FOOTBALL – MILLION GAME

It is called the number one sport in the world. He stirs the hearts of millions of people on Earth. This is more than a game. This is football!
There is hardly a person in the world who does not know what football is. This game is played at playgrounds and during corporate events, and professional matches never take place at empty stadiums – millions of people “get sick” with football.
History of
Archaeological research allows us to conclude that in ancient times ritual ball games were widespread on all continents without exception. So, leather balls were discovered during excavations in Greece and Egypt. According to ancient legends, the first ball was given to Eros by the goddess Aphrodite, with words about a wonderful toy, a fast flying ball. In accordance with the ritual, the ball acted as a symbol of  both the Sun and the Moon, as well as our planet and even the aurora. But according to the official version of FIFA, the Chinese version of football, tsuju, was recognized as the oldest. However, the Italian game Calcio can be considered the prototype of football in its present form. Since it was the participants who were divided into attackers, defenders and judges.
The origin of football in Britain
In the UK, the ball game originated as popular fun, held annually in the oil week. And in those days, there were no special rules, of course, and during the games, two teams with an unlimited number of participants had to simply score a goal against their opponents. The gate in such cases was a predetermined place in the city center. This old type of football was rude, which caused injuries and danger to the health of players. In some cities of England, instead of a leather ball, the head of some of the defeated enemies was soe times used, which only underlines the cruelty of those games. But also it is for certain known about quite organized football games which were held on the same oil weeks among the London boys. The written evidence of this fact is dated 1175.During the reign of King Edward II, football in England was fairly widespread. So wide that subsequent rulers of the British Empire in every way tried to abolish the game, calling it obscene fun. Cromwell was particularly successful in this endeavor. But with the accession of Elizabeth I, football gained its former popularity again. However, the game still existed in the complete absence of rules.The first unification of the set of football rules occurred in 1846 at a meeting of representatives of the University of Cambridge and other private schools. According to its results, a document was written under the name “Cambridge Rules” signed by the majority of schools and clubs, of which there were more than 70 in the period from the 30s to the 50s of the last century.The schools that abstained from signing the document continued to play the popular game by their own rules, which led to some chaos during the mass mixed competitions. The comprehensive popularity of football at that time made the players through newspapers to call for uniform rules for all that could contribute to the development of the game itself.And on October 26, 1863, representatives of eleven metropolitan clubs gathered in the tavern “Freemasons” to found the football association of England. On the first day of the winter of the same year, the Cambridge Rules were adopted as the basis of a single set, which introduced a ban on kicks and movements of players with the ball in their hands. However, it was allowed to stop the ball with his hands, but no more. Tripping the same, shocks and grabs were prohibited.In the early eighties of the last century, for the first time in the football environment, rumors arose that some clubs in the north of London began to pay their players for their game. Initially, this information was perceived by bayonets by the society and the Association, and even a decree was issued, excluding from the Association, which at that time already included 50 clubs, of any member (club) if its management makes cash payments to its players. But this did not stop the process that started, and in 1885 professional (commercial) football was recognized as legal.Modern football

Today, football is considered to be the most popular sport in the world. All “football” processes are monitored and controlled by an international organization – FIFA. In addition, there are 6 continental confederations. It is worth noting that now substantial money is invested in football. For example, the most expensive footballer in the world costs almost one hundred million euros, and the salary of the leading players exceeds 10 million euros per year. For holding on their territory the world or continental championships of the state are special applications, just as in the competition for the right to host the Olympics. And this is not surprising, since the absolute majority of people on Earth are in one way or another addicted to football: they play, get sick, write about it and show it on TV. Football today is a true social phenomenon.