1. Hannah Blackburn-Jones 8C
Football
Hannah Blackburn-Jones 8C

2. Origins of Football
Football had originally came from China, around 200 – 300 bc, where there was evidence of people having the ability to dribble a leather ball. Later on football didn’t speficially mean football as in soocer, it meant any sport that had to do with using a ball and kicking it, but now football, or soccer, is an entire sport on its own.

3. Rules and Why
Other civilizations played football long ago, but England was the country to define football, and start to make it what it has become today. In 1863, the first football Association was founded there in England. Then in 1963, eleven London clubs sent representatives to discuss the rules of football, and make some final ones that the next games would all be based on. These rules were discussed and made because the Football Association wanted to decide if they would allow tripping, shin-kicking, carrying the ball, and other “penalties” that is allowed in rugby.

4. Football and Countries
Over 60 different countries play football as their national sport, some are South America, and Middle Eastern countries such as United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia &Iran

5. Why has football become popular?
I think football has become so popular around the world for many reasons. One is because no matter how poor or rich a country is, if you’re a professional player or not, its easy to play, you just need grass, some to represent a goal, and the ball, so its affordable for everybody, unlike basketball, which is better played on a basketball court, and volleyball, which is more of a beach sport, and not all countries have nice beaches. Not only is it easy to start playing, but probably the most common sport of the world since every can participate in it, while “Football” in America is an entirely different sport that only Americans would play, but soccer is something people would play, no matter where they come from. Lastly, football has become to popular because of FIFA World Cup, which combines the 2 reasons I have stated before, and is something the whole world participates in, and different teams represent their countries and it has now become a global phenomenon.

6. Football around the World
It is well known to pass, dribble, and kick the ball, plus an occasional referee added, but the word football, isn't the same to all people, For example, American Football is very different from soccer, and also has a different shaped ball, and different players that are called different things, such as a quarter back. Football, or soccer also is decended from rugby, but they are entirly different, because with rubgy, the rules are different too. Also, Gaelic football and Canadian football are different too.

7. American Football
American Football has and oval-ish ball that is always thrown long distances, but in the beginning of the game, it can be kicked. American Football also has its own league, called NFL, National Football League. It consists of 2 teams of 11 players, and you score a point in the other teams end zone, kicking the ball through the other teams goal post, and more.

8. Gaelic Football
Gaelic Football is sort of like football, but different. One team has 15 players, and it is mostly a popular sport in Ireland. The main idea is to score by kicking or striking the ball with the hand and getting it through the goals. The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins.

9. Bibliography http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_did_football_originate