Ebenezer Cobb Morley, who is regarded as the "father of football".

The history of association football, which is also known as soccer, can be traced to various traditional football games played in Europe in ancient times, but the modern game has its roots in the formation of the The Football Association (FA) in England in 1863. At the time, football clubs all played by their own, individual codes of rules, and game-day rules had to be agreed upon before they could play one another. On October 26, 1863, some clubs met in London, to create a universal code, that would allow clubs to play each other without dispute. The impact of the FA was not immediate as football was still very much an amateur activity. The first professional clubs were formed after working class people took up the sport, and entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to make money from spectators coming to see star players. Once professionalism took hold, the popularity of the game became immense and was soon spread throughout the world by British expatriates. Image File history File links Ecmorley. ... Image File history File links Ecmorley. ... Only known photograph of EC Morley Ebenezer Cobb Morley was an English sportsman and is regarded as the father of The Football Association and modern Association Football and, to a certain extent, of all organised football. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Look up Football in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A football team is the collective name given to a number of players who play together in a football game, be it association football (soccer), rugby, Australian football, American football, Gaelic football, or other version of football. ... In communications, a code is a rule for converting a piece of information (for example, a letter, word, or phrase) into another form or representation, not necessarily of the same type. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The word amateur has at least two connotations. ... Professional sports are sports in which the participants receive payment for playing, as opposed to amateur sports where they are not. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... For the computer game previously called Entrepreneur, see The Corporate Machine. ...

The first international football match, Scotland v. England, November 30, 1872.

Image File history File links England_v_Scotland_(1872). ... Image File history File links England_v_Scotland_(1872). ...

Older games

Main articles: Ancient football games, Medieval football and British public school football games.

The first game known to have required players to kick a ball with their feet was cuju, played in China in the the 2nd century BC. It involved kicking a leather ball through a hole in a piece of silk cloth strung between two 30 foot (10 meter) poles. Related games were later popular in other Asian counties. There were also traditional, ancient, and/or prehistoric ball games, played by indigenous peoples in many other parts of the world. Games in Mesoamerica played with rubber balls are also known to have existed since before this time, but these had more similarities to basketball or volleyball. Inuit (Eskimo) people and Native Americans had games resembling soccer. However, modern Association football has no known connection to the early Asian or North American games. Look up Football in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The name medieval football is a modern term sometimes used for a wide variety of localised games which were invented and played during the Middle Ages in Europe. ... During the early modern era students, former students and teachers at British public schools developed many unique codes of football. ... Cuju (Chinese: ) is an ancient sport similar to footbal (soccer), played in China as well as Korea and Japan. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 2nd century BC started on January 1, 200 BC and ended on December 31, 101 BC. // Coin of Antiochus IV. Reverse shows Apollo seated on an omphalos. ... For the opening number of Fiddler on the Roof, see Tradition (song). ... For the span of recorded history starting roughly 5,000-5,500 years ago, see Ancient history. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... The term indigenous peoples has no universal, standard or fixed definition, but can be used about any ethnic group who inhabit the geographic region with which they have the earliest historical connection. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ulama game. ... Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by throwing a ball through a 10-foot high hoop (the basket) under organized rules. ... Volleyball is an Olympic sport in which two teams separated by a high net use their hands, arms or (rarely) other parts of their bodies to hit a ball back and forth over the net. ... For other uses, see Inuit (disambiguation). ... Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ...

The Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have played many ball games some of which involved the use of the feet. The Roman game harpastum is believed to have been adapted from a team game known as "επισκυρος" (episkyros) or pheninda. These games appear to have resembled rugby, but may still be regarded as ancestors of Association football. The Temple to Athena, the Parthenon Ancient Greece is a period in Greek history that lasted for around three thousand years. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Harpastum, also known as Harpustum, was a form of football played in the Roman Empire. ... A BCRFC match at Boston College Rugby football, often just referred to as rugby, refers to sports descended from a common form of football developed at Rugby School in England. ...

The Middle Ages saw a huge rise in popularity of localised football games (medieval football) throughout Europe. These archaic forms of football, would be played between neighbouring towns and villages, involving an unlimited number of players on opposing teams, who would clash in a heaving mass of people struggling to take possession of balls made of various materials including inflated pigs' bladders, leather skins stuffed with straw and wood. The object was for each team to move the ball to a particular landmark. The popularity of a game in northern France, known as La Soule or Choule is well-documented and there are some reports that it also spread to England, as a result of the Norman Conquest. The rules or these games varied greatly. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The name medieval football is a modern term sometimes used for a wide variety of localised games which were invented and played during the Middle Ages in Europe. ... A bladder is a pouch or other flexible enclosure with waterproof or gasproof walls. ... La Soule, also known as choule, is a traditional team sport originating in Normandy, Brittany and Picardy. ... Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest of England was the conquest of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ...

