One of the biggest known differences between British and American English, is that the word commonly referred to as football in Great Britain tends to be called football in the United States. Many Americans assume that because the word originally came from Great Britain, it must be an American word. However this is not the case. Since the game originated in England, it’s frequently assumed that football is an American term.
The origin of football can be traced back to the beginning of the seventeenth century when a game referred to as “football” was created. This game was played between two teams and was regularly referred to as “football”. This game would eventually come to be known as “soccer” which can be traced back to Futbol or “fussball” in Spanish and Portuguese.
As soccer became increasingly popular throughout Europe, it began to be referred to as football or soccer. In United Kingdom soccer has often been used as an umbrella term for all of the different soccer competitions and leagues. Many people commonly refer to games played with a ball as “football”. There are even World Cups held annually with teams representing dozens of countries. These tournaments have become very popular among the general public.
The term football is most commonly used in North America, where it is considered to be interchangeable with American football. Although there is some confusion among some Americans as to the exact origin of the word. Most commonly it is thought that football originated in England when local soccer clubs formed. They played either “fussball” or “touch football” as it was often called. This would have been prior to the formation of the English Football Association or the Football Association of Ireland.
Over time “fussball” and “touch football” evolved into what we know today as “football”. From this point on “football” began to be referred to as a game that was played with a ball. A few decades later “football” began to be used in association with football that was played with a ball and was played by men. This was a necessary step in order to distinguish the game from other games commonly played back then such as “volleyball”, “centre bounce” and “bicycle kick” which were played with a stick or a piece of wood. Another distinction that was made was that men would play football while women did not.
The word football is a term that has become synonymous with a particular type of sport and profession. Even when the term football is used today, it is typically used to describe a particular type of game. Most commonly in United Kingdom and other English speaking nations the term football is used to refer to the game of soccer.