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Football is the name given to a
number of different, but related, team sports, although
the first sport with this name originated in the United
Kingdom. The most popular of these world-wide is association
football (also known as soccer). The English word "football"
is also applied to American football, Australian rules
football, Canadian football, Gaelic football, rugby
football (rugby league and rugby union), and related
games. Each of these codes (specific sets of rules)
is to a greater or lesser extent referred to as "football"
and sometimes "footy". |
These games involve:
a large spherical or prolate spheroid ball, which
is itself called a football.
a team scoring goals and/or points, by moving the
ball to an opposing team's end of the field and either
into a goal area, or over a line.
the goal and/or line being defended by the opposing
team.
players being required to move the ball mostly by
kicking and — in some codes —
carrying and/or passing the ball by hand.
goals and/or points resulting from players putting
the ball between two goalposts.
offside rules, in most codes, restricting the movement
of players.
in some codes, points are mostly scored by players
carrying the ball across the goal line.
in most codes players scoring a goal must put the
ball either under or over a crossbar between the goalposts.
players in some codes receiving a free kick after
they take a mark/make a fair catch.
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Many of the modern games have their
origins in England, but many peoples around the world
have played games which involved kicking and/or carrying
a ball since ancient times. Football |
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History
Early history
Throughout the history of mankind, the urge to kick
at stones and other such objects is thought to have
led to many early activities involving kicking and/or
running with a ball. Football-like games predate recorded
history in all parts of the world, and thus the earliest
forms of football are not known. |
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