Most of the very early references to games speak simply of "ball play" or "playing at ball". This reinforces the idea that the games played at the time did not necessarily involve a ball being kicked. In 1314, Nicholas de Farndone, Lord Mayor of London issued a decree banning football (in the French used by the English upper classes at the time). A translation reads: "[f]orasmuch as there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large foot balls [rageries de grosses pelotes de pee] in the fields of the public from which many evils might arise which God forbid: we command and forbid on behalf of the king, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in the city in the future." This is the earliest known use of a word which may be interpreted as "football". Current Lord Mayor of London John Stuttard during the parade on November 11th, 2006 Michael Berry Savory, Previous Lord Mayor (2004–2005) The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the Mayor of the City of London and head of the Corporation of London. ...

There is also an account in Latin from the end of the 15th century of football being played at Cawston, Nottinghamshire. This is the first description of dribbling: "[t]he game at which they had met for common recreation is called by some the foot-ball game. It is one in which young men, in country sport, propel a huge ball not by throwing it into the air but by striking it and rolling it along the ground, and that not with their hands but with their feet." The chronicler gives the earliest reference to a football field, stating that: "[t]he boundaries have been marked and the game had started.^[1]. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Cawston (2005 (unincorporated) Population approximately 900) This small community in the south Similkameen Valley was named for R.L. Cawston, a pioneer rancher and magistrate who settled in the area in the 1800s. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... In sports such as football (soccer), basketball, bandy and water polo, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs (football/soccer), hands (basketball), stick (bandy) or swimming strokes (water polo). ...

During the 16th century English public schools began to devise games, as a way of encouraging competitiveness and keeping youths fit. Each school drafted their own rules to suit the dimensions of their playing field. Richard Mulcaster, a student at Eton College in the early 16th century and later headmaster at other schools, has been described as “the greatest sixteenth Century advocate of football”.^[2] Among his contributions are the earliest evidence of organised team football. Mulcaster's writings refer to teams ("sides" and "parties"), positions ("standings"), a referee ("judge over the parties") and a coach "(trayning maister)". During the early modern era students, former students and teachers at British public schools developed many unique codes of football. ... Richard Mulcaster, one of the greatest British educational visionaries, is known best for his headmasterships and paedegogic writings. ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a public school (privately funded and independent) for boys, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It is located in Eton, Berkshire, near Windsor in England, situated north of Windsor... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...

The rules varied widely between different schools and were changed over time with each new intake of pupils. Soon, two schools of thought about how football should be played emerged. Some schools favoured a game in which the ball could be carried (as at Rugby, Marlborough and Cheltenham), whilst others preferred a game where kicking and dribbling the ball was promoted (as at Eton, Harrow, Westminster and Charterhouse). The division into these two camps was partly the result of circumstances in which the games were played. At Charterhouse and Westminster the boys were confined to playing their ball game within the cloisters making the rough and tumble of the handling game difficult. A view of Rugby School from The Close, the playing field where according to legend Rugby was invented Rugby School, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, is one of the oldest public schools in England and is one of the major co-educational boarding schools in the country. ... Marlborough College is a British boarding school in the county of Wiltshire, founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, although it now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. ... Cheltenham College chapel and library (Big Modern) Introduction Cheltenham College opened in July 1841, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a public school (privately funded and independent) for boys, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It is located in Eton, Berkshire, near Windsor in England, situated north of Windsor... It has been suggested that Houses of Harrow School be merged into this article or section. ... The Royal College of St Peter at Westminster (almost always known as Westminster School) is one of Britains leading boys independent schools and one of the nine public schools set out in the Public Schools Act 1868. ... Charterhouse School (Originally, Suttons Hospital in Charterhouse), usually known simply as Charterhouse, is a famous boys English public school, located in Godalming in the county of Surrey. ...

The boom in rail transport in Britain during the 1840s meant that people were able to travel further and with less inconvenience than they ever had before. Inter-school sporting competitions became possible. While local rules for athletics could be easily understood by visiting schools, it was nearly impossible for schools to play each other at football, as each school played by its own rules. Railway mania was the term given to the speculative frenzy in Britain in the 1840s. ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ...

