The World's Most Beloved Sport - The History of Soccer

By Rebecca Blain

While it is undisputed that the origins of modern soccer, or football, originated in Britain, there is a great deal of evidence that points to this beloved game as having an older history.

Where did the game of soccer really begin, and how old is it? To understand how many different varieties of "soccer" there are, you need to understand a bit about the older versions of the game and how they have evolved.

Below, you will find a list of the predominant cultures that had a variety of soccer, and learn how each one differs from what we play today. And no, they never used anything like Lotto shinguards back then either!

• Chinese Soccer History
• Japanese Soccer History
• Egyptian Soccer History
• Greek/Roman Soccer History
• British Soccer History

Chinese Soccer History

To many, this is the oldest version of soccer to exist. However, there is quite a lot of controversy of whether or not this is the oldest, or Japan's version is the elder. The Chinese version of the game, originally named "Tsu Chu", involved players on a field that had to hit a leather ball stuffed with fur into a small hole. Like Soccer, no hands were permitted during the play of the game, and it was considered an honor to be a member of a team.

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty, when the game was developed, was an avid player and fan, and spread the popularity of this game all over China during his reign. This roughly dates back to 300 B.C., although there is controversy on the subject of dating, which could result in the origins of the game being as far back as 5000 B.C. Regardless, this version of Soccer is extremely old. Despite that, there is still a version of Tsu Chu played today. While the two games are similar, Tsu Chu has had no effect on the modern version of the game, as it was originally developed and created for play in Great Britain.

Japanese Soccer History

Kemari, the Japanese version of "Soccer", is perhaps one of the most different forms of the sport, in comparison to modern soccer. Kemari was a game of "Keep it up", much like modern hacky sacks, although used with a larger ball that was stuffed with saw dust. This version involves a "pitch", or the field, designated by the selection of four trees, the cherry, maple, pine and willow. Many great houses in Japan would grow trees to have a permanent pitch, or field, established.

Kemari was normally played with two to twelve players. Established in roughly 1004 B.C., it vies for position of the oldest game with China's Tsu Chu. In fact, China's Tsu Chu players and Japan's Kemari players were the first to have an "International" game of their versions of Soccer, which is dated to have occurred in roughly 50 B.C., although a definite date of 611 A.D. is known. Regardless, this game stands with China as a sister sport to Soccer, while it never affected the modern version of the game.

Egyptian Soccer History

While not much is known about Egyptian Soccer, or other ball games, it is thought there was a version of a type of ball game played by young women during the age of Baqet III. On his tomb, images of this sport were depicted, although no one is certain how the game was played or whether or not it truly affected the outcome of modern soccer. Recordings of this game date as far back as 2500 B.C., although not much more is known asides the fact that it was played with a ball. The lack of information on the sport and how it was played has eliminated it from runnings as the first evidence of a game similar to soccer.

Greek/Roman Soccer History

Perhaps the closest relative to modern soccer are the games that were formed by the Greeks during the prime of their culture. They had numerous varieties of football style games, some of which required hands, some of which forbade hands. In the end, after the Roman conquering of Greece, the game Harpastum is what modern soccer would be based from. This game, probably a modified version of the Greek's "Harpaston", which translates roughly to handball. While grossly misnamed, this game is what is considered to be one of the precursors to modern soccer.

British Soccer History

In Britain during the 8th century, soccer was created, not as a recreational sport, but as a war game. One of the stories of the original roots of the sport comes from when a Danish Prince was beheaded, and his head was used as a ball and was kicked around. Ever since this 'legendary' tale, villages and other communities would play a game where they would have to kick a ball to a specific goal. It was a violent game, where injury and death were not uncommon, but it was popular nevertheless. In fact, it was so violent, that in 1331, King Edward the III passed laws to try to stop the playing of the game. It did not work, however, and the sport continued on.

There are even stories of soccer games that involved hundreds upon hundreds of players. In these games, there were many deaths, some resulting in the hundreds. It wasn't until 1815 when Eton College set up a series of rules for the game that it became less violent and more of a true sport. At this time, other colleges and universities took up the banner and began to play under similar rules. Later, the rules were evaluated and judged, and the Cambridge rules were created as a result in 1848. In the Cambridge rules, shin-kicking, carrying the ball and tripping were all forbidden. Rugby rules allowed these aspects, and the two varieties of soccer, or football, split to form their own followings.

