Origins of Football

The Origins of football can be found in every corner of the Globe. Civilizations throughout history all played ball
games and many of these can be considered forerunners to the modern game, which was established in England in
the late nineteenth century.

Ball games were first played in Egypt as early as 1800 BCE. However there are claims that suggest ball games were
played even earlier in Ancient China, maybe as early as 2500 BCE. There is evidence to show that ball games in
Egypt were linked to fertility rites and religious ceremonies. These ball games involved large numbers of people and
records indicate that these games were sometimes used as an exercise to till the soil.

In addition to the Egyptians; the Greeks, Romans and Chinese (as well as others) all played football games, which
are considered to be the forerunners of modern football.

History of football in india

Football (soccer) is one of the most popular sports in India. The game is played extensively in the
country, with the maximum fan following in Goa, Kerala, West Bengal, Mizoram, Manipur and Sikkim.
In the rest of the states, it is next to cricket in terms of popularity. All the international league matches
and the soccer World Cup are keenly watched by the sports enthusiasts in the sub continent. The game
holds a rich tradition in India, its history being something that deserves special mention. Go through the
following lines to get information on the history of football in India.

Football Game In India

Origin
The history of football in India can be traced back to the pre-independent period, when the British
people brought the game to the sub-continent. The initial football matches were played between army
teams. A number of football clubs in India were soon created, during the British Empire. In fact, these
clubs pre-date the most renowned clubs and organizations of football, such as FIFA. In India, the first
football game was organized between 'Calcutta Club of Civilians' and the 'Gentlemen of Barrackpore',
in 1854. The first football club of India, named 'Calcutta FC', was founded in 1872. Dalhousie Club,
Traders Club and Naval Volunteers Club were also established in the following years.

The First Tournament

Calcutta (the present day Kolkata) is considered the home of football in India. This is probably the
reason why a number of football clubs originated from the state, including Mohun Bagan Athletic Club
(later named as the National Club of India), which came into existence in 1889. After a few years, the
Indian Football Association (IFA) came into existence in 1893. In 1898, the oldest football tournament
in India, (the third oldest in the world) was commenced in Shimla. Referred to as the Durand Cup, the
tournament was named after the then Foreign Secretary of India - Sir Mortimer Durand, who
inaugurated it.

The First Victory

The first victory of Indian footballers was registered in 1911, when Mohun Bagan Club won the IFA-
Shield Trophy. This victory has secured a special place in the history of football in India, because the
trophy was previously won by the British teams based in India. Subsequently, the number of football
clubs in India increases, which led to the formation of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 1937.
In 1948, the AIFF was affiliated to FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF
became one of the founder members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Golden Period
The period stretching from 1951 to 1962 deserves special mention, because it is the golden era in the
history of Indian football. As the Indian football clubs put up commendable performances year after
year, they qualified for a number of international competitions and competed overseas. The Indian
footballers brought laurels to the homeland, by winning gold medals in the 1951 and 1962 Asian
Games held at New Delhi and Jakarta, respectively. India registered another record in 1956, when she
became the first Asian nation to make it to the Olympic football semi-finals in the 1956 Melbourne
Olympics.

Present Day
The Indian football teams have performed reasonably well in the recent years, though the sport at the
domestic level still needs upliftment. Some of the great performances have been witness at the Nehru
Cup, held in August 2007 and the AFC Challenge Cup held in August 2008, both of being won by the
Indian football team. The national football team has qualified for 2011 Asian Cup, to be held in Qatar.
Although the Indian football clubs have delivered consistent performances in the near past, the Indian
football still team needs to mark its presence at the important international tournaments.

Women's Football In India

Women's football in India was administered by the Women's Football Federation of India (WFFI) until
early 1990s, when the AIFF took over the administration of women's soccer in the country. Just like the
men's game, the women's game had its early pioneers from the state of West Bengal. The women's
clubs were started by East Bengal and Mohun Bagan clubs in 2000-01 season. National championships
for both senior and junior girls are also held. The majority of players in the Indian women's national
football team are from Manipur and West Bengal. However, women's football in India has not gained
as much popularity as the men's teams have.

Football Field

The football field is 120 yards long and 53 ½ yards wide. At each end of the
field and 100 yards apart are the goal lines. The additional 10 yards at each
end is the end zone. The field is divided up every 5 yards by a yard line.
The middle yard line marker is called the 50 yard line. In parallel to the side
lines are rows of hash marks. The football is always placed on or between
the hash marks at the start of each play. This ensures that the teams have
space to line up on both sides of the football. The position of the football
that defines the sides of the ball is called the "line of scrimmage".