In 1848, at Cambridge University, Mr. H. de Winton and Mr. J.C. Thring, who were both formerly at Shrewsbury School, called a meeting at Trinity College, Cambridge with 12 other representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury. An eight-hour meeting produced what amounted to the first set of modern rules, known as the Cambridge Rules. No copy of these rules now exists, but a revised version from circa 1856 is held in the library of Shrewsbury School. The rules clearly favour the kicking game. Handling was only allowed for a player to take a clean catch entitling them to a free kick and there was a primitive offside rule, disallowing players from "loitering" around the opponents' goal. The Cambridge Rules were not widely adopted, but did influence English public schools and universities. The 1856 copy of these rules shows that there was already a "University Football Club" at Cambridge in 1856 and it is very likely that it was founded some years prior to this date. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ... H. de Winton and J. C. (John Charles) Thring were the two footballer players from Cambridge University (formerly of Shrewsbury School) responsible for the first formal set of rules for association football. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Full name The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity Motto Virtus vera nobilitas Virtue is true Nobility Named after The Holy Trinity Previous names King’s Hall and Michaelhouse (until merged in 1546) Established 1546 Sister College(s) Christ Church Master The Lord Rees of Ludlow Location Trinity Street... Winchester College is a well-known boys independent school, and an example of a British public school, in the city of Winchester in Hampshire, England. ...

Other codes of football emerged out of the plethora of mid to late 19th century rules, which exist today in Australian Rules Football (codified in 1858), Rugby Union and later Rugby League, Gaelic Football in Ireland and later American Football and the closely related Canadian Football. High marking is a key skill and spectator attribute of Aussie Rules Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Aussie Rules Football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of football... A rugby union scrum. ... Rugby league football (often shortened to rugby league) is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ... Gaelic football (Irish: Peil or Caid ), commonly referred to as football, Gaelic or GAA (gah), is a form of football played mainly in Ireland. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Canadian football is a sport in which two teams of twelve players each compete for territorial control of a field of play 110 yards (100. ...

The Football Association

Main article: History of The Football Association.

During the early 1860s, there were increasing attempts in England to unify and reconcile the various football games that were played in the public school of England. In 1862, J. C. Thring, who had been one of the driving forces behind the original Cambridge Rules, was a master at Uppingham School and he issued his own rules of what he called "The Simplest Game" (these are also known as the Uppingham Rules). In early October 1863, another new revised version of the Cambridge Rules was drawn up by a seven member committee representing former pupils from Harrow, Shrewsbury, Eton, Rugby, Marlborough and Westminster. The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... Uppingham School is a co-educational public school situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England. ... The Cambridge Rules were a code of football rules first drawn up at Cambridge University by a committee that included H. de Winton and J. C. Thring. ...

Ebenezer Cobb Morley, a solicitor from Hull, wrote to Bell's Life newspaper in 1863, proposing a governing body for football. Morley was to become the FA's first secretary (1863-6) and its second president (1867-74), but is particularly remembered as it was he who drafted the first Laws of the Game at his home in Barnes, London, that are today played the world over. For this, he is considered not just the father of the Football Association, but of Association Football (soccer) itself. Only known photograph of EC Morley Ebenezer Cobb Morley was an English sportsman and is regarded as the father of The Football Association and modern Association Football and, to a certain extent, of all organised football. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... The Laws of the Game (also known as the Laws of Football) are the rules governing a game of association football (soccer). ... Barnes is a suburb in south-west London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ...

On the evening of October 26, 1863, representatives of several football clubs in the Greater London area met at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street. This was the first meeting of The Football Association (FA). It was the world's first official football body and for this reason is not preceded with the word English. Charterhouse was the only school which accepted invitations to attend. The first meeting resulted in the issuing of a request for representatives of the public schools to join the association. With the exception of Thring at Uppingham, most schools declined. In total, six meetings of the FA were held between October and December 1863. Committee member J. F. Alcock, said: "The Cambridge Rules appear to be the most desirable for the Association to adopt." October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Great Queen Street is a street in central London, England. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Charterhouse is a Carthusian monastery founded in 1371 by Walter de Manny, in Smithfield in the City of London. ...

After the third meeting, a draft set of rules were published by the FA. However, at the beginning of the fourth meeting, attention was drawn to the recently-published Cambridge Rules of 1863. The Cambridge rules differed from the draft FA rules in two significant areas; namely running with (carrying) the ball and hacking (kicking opposing players in the shins). The two contentious FA rules were as follows: Look up hacking in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

IX. A player shall be entitled to run with the ball towards his adversaries' goal if he makes a fair catch, or catches the ball on the first bound; but in case of a fair catch, if he makes his mark he shall not run.

