Question Number: 17725

Other 11/6/2007

RE: 2 Under 10

Dixie of Malaboo, Kentucky United States of America asks...

What country was soccer first played in

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

The answer to this questions is hotly debated all over the world. Most countries have stories about how perhaps some of their ancestors kicked a ball in a game and that was the beginning of soccer.

The best answer that can truly be given is that the game that we know and love was first invented and played in England. The rules were first codified there in the 1880's and the game spread with the growth of the English Empire from there.

God Save the Queen.

Oh - and that can partially explain why the USA never really took the English version of football on. We had already declared independence and won two wars against England - so England didn't quite carry the same influence it did in the rest of the world. Instead, a rugby fan altered the game into what we call gridiron.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

"Soccer" was first played in England, because the name was made up by English schoolboys. They took the syllable "soc" from Association and added the dimunitive "er" ending. In the same way, other schoolboys created "rugger".

However many forms of games played with balls or ball shaped items were played around the world from the time our ancestors first stood on the earth. Bopping a round object about just seems like a good thing to do. And then someone came up with the brilliant suggestion that since our hands were the most developed portion of our anatomy for carrying things, wouldn't it be more of a sport if we didn't use our hands? There is evidence of soccer-like games being played in ancient cultures all around the world - the Greek and Roman Empires, China, Meso-America, etc.