The History of Soccer

By Armando Lopez

Why soccer? Soccer is the one sport that I like to play with family and friends.

Soccer is played all over the world, and there is a lot to learn about this game that I love to play. It is definitely the sport that I and so many other people grew up with. Soccer has a long and rich history that stretches over hundreds of years. In this paper, we will explore the history of soccer, and why the game is so popular today.

The first soccer game occurred in the year 1872, but the creation of the game started way back in the Third Century B.C. Research shows that the game of soccer actually originated in China. The website historyoffootballreally.blogspot.com, tells us that in China, “the game was called Tsu Chu, (sometimes spelled as “cuju”)”, and it also says that this game was mentioned in military manuals dating back to the Tsin and the Han Dynasties (255 BC- 220 AD). Tsu Chu was part of the physical education program used to train soldiers at that time. The game was played extensively during the following period of the Han Dynasty. Tsu Chu literally means “football”, because “tsu” is translated to “kicking the ball with feet” and “chu” translates as “a ball made of leather and stuffed”.

In Mexico, the Mayans played a game similar to soccer, but in this game, they were playing for their lives. The team or family who lost the game would be sacrificed to the Mayan people’s gods.

The Mayans used a rubber ball that was about 20 inches in diameter, and the game was played in a stone “court”. The court had walls that sloped inward, and there were some stone rings hanging high for them to score through. The main point of the game was to pass the ball around without touching it with your hands. When the players passed the rubber ball, they would try to make it pass through one of the stone rings.

Since the rings were so high up, they couldn’t use their hands. Sometimes the ball weighed about 20 pounds. The players needed to have some protection, so they used a kind of vest of leather or wood around their waist to protect their ribs and their torsos.

They also wore padding around their knees and arms, and animal headdresses.

The first soccer “cup,” which was called the Olympic Football Tournament, was held in

Uruguay in 1930. The main reason that they played in Uruguay was because they built a beautiful stadium in Montevideo, with a capacity stadium of about 90 thousand seats.

Also, people felt that there would be nice weather there for the games. Another reason was that most of the famous or larger countries didn't play soccer at that time, or did not allow their teams to participate in the tournament.

In that first soccer cup, there were only a few teams from around the world to participate. They were: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, México, Paraguay,

Perú, U. S. A, Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia. The 1930 Olympic Football

Tournament games lasted 18 days from the 13th of July to the 30th of July. The winner of this first “world cup” was Uruguay. The final game of the tournament was Uruguay against Argentina, who only scored 2 goals by players Peucelle and Stabile. Uruguay scored 4 goals by Dorado, Cea, Iriarte, and Castro. During the game, they played with

Argentina’s soccer ball in the first half and Uruguay’s soccer ball for the second half.

In this tournament, the most goals that any player scored in 3 games were 8 goals by Guillermo Stabile. The entire tournament had 18 games in total, and in those 18 games, a total of 70 goals were scored. It was an eventful tournament! Near the end of the matches, rain started to fall from the sky. The stadium was poorly constructed, and the rain was so heavy that by the time the storm ended, the stadium had started to fall apart. The teams had to wait five days for repairs to the stadium before they could continue play!

The World Cup hasn’t changed much since 1930, except that the number of countries that participate has increased many times, the stadiums are now amazing, and the number of games is much greater.

Soccer is now one of the most watched sports on TV. At least 24.3 Million people watch soccer every year. More people have watched soccer than the Rose

Bowl football game (24.1 Million people), the NCAA men’s college basketball championship (23.99 million people), or even the winter Olympics closing ceremony

(21.4 million people). Soccer was ranked as the most popular sport to watch on television in the U.S in January 2016, above all of those sports and ice hockey, auto racing, tennis, and golf.

American Football is a big sport in the United States. There are many people who see football games and events. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events that

American people watch on television, with about 1.21 million viewers. This sport is one of the most dangerous sports, because of the reality that players often get concussions, broken legs, knees, or even broken necks. Playing this dangerous sport can also give athletes very bad injuries to the spine. Football is most common in the U.S.A because presidents and governors knew about the game from rugby, which is also a very dangerous sport. Soccer seems to be a safe sport, especially when it is when compared to the severe injuries that can be caused by football. However, even in soccer there is the risk of both minor and major injuries. Some minor soccer injuries are sprains and muscle strains. Sprained knee are some of the most common injuries that may require surgery.

