Sports (HMT)

Read the text below. Match choices. There are three choices you do not need to use.

The History of Football

1.

The first known examples of a team game involving a ball, which was made out of a rock, occurred in old Mesoamerican cultures for over 3,000 years ago. According to the sources, the ball would symbolize the sun and the captain of the losing team would be sacrificed to the gods. The first known ball game which also involved kicking took place In China in the 3rd and 2nd century BC under the name Cuju. Cuju was played with a round ball on an area of a square. It later spread to Japan and was practiced under ceremonial forms.

2.

The most admitted story tells that the game was developed in England in the 12th century. In this century, games that resembled football were played on meadows and roads in England. Besides from kicks, the game involved also punches of the ball with the fist. It took, however, long time until the features of today’s football had been taken into practice. For a long time, there was no clear distinction between football and rugby. There were also many variations concerning the size of the ball, the number of players and the length of a match. An attempt to create proper rules for the game was done at a meeting in Cambridge in 1848, but a final solution to all questions of rules was not achieved. Another important event in the history of football came about in 1863 in London when the first Football association was formed in England. It was decided that carrying the ball with the hands wasn’t allowed. A consequence of the London meeting was that the game was divided into two codes: association football and rugby.

3.

Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) became the first important competition when it was run in 1871. The following year a match between two national teams was played for the first time. The match that involved England and Scotland ended 0-0 and was followed by 4,000 people at Hamilton Crescent. Twelve years later, in 1883, the first international tournament took place and included four national teams: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In 1908 would football for the first time be included as an official sport in the Olympic Games. Until the first FIFA World Cup was played in 1930, the Olympic Games football tournament would rank as the most prestigious on a national level. Women’s football was not added until 1996.

4.

No other sport event besides the Summer Olympic Games can today measure itself with the FIFA World Cup. The first edition of the FIFA World Cup was played in 1930 in Uruguay and has since then returned every fourth year (with two exceptions due to the Second World War). In 1991 the first World Cup for women was held in China and has since then also returned every fourth year. Today the biggest global tournament for clubs is the Champions League (played since 1992), the former European Cup (1955-1991).

5.

In the late 19th century, only a few national football teams existed; England and Scotland had the first active teams that played games against each other in the 1870’s. Today there are 211 national associations included in the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world governing body of the sport. The number of nations participating in the World Cup qualifiers increased from 32 in 1934 to over 200 in 2014. The world regions have been divided into six confederations.

The History of Football

1.

The first known examples of a team game involving a ball, which was made out of a rock, occurred in old Mesoamerican cultures for over 3,000 years ago. According to the sources, the ball would symbolize the sun and the captain of the losing team would be sacrificed to the gods. The first known ball game which also involved kicking took place In China in the 3rd and 2nd century BC under the name Cuju. Cuju was played with a round ball on an area of a square. It later spread to Japan and was practiced under ceremonial forms.

2.

The most admitted story tells that the game was developed in England in the 12th century. In this century, games that resembled football were played on meadows and roads in England. Besides from kicks, the game involved also punches of the ball with the fist. It took, however, long time until the features of today’s football had been taken into practice. For a long time, there was no clear distinction between football and rugby. There were also many variations concerning the size of the ball, the number of players and the length of a match. An attempt to create proper rules for the game was done at a meeting in Cambridge in 1848, but a final solution to all questions of rules was not achieved. Another important event in the history of football came about in 1863 in London when the first Football association was formed in England. It was decided that carrying the ball with the hands wasn’t allowed. A consequence of the London meeting was that the game was divided into two codes: association football and rugby.

3.

Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) became the first important competition when it was run in 1871. The following year a match between two national teams was played for the first time. The match that involved England and Scotland ended 0-0 and was followed by 4,000 people at Hamilton Crescent. Twelve years later, in 1883, the first international tournament took place and included four national teams: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In 1908 would football for the first time be included as an official sport in the Olympic Games. Until the first FIFA World Cup was played in 1930, the Olympic Games football tournament would rank as the most prestigious on a national level. Women’s football was not added until 1996.

4.

No other sport event besides the Summer Olympic Games can today measure itself with the FIFA World Cup. The first edition of the FIFA World Cup was played in 1930 in Uruguay and has since then returned every fourth year (with two exceptions due to the Second World War). In 1991 the first World Cup for women was held in China and has since then also returned every fourth year. Today the biggest global tournament for clubs is the Champions League (played since 1992), the former European Cup (1955-1991).

5.

In the late 19th century, only a few national football teams existed; England and Scotland had the first active teams that played games against each other in the 1870’s. Today there are 211 national associations included in the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world governing body of the sport. The number of nations participating in the World Cup qualifiers increased from 32 in 1934 to over 200 in 2014. The world regions have been divided into six confederations.

The History of Football

1.

The first known examples of a team game involving a ball, which was made out of a rock, occurred in old Mesoamerican cultures for over 3,000 years ago. According to the sources, the ball would symbolize the sun and the captain of the losing team would be sacrificed to the gods. The first known ball game which also involved kicking took place In China in the 3rd and 2nd century BC under the name Cuju. Cuju was played with a round ball on an area of a square. It later spread to Japan and was practiced under ceremonial forms.

2.

The most admitted story tells that the game was developed in England in the 12th century. In this century, games that resembled football were played on meadows and roads in England. Besides from kicks, the game involved also punches of the ball with the fist. It took, however, long time until the features of today’s football had been taken into practice. For a long time, there was no clear distinction between football and rugby. There were also many variations concerning the size of the ball, the number of players and the length of a match. An attempt to create proper rules for the game was done at a meeting in Cambridge in 1848, but a final solution to all questions of rules was not achieved. Another important event in the history of football came about in 1863 in London when the first Football association was formed in England. It was decided that carrying the ball with the hands wasn’t allowed. A consequence of the London meeting was that the game was divided into two codes: association football and rugby.

3.

Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) became the first important competition when it was run in 1871. The following year a match between two national teams was played for the first time. The match that involved England and Scotland ended 0-0 and was followed by 4,000 people at Hamilton Crescent. Twelve years later, in 1883, the first international tournament took place and included four national teams: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In 1908 would football for the first time be included as an official sport in the Olympic Games. Until the first FIFA World Cup was played in 1930, the Olympic Games football tournament would rank as the most prestigious on a national level. Women’s football was not added until 1996.

4.

No other sport event besides the Summer Olympic Games can today measure itself with the FIFA World Cup. The first edition of the FIFA World Cup was played in 1930 in Uruguay and has since then returned every fourth year (with two exceptions due to the Second World War). In 1991 the first World Cup for women was held in China and has since then also returned every fourth year. Today the biggest global tournament for clubs is the Champions League (played since 1992), the former European Cup (1955-1991).

5.

In the late 19th century, only a few national football teams existed; England and Scotland had the first active teams that played games against each other in the 1870’s. Today there are 211 national associations included in the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world governing body of the sport. The number of nations participating in the World Cup qualifiers increased from 32 in 1934 to over 200 in 2014. The world regions have been divided into six confederations.