There are also goal posts at the back of each football end zone. One way to
score is to kick the football through the goal posts. The ball must go
between the uprights and over the crossbar.

If any part of a player with the football touches outside the side lines or the
end zone this is considered Out of Bounds.
Game format

Football is a timed sport. The team with the most points at the end of the
time period, wins the game. The game is divided up into 4 periods or
quarters with a long "half time" between the second and third quarter. Time
is counted while plays are running and sometimes between plays (i.e. time
continues after a running play where the player was tackled in bounds, but
stops on an incomplete pass). To keep the game going at a good pace the
offense has a limited time (called the play clock) between plays.

Football Players

The rules in football allow each team to have 11 players on the field at a
time. Teams may substitute players between plays with no restrictions.
Each team must start a play on their side of the ball.

The defensive players may take any position they want and can move
about their side of the football prior to the play without restriction. Although
there are certain defensive positions that have become common over time,
there are no specific rules defining defensive positions or roles.

The offensive players, however, have several rules that define their position
and what role they may take in the offense. Seven offensive players must
be lined up on the line of scrimmage. The other four players must be lined
up at least one yard behind the line of scrimmage. All of the offensive
football players must be set, or still, prior to the play beginning with the
exception of one of the 4 backs which may be moving parallel or away from
the line of scrimmage. Further rules say that only the 4 backs and the
players at each end of the line of scrimmage may catch a pass or run the
football.

The Football Play

The team with the possession of the football is called the offense. The
offense tries to advance the football on plays. The defense tries to prevent
the offense from scoring or advancing the football. The down system: The
offense must advance the ball at least 10 yards every four plays or downs.
Each time the offense is successful in advancing the ball 10 yards, they get
four more downs or what is called a "first down". If the offense does not get
10 yards in four plays, the other team gains possession of the football at
the current line of scrimmage. In order to keep the other team from getting
good field position the offense can punt (kick) the ball to the other team
intentionally. This is often done on 4th down, when the offense is outside of
field goal range. Offensive plays on downs start with a snap. This is when
the center passes the football between their legs to one of the offensive
backs (usually the quarterback). The ball is advanced either by running with
the football (called rushing) or passing the football. The football play is over
when 1) the player with the football is tackled or goes out of bounds 2) an
incomplete pass 3) there is a score.

The offensive team can lose possession of the football by:

• Scoring
• Not getting 10 yards in four downs.
• Fumbling or dropping the football and the defensive team recovers it.
• Throwing the football to a defensive player for an interception.
• Punting, or kicking, the football to the defensive team.
• Missing a field goal.
• Getting tackled in the end zone for a safety.

Football Penalties

There are many rules and penalties that are enforced during a football
game. Most football penalties result in a loss or gain of yardage depending
on whether the penalty is against the offense or the defense. The severity
of the penalty determines the number of yards. Most penalties are 5 or 10
yards, but some personal foul penalties result in 15 yards. Also, pass
interference can result in a penalty that matches the length of the intended
pass. The team that did not commit the penalty has the right to decline the
penalty. We won't list or detail ever possible football infraction, but here are
some of the more common football penalties:

False Start: When a football player on the offense moves just prior to the
snap. This is a five yard penalty. Note that one back on the offense can
legally be "in motion" at the time of the snap.

Offside: If a player from the offense or defense is on the wrong side of the
line of scrimmage at the time of the snap. A defensive player can cross the
line of scrimmage as long as they get back before the snap, but if they
touch an offensive player they can be called for encroachment.

Holding: When a player grabs a football player without the ball with the
hands or hooks him or tackles him.

Pass Interference: When a defender contacts a pass receiver after the

ball is in the air to prevent him from catching the ball. This is up to the
referee to determine. If the contact is before the ball is in the air it will be
called defensive holding. Note that pass interference can also be called on
the offense if the defender has position and is trying to catch the ball.

Facemask: To protect the football players, it is illegal to grab another

player's facemask.

Roughing the passer or kicker: To protect kickers and quarterbacks, who

are very vulnerable when they are passing or kicking the ball, players are
not allowed to run into them after the ball has been thrown or kicked.

Intentional Grounding: When the passer throws a pass nowhere near an

eligible receiver strictly to avoid being sacked.

Ineligible Receiver Downfield: When one of the offensive players that is

not an eligible receiver is more than 5 yards downfield from the line of
scrimmage during a forward pass.