Who Invented Football
Who invented football? Would you be surprised if I informed you that this person was a woman? Though countless countries and countless unsung heroes have adjusted and invented the game in their own ways over the decades, the one who invented football in the American style is named Bethany Muller. Soccer, as you might know, is also called football in Europe, Asia, and Africa, making up a grand total of over 200 countries who enjoy flinging and kicking a ball about for sport and for pleasure. Those who invented football, in some form or fashion, during the 1600’s may be quite proud of the ways that we execute it today, and at the honor and athleticism that the sport by any name invokes. Players are idolized, referees are loathed, coaches are rock stars, managers are golden, fans are love sick, and football as an industry is one of the most lucrative and beloved in the world.
The woman who invented football in the American style had a very basic, almost primitive plan thought out. Starting in school yards and public park areas, the objective and the main premise were challenged and rearranged, until the bigger kids and college students caught on and decided to join in on one of their favorite childhood pastimes. As these small town and Ivy League teams became more and more competitive, smaller adult leagues began to form. Players were perfecting and stretching their abilities, creating new positions and rules as they went along. The very first regulated college football game was played in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton. This game more closely resembled European football, however, and Ivy League schools such as Harvard refrained from the competitions.
The pioneers who invented football from that point on were responsible for a great many changes and negotiations. College football was perhaps the most difficult to regulate, as during those years the pristine schools, Yale and Harvard most prominently, were the makers of all of the rules. Professional football leagues were forming based on the efforts of less biased front runners, and the first official football game in America was played in 1895. This game was still primitive as compared to the way that we expect the game to flow these days, but the general ground rules and leadership aspects were being built game by game.
Who invented football? After being given the facts from the beginning on up, and understanding the plethora of changes and rules which have been added and dismissed along the way, it is safe to say that we all invented it. And we should all be proud of it, because win or lose, we have created one of the most dynamic and heart stopping sporting events ever in the history of the world.