In Motion to Football

 

Antiquity of Football

Old Mesoamerican tribes produced the earliest recorded instances of team games utilising a ball formed of a rock more than 3,000 years ago. Although there were numerous variations of the game played throughout a wide area, it was created by the Aztecs and was called Tchatali. The ball might represent the sun on certain ritual occasions, and the losing team's captain might be offered as a sacrifice to the gods. A rubber-made bouncing ball was a distinctive aspect of Mesoamerican versions of ball games; no other early culture had access to rubber.

The first documented kick-and-ball game, known as cuju, was played in China between the third and second centuries BC. Cuju was played on a square-shaped space with a circular ball made of stitched leather with fur or feathers inside. Later, a modified version of this game known as kemari was played in ceremonial settings and spread to Japan.

Marn Gook, a ball game played by Aboriginal Australians and described by white immigrants as a game mostly requiring kicking in the 1800s, was possibly an even older version of cuju. Encased leaves or roots were used to create the ball. The majority of the rules are unknown, but keeping the ball in the air was probably a key component, just like in many other early iterations of the game.

Other types of ball games have existed since the time of Ancient Greece. The ball was created using hair-filled leather slivers (the first documents of balls filled with air are from the 7th century). However, ball games were considered low status and were excluded from the Panhellenic Games. Games using balls did not take place during entertainment in the large arenas (amphitheatres) of Ancient Rome, but rather during military drills known as Harpastum. Football was introduced to the British island by the Romans (Britannica). However, it is unclear to what extent the British population was inspired by this type and to what extent they had created their own variations.

The game of football takes its form

The game was created in England in the 12th century, according to the most widely accepted theory. Football-like sports were played in this century on English highways and fields. In addition to kicks, the game also incorporated fist blows at the ball. Additionally, compared to modern football, this early version of the sport was significantly rougher and brutal.

The fact that the predecessors to football had many players and were played across expansive spaces in cities was a key aspect of those games (an equivalent was played in Florence from the 16th century where it was called Calcio). These games would go on the rampage, damaging the town and occasionally killing the players. These would be some of the justifications for the declarations that the game should be banned, as it eventually was for several centuries. But in the 17th century, street football games would return to London. The game had already become widespread in public schools at this point, though it would be outlawed once more in 1835.

But it took a while before modern football's elements started to be used in games. Rugby and football did not clearly separate themselves for a very long period. There were also a lot of variations in the ball's size, the number of players, and the duration of a game.

Rugby and Eton were two of the more popular schools where the game was frequently played. Rugby's rules allowed players to pick up the ball with their hands, and it was from this point that the sport we now know as rugby emerged. On the other hand, at Eton, all of the ball was played with the feet, and this game was closely related to modern football. Rugby's game was referred to as "the running game," while Eton's game was referred to as "the dribbling game."

At originally, the sport served as a form of entertainment for the working class in Britain. In the late 19th century, record crowds of up to 30,000 people would watch the major matches. British citizens who travelled to other regions of the world would soon expand the game. Football would attract a lot of interest, particularly in South America and India.

The initial football teams

Now, other achievements would follow. When the Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) was first held in 1871, it was the first significant competition. The first international competition had four national teams—England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales—and was held twelve years later, in 1883.

In 1904, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was established after representatives from France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland signed the foundation act. Since they had created the game and saw no need to submit to an organisation, England and the other British nations did not initially join FIFA. But even after joining, they didn't participate in the World Cup until 1950.

Football would be added to the Olympic Games for the first time in 1908 as an official sport. The football competition at the Olympic Games would rank as the most prestigious on a national level until the inaugural FIFA World Cup was played in 1930. Football for women wasn't added until 1996.

How modern football has evolved

All significant changes throughout the game revolve on these three main factors:

·        Tactical development,

·        Tactical development, 

·        Social media

·        Technology

·        Playing style

There were no TVs when soccer was initially played. The BBC aired the first-ever soccer match on television on September 16, 1937.It is still the most watched sport in the world more than 80 years later. In Russia, the 2018 World Cup was watched by more than 3.5 billion people.That is almost half of all humans on Earth! More games than ever before are being broadcast by sports networks.The interaction between fans and players has changed significantly as a result of social media. It offers a direct line of communication unmatched by any previous technology.Teams, broadcasters, and players have been forced to shift their attention to social media and everything mobile due to a shift in social trends toward mobile devices.

Soccer franchises now use social media as their primary method of communication and as the most significant and effective marketing tool available. Social media not only enables soccer organisations to share content with their followers, but it also encourages fan interaction and fosters meaningful connections.

The Future of Soccer

FIFA is presently experimenting with new rule modifications as of the publishing of this article in 2022. At the Future of Football Cup youth competition, they were being tested. The trial calls for switching from the traditional 45-minute halves of play to 30-minute halves, and for Association Football, stopping the clock once the ball is out of play.

The development of the game over the previous few centuries is simply astounding. The game has come a long way since its inception by a group of Cambridge students who nailed the first set of rules to a tree. Today, FIFA is a powerful international governing body. Like the game itself, soccer's history unquestionably transports us on an emotional journey. Additionally, they are testing with automatic five-minute bans for yellow cards and throw-ins made with the feet rather than the hands. Typically, these trials take place during Youth World Cups.

Reference : https://historyofsoccer.info/the_history_of_soccer

The influence of globalization has increased to the point where it has created opportunities for the growth of football among various nations, players, and talent levels. All of my efforts had produced a favourable outcome in the end.