X. If any player shall run with the ball towards his adversaries' goal, any player on the opposite side shall be at liberty to charge, hold, trip or hack him, or to wrest the ball from him, but no player shall be held and hacked at the same time.

At the fifth meeting a motion was proposed that these two rules be removed from the FA rules. Most of the delegates supported this suggestion but F. W. Campbell, the representative from Blackheath and the first FA treasurer, objected strongly. He said, "hacking is the true football". The motion was carried nonetheless and — at the final meeting — Campbell withdrew his club from the FA. After the final meeting on 8 December the FA published the "Laws of Football", the first comprehensive set of rules for the game later known as Association football. The game also came to be called "soccer" as a shortening of "Association" around the same time as Rugby football, colloquially referred to as "rugger", was developing as the main carrying of the ball version of English football, and "soccer" remains a common descriptor in countries with other prominent football codes today. History Early history Blackheath Rugby Club (BRC) was founded in 1858 by old boys of Blackheath Propietary School who played a carrying game of football made popular by Rugby School. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Laws of the Game (LOTG for short, also known as the Laws of Football) are the rules governing the play of Association football (soccer). ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

These first FA rules still contained elements that are no longer part of Association football, but which are still recognisable in other games (Rugby Union, Australian rules football): for instance, a player could make a fair catch and claim a mark, which entitled him to a free kick, and; if a player touched the ball behind the opponents' goal line, his side was entitled to a free kick at goal, from 15 yards in front of the goal line. A rugby union scrum. ... High marking is a key skill and spectator attribute of Aussie Rules Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Aussie Rules Football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of football... A fair catch is a play in American football and several other forms of football. ...

The laws of the game agreed on by the FA members stipulated a maximum length and breadth for the pitch, the procedure for kicking off, and definition of terms, including goal, throw in, offside. Passing the ball by hand was still permitted provided the ball was caught "fairly or on the first bounce". Despite the specifications of footwear having no "tough nails, iron plates and gutta percha" there were no specific rule on number of players, penalties, foul play or the shape of the ball, captains of the participating teams were expected to agree on these things prior to the match. The Laws of the Game (also known as the Laws of Football) are the rules governing a game of association football (soccer). ...

Foundations of a competition

The laws laid down by the FA had an immediate effect, with Sheffield and Nottingham (now Notts County) joining playing an annual fixture on the FA code among others. In 1865 Nottingham Forest was founded, and the first derby game took place. Over the next two years Chesterfield and Stoke joined the code. This finally meant that football was no longer an exclusive sport of public schools. However, it was by no means a working class pass time. By this time teams had settled into 11 players each, and the game was played with round balls. Notts County F.C are a football club based in Nottingham, England. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... History Nottingham Forest F.C. are an English football club, based at the City Ground, which is just outside the official boundary of Nottingham on the south side of the River Trent. ... In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby (pronounced dar-bee after the English city) means a sporting fixture between two (generally local) rivals, particularly in Association Football. ...

In 1867 the offside law was altered. It previously stated that all players in front of the ball were offside, eliminating passing of the ball forwards, much like in rugby today. The rule was relaxed. A Sheffield against London game in 1866 had allowed the FA to observe how the rules were affecting the game; subsequently handling of the ball was abolished except for one player on each team, the goalkeeper. A red tape was added between the two goalposts to indicate the top of the goal, and a national competition was proposed. Cunt BAg Twat Fuk suck my penis ring 0778851865!!!!!!Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A football goalkeeper leaves the ground to parry a shot on goal In many team sports, a goalkeeper (termed goaltender, netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports) is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal. ...

The first FA Cup

The Royal Engineers team that reached the first FA Cup final

On July 20, 1871, C. W. Alcock, a gentleman from Sunderland and a former pupil of Harrow School proposed that "a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the [Football] Association",^[3] the idea that gave birth to the competition. At the first FA Cup in 1872, Wanderers and Royal Engineers met in the final in front of 2,000 paying spectators. Despite the Royal Engineers being the heavy favourites, one of their players sustained a broken collar bone early on and since substitutions had not yet been introduced, the Engineers played a man down for the rest of the match which they eventually lost 1-0. Image File history File links 1stRoyalEngineers. ... Image File history File links 1stRoyalEngineers. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Charles William Alcock (December 2, 1842 - February 26, 1907) was a very influential English sports administrator and player. ... It has been suggested that Houses of Harrow School be merged into this article or section. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Wanderers Football Club were an amateur football club, who were one of the leading clubs in English football in the 1860s and 1870s. ... The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. ...

