One of the greatest sports that could ever be played which is an industry, worth trillions and watches on every continent of the Earth. From children kicking a ball whilst they try to figure out their coordination going all the way to adults who make a living out of it, it is a sport that can be played by virtually anyone. Still, there are some questions that crowd our mind as to how did this game begin as well as how has it developed over the years and what does the future hold for football?
Going by a timeline of the most major events in World football we can say that, there have been a lot of moments that have shaped football into what it currently is. Some are: -
2nd or 3rd Century BC - Chinese Military Invent Tsu' Chu
1409 - First Documented Use of Word ‘Football’ In England
1581 - First Football Played in English Schools
1848 - Cambridge Rules Established
1857 - Sheffield Rules
1863 - Football Association Formed
1870 - First International Match Played
1871 - FA Cup Invented
1877 - Laws of The Game Ratified
1888 - Football League Formed
1904 - FIFA Formed
1930 - First World Cup
1954 - UEFA Formed
1960 - First European Championships (Called European Nations Cup)
1985 - Heysel Stadium Disaster, English Clubs Banned from Europe
1989 - Hillsborough Disaster, Taylor Report Recommends Stadia Become All-Seater
1992 - Premier League Formed
2012 - Goal line Technology Used for The First Time
2016 – VAR is used in an International Match for the first time
So, as we can see, the Chinese and the Japanese were there at the start of this beautiful game which have involved billions worldwide. Going by the name of ‘Tsu Chu’ and ‘Kemari’, they had specific rules of their games. Even the Greeks and the Romans weren’t far behind, ‘Episkyros’ and ‘Harpastum’ were played in their cultures and have left a mark into how the game was formulated. Even after all of this, football was started professionally in England, where in 1863 a decision was taken that the Rugby Association and the Association football will be handled separately. With a new group being formed, laws started to change and new laws were introduced every few years. Cambridge rules, Sheffield rules, London Football Association’s rules, it was all a mess. Then ultimately all the rules were combined to form a set of rules which were then followed. Ultimately this started getting popular and the Football League, which is now known as the Premier League in England was formed.
Looking Internationally, FIFA or the main governing board wasn’t formed until 1904, for a handful of European countries. Ultimately the majority of all footballing nations came under its banner and there are a total of 211 regional confederates that are under the banner of FIFA.
With the advent of technology, we have seen the rise of Goal Line Technology- to have a clear look at situations leading to a goal or a no-goal, which would be tough for the human eye to follow or notice in a split second. Another is Video Assistant Referee or VAR- which is responsible for checking on possible goal situations, foul situations as well as situations that could lead to a change in momentum of the match.
With the sport moving at high speed, it is necessary that we as fans be ready for what’s to come next.
