greeks and Romans were also playing a form of soccer, albeit more aggressively. The Romans called it Harpastum, derived from the Greek word ‘harpazein’ which means ‘to seize’. It was a violent game where kicking, punching, and running with the ball were all part of the action.

Moving on to 8th century England, a primitive form of soccer known as 'Mob Football' was popular. This chaotic version allowed an unlimited number of players and usually resulted in mass melees. The aim was to move an inflated pig’s bladder from one end of town to the other.

By the 18th and 19th century, a closer version of the modern game started to emerge in England, particularly in schools. However, different schools had their own rules which could be broadly categorized into two types - Cambridge rules, favoring the use of hands and Rugby rules, advocating only kicking the ball.

The turning point in soccer history came in 1863 with the formation of Football Association in England, which introduced standardized rules to the game. The 'Laws of the Game', which included measures such as outlawing tripping opponents and touching the ball with hands, were established.

The word soccer itself is a derivative of the phrase ‘Association Football’ which was coined by Englishmen in the late 19th century as a way to distinguish between the various types of football played in the country. "As-soc" was a popular abbreviation before eventually being shortened to "soccer."

From then on, the popularity of the game started to flourish, not just in England, but across the world.

Soccer, one of the world's most popular sports with an estimated following of 4 billion fans worldwide, has had an extensive and exciting history. Its roots can be traced back more than two millennia, where primitive versions of the game were played in various parts of the world. Let's take a closer look at the timeline of soccer's evolution, capturing the milestones in its inception and development.

The ancient origins of soccer, dating from 2nd century B.C. to 3rd century A.D. Chinese military records from this period mention "Tsu Chu," a game involving kicking a leather ball through a small hole in a silk cloth. This game forms the first known instance of soccer-like activity, even predating the Romans' and Greeks' ball games.

Fast forward a few centuries to Medieval England, specifically in the 8th century. A violent, chaotic game called "Mob Football" gained popularity. The locals used a pig bladder as the ball and the whole town as the playing field. It had little resemblance to modern soccer but established a foundation for the development of the sport.

The 1800s marked a significant turn, bringing structure to soccer. In 1863, England's newly-formed Football Association (FA) drafted the first formal set of rules for football, drawing a distinct line between football and rugby. This was a crucial step, as it led to codified rules that formed the basis of modern soccer.

In 1884, laws were implemented to ensure a standardized ball, marking another important advancement in the sport's development. In the same decade, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) was established to oversee these rules, further formalizing the game.

The start of the 20th century witnessed the establishment of FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, in 1904 to govern international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Football made its Olympic debut at the 1900 Paris Games. Fast forward to 1930; the first World Cup tournament was held in Uruguay with 13 teams participating. This introduced a new competitive international platform for soccer and showcased the sport to a wider global audience.

The game has continued to grow and expand since these early developments. In 1991, the first FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China, solidifying the importance and recognition of women's soccer worldwide.