Looking At The History Of Football

Football is one of the globally loved sports. The modern football game is played between 2 teams. Each team has 11 players who play together in three different positions to score more goals than their opponent. These positions are called defence, mid-field, and forward. A goal is scored when a team takes the ball from one end of the field to another and puts it in the opponent’s goalpost. The official duration of this sport is 90 minutes. The game of football comes from the 18th century and since then the game has undergone several variations to become one of the most-played sports in the world. Want to know more about how football originated and became a globally loved sport? PSA brings to you a detailed football summary of how it originated and emerged around the world.

 

History of Football

Origin in China

Initially, the game of football developed in the country of China. Though people kicked balls across the grounds for thousands of years, it was in the early third century BC when a game like football was tracked down in history. Tsu’ Chu was a Chinese game played by the Han Dynasty which involved passing a ball from one to another to pass it through a 30-40 cm opening. The ball used for playing this game was made out of leather and filled with feathers. 

While the game of football was at first  developed in the country of China, the Greeks later invented the game ‘Harpastum’ which had similar rules to that of the modern game. The game was played on a rectangular field where boundaries and the centre line were marked. The aim of this game was to take the ball away from your boundary and pass it through the opponent’s boundary line. 

 

Origin of Modern Soccer in Britain

Football is a sport that originates from the country of England. It was the year 1863 when modern football came into existence. According to England’s history, the Lord Mayor of London banned football in 1314 as he considered that military practices were compromised for playing the game. Though football faced major cultural opposition, it evolved in Britain from the 8th to 19th century. There were different variations to the game in different regions so the lack of a standardised version of football was not established. 

These different versions were then narrowed down to three established variants of football - rugby football, association football, and Gaelic football. Modern football is the contemporary equivalent of all these three variations. When these three versions were invented, the first governing body of football was also created. During this time, the ‘handling’ of the ball in the game was prohibited and by 1870, the Football Association banned all handling in the game except by the goalkeeper. In 1871, 15 different football clubs accepted the invitation by the FA to play a tournament and contribute to purchasing a trophy. 

 

How Football Evolved Globally

By the start of the 19th century, football was played in the majority of public schools, however, there was no standard version of the game. Instead, schools came up with their own set of rules. The Football Association had a total of 50 members by 1872. The FA announced their first FA cup with a championship to be held in 1888. Football was not accepted as a game in Europe and it is called a ‘very British sport’. However, in 1872, the dynamic changed with the first international football match between England and Scotland. This game attracted a huge crowd marking football’s first international recognition. 

Football emerged slowly in different parts of the UK, however, gradually the game gained major fame across every part of the world. Different football associations were established across different parts of the world from the year 1889 to 1900. In 1889, Netherlands and Denmarks formed their separate football association. Later, other countries also formed different football associations. This includes New Zealand in 1891, Argentina in 1893, Chile, Switzerland and Belgium in 1895. Other countries include Italy in 1898 and Germany, Uruguay in 1900.

 

How was FIFA Established?

Though football gained major international recognition across the world, there was a lack of an international organisation for setting a standard set of rules and organising different tournaments. This was when the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was established. The football associations from Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Switzerland came together in 1904 and founded FIFA in Paris.

FIFA is made up of 211 football associations. In 2022, Russia was suspended from the season making it 210 members. 32 of these national associations qualify to play the FIFA World Cup which occurs once every four years. As modern football comes from the country Britain, British football associations were not in favour of FIFA even after home nations became a member of the body in 1911. The rules of British control were accepted by FIFA through the International Board which was formed in 1882 by the home nations. 

 

History of Football in Indonesia

Initially, the game of football developed in the country of Indonesia in 1914 when it was under the colonial rule of the Dutch East Indies government. The first football association in Indonesia was formed in 1930 and named PSSI. It was formed in Yogyakarta and Soeratin Sosrosoegondo was elected as the chairman. After PSSI was formed, different teams in Indonesia played in the PSSI championship. Indonesia competed in the World Cup for the first time in 1938. Since its formation, PSSI along with the Indonesian government has always focused on making a name in the international football league since the time of independence. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How did football get its name?

Football got its name after the gesture of playing the sport that is kicking the ball with the foot. It is also assumed that in Medieval Europe, football was referred to as all the games played on foot. 

  • Who invented the soccer goal net?

John Alexander Brodie, a civil engineer and an Everton supporter invented the goal nets. This was after his team Everton was not given a point for a legitimate goal. Brodie first used the goal net in Stanley park in 1889 and later applied for a patent for goal nets which was accepted by the football authorities. 

  • What is the golden goal in soccer?

The golden goal is referred to the first goal scored by a team during the extra time. This goal indicates that the team which scored the goal has won the game. This rule is also called the golden point. The term was first invented in 1992 to replace the more negative term ‘sudden death. However, this rule is no longer in implementation according to the rule of FIFA.