Across the globe, football is the most popular ball game. Its simple rules, which allow it to be played in almost any environment, have made it a favourite among the masses. The sport has grown to become the world’s most popular spectator sport, with a total estimated 1.3 billion people interested in it.
It is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players. The teams try to advance down the field by passing the ball. The offensive team is also known as the “attacking team,” while the defensive team tries to stop the offense.
The game was introduced to the Olympics in 1908, and football has been played at every Summer Games since then. The sport’s popularity spread throughout Europe in the early 20th century. The game’s popularity has continued to grow.
The rise in popularity of football has eroded the interest in other sports. Industrial workers increasingly had their Saturday afternoons off, and sought new ways to unwind. They turned to the new game of football, which offered a new form of leisure.
The game was initially organized through key urban institutions such as the Cambridge University students’ association. They tried to standardize the rules of the game in 1843.
As industrialization in Victorian Britain progressed, the game of football became popular among the working class. Many skilled players came from Scotland. But the upper class sought refuge in cricket.
As the game grew in popularity, professional clubs were established. They started to pay players, and by the 1870s it was common practice. The issue of professionalism reached a crisis in England in 1884.