On October 26, 1863, London schools and sports club sent representatives to the Freemason's Tavern, where the Football Association was formed. Rugby supporters left this association to form the Rugby Association. This is where the birth of modern soccer began. In 1969, the Football Association finalized the modern game of soccer by forbidding the use of hands in the game.

The term "Soccer" was coined when someone was asked if he was a Rugger, which is a Rugby player. The -er signified that the person participated in a a particular sport. The individual, Charles Wreford Brown, replied with "Soccer!", taking the phrase from Association, SOC, and adding the -er. The term stuck. While British individuals still call the game Football, Americans and other countries call it Soccer, especially if they have heavy support in American Football present. Ever since the foundation of the Association, "Football" has risen in popularity, becoming one of the best love games in the history of Earth. Now, hundreds of thousands play the sport, although it lacks the initial violence present at its creation.

About The Author

Rebecca Blain is a professional and hobbyist writer who enjoys taking care of her fish and educating people about soccer equipment such as goals which you can read about here:

http://www.everything-soccer.com/8-24-soccer-goals.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Blain

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Is Italian football going backwards?

The Italian League has some of the best footballers in it but why is it their top players want to leave and go to a rival leagues? There may be many reasons; one could be that it has been stagnant for many years. You could say it is also down to the match fixing which saw the most successful club Juventus stripped of two of their league titles and caused them to get demoted to the Serie B. Also there have been other problems such as low crowds, racism, hooliganism, and various other problems that have plagued their game, despite Inter Milan did win the European Champions League which they weren't favourites to win.

Don't let the Champions League win deceive you as only one of the players were Italian and to make things worse he was a substitute that play in the final minute of stoppage time. If you were to compare it with their German opponents they had five Germans in the starting line up and then had two more Germans who came off the bench with the second one coming on around the 75th minute. So in theory it wasn't really an Italian team which is why the Italian public have played it down a bit.

If we were to look at the national side of things things don't look good as the team, they have been heavily criticised and after the world cup, the criticism has gotten more vocal. They have been criticised for their ageing squad. Most of the players that were picked were veterans who were part of 2006 championship winning team.

When there were calls to inject young players these calls were ignored for example Antonio Cassano who just had a great season at Sampdoria has been absent from the national team for two years. Being snubbed from the Italian squad before the world cup led to widespread criticism of Marcello Lippi from not only fans but the media alike. Although he has been remitted into the Italian team by head coach Cesare Prandelli.

The 2010 World Cup campaign was a complete embarrassment for them - they couldn't make it out of the first round; it was a fall from grace, from champions four years ago to in 2010 being held to a draw by country that is 50 ranks blow them in the FIFA rankings. Undeniably they had an group compared to what their rivals had - it was shameful for the country. The final game was the straw that broke the camel's back; you could visually see the players themselves where ashamed of how little they accomplished in this tournament and that they want to go back home to their villas in Italy as soon as possible.

You could say since the 2006 victory was the beginning of the downward spiral that has seen them perform worse at each competition - knocked out of Euro 2008 after passing the group stage came and third in their group in the Confederation Cup. In that time Italy has searching for new managers every few years.

Italian Football in general is at an all time low compared to the glory days of the 80s and certainly the 90s. What can be done to improve the state of league play and can the national squad get out of its rut? Flagging national teams' problems generally dissipate only young talent us slowly introduced into the team. Has Italy strung out one group of players for too long?

The Italian League has some of the best footballers in it but why is it their top players want to leave and go to a rival leagues? There may be many reasons; one could be that it has been stagnant for many years. You could say it is also down to the match fixing which saw the most successful club Juventus stripped of two of their league titles and caused them to get demoted to the Serie B. Also there have been other problems such as low crowds, racism, hooliganism, and various other problems that have plagued their game, despite Inter Milan did win the European Champions League which they weren't favourites to win.

Don't let the Champions League win deceive you as only one of the players were Italian and to make things worse he was a substitute that play in the final minute of stoppage time. If you were to compare it with their German opponents they had five Germans in the starting line up and then had two more Germans who came off the bench with the second one coming on around the 75th minute. So in theory it wasn't really an Italian team which is why the Italian public have played it down a bit.

