Football refers to a number of sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. Unqualified, the word football is understood to refer to whichever form of football is the most popular in the regional context in which the word appears: association football (known as soccer in some countries) in the United Kingdom; gridiron football (specifically American football or Canadian football) in the United States and Canada; Australian rules football or rugby league in different areas of Australia; Gaelic football in Ireland; and rugby football (specifically rugby union) in New Zealand. These different variations of football are known as football codes.
Football in Motion
A six-team rival league, the third to call itself the American Football League, was formed in 1940, and the Columbus Bullies won its championship. By 1959 there were seven franchises.
In 1980 Pittsburgh defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 in Super Bowl XIV at Pasadena to become the first team to win four Super Bowls, January 20. The game was viewed in a record 35,330,000 homes. By 1999 the game was viewed by 127.5 million viewers, the sixth most-watched program in U.S. television history, January 31.
First "goalkeepers", and passage from "dribbling game" to "passing game" is seen in club matches in Sheffield and London. The first international match arranged by the Football Association between England and Scotland on March 5, 1870 finishes in a 0–0 draw at the Kennington Oval in London. Combination Game developed by Royal Engineers AFC.
Charles William Alcock creates the Football Association Challenge Cup, the oldest cup tournament alive.
Scotland and England draw 0–0 in the first FIFA-recognized international football match, played at the West of Scotland Cricket Club.Wanderers beat Royal Engineers in the first FA Cup final. Kick corner and ball fixture is introduced by The Football Association. The first Welsh football club, Wrexham A.F.C., is founded. Football introduced in France by English sailors, and Le Havre is founded.
The Scottish Football Association is founded. The offside law is changed so that an offside position is determined when the ball is played by a team-mate, rather than when it is received. The corner kick is defined. Rangers F.C. is founded.
The FA authorizes referees to send players off for certain offences, and makes a rule requiring teams to change ends at halftime. The first shin pads are introduced. Aston Villa F.C. is founded.
The crossbar is introduced, replacing tape as the means of marking the top of the goal. Oxford University tour Germany and a number of German universities take up the game (one of first countries to play under FA rules outside of Britain).
Carlton Cricket Club (Canada) form football section and subsequently tours Britain.
The length of a match is set at 90 minutes.
Referees begin to use whistles. West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United (as Newton Heath L&YR F.C.) and Everton (as St. Domingo's FC.) are founded.[1] The first football match to be staged under electric floodlighting takes place at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, between two local representative teams.
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub introduces itself as the first sports club in continental Europe. Sunderland A.F.C. is founded.
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