The FA Cup was a success and within a few years all of the clubs in England wanted to take part. To do so they had to accept the FA code, which led to the quick spread of a universal set of rules. These rules are the basis of which all association football rules today stem from.

Later competitions saw the 'Gentleman' or Southerners dominate with Old Etonians, Wanderers, Royal Engineers and Oxford University who amongst them took 19 titles. Queens Park withdrew in the semi-finals of the 1873 cup (which due to the format being played that year meant that all the challengers to Wanderers' trophy played a competition for the right to throw down the gauntlet and play the holders, hence the full name FA Challenge Cup) because they had trouble raising travel expenses to pay for the constant trips to England, this directly led to the formation of the Scottish FA. However despite this, Queens Park continued to participate in the FA Cup, reaching the final twice, before the Scottish FA banned Scottish clubs from entering in 1887. The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College. ... Queens Park Football Club is a Scottish football team, and is the oldest football club in Scotland[1], founded in 1867. ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Scottish Football Association (SFA) was formed in 1873 making it the second oldest national football association in the world (after The English Football Association). ...

In 1872, Alcock purchased the Football Association Cup for £20. That year, fifteen clubs entered the competition. Queen's Park reached the semi finals without playing due to withdrawals, but then after a goalless draw with Wanderers, were forced to withdraw as before the advent of penalties and extra time, they could not afford to come back to London for the replay. Wanderers won the cup outright in 1878 after what remains to this day one of only two hat tricks of wins ever. However they returned the cup to the FA in order for the competition to continue, on the condition that no other club could win the cup outright ever again. Bonaventure Kalou of the Ivory Coast takes a penalty against Dragoslav Jevrić of S&M during the 2006 World Cup. ... Extra time is an additional period played at the end of some games of football (soccer) if the score is tied after the two standard periods (halves) of play. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

The first league

Main article: Football League: History

In 1888, William McGregor a gentleman from Perthshire and a director of Aston Villa F.C was the main force between meetings held in London and Manchester involving 12 football clubs, with an eye to a league competition. These 12 clubs would later become the Football League's 12 founder members. The meetings were held in London on 22 March 1888, the main concern was that an early exit in the knockout format of the FA cup could leave clubs with no matches for almost a year, not only could they suffer heavy financial losses, but fans didn't often stick around for that long without a game, when others teams were playing. Matters were finalised on the 17 April in Manchester. The Football League is an organisation representing 72 professional football clubs in England and Wales, and runs the oldest professional football league competition in the world. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... William McGregor (born 1846, Braco, Perthshire; died 1911, Birmingham) William McGregor founder of the Football League Scottish Draper, Director of Aston Villa and founder of the Football League. ... Perthshire (Siorrachd Pheairt in Gaelic) was a county in central Scotland, which extended from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south. ... Aston Villa redirects here. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Manchester (pronounced ) is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. ... The Football League is an organisation representing 72 professional football clubs in England and Wales, and runs the oldest professional football league competition in the world. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

McGregor had voted against the name The Football League, as he was concerned that it would be associated with the Irish Land League^[4]. But this name still won by a majority vote and was selected. The competition guaranteed fixtures and members for all of its member clubs. The clubs were split equally among North and Midlands teams and Southern teams, who were still strictly amateur. The Irish painter Henry Jones Thaddeus enlisted the conscience of the propertied classes with the sentimental realism of La retour du bracconier (The Wounded Poacher), exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1881, at the height of the Irish Land War The Irish Land League was an Irish political organization of...

A rival English league called the Football Alliance operated from 1889 to 1892. In 1892 it was decided to formally merge the two leagues, and so the Football League Second Division was formed, consisting mostly of Football Alliance clubs. The existing League clubs, plus three of the strongest Alliance clubs, comprised the Football League First Division. The Football Alliance was an association football league in England from 1889 to 1892. ... From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. ... From 1889 until 1992, this was the highest division overall of organized football in England. ...

