Organised sport is by no means a new invention, and there are records showing that our ancestors from thousands of years ago were enjoying team-based sports, including organised matches and tournaments.
Of all the sports in the world today, football arguably has the richest history, dating back to the beginning of recorded history, and has long been a true favourite among the common people.
While it’s come in various forms over the centuries, the core fundamentals of the game have remained the same, and the “football” that our great ancestors played is not that dissimilar from the game that we play today.
Here we will look at the origins of football, how it has evolved over time, and why it has always been one of the world’s most popular games.
Where Football Started
Some of the earliest record of a game made up of a team that involved using a ball was from the cultures that lived in Mesoamerica, around 3000 years ago. This included such cultures as the Aztecs and the Mayans, who would use a ball made out of rubber to try and score more points than their opposing team.
It was also one of the first instances of rubber being used to make the ball, as these were the only cultures in the world at the time that had access to rubber.
Around the same time in ancient China, a team game was created, but instead of passing the ball around by hand, the players would kick it to one another.
This game was widely known to the people as Cuju, and the ball that was used for the game was made out of leather, fur, and feathers. This proved to be such a popular game that it would spread to other neighbouring countries, such as Japan.
The ancient Romans and Greeks also had their own versions of the game, and it was likely that this early game is what would eventually evolve into the sport that we are used to today.
Modern Football
It’s believed that football took hold in England during the 12th century, and would usually be played amongst villages, who would designate large fields to the activity. This version of football tended to be quite rough, although they did kick the ball to get it around, they were also allowed to punch it, and sometimes each other.
Football became a staple among the common people, and although it saw several bans over the years, it would eventually be open and available to the public. It created a means for most people to get together and enjoy a common activity, and one that cost nothing to participate in.
Over the years, and especially during the 18th century, the game would change, and a number of new rules would be added, along with a thriving betting scene not that different to what’s on https://onlinebettingnz.co.nz/. By the time 1960 had rolled around, modern football had emerged as we know it now, including many of the large, international tournaments that are still played today.