Soccer is one of the most popular sports in Europe and the Americas. It has an interesting history in the world of sports. Early evidence of soccer being played as a sport finds occurrence in China during the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC.
In China, it was during the Han dynasty that people dribbled leather balls by kicking it into a small net. Recorded facts also support the fact that Romans and Greeks used to play ball for fun and frolic. Some facts point to Kyoto in Japan where kicking the ball was a popular sport.
They say that early growth of the modern soccer started in England. Some amusing facts even mention that the first ball used was the head of some Danish brigand. It is said that during medieval times, the old form of soccer used to allow many practices like kicking, punching, biting. The main aim was to carry the ball to a target spot. People grew learned to love the game that they would play all day long. Sometimes the competition grew fierce and got so wild that there were frequent incidents of violence during the game. It is also said that soldiers admired the game so much that they missed archery practice to watch it.
King Edward III banned soccer in 1365 owing to the growing incidents of violence and military errors in the sport. In 1424 King James I of Scotland also proclaimed in the Parliament No man shall play football
When and where exactly did soccer start is a question that has no precise answer to it. You can easily say that this popular game has been played for more than three thousand years. The nativity of modern-day soccer must be credited to Britain. It was also known as the association football, with Scotland and England being the co-founders of the systematic game of soccer.
Modern History of Soccer: 18th Century onwards
In 1815, a major development took place that made soccer popular in Universities, Colleges and Schools. The popular English School and Eton College came forth with a set of rules, known as the