Footballisthenamegiventoanumberofdifferent,butrelated,teamsports.Themostpopularoftheseworldwide(andbyfarthemostpopularsportworldwide)isassociationfootball,whichcanbeabbreviatedsoccer.TheEnglishlanguagewordfootballisalsoappliedtorugbyfootball(rugbyunionandrugbyleague),NorthAmericanfootball(AmericanandCanadian),Australianrulesfootball,andGaelicfootball.

　　Someofthemanydifferentcodesoffootball.Whileitiswidelybelievedthatthewordfootballoriginatedinreferencetotheactionofafootkickingaball,thereisarivalexplanation,whichhasitthatfootballoriginallyreferredtoavarietyofgamesinmedievalEurope,whichwereplayedonfoot.[1]Thesegameswereusuallyplayedbypeasants,asopposedtothehorse-ridingsportsoftenplayedbyaristocrats.Whilethereisnoconclusiveevidenceforthisexplanation,thewordfootballhasalwaysimpliedavarietyofgamesplayedonfoot,notjustthosethatinvolvedkickingaball.Insomecases,thewordfootballhasbeenappliedtogameswhichhavespecificallyoutlawedkickingtheball.(Seefootball(word)formoredetails.)

　　Allfootballgamesinvolvescoringwithasphericalorprolatespheroidball(itselfcalledafootball),bymovingtheballinto,onto,oroveragoalareaorlinedefendedbytheopposingteam.ManyofthemoderngameshavetheiroriginsinEngland,butmanypeoplesaroundtheworldhaveplayedgameswhichinvolvedkickingand/orcarryingaballsinceancienttimes.

　　Theobjectofallfootballgamesistoadvancetheballbykicking,runningwith,orpassingandcatching,eithertotheopponent'sendofthefieldwherepointsorgoalscanbescoredby,dependingonthegame,puttingtheballacrossthegoallinebetweenpostsandunderacrossbar,puttingtheballbetweenuprightposts(andpossiblyoveracrossbar),oradvancingtheballacrosstheopponent'sgoallinewhilemaintainingpossessionoftheball.

　　Inallfootballgames,thewinningteamistheonethathasthemostpointsorgoalswhenaspecifiedlengthoftimehaselapsed.

　　History

　　ForthehistoryofonlyAssociationFootball,seeHistoryoffootball(soccer)

　　Throughoutthehistoryofmankindtheurgetokickatstonesandothersuchobjectsisthoughttohaveledtomanyearlyactivitiesinvolvingkickingand/orrunningwithaball.Football-likegamespredaterecordedhistoryinallpartsoftheworld,andthustheearliestformsoffootballarenotknown.

　　Ancientgames

　　DocumentedevidenceofwhatispossiblytheoldestorganizedactivityresemblingfootballcanbefoundinaChinesemilitarymanualwrittenduringtheHanDynastyinabout2ndcenturyBC.

　　Itdescribesapracticeknownascuju(TraditionalChinese:蹴鞠;SimplifiedChinese:蹴踘;Pinyin:cùjū)whichinvolvedkickingaleatherballthroughaholeinapieceofsilkclothstrungbetweentwo30footpoles.AnotherAsianball-kickinggame,whichmayhavebeeninfluencedbycuju,iskemari.ThisisknowntohavebeenplayedwithintheJapaneseimperialcourtinKyotofromabout600AD.Inkemariseveralindividualsstandinacircleandkickaballtoeachother,tryingnottolettheballdroptotheground(muchlikekeepieuppie).Thegamesurvivedthroughmanyyearsbutappearstohavediedoutsometimebeforethemid19thcentury.In1903inabidtorestoreancienttraditionsthegamewasrevivedanditcannowbeseenplayedforthebenefitoftouri