5 Surprising Facts In The History Of Football

There are even some surprising facts related to recent football history and how the game is played. The history of football reveals a lot about this popular pastime, including why so many people are so enthusiastic about the sport, and the evolution of the game’s rules and structure. 

History Of Football:  A Few Surprising Facts

Walter Camp was born in New Britain, Connecticut in 1859.  He played football at Yale from the year 1876 until 1882; he followed his football playing career with a career in coaching: he served as a head coach from 1888 until 1882.  He then returned to Yale, his alma mater, and was a head coach there in 1892 and from 1894 until 1985.  Camp won three National Championships in 1888, in 1891, and in 1892.  He was later inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in the year 1951.  All of Camp’s experience in football later led to him working in committees that redeveloped the rules of the sport and defined American Football as we know it today; this is why Camp is now identified as American Football’s father.  Camp maintained a position on the Intercollegiate Football Rules Committee for nearly fifty years.  He is responsible for helping to restructure Rugby rules into American football codes that included the inclusion of a quarterback position, signal calling, the eleven man football team, the inclusion of the scrimmage line, and the implementation of the system of downs.  Camp went on to publish the very first book about the game of football too.

The oldest football that exists to date is preserved in a museum in Scotland; it was discovered at Stirling Castle, a location once the home to Mary the Queen of Scots.  This ball was found nestled away in the rafters of the Queen’s bedroom.  This discovery was made in 1999.  The ball was made with a grey leather casing that was hand stitched; inside the ball was an inflated bladder of a pig.  It is believed that the Queen would toss the ball from the bedroom balcony whenever matches were started between soldiers and the staff of the castle.  For more information visit http://www.thesportsinfoline.com/sports/football-facts.html.

Some historians trace football back about three thousand years to China.  In China at the time, there was a game that was played with the use of stuffed animal skins.  The skins were filled with feathers or with hair.  The stuffed skins were then deliberately kicked so that they would land between two poles that were positioned about ten meters in height.  It is believed that this game was a form of training used to improve military skills.  Later, in 50 CE, the latter game came to be identified as the game of Tsu Chu, and records documenting the game made direct comparisons between the square goal and the use of a round ball with the harmonies associated with Ying and Yang symbolism.

The Romans and Grecians also played games involving a ball;  the Romans played a game identified as harpustum and the ancient Greeks played a game identified as episkyres: both games were primarily games involving carrying the ball about and they illustrated earlier forms of modern day football games like soccer, rugby, and American football.  In the Greek game, the name of the game literally comes from the term Harpazien that translates as “seize.”  This game was played with balls filled with sand.  In addition, other cultures from around the world played games involving kicking and carrying a ball about including the North American Indians, the Assyrians, the Egyptians, the Persians, the Aztecs, and the Japanese. For more information visit http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/game/historygame1.html.

Today there are many different forms of football, although the most commonly recognized forms of the game are soccer and American football.  Games that have been derived from Association football are commonly identified as footie, footy, or soccer.  Indoor variations of the game include a 5 sided game that is approved by FIFA called Futsal; a 6 sixed game played indoors in various parts of North America, and there is an association football game that has been altered so that it is suitable for disabled team players: the Paralypic football game.  Soccer played on a beach or on the sand is identified as Beach Soccer and there is also a street form of football too.  In regions of Sweden as well as in Britain a derivative of the game identified as cubbies is played as well. 

Along with soccer and American football, there are rugby football games and rugby derivatives.  In terms of American football, there is flag football involving no tackle gaming, arena football involving games played indoors, and touch football also involving hands off gaming.  Meanwhile, Canadian versions of the game include football and flag football.

The numbers players are assigned in American football are based upon the position that they play.  Tight ends and wide receivers get a number from 80 to 89; linemen get numbers from 60 to 79; linebackers and centers get numbers from 50 to 59; defensive and running backs are numbered from 20 to 49; and kickers and quarterbacks are numbered from 1 to 19.  For more information visit http://footballs.fifa.com/Football-Facts.