As the 1860s began, rules regulating play and roughness in the field were made. It can be said that the clubs that created more strict football rules are the ones who invented the game as we know it today.
But there was one problem during that time: each club or town played with their own set of rules. So when there were meetings from different teams, it often ended in dispute as to what rules should be followed.
This problem was finally solved in 1863 when twelve London clubs met to discuss common rules for the game. These clubs then formed a governing body called The Football Association, the same FA that holds today’s popular FA Cup.
From England, it easily spread to other European countries such as Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Eventually, these countries gathered to form a governing body of football that will oversee international games and the FIFA came to be.
FA increased the popularity of football and helped in spreading it throughout the world.
It became known as football, futbol, futebol, and fussbol in different countries but in the United States it became known as soccer.
While the sport was widely played by youngsters all over England, it was banned in schools because of its fierceness. Lack of rules governing player conduct often resulted in injuries and chaos.
This prompted the clubs in the 19th Century to create rules that will ensure fair and honest play. These rules are the foundation of the main football rules we now follow.
That is why in the 19th Century clubs felt the urge of creating rules. So they gathered together and formed the Football Association. In the United States, the sport became known as soccer.
It did not take long for other European countries to adopt the British love for soccer. Leagues began popping up throughout the world: the Netherlands and Denmark in 1889, Argentina in 1893, Chile in 1895, Switzerland and Belgium in 1895, Italy in 1898, Germany and Uruguay in 1900, Hungary in 1901, and Finland in 1907. It was not until 1903 that France formed their league, even though they had adopted the British sport long before.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) was formed in Paris in 1904 with seven members. This included Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Germany announced its intention to join the same day.
In 1930, the first-ever FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay. There were 41 members of FIFA at the time and it has remained the pinnacle of the soccer world ever since. Today it boasts over 200 members and the World Cup is one of the biggest events of the year.
These are some of the photos of that time.When football was invented and there were no rules.