Other injuries include bones fractures and contusions (bad bruises) from direct blows to the body. Another problem is that by overusing the lower extremities, players get injuries like shin splints (soreness in the calf), patellar tendinitis (pain in the knee), and

Achilles tendinitis (pain in the back of the ankle). The upper extremity injuries are injuries that occur when falling with outstretched arms or during player-to-player contact.

These conditions include wrist sprains, wrist fractures, and shoulder dislocation. Other injuries can happen in other parts of the body, like the head, neck, and face, including cuts or bruises, fractures, neck sprains, and concussions. The risk of concussions is one of the main reasons that young players are not allowed to do headers.

The most common question people have asked me about soccer is: how did soccer become popular in the whole world? In my opinion, I think it became popular because it is so simple to play. People in ancient times had already started playing a game like soccer, and that has continued into today. Basically, all you need is some kind of a ball, and you can play. It is easy to practice on your own or with just a few people, and you do not need any special equipment just to have fun with the game.

Another reason I think it is so popular is what anyone who wants to play - male or female - can play, because this game doesn’t care if it’s a woman or a man, if they just want to play the game. This game is not racist or sexist, it is safer than many other sports, and it is actually really fun. People just like running back and forth and kicking the ball around until they score a goal. Then they just start celebrating their victory.

Even though it’s a skilled game, people can have fun and play with their families and children, rich or poor, skilled or not.

Soccer fields are always rectangular, but they don’t always have the same size.

The maximum size the field can be is 120 yards (109.7 m) long and 80 yards (73.1 m) wide. Sidelines and end lines mark the borders of the field. One goal is in the middle of each end line. There is a goal area and a penalty area in front of each goal. When one team shoots the ball out of play on the other team’s goal line, the defending team restarts play with a goal kick from the goal area. At midfield there is a halfway line with a center circle. This is where the kick-off takes place. Each match begins with a kick-off. If a foul is committed inside the penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded to the team whose player was fouled. One player from that team then gets a free shot against the opposing goalkeeper from 12 yards (11 meters) away at the penalty shot.

Another import aspect of soccer is the basic skills needed to play this exciting sport. The main objective of soccer is to score by kicking the ball into the goal net of the opposing team. Scoring a goal is often a team effort that requires a series of skills including dribbling, passing, receiving the ball, and shooting. These are all technical skills. However, soccer is also game that requires great tactics. The best teams have a strong understanding of both. Here is a description of the skills needed to play successfully:

• Dribbling: When a player is dribbling the ball, he or she is control of it. Dribbling

involves tapping the ball with your feet while moving around the field. The key is

to keep the ball close so that an opponent cannot take it. The best dribblers in the world can move very fast with the ball without ever losing control. By tapping

the ball with all parts of the foot, these players can change directions and juke (or

fake out) their opponents.

• Passing: Unlike dribbling, passing is usually done with the inside of the feet.

Passes can also be made with the outside of the foot and, for the more advanced

players, with the head or other body parts. Passing is the quickest way for a team

to move the ball around and score with some good passes from everyone.

Good players can also push the ball in another direction under control rather than

stopping it.

• Shooting: You score a goal by shooting the ball into the other team’s goal net.

However, goals and shots come in many forms. Some players can score by

hitting the ball hard, driving a shot from far away. Other goals simply require a

player to accurately tap the ball toward an open part of the goal net.

Most shots are taken with the feet. Powerful shots are usually hit off the top of

the foot, where the shoelaces are. Some players try to place a curve shot by

striking the ball with the inside of their feet. Some of the hardest shot to take are

volleys, which are hit while the ball is in midair. A player can also shoot with their

head, which is called a header.

Some of the most important plays in soccer come while the play is stopped.

These are called set plays. They are awarded when the opposing teams kick the

ball out of bounds or commit a foul. The team on offense is then able to set up a

play. • Corner Kick: When the defending team kicks the ball out of bounds over their

own end line, the opposing team restarts play by kicking the ball from the corner

of the field. This can be a great scoring opportunity.

• Free Kick: When a player is fouled, their team receives a free kick. Defenders

must be at least 10 yards (9.1 m) away from the ball before it is kicked. A direct

free kick can be shot on goal. An indirect free kick has to be touched by two

players before it goes into the net. Direct free kicks are generally given for more

dangerous fouls such as an illegal slide tackle. Indirect kicks are often awarded

for goalkeepers to not follow the rules such as holding the ball for too long.

