Football encompasses a variety of team sports centered on kicking a ball to score. The term 'football' usually refers to the most popular form in a specific region. Common types include association football (soccer), Australian rules football, Gaelic football, gridiron football (American football), rugby league, and rugby union. These 'football codes' share historical roots and similar gameplay elements, although rules and styles differ significantly.
In 1901, the separate Lancashire and Yorkshire competitions of the NRFU merged, forming the Northern Rugby League, the first time the name rugby league was used officially in England.
In 1903, the Ontario Rugby Football Union adopted the Burnside rules, which implemented the line of scrimmage and down-and-distance system from American football, among others.
On May 21, 1904, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in Paris by associations from seven European countries.
On October 9, 1905, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt held a meeting with football representatives to urge drastic changes to reduce the violence in the sport.
In 1905, there were calls to ban American football in the U.S. due to its violence. A meeting hosted by President Theodore Roosevelt led to significant rule changes.
In 1906, a rule change introduced the legal forward pass, devised to open up the game and reduce injury. This proved to be one of the most important rule changes in the establishment of the modern game.
In 1906, rugby league rules diverged significantly from rugby union with the reduction of the team from 15 to 13 players.
In 1906, the Football Act of 1424, which had prohibited football in Scotland, was finally repealed after falling into disuse.
In 1907, a New Zealand professional rugby team toured Australia and Britain, receiving an enthusiastic response, and professional rugby leagues were launched in Australia the following year.
In 1921, women were banned from playing at English and Scottish Football League grounds.
In 1929, Canadian football implemented the legal forward pass, following some of the developments in American football.
In May 1930, the game of "calcio storico" was revived in Florence after not being played since January 1739.
In 1930, the original text was translated as "Throw yourself against him" (Age, objice te illi).
In 1948, at the instigation of the French league, the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) was formed at a meeting in Bordeaux.
In 1966, rugby league officials borrowed the American football concept of downs, allowing a team to retain possession of the ball for four tackles.
In 1970, the iconic ball with a regular pattern of hexagons and pentagons was first used in the World Cup.
In 1971, the maximum number of tackles was increased to six in rugby league, becoming known as the six tackle rule.
In 1995, rugby union became an "open" game, allowing professional players.
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