The name Soccer

Discussion in 'The Beautiful Game' started by MikeyPez, Jun 19, 2003.

  1. MikeyPez

    MikeyPez New Member

    Jun 19, 2003
    Jersey City NJ
    I am 23, born and Raised in the US. I'e played Baseball, hockey, Basketball, Football, Football. I love sports but my favorites to watch and play are football and football.

    It sounds confusing but i call american football ... football and soccer is also football to me. One thing puzzling me where the hell did the name soccer come from. I know why american football is called foot ball but it really should be American rules football.

    Anyone know the answer to this?
     
  2. IASocFan

    IASocFan Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 13, 2000
    IOWA
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's short for Assocciation Football. Rugby (and rugby players) are known also as ruggers. In the late 19th century there were Association Rules football and Rugby rules football.
     
  3. JRstriker12

    JRstriker12 New Member

    Jan 27, 2002
    Falls Church, VA
    We should make the explaination of the roots of the word soccer a sticky or maybe part of the sign up procedure for newbies. ;)
     
  4. AvidSinger

    AvidSinger New Member

    Sep 6, 2002
    Massachusetts
    The name "soccer" came from England as a way to differentiate it from Rugby.

    The name "football" for American Football came from the fact that it evolved from Rugby.
     
  5. the101er

    the101er New Member

    Jan 29, 2003
    Oh, so its a British word, not an American word...
     
  6. Motterman

    Motterman Member

    Jul 8, 2002
    Orlando, FL
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There's a British Premier League now?
     
  7. AvidSinger

    AvidSinger New Member

    Sep 6, 2002
    Massachusetts
    Celtic and Rangers seem to think so.
     
  8. MikeyPez

    MikeyPez New Member

    Jun 19, 2003
    Jersey City NJ
    Ok thats bananas, so in england they call soccer football or do they call it soccer?

    Oh yeah the coverage of the sport is like nada, ESPN sportscenter great show but never talks bout soccer. It sux man! When i was in ecuador in 2001 i used to go every sunday to a game, man that was fun!
     
  9. AvidSinger

    AvidSinger New Member

    Sep 6, 2002
    Massachusetts
    They call it football because Rugby no longer goes by the sole name of "football" as it did a century ago.
     
  10. 352gialloblu

    352gialloblu New Member

    Jun 16, 2003
    England
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    They (Brits) call it football, and mock Americans for calling it soccer...which is strange since it is their word, not that they use it. Except for magazines and websites, that is...
     
  11. AvidSinger

    AvidSinger New Member

    Sep 6, 2002
    Massachusetts
    On rare occasion I do hear the word "soccer" coming from an English source.
     
  12. Prenn

    Prenn Member

    Apr 14, 2000
    Ireland
    Club:
    Bolton Wanderers FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    wow

    Who won the British Premier League last season?
     
  13. MikeyPez

    MikeyPez New Member

    Jun 19, 2003
    Jersey City NJ
    I dunno but i heard an ad for Fox Sports a premier league pkg.

    Still i am confused. Football as in rugby was first or football as in soccer?
     
  14. Motterman

    Motterman Member

    Jul 8, 2002
    Orlando, FL
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Manchester Rangers from Glasgow, England
     
  15. AvidSinger

    AvidSinger New Member

    Sep 6, 2002
    Massachusetts
    Well, I don't think the rules were formalized until the mid-19th century.

    If I recall correctly, both methods had been played until then, and when they decided to formalize the rules, there was a schism between those who wanted to use hands and those who didn't. Two associations formed, and the modern game of Rugby evolved from one association and modern football/soccer evolved from the other.
     
  16. MikeyPez

    MikeyPez New Member

    Jun 19, 2003
    Jersey City NJ
    Whoa thats crazy, so then they were considered one. Then two forms developed association and rugby. Thats crazy man, sorta like the 2 species of man thing but us homosapiens won that won.

    Hey is soccer based upon the game played by the Aztecs?
     
  17. IASocFan

    IASocFan Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 13, 2000
    IOWA
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, crazy. Sort of like the catholics and the orthodox. Or the catholics and the protestants. Or the republicans and the democrats.
     
  18. Dan Loney

    Dan Loney BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 10, 2000
    Cincilluminati
    Club:
    Los Angeles Sol
    Nat'l Team:
    Philippines
    In order to differentiate the game from rugby, cricket, and bathhouse swordfighting, it was given the name "asSOCiation football," or ASSBALL.

    That joke gets funnier every time I tell it.
     
  19. LiverpoolFanatic

    Liverpool FC, Philadelphia Union
    Feb 19, 2000
    Lancaster, PA
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Their big Saturday show is called Soccer Saturday over there. It's used, but not as much.
     
  20. skipshady

    skipshady New Member

    Apr 26, 2001
    Orchard St, NYC
    Correct.

    Before codification, two teams would meet before a match and decide on the rules. In some games, they would play the kicking style (soccer) one half and the hacking style (originated at the Rugby, as the myth goes) the other.

    The kicking style became known as Association Football when a group of schools met and formed the Football Association in 1863 and formally banned the use of hands and hacking.
     
  21. Prenn

    Prenn Member

    Apr 14, 2000
    Ireland
    Club:
    Bolton Wanderers FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    God, not them again.
     
  22. skipshady

    skipshady New Member

    Apr 26, 2001
    Orchard St, NYC
    British Premier League has to be the hardest league. When was the last time a club from Serie A or La Liga beat a BPL club? Numbers don't lie.
     
  23. 655321

    655321 New Member

    Jul 21, 2002
    The Mission, SF
    Never mind all this nonsense, Mikey...who do you think is better- Pele or Maradona?? That's the real question.
     
  24. MikeyPez

    MikeyPez New Member

    Jun 19, 2003
    Jersey City NJ
    Well I am not an astute a fan as the rest of you but thats tough!

    Pele I beliee is a much more important player in the aspect that he changed the way soccer is played. much like Jordan changed basketball.

    Maradona on the other hand made a lot of achievements on field. He scored alot of goals and technically is a better player cause of his numbers but numbers aren't everything. His conduct off the field (yayo) and the Bastituta kiss was weird.

    Therefore I'd have to go with Pele.
     
  25. Excape Goat

    Excape Goat Member+

    Mar 18, 1999
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    In fact, the word soccer is used in most English-speaking countries, except Great Britain. Football is actually rugby in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In Ireland, football is Gaelic(mispelled ?) football.

    In UK, the rugby fans also used the word "football". I heard from some source that the word "soccer" is used by the upper class in England.
     

Share This Page