If we were to look at the national side of things things don't look good as the team, they have been heavily criticised and after the world cup, the criticism has gotten more vocal. They have been criticised for their ageing squad. Most of the players that were picked were veterans who were part of 2006 championship winning team.

When there were calls to inject young players these calls were ignored for example Antonio Cassano who just had a great season at Sampdoria has been absent from the national team for two years. Being snubbed from the Italian squad before the world cup led to widespread criticism of Marcello Lippi from not only fans but the media alike. Although he has been remitted into the Italian team by head coach Cesare Prandelli.

The 2010 World Cup campaign was a complete embarrassment for them - they couldn't make it out of the first round; it was a fall from grace, from champions four years ago to in 2010 being held to a draw by country that is 50 ranks blow them in the FIFA rankings. Undeniably they had an group compared to what their rivals had - it was shameful for the country. The final game was the straw that broke the camel's back; you could visually see the players themselves where ashamed of how little they accomplished in this tournament and that they want to go back home to their villas in Italy as soon as possible.

You could say since the 2006 victory was the beginning of the downward spiral that has seen them perform worse at each competition - knocked out of Euro 2008 after passing the group stage came and third in their group in the Confederation Cup. In that time Italy has searching for new managers every few years.

Italian Football in general is at an all time low compared to the glory days of the 80s and certainly the 90s. What can be done to improve the state of league play and can the national squad get out of its rut? Flagging national teams' problems generally dissipate only young talent us slowly introduced into the team. Has Italy strung out one group of players for too long?

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Soccer Awards - All About World Cup Trophies and Awards

By Nico B Rama

The most popular and most coveted of all soccer awards, or football awards, is definitely the championship trophy of the FIFA World Cup. The league is the most valuable single-event sporting competition across the globe. Its latest staging, in 2010, attracted almost 50,000 spectators for every match and was aired to over 200 countries.

The FIFA World Cup has given two types of trophies in all its years of existence. One is the Jules Rimet Trophy, which was given to the winners since the league commenced in 1930 until 1970, when Brazil was entitled to keep the trophy for good as they won their third World Cup. Jules Rimet is the name of the FIFA President who pioneered the tournament.

Currently, the trophy that is awarded to the winner is simply named the FIFA World Cup Trophy. It is made of solid 18 carat gold and with a base that has 2 layers of malachite. Engraved at the bottom side are the names of the winners of the World Cup since 1974.The 6.175 kg trophy was created by Italian designer Silvio Gazzaniga. The FIFA World Cup Trophy is "lent" to the winning country until the next tournament comes. Afterwards, a gold-plated replica is given to them.

Aside from the trophy, the players and coaches of the top three teams are given medals engraved with the insignia of the World Cup Trophy. As in the tradition of most competitions, gold, silver and bronze are respectively given to the winner, the runner-up and the third-place finisher.

This particular tournament gives trophies symbolizing special accomplishments, too. The FIFA Fair Play Trophy is given to the team with the top fair play record during the season. It is the first special award that's given in the tournament from the time it was established. On a lighter note, an award for the Most Entertaining Team is literally for the team who has entertained the public the most in the whole duration of the tournament.

Individual players who have achieved extraordinary successes in their performance during the World Cup are also acknowledged with trophies.

The Golden Ball is given to the overall best player, which is named after voting by media members. The Golden Boot, on the other hand, goes to the number one goal scorer in the whole tournament. Silver and Bronze versions of the Ball and the Boot awards are given to those who ranked second and third in the said categories, respectively.

The best goalkeeper is also cited with the Golden Glove Award and is determined by the FIFA Technical Study Group. Recently, the said group has also started to decide on the most outstanding player aged 21 or younger, who deserves to be given the Best Young Player trophy.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is undoubtedly the most fiercely fought for prize among all soccer trophies. The whole tournament is one of the most festive and fun sporting events in the world and the FIFA member nations couldn't always wait for the next 4 years to fly by.

Soccer trophies and medals are available for ordering online at Awards and Trophies. Visit their site to see their selection of awards, trophies and plaques and their delivery provisions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nico_B_Rama

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How To Avoid Soccer Injuries

Here are tips that can help you protect your

kids from injury during the game of soccer

Soccer is a physical game that can subject players to potential injuries, some of which can be quite serious. Although physical contact between players is not a planned part of the game of soccer, the inevitable clashes during a match are as much a part of the game as controlling the ball.

