| Of course, diehard fans of Manchester United | | | | soccer could have evolved from. |
| will tell you that the modern version of | | | | |
| football or soccer as it is called by many | | | | Believe it or not the ancient Mayans in |
| came into being in England, but others all | | | | Pre-Columbia America also had a game similar |
| over the world claim that the invention of | | | | to soccer. It was actually like a combination |
| the sports belongs to their country. | | | | of soccer and basketball with small stone |
| | | | hoops placed about ten to twelve feet up and |
| According to the Chinese, they had a version | | | | the players had to bounce a ball made of a |
| of the game being played as far back as 7,000 | | | | hard rubber like substance through the hoop |
| years ago! Theie game was called Tsu Chu and | | | | without using their hands. This version |
| the players would hit a fur stuffed leather | | | | called Pok t' Pok was also quite violent and |
| ball into a hole. Similar to soccer today | | | | the use of weapons was allowed at times. The |
| hands were not allowed to be used and being | | | | losing team was beheaded, no worries of a |
| on the team was thought an honor. | | | | losing streak. |
| | | | |
| The Japanese called their idea of soccer | | | | Finally from Britain we get the story of |
| Kemari and it is said that it originated | | | | soccer beginning with the beheading of a |
| about three thousand years ago. Their sport | | | | Danish Prince. It is said that his head was |
| was very much like Tsu Chu of the Chinese and | | | | used as a ball and that as he was hated so |
| according to history it is said that they | | | | much that villagers passed around drawings |
| actually played a game between the two | | | | depicting the event with a ball instead of |
| countries in 611A.D. | | | | his head and that is how it became a sport |
| | | | kicking the ball into a specified goal or |
| The records from the Byzantine Empire show | | | | net. |
| that a version of soccer being played there | | | | |
| before the rise of the Roman Empire may be | | | | The early sport was extremely violent but |
| the truest version from ancient times. The | | | | very popular all over the country. King |
| Romans and the Greeks had many games that | | | | Edward III thought it to be so violent that |
| were close to soccer and the game called | | | | he wanted to ban common people from playing |
| Harpastum is the game thought to be one | | | | it but that never came to fruition. |