From the slums to the largest stadiums, football is universal. In this blog, we dive deeper into the fascinating world of the greatest sport in the world: the history, the rules, the professional side and more. A must-read for any football fan!
In the context of our blogs about sports, a blog about football, the most popular sport in the world, should not be missed. By the way, did you know that cricket is in second place? There are an estimated 3.5 billion football fans, and there is virtually no country in the world that does not have a professional football team. In this post, we tell you about the history of football, the professionalization of this sport, transfers, and the rules of the game.
The History of Football
Football is extremely popular, and that is why several countries claim the origin of this sport. It is not known exactly where and when football was ‘invented.’ What is certain is that the way football is played now, in the 21st century, originated in Great Britain.
Playing with a ball is, of course, from much earlier times. With the Ancient Greeks and Romans, there were already games that resembled football. Also, in China, people played in the third century BC., already a kind of football with a leather ball that was filled with feathers. In the Middle Ages, England played with an inflated pig’s bladder. This was banned in the thirteenth century because it was so popular that people were afraid that people would be distracted too much from their daily activities.
In the centuries that followed, football in any form grew in popularity, especially among working-class young men. The game became important for maintaining social contact. At that time, there were still no clear uniform rules, and there were regular fights. There were no teams yet, and sometimes up to 100 people took part in a game. From 1830 you could be fined in England for playing football on the high road.
Establishing Rules for Football
Due to the increasing popularity of football and matches getting out of hand more and more often, the need for rules increased.
Britain was also at the forefront of this. While football was first something for boys from the working class, boys from prestigious private schools such as Oxford and Cambridge were also increasingly playing football.
It was also seen as a good way to keep students in shape. Football rules were drawn up at Eton in 1815 and at Aldenham in 1825. One of these rules was the offside rule.
In 1848, a proper set of rules was drawn up at Cambridge College, containing important rules about throw-ins, kick-outs, and the protection of the goalkeeper. These rules are virtually unchanged to this day.
What was a problem at the time: every school had its own rules. No problem if you played games among themselves, but if schools started playing against each other, that was often a problem. In some schools, you were even allowed to play the ball with your hand.
The Football Association
In the mid-19th century, football became so popular that teams from schools regularly played against each other. Teams from different parts of the country could also play against each other more easily as transport (train) got better and better. In 1850 the Factory Act was passed in Britain, a law that stipulated that children could work fewer hours. There was no time left for other things: football!
These children really developed a love for the sport, and this would also lead to the first professional football players.
The Football Association was founded in England in 1863 using the rules of Cambridge College. This is the start of the official football history, after which the sport spread all over the world.
How Is a Football Made?
Making a football is a complicated process. Each ball must have the same weight. This is even more important for major tournaments such as the European and World Championships.
The production of a football starts with the inside of the ball. A piece of polyester cotton is cut into pieces and then rubbed with latex. After drying in the oven for an hour – which makes the polyester sturdier – 12 pentagons are cut from the fabric, which is then sewn together in the shape of a ball. This is the skeleton. A pocket is left open through which a bladder can be inserted. This bladder is inflated using a valve. After this, the ball is sewn shut. After checking to see if there are no errors in the ball, it is once again covered with latex, which makes the ball even firmer. The inner ball is now ready.
Then the outer layer of the ball is made. 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons are cut from a piece of leather (real or synthetic). These are glued together, and the seams are filled with a water-repellent substance. The ball can then not absorb moisture.
When the ball is ready, it remains for another 24 hours, after which it is checked again.
Football Tournaments
The list of football tournaments is now very long. These tournaments are played in different layers, and we will not consider the ‘ordinary’ tournaments, such as between clubs and schools here.
At the world level, several tournaments are organized (by FIFA, the World Football Association):
- WC; Football World Cup (country teams). This is the second largest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games and takes place once every four years
- Confederations Cup. This is a tournament between the champions of the various federations that fall under FIFA. Like the World Cup, this tournament takes place once every four years
- World Cup under 20. This is the most important youth football tournament in the world and is organized every two years
- Football tournament of the Olympic Games
- World Cup (club teams)
- World Club Football Championship
In addition to the world tournaments, there are many tournaments for clubs, certain continents, or federations.