• Goal Kick: if the attacking team kicks the ball out of bounds over the opponent's

end line, the opponent restarts play by kicking the ball from the edge of the goal

area.

• Penalty Kick: A direct kick awarded when a player is fouled inside of the penalty

area. The penalty kick is taken from the penalty shot, which is centered 12 yards

(11 m) from the goal. Aside from the shooter and then opposing goalkeeper, all

other players must clear the penalty area.

• Throw-In: When one team kick the ball out of bounds on the sidelines, the other

team receives a throw-in. The player throwing the ball in must throw it over their

head with two hands and the player’s feet may not leave the ground.

Some professional soccer players have amazing moves. The Scissors Kick and the

Bicycle Kick are two different moves. The bicycle kick gives a booming surprise, when the player performs almost a somersault to kick over his or her shoulders. The scissors kick is a less dramatic move, where a player leaps, opening and closing the legs like the blades on a scissors. The ball is kicking in the direction the player faces, though the player leans sideways in the air.

As a player you need to have some equipment before entering to the field, but not much. All you really need is a uniform, shin guards, and soccer cleats. Official games are played on a grass field, but soccer can be played just about anywhere. As long as you have a ball and some goals, anyone can play soccer!

• The Modern Soccer Timeline:

1884: The first rule for soccer are drawn up at Cambridge University, in England.

1855: The Sheffield Football Club- the oldest team still in existence.

1863: The Football Association is formed.

1866: Offside rule dictates that three defensive players must be between an

offensive player and the goal.

1867: The Queen’s Park football club the oldest Scottish team.

1871: The FA Cup (Football Association Challenge Cup) is established

1872: Scotland and England meet in soccer’s first international match.

1873: The Scottish Football Association is formed.

1874: Players begin wearing shin guards.

1875: Crossbars come into wide use.

1876: The Football Association of Wales is formed.

1878: Referees begin using whistles.

1879: Africa’s first, is formed in Natal, South Africa.

1880: The Irish Football Association is formed. 1883: The first British International Championship is held.

1885: Pro Soccer is legalized in England.

1887: Soccer is introduced to Russia.

1888: The football League is formed.

1890: The Irish League and Scottish League begin Play.

1891: The Penalty kick is instituted. The Penarol football club is formed in the

Uruguayan capitol of Montevideo.

1892: The Football League’s Second Division is formed. Goal nets, first introduced in 1890.

1893: The scottish League accepts pro soccer.

1896: The length of international matches is fixed at 90 minutes.

1898: The players’ Union is formed to protect the right of soccer players

1901: The first 100,000- plus crowd attends the FA Cup Finals.

1902: Women's Soccer clubs are excluded from the Football Association.

1904: FIFA is formed in Paris on May 21st.

1905: South America first international matches.

1910: Argentina defeats Uruguay for the first South American Championship.

1912: The rule limiting the goalkeeper’s use hands to within the penalty area is introduced.

1913: The United State Soccer Federation is founded. Asia’s first international game.

1916: The first South American Championships are held.

1921: The American Soccer League begins play. 1923: Egypt become the first African country to join FIFA.

1925: New offside law leads to a goal scoring explosion.

1930: Host country Uruguay wins the first World Cup.

Bibliography

Websites:

White, David. (2014). “The Mayan Ball Game: A Deadly Game”. .

FIFA: The Fédération Internationale de Football Association website. (2016) .

Wikipedia. ( April 13 2016)

Palmer, Williams P. lll. (2016) “Ball Game” .

SoccerBalllWorld.com. (2016) “ The History of The Soccer Ball” .

NBC News. (2016) “Soccer by the Number: A look at the game in the US. .

American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. (2015) “Preventing Soccer Injuries” http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/soccer-injury-prevention.aspx

Northeast Youth Soccer League, Lawrence Indiana. ( April 14 2016) “Why I Think Soccer is The Best Sport for Kids”. http://www.nysl.com/Parents/Articles_of_Interest_to_Parents/Why_I_Think_Soccer_is_t he_Best_Sport_for_Kids.htm

Books:

Kassouf, Jeff. (2011). Girls Play to Win Soccer. Norwood House Press: Illinois, Chicago.

Owens, Thomas S. and Helmer, Diana Star. (2000). Soccer. Twenty-First Century Books: Brookfield, CT.

Stewart, Mark. (1998). Soccer, A History of the World’s Most Popular Game. Franklin Watts: Nw York, NY, Publisher: City, State.