The first International

Charles Alcock, who was elected to secretary of the FA at the age of 28, devised the Idea of an international competition, inaugurating an annual England-Scotland. His put advertisements in papers in Glasgow, informing people of an international between the two countries at Kennington Oval, then the home of Surrey Cricket Club. After the appeal, a team of Scottish players was put together and captained by Robert Smith, one of the three brothers who helped found Queens Park FC. His team which lost the match 1-0 was composed entirely of Scots, living in England.^[5]. Other the next three annual fixtures at Kennington, the best the Scots could manage was a 1-1 draw, the fourth fixture was played at the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick. It was a goalless draw, and so one of the most bitterly disputed fixtures in footballing history was born. The first non-European international was contested on the 28 November 1885, at Newark, New Jersey, between the USA and Canada, the Canadians winning 1-0. First international 1st international match  Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win  Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat  Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Scotland 11 - 0 Ireland (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 February 1901) Biggest defeat Uruguay 7 - 0 Scotland (Basel, Switzerland; 19 June 1954) World Cup Appearances 8 (First in 1954) Best result Round 1, all European Championship Appearances 2 (First... For the shape, see oval The Oval is a cricket ground in Kennington, London. ... Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) is an English first-class cricket team, based at The Oval cricket ground in south London. ... Robert Alfred Smith (born 22 February 1933, Lingdale, North Yorkshire, England) was an English footballer. ... The West of Scotland Cricket Club is a large cricket club based in Glasgow. ... Bilingual sign in Gaelic and English at Partick railway station, Glasgow. ...

From amateurism to professionalism

See also British Football Association (1884–1885) and the Amateur Football Association founded in 1907.

When football was gaining popularity during the 1870s and 1880s professionals were banned in England and Scotland. Then in the 1880s, soon after Wanderers disbanded, in the north of England, teams started hiring players known as 'professors of football', who were often professionals from Scotland. This was the first time professionalism got into football. The clubs in working class areas, especially in Northern England and Scotland wanted professional football in order to afford playing football besides working. Several clubs were accused of employing professionals. In 1885 the FA legalized professional football, but with a national wage limit. The northern clubs made of lower class paid players started to gain momentum over the amateur 'Gentleman Southerners'. The first northern club to reach the FA Cup final was Blackburn Rovers in 1882, where they lost to Old Etonians, who were the last amateur team to win the trophy. The British Football Association was a short lived ruling body for the game of football. ... The Amateur Football Alliance is a County Football Association in England. ... // The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... // Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic and Scots1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... Northern England, The North or North of England is a rather ill-defined term, with no universally accepted definition. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England (and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man). ... Blackburn Rovers is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ...

Early English women's teams, such as the Dick, Kerr's Ladies from Preston, were so popular that their matches raised money for charities. The first recorded women's football match, on 23 March 1895, was held in England between a northern and southern team. The fundraising matches continued, in spite of objections. A maximum wage was placed on players, players challenged this and came close to strike action in 1909, but it was not to be for another fifty years before the maximum wage was abolished. In 1921, women were banned from playing on FA league grounds. FA history states that this ban "effectively destroyed the game" in England for the next 40 years.^[6] Hakoah Vienna was probably the first non-English club to pay their players during the 1920s. They were also the first non-English club to beat an English club in England when they beat West Ham United 5-1 in 1923. Dick, Kerrs Ladies is the most famous early Womens football (soccer) team. ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Hakoah Vienna football team, 1925 Sport Club Hakoah Wien or Hakoah Vienna is a Viennese athletic club which was the largest of its time in the early 20th century. ... The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... West Ham United Football Club are a football team who are based in Upton Park, Newham, East London and have played their home matches at the 35,647 capacity Boleyn Ground stadium since 1904. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1934 the Swedish club Malmö FF was relegated from the top division after it had been discovered that they paid their players, something that was not allowed in Swedish football at the time. Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about Malmö FFs football section. ...

Football spreads around the world

Continental Europe

The oldest club in continental Europe could be the Swiss club Lausanne Football and Cricket Club, founded 1860. The Lausanne Football and Cricket Club was a swiss soccer and cricket club. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...

A.C. Milan, the 1901 champions of the Serie A.

