History of Soccer

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Soccer is one of the most popular sports in Europe and the Americas. It has a clear and interesting history in the world of sports. Early evidence of soccer being played as a sport starts in China during the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC but it was during the Han dynasty that people started dribbling leather balls and kicking it into a small net. There are also Recorded facts that 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 of ball was a popular sport. It is said that early growth of the modern soccer started in England. It is said that during medieval times, the old form of soccer used to allow many ill practices like kicking, punching, biting and gouging. The main aim was to carry the ball to a target spot. People grew so fond of the game that they would throng the field all day long. Sometimes the competition grew violent and large 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 indulgence in the sport. In 1424 King James I of Scotland also proclaimed in the Parliament "Na man play at the Fute-ball" (No man shall play football) More than 240 million people around the world play soccer regularly according to the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA). The game has evolved from the sport of kicking a simple animal-hide ball around into the World Cup sport it is today. Greece, Rome and parts of Central America also claim to have started the sport, but it was England that transitioned soccer, or what the British and many other people around the world call “football,” into the game we know today. The English are credited with recording the first
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