Football is a sport that is played in a variety of ways.

The most widely accepted legend claims that the game was created in the 12th century in England. In England, games resembling football were played on fields and roadways during this century. Aside from kicks, the game also included fist blows at the ball. This early version of football was also much rougher and more brutal than the present version.

The fact that the games engaged a big number of people and took place across broad areas in towns was an important characteristic of the forerunners to football (an equivalent was played in Florence from the 16th century where it was called Calcio). The wrath of these games would wreak havoc on the community and, in some cases, result in death among the participants.

These could be one of the grounds for proclamations against the game, which was eventually outlawed for centuries. In the 17th century, though, football-like sports would return to the streets of London. It would be outlawed once more in 1835, but by that time the game had been entrenched in public schools.

However, it took a long time before the characteristics of today's football were put into effect. For a long time, the lines between football and rugby were blurred. There were also numerous variations in the ball size, the number of players, and the time of a match.

Rugby and Eton were two of the most popular schools in which the game was played. The rules of rugby included the ability to pick up the ball with one's hands, and the game we know today as rugby originated here.

On the other hand, in Eton, the ball was solely played with the feet, and this game can be considered a forerunner to contemporary football. The running game was named "the running game" in Rugby, whereas the dribbling game was called "the dribbling game" at Eton.

At a meeting in Cambridge in 1848, an attempt was made to define adequate rules for the game, but no final answer to all rules questions was reached. Another significant event in the history of football occurred in London in 1863, when the first Football Association of England was created.

It was decided that hand-carrying the ball was not permitted. The meeting also resulted in the ball's size and weight being standardized. The London meeting resulted in the division of the game into two codes: association football and rugby.

The game, on the other hand, would continue to evolve for a long time, and the rules were still open to interpretation. For starters, the number of players on the field may change. The teams' appearances were not differentiated by wearing uniforms. It was also typical for players to wear caps because the header had not yet been a feature of the game.

Another significant gap between the English and Scottish teams may be seen at this level. The Scottish preferred to pass the ball amongst their players, whilst the English preferred to run forward with the ball in a rugby-like method. It wasn't long before the Scottish method took hold.

Originally, the sport served as a source of entertainment for the British working class. In the late 1800s, large crowds of up to 30,000 people would attend major sporting events. British people traveling to other regions of the world would soon expand the game. Football would generate a lot of interest, especially in South America and India.