Football was introduced in the Danish club Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB) by English residents^[7] and in the Swiss club FC St. Gallen in 1879. This makes KB and St. Gallen the oldest still existing football clubs on Continental Europe. The Danish Football Association was founded in 1889. Italian football was played in regional groups from its foundation in 1898 until 1929 when the Serie A was organized into a national league by the Italian Football Federation. La Liga, Spain's national league, had its first season in 1928, with its participants based off of the previous winners of the Copa del Rey, which began in 1902. The modern German national league, the Bundesliga was late in foundation, especially for European countries, given it wasn't founded until 1963. The German Football Association was founded as early as 1900 with the first German football champions being Leipzig in 1903. However, prior to the formation of the Bundesliga, German football was played at an amateur level in a large number of regional leagues. Image File history File links Milan_first_champion. ... Image File history File links Milan_first_champion. ... Associazione Calcio Milan is an Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy. ... // The American League War The AL leaves the National Agreement and competes with the National League as a second major league --we say in retrospect, knowing its success. ... This article is about the Italian football (soccer) league. ... Kjøbenhavns Boldklub or KB is a Danish sports club based in Copenhagen. ... FC St. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and, at times, peninsulas. ... Categories: Danish stubs | Football (soccer) governing bodies | Danish football ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the Italian football (soccer) league. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Italian football (soccer) league. ... The Italian Football Federation (Italian: , FIGC), also known as Federcalcio, is the governing body of football in Italy. ... Liga de Fútbol Profesional (Professional Football League), commonly known as La Liga, is the professional football league in Spain. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... The Copa del Rey is an annual cup competition for Spanish football teams. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The official Bundesliga logo. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The German Football Association (DFB) (German: Deutscher Fußball-Bund) is the governing body of football in Germany. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Championship trophies now and then - the Viktoria (1903-1944) and the Championship Plate (since 1949) The coronation of the first Champions in imperial Germany in 1903 established the tradition of a great footballing nation. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... The official Bundesliga logo. ... Football is a popular sport in Germany. ...

South America

The first recorded football match in Argentina was played already in 1867 by English railway workers. The first football team in South America, Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata (now in professionalism) was created in Argentina, in 1887. The Argentine professional leagues (previously, football was an amateur sport) were founded in 1931 by the Argentine Football Association, which itself was founded by a Scottish schoolteacher Alexander Watson Hutton in 1893. Cunt BAg Twat Fuk suck my penis ring 0778851865!!!!!!Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata is a sports club in La Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, mostly known for its successful basketball team of the 1970s and 1980s and for its professional football team. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Argentine Football Association (AFA) (Spanish: Asociación del Fútbol Argentino) is the governing body of football in Argentina. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

In the 1870s an expatriate named John Miller who worked on the railway construction project in Sao Paulo together with some 3000 other immigrant families from the British Isles in the last decades of the 19th century. Mr. Miller decided to send his young boy Charles William Miller to England for his education. In 1884 Charles aged 10 was sent to Bannisters school in Southampton. Charles was a natural footballer who quickly picked up the arts the game. The football association was being formed at the time. Eton, Rugby, Charterhouse and other colleges all had developed their own rules to the game. As an accomplished winger and striker Charles held school honours that were to gain him entry first into the Southampton Club team and then into the County team of Hampshire. // The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... Miller in the St Marys side of 1893-94 Charles William Miller (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Muller), born on the November 24, 1874 in São Paulo to a Scottish father John and a Brazilian mother of English descent Carlota Fox, is considered to be the father of... Southampton is the largest city[1] on the south coast of England. ...

In 1892 a couple of years before his return to Brazil, Charles was invited to play a game for the Corinthians, a team formed of players invited from public schools and universities. Corinthians Football Club were a football team based in London playing at various venues including Crystal Palace and Queens Club. ...

On his return Charles brought some football equipment and a rules book with him. He then went on to develop the new rules of the game amongst the community in São Paulo. In 1888, six years before his return, the first sports club was founded in the city, São Paulo Athletic Club. São Paulo Athletic Club won the first three years championships. Miller's skills were far and above his colleagues at this stage. He was given the honour of contributing his name to a move involving a deft flick of the ball with the heel "Chaleira". São Paulo Athletic Club, also known as SPAC, was a historic Brazilian football club founded on May 15, 1898 by Charles William Miller and several English immigrants, being one of the first football clubs in the country. ...

Charles Miller kept a strong bond with English football throughout his life. Teams from Southampton and Corinthians Club came over to Brazil and played against São Paulo Athletic Club and other teams in São Paulo. One on occasion in 1910 a new local team was about to be formed after a tour of the Corinthians team to Brazil and Charles was asked to suggest a name for the team. He suggested they should call themselves after Corinthians.

In 1988 when São Paulo Athletic Club celebrated its centenary and the English Corinthians Team came across again to play them at Morumbi Stadium. The end of the tour was against the local professional Corinthians Paulista team with Sócrates and Rivelino amongst its players. This game was played at Paecambu Stadium in São Paulo and true to Corinthian principles of good clean football the score was 1 to 0 in favour of the locals when as agreed Socrates changed shirts to play alongside the English amateurs. This did not affect the score unfortunately although a largely packed stadium was cheering on for a drawn result. Sócrates. ... Roberto Rivellino (b. ...

