Soccer’s violent origins lie in medieval England : NPR

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AP/AP The playoffs are over and the matchup is ready: The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara for the Tremendous Bowl.

Thousands and thousands of individuals will tune in to look at this distinctive and beloved American sport for the most important sport of the 12 months. However does it shock you that the origins of each the phrase and the framework for the fashionable sport stem from medieval England?

Immediately, the phrase "soccer" is used to consult with totally different video games: American soccer, the sport performed on the Tremendous Bowl, the place a foot is never used to direct the ball. And elsewhere on the earth, soccer refers to what Individuals name "soccer."

The origins of the phrase "soccer" might be fairly apparent: It combines the phrases "foot" and "ball." Historic proof signifies it was used to consult with any sport that was performed standing (as a substitute of on horseback) or with a ball (often an inflated animal bladder or constituted of woven reed) to be kicked, based on the FIFA Museum.

No matter the kind of soccer sport you're referring to at the moment, consultants say they've their origins within the easy and unregulated variations performed in medieval Britain, based on Doug Harper, who created the On-line Etymology Dictionary.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4369x3110+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F67%2F6a%2F8db978354b9aa31679839025efee%2Fgettyimages-2258362182.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4369x3110+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F67%2F6a%2F8db978354b9aa31679839025efee%2Fgettyimages-2258362182.jpg" class="img" alt="Jordan Zemura of Udinese Calcio is challenged by Pol Lirola of Hellas Verona during the Serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on Jan. 26, 2026 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)" loading="lazy"/> Jordan Zemura of Udinese Calcio is challenged by Pol Lirola of Hellas Verona through the Serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on Jan. 26, 2026 in Verona, Italy. Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Photos/Getty Photos Europe disguise caption

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Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Photos/Getty Photos Europe The Oxford English Dictionary says the earliest recognized use of the noun soccer is within the Center English interval, round 1150—1500. However the earliest written proof stems from 1409, when it was written as "foteballe."

Scott Stempson, a historical past lecturer on the College of Nebraska, says the reference to "soccer" as a sport or sport pops up within the 14th century in a royal proclamation from King Edward.

In it, Edward writes of how harmful the sport has turn out to be and the way it has distracted younger males in the course of wartime, Stempson explains. He is discovered practically two dozen different royal proclamations over the next 300 years, basically warning of the sport's violence.

And it was very violent.

These "unregulated" video games concerned groups that might quantity within the dozens – much more – on either side and the final objective was to kick the ball right into a objective. On the best way, although, the gamers would push and shove with abandon.

Stempson says there are historic data detailing accidents and harm to outlets alongside the streets the place these video games had been performed. Within the worst instances, folks had been even killed, as violent gamers would punch, deal with and even stab a fellow participant.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8192x5464+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc3%2Fc4%2F51e6ac2a42bc9fdaf65fb7a5b1ad%2Fap25063632879508.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8192x5464+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc3%2Fc4%2F51e6ac2a42bc9fdaf65fb7a5b1ad%2Fap25063632879508.jpg" class="img" alt="Players compete for the ball in the Henmore Brook during the annual Shrovetide medieval hugball soccer that is match played in Ashbourne, England, on March 4, 2025, which has been played in England from the reign of King Henry II." loading="lazy"/> Gamers compete for the ball within the Henmore Brook through the annual Shrovetide medieval hugball soccer that's match performed in Ashbourne, England, on March 4, 2025, which has been performed in England from the reign of King Henry II. Darren Staples/AP/AP disguise caption

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Darren Staples/AP/AP The evolution of the sport More often than not, these medieval avenue video games, performed in villages, had no set guidelines or actual group and seemed extra like what Individuals know as soccer.

The ball itself was often an inflated animal bladder, like a cow bladder, explains Louis Moore, a professor at Michigan State College, who teaches sports activities historical past.

The sport finally made its technique to New England by way of English settlers, Moore explains. However that model was fairly unrecognizable from what we all know as the sport at the moment.

It wasn't till the Soccer Affiliation and the Rugby Soccer Union had been based in 1863 and 1871, respectively, in England that guidelines had been lastly developed for that nation's variations of the video games, lastly formalizing a distinction between the 2. Soccer (or what Individuals name soccer) entails kicking a spherical ball, and rugby entails gamers dealing with an oval ball.

Here is some additional etymology for you: "Soccer is derived from the phrase "affiliation." It comes afterward within the late 1800s, when that turns into a part of our lexicon right here in America. However nonetheless, there in England, they'd name it soccer since you're enjoying along with your ft," Moore explains.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6331x4222+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffc%2Fee%2Fbcb2ba0e444f8295238875763e70%2Fgettyimages-2258178475.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6331x4222+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffc%2Fee%2Fbcb2ba0e444f8295238875763e70%2Fgettyimages-2258178475.jpg" class="img" alt="Christian Gonzalez #0 of the New England Patriots intercepts a pass from Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Denver Broncos (not pictured) intended for Marvin Mims Jr. #19 during the fourth quarter in the AFC Championship Playoff game at Empower Field At Mile High on Jan. 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado." loading="lazy"/> Christian Gonzalez #0 of the New England Patriots intercepts a go from Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Denver Broncos (not pictured) meant for Marvin Mims Jr. #19 through the fourth quarter within the AFC Championship Playoff sport at Empower Discipline At Mile Excessive on Jan. 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Justin Edmonds/Getty Photos/Getty Photos North America disguise caption

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Justin Edmonds/Getty Photos/Getty Photos North America It is round that point that some model of American soccer was starting to be performed at faculties and universities within the U.S. – with every faculty having its personal tackle the sport, Moore says.

"You'll play this very tough and tumble sport the place you are kicking and punching. It could possibly be 25 on 25, 30 on 30 – very tough," Moore says.

In 1869, the very first intercollegiate soccer sport was performed between Rutgers and Princeton. However even that sport seemed extra like soccer to our fashionable eyes, Moore says.

Over the subsequent seven years, the sport would undergo a serious transformation led by elite East Coast faculties, based on the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame.

On Nov. 23, 1876, representatives from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met in Springfield, Massachusetts to create the primary guidelines for American soccer at what's now referred to as the Massasoit Conference.

As for why the phrase "soccer" continues to be used to consult with the American sport, regardless that a foot is never used, Moore says it probably caught as a result of the creators believed they had been nonetheless enjoying soccer even after they tweaked the sport and its guidelines. "So, there was no want or need to vary the title," he says.