FOOTBALL HISTORY

Games consisting of kicking a ball have been popular in many countries throughout
history. According to FIFA, the oldest form of the game of which there is scientific
evidence dates back to a time around the 2nd or 3rd centuries BC in China. In addition,
the Roman game Harpastum can be a distant ancestor of football. Various forms of
football were also played in medieval Europe, although the rules varied greatly
depending on the time and area.

Although football has always been played in its most diverse forms across Britain,
English public schools are considered key to the creation of modern football. Evidence
suggests that, during the 16th century, British schools, and in particular principal
Richard Mulcaster, were instrumental in eliminating the most violent component of
football and transforming it into a team sport that would be beneficial to school kids.
Therefore, the game was institutionalized, regulated and became part of a more
widespread tradition. Many ancient references to football (e.g. in poetry) were recorded
by people studying in these schools, showing that they were familiar with the game.
Finally, in the 19th century, teachers and alumni were the first to write the formal rules
of modern football to organize matches between schools.

The current rules of football are based on mid-19th century efforts to standardize the
very diverse variants of football played by public schools in England. The first set of
rules was written at Eton College in 1815. Subsequently, in 1948, the Cambridge Rules
were created at the University of Cambridge, which have influenced the development of
Football Association (also known simply as football or football) and subsequent rules.
The Cambridge Rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, at a meeting
attended by representatives of the Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury
schools. These standards were not universally adopted. During 1850, many clubs were
formed in the English-speaking world, not related to schools and universities; some
created their own distinctive rules, mainly Sheffield Football Club (made up of Harrow
alumni) in 1857, which led to the formation of the Sheffield Football Association in 1867.
In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also developed a set of standards
that had their influence.

These efforts contributed to the formation of the Football Association (FA) in 1863,
which met for the first time on the morning of October 26, 1863 at the Taverna de
Freemason located on London's Great Queen Street. The only school represented this
time was Charterhouse. In the same place, five more meetings were held between
October and December that resulted in the first set of complete rules. In the final
meeting, the association's first treasurer, Blackheath's representative, withdrew his FA
club for not including two rules, the first of which allowed him to run with the ball in his
hands, and the second, obstructing the race by hitting the opponent on the shins and
grabbing him. Other English rugby clubs also followed this path and did not join the FA
but the Rugby Football Union created in 1871. The remaining eleven clubs, run by
Ebenezer Cobb Morley, ratified the thirteen original rules of the game. Sheffield FA
played by their own rules until 1870. The current rules of the game are determined by
the International Football Association (IFAB). IfAB was formed in 1886 after a meeting
in Manchester of las asociaciones de fútbol escocesa, galesa e irlandesa.

The oldest football competition in the world is the English FA Cup, which was founded
by C.W. Alcock and in which English teams have played since 1872. The first
international football match took place in 1872 between Scotland and England in
Glasgow, also through C.W. Alcock. The world's first football league was also organized
in England and was founded in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor. The
league's original format contained 12 clubs in central and northern England. The
International Football Federation Association (FIFA), the governing body of international
football, was formed in Paris in 1904, and adhered to the Rules of the Game of the
Football Association. The growing popularity of the game internationally led to the
admission of FIFA performances to the Board International Football Association in
1913. The board currently consists of four FIFA representatives and one of each of the
four British associations.
Today football is played at a professional level around the world and millions of people
regularly go to stadiums to follow their favorite teams and many more watch it through
television. A large number of people play football at the amateur level. According to a
FIFA survey published in the spring of 2001, more than 240 million people regularly play
football in more than 200 countries around the world. Its simple rules and minimum
equipment requirements have undoubtedly helped to spread its popularity.