Association football, also known as just football, is a sport played between two competing teams of eleven players. It is played by about 250 million people in more than 200 nations and dependencies, making it the most popular game in the world. The object of the game is for the team to score more points (“picks”) than the other team. The game has been going on for such a long time because it is one of the oldest sports. It has evolved over the years into an extremely professional game, complete with professional rules, uniforms, coaching techniques and equipment.
In its early years, football was just a game for the country folks. It was mostly played by men and boys. It was restricted to a few rich aristocratic families in the 1800s. As the game became more popular, people from all walks of life tried to take part in it.
Since it is a team game, football teams were formed throughout the country. There were very few sports as popular as football. Sports such as baseball and basketball were hardly known to many people in the United States. Because of this, football became the first popular sport amongst Americans outside of baseball and basketball.
A lot of Americans, especially in cities like Detroit and Chicago, got hooked on football even before professional teams started appearing. They would gather on Sunday afternoon and watch the games. Those were the days when the Lions used to win the Grey Cup. Amazingly, the NFL still plays regular season games during the winter even though there are no longer any teams in existence.
As time went by, football became a worldwide phenomenon. The game was even dubbed the “game of kings” by some. It has been so successful that injuries are virtually non-existent and the number of total football players in the entire world is in fact greater than the number of all the athletes in the entire world.
The popularity of football is still growing, as evidenced by the numerous teams that are now playing in different countries. The history of football is truly a remarkable one. It has spanned generations and changed lives both literally and figuratively. It can even be said that football is the American sport of choice. Without football, America probably would have been much different.
There is really no denying it. America loved to play football even during the dark ages of history. When the French revolution swept away the Monarchy, football suddenly became very popular again. Even though France was one of the most progressive countries at the time, they were not without their suspicions about the game. Many were suspicious of the British and their supposed attempt to manipulate the French football team. However, after the Revolution the French began to play a better game and it soon became obvious that the suspicions were unfounded.
Today, football is a multi-million dollar industry. Professional football is widely played around the world and even in the United States. There are even international soccer tournaments. America is definitely not behind the times when it comes to football.