Commonly known as "football" outside North America, soccer is the world's most popular sport. The word soccer is derived from "association football," the traditional name for the game in the British Commonwealth countries. Although ball-kicking games can be traced at least as far back as ancient Greece and China, modern soccer originated in 19th-century England. The Football Association laid down the first set of rules in 1863, and the first organized league was established in 1888. Soccer became a medal sport in the Olympic Games of 1908. In 1930, FIFA organized the World Cup, a tournament held every four years to determine international soccer supremacy. Soccer is played according to the same basic rules almost everywhere. This book acts as an illustrated guide to the rules, regulations, and history of this exciting sport.
