Soccer History and Vocabulary

(See the Vocabulary list for the definitions of words in green.)

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Soccer is one of the world’s most popular sports, with approximately 250 million players in over 200 countries. It is also the most-watched sport on TV, with an audience in the billions.

An ancestor of soccer was played in ancient China, beginning around 300 BC. The sport was called cuju (‘kick-ball’) and was used as fitness training for the military as well as for entertainment. Cuju flourished during the Song Dynasty, when clubs and leagues with professional players were formed.

In Europe, a violent form of soccer was played during the Middle Ages. It was a chaotic game with an unlimited number of players on each team, resulting in many injuries and even deaths. In 1314, the sport was banned by royal law in London.

Modern soccer developed in England in the 19th century, when rules were established to standardize the various types of soccer played in school and university clubs. FIFA was founded in 1904 to oversee international competitions such as the World Cup, the first of which was held in Uruguay in 1930. Nowadays, there are also regional soccer championships on every continent.

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Vocabulary

audience = people who watch (TV, a show, a movie, etc)

ancestor = a thing or person from the past, from which a current thing or person developed

fitness = exercise

chaotic = disorganized, crazy

banned = prohibited, forbidden, not permitted

royal = related to the king, queen, emperor, etc.

standardize = to make the same

oversee = manage

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Additional Soccer Vocabulary

coach = the person who trains, teaches, and directs the team

goalkeeper = the person who stays in front of the goal to stop the ball from going in

field = the place where soccer is played

foul = an illegal action in the game

kick = to hit the ball with your foot

league = a group of sports clubs that play games with each other

pass = to give the ball to another player on the same team

referee = the person who controls the rules of the game, who starts and stops the game

score a goal = to put the ball into the goal

shoot = to kick the ball at the goal (try to score)

tie = when the game ends and both teams have the same score, for example, 2-2