Who Invented Soccer?

Who invented soccer? Historians are not sure who invented soccer. All throughout our history, ball games similar to soccer have become apparent as well as perished. This leaves historian to correspond on speculations. Most of the early versions of the game soccer have created skillful artisans or players who are like today’s famous soccer players. Like in China, some historians believe that the Chinese are the ones who invented soccer. In the early Chinese history, it was proven that the early Chinese used to play a game that involved the kicking of a ball into a net. The Chinese called this “Tsu Chu”. This early Chinese version of soccer was regularly played on the emperor’s birthday celebration. The main objective of this particular game was to kick a ball through an opening of an erected bamboo can wherein the net has been fixed on. Tsu Chu was used for training soldiers during the T`sin Dynasty which was around 255 B.C. The game was then featured on the Chinese war manual during the Han Dynasty as a physical fitness exercise.

Some historians argued and stated that the Greeks are the ones who invented soccer because the Greeks developed a game that involves kicking and throwing of a ball. They stated that this early version of soccer was played by both men and women. This type of ball game was called the “Episkyros”. Generally played nude, this game was later adapted by the Romans who then renamed it Harpastum. The Harpastum involves two teams with eight to twelve players on a rectangular field. Each team must prevent the opposing team from taking the ball in their own half of the field for as long as they possibly can (the field is divided by a boundary line on the center).

According to some historians, the Japanese also has a type of ball game similar to soccer therefore the Japanese were the one who invented soccer. They stated that the “Kemari” or “Kenatt” has lots of similarities of the game soccer. They stated that Kemari was played with eight players or less. The players used a ball that was covered with animal hide, more specifically deer skin, and the ball was stuffed with saw dust. Each player must prevent the ball from falling on the ground by juggling it with their feet and pass it to on another. The ball is kept airborne for as long as the player can. The playing field used in playing this sort of game was rectangular in shape and has four different tree saplings on each corner of the field.

Who invented soccer? What are the origins of the modern day soccer? No one is really sure about its origin. The only thing we can do right now is to play the game.