The Brazilian Football Confederation was founded in 1914, and the current format for the Campeonato Brasileiro was established in 1971. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) or Confederação Brasileira de Futebol in Portuguese is the governing body of football in Brazil, and was founded on August 20, 1914 as Confederação Brasileira de Desportos (CBD), meaning Brazilian Sports Confederation. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Série A is the main division of Brazilian football. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ...

United States

See also: Soccer in the United States Youth soccer in small-town Indiana in 2005. ...

The first soccer club in the United States was the Oneida Football Club of Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1862. It is often said that this was the first club to play association football outside Britain. However, the Oneidas were formed before the English Football Association (FA); it is not known what rules they used[1] and the club wound up within the space of a few years. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, the club is often credited with inventing the "Boston Game", which both allowed players to kick a round ball along the ground, and to pick it up and run with it. This is a partial list of association football (soccer) teams from all over the world sorted by home country. ... The history of American soccer finds a prominent place in New England which was one of the 3 major hotbeds of US soccer for much of the earlier part of the 20th century, and the later part of the 19th. ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Settled 1630 Incorporated (city) 1822 Government  - Governor Deval Patrick (D) Area  - City  89. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general encyclopedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ...

The first U.S. match known to have been inspired by FA rules was a game between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869, although the game included features such as extremely physical tackling and teams of 20 each. Other colleges emulated this development, but all of these were converted to rugby-oriented rules from soccer-oriented rules by the mid-1870s on, and they would soon become famous as early bastions of American football. (For more details see: History of American football.) Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America. ... “Rutgers” redirects here. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... American football is the most popular spectator sport in the United States. ...

Early soccer leagues in the U.S. mostly used the name football leagues: for example, the American Football Association (founded in 1884), the American Amateur Football Association (1893), the American League of Professional Football (1894), the National Association Foot Ball League (1895), and the Southern New England Football League (1914). However, the word "soccer" was beginning to catch on, and the St Louis Soccer League was a significant regional competition between 1907 and 1939. What is now the United States Soccer Federation was originally the U.S. Football Association, formed in 1913 by the merger of the American Football Association and the American Amateur Football Association. The governing body of the sport in the U.S. did not have the word soccer in its name until 1945, when it became the U.S. Soccer Football Association. It did not drop the word football from its name until 1974, when it became the U.S. Soccer Federation. The American Football Association was the only pro soccer league in the United States to be formed before the United States Soccer Federation formed in 1913. ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The American League of Professional Football was the first professional football(soccer) league in the United States existing for one season in 1894, and one of the earliest professional leagues in the world given that most of the football world at this time was dominated by amateur leagues. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) (trademarked as U.S. Soccer Federation) is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1945and died 2007 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Two further soccer leagues were started in the 1967, the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League. These merged to form the North American Soccer League in 1968, which survived until 1984. The NASL also ran an indoor league in the latter years.^[8] 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... In 1967, two pro soccer leagues started in the United States: the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association and the unsanctioned National Professional Soccer League. ... The National Professional Soccer League was a professional indoor soccer league in the USA. It started out as the American Indoor Soccer Association in 1984 but changed its name to the National Professional Soccer League in 1990. ... North American Soccer League or (NASL) was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Nasl, or El Nasl, is one of the names given to the star Gamma-2 Sagittarii in the constellation Sagittarius NASL is a common abbreviation for the North American Soccer League, a defunct professional soccer league that operated between 1968 and 1984. ...

Indoor soccer was a great success in the 1980's to the 90's, in part due to the input of the North American Soccer League. When the NASL folded, other leagues, including the Major Indoor Soccer League filled in to meet the demand. A new MISL exists today with eight teams slated for the 2007-2008 season.^[9] However, it is unrelated to the original MISL. An indoor soccer game in Mexico. ... North American Soccer League or (NASL) was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. ... Nasl, or El Nasl, is one of the names given to the star Gamma-2 Sagittarii in the constellation Sagittarius NASL is a common abbreviation for the North American Soccer League, a defunct professional soccer league that operated between 1968 and 1984. ... This article is about the 1978-1992 Major Indoor Soccer League. ... The Major Indoor Soccer League is the top professional indoor soccer league in the USA. The league is a member of both the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA. The MISL replaced the NPSL which folded in 2001. ...