From a spectator's standpoint, soccer does not seem like a physically brutal event, especially the way some players glide across the pitch like gazelles in the open range. Sometimes soccer players merely glance off each other in ballet fashion. But, for anyone who has been out on the soccer pitch in competition, the likelihood of getting hurt is ever present and there is probably not one soccer player out there who hasn't hit the ground or bounced off of an opponent or has had cuts and bruises.

These minor incidents pose no real threat to a soccer player's physical well-being. As all soccer parents can attest, physical contact while playing soccer is unavoidable. The obvious question, then, is - how do we keep the unavoidable contact from causing more than a few aches and pains?

There are actually two facets that come into play when considering the precautions that can be taken to keep your youth soccer player from getting seriously hurt. The one and oft thought primary consideration, of course, is soccer shin guards, the only real physical protection that a soccer player wears. Besides shin guards, a soccer player's body is virtually unprotected. And that vulnerability to injury is what makes the second consideration of paramount importance.

Soccer kids need to be taught how to think about avoiding injuries as part of the game. It is the mental attitude and knowledge of a player's own ability to anticipate potentially harmful situations and take actions to avoid them that can make the difference between being able to get up off the pitch and play on or get carried off.

Too often youth soccer coaches, in their zeal to compose a winning team, will spend too little time on safety. Safe play can be reinforced with pre-game and post game examples of what happens when certain actions are taken and what can be done differently to achieve a safer outcome the next time a similar situation presents itself. And kids need to understand that danger can come from not only their own actions, but that of the other soccer players on the pitch. They need to know how to avoid a charging opponent, while still maintaining control of the ball.

The key is to teach your kids an awareness of the safety aspects of the game of soccer. Then parents need not fear for their kids' safety on the soccer field when they are properly trained. Kids already have an inherent sense for avoiding harm and parents just need to make sure that their kids keep this sense sharp and how to apply it in any given situation.

The bottom line is - no potential glory on the soccer pitch is worth sacrificing the body for. There will be another day and another glory when good judgment is used.

Till Next Time,

Bernie Rosellen,

Soccer From The Pitch

Bernie Rosellen has played and been involved with soccer for over thirty years. He has coached youth soccer teams for almost twenty years. He still plays on two adult soccer teams in the Richmond, VA area today. Tapping his experiences as a soccer player and soccer coach, he writes articles as, Soccer From The Pitch, and provides content for websites such as http://www.SoccerCountry.com

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Choose the best soccer cleats

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adidas soccer cleats: There are particular crucial features that you simply ought to bear in mind prior to acquiring Adidas soccer cleats for by yourself. Make sure you examine out the ease and comfort stage before choosing a brand new pair for your self. The subsequent most crucial issue that you simply should take into account could be the position in which you usually perform. Should you be a winger or possibly a striker then you go for light-weight shoe, that will let you speed up briskly. In case you are a midfielder then you definitely are guaranteed to go for Adidas Predator boot. The benefit of such cleat boots could it be can help the midfielder to shoot powerful shots from distance. In case you are playing while in the defending placement then it's definite that you just would need an excellent grip at your ft. In that circumstance, you must seem for the cleat shoe that provides outstanding grip, fantastic ball experience, outstanding kick velocity and ball managing nature.

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Most of us know that a sports man's performance primarily is determined by his/her capability and skill. Apart from the comfort element plays a significant function, particularly when it involves soccer cleats. That is the cause; sports folks are witnessed customizing their cleats as every their choice and choice. Nonetheless, customizing such boots isn't that straightforward, so it is usually better to pick your preferred one particular from a branded organization. Needless to say that Adidas is one particular these brand name where you're going to get unique selection of soccer cleats of your respective choice.

Adidas soccer cleats possess a large fan subsequent and is endorsed by several soccer legends. David Beckham takes place to get one particular these celebrity who has a line of Adidas merchandise named right after him. Created with premium quality artificial materials, the cleats from Adidas will be the very best bit of soccer items favorite by most gamers.

Read more about Best Soccer cleats at Adidas Soccer Cleats

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