Football can be a term used in several sports that involves kicking of the ball with a foot and aiming it to the goal in order to score. The name “football” seems to be derived from the act of playing the game, wherein the ball is kicked by the foot. But there is also another explanation on how the word was coined. In medieval Europe, there were numerous games played by foot which were commonly engaged by peasants. Nowadays, football can refer to American football, Australian football, Canadian football, Gaelic football, rugby, etc. But the most famous football game is the one that is also known as soccer or association football.
In Europe, specifically in Medieval England, different football games were played. In the 1860′s, there were efforts to unify the football games. One of the attempts made was trying to establish the Sheffield Rules in the public school of England and Industrial North. Another is the Simplest Game, also known as Uppingham Rules, created by J.C. Thring. But one of the people who will always be remembered in sports history is Ebenezer Cobb Morley. He was the one who proposed to have a committee to govern football, which became the Football Association. The goal of the committee was to agree on a national code for the game since during that time different football clubs also followed various codes or rules. Whenever two teams were about to compete, they still had to discuss the rules for the game before they could play; thus, the importance of the role of the Football Association. Ebenezer Morley became the first secretary of the body in 1863 to 1866. He then became its president in 1867 to 1874. But more than anything, this man will never be forgotten because he was the one responsible for the first draft of the Laws of the Game in Barnes, London. Ebenezer Morley is not only the father of the Football Association, but also the father of association football itself.
As time passed by, the Football Association established the rules of the game which developed into what we are now familiar of. Some of the rules are having 11 players for each team, using of round balls, not allowing ball handling except for the goalie, and many more. The organized rules led to the different soccer competitions within Europe and even internationally. The sport then gained more appeal to the players and fans.