Soccer, known as football in most of the world, has a curious naming history, one that intertwines linguistic evolution and cultural nuances. To the uninitiated, the term “soccer” may seem like a term born out of Americanism, relegating the sport to a particularly U.S.-centric lexicon. However, the term’s roots are much older and deeper than commonly thought, stretching back to the late 19th century. Why is soccer called soccer?, The fascinating journey of why soccer is called soccer is linked to historical shifts in language, geography, and the global spread of the sport.
The Birth of “Association Football”
To understand why soccer is called “soccer,” we must first explore the origins of the sport itself. Football, in its earliest form, was played in various variations across the world, from ancient civilizations in China, Greece, and Rome to medieval England. However, the modern version of the sport we know today was codified in England in the 19th century. As various clubs and schools tried to establish standard rules for the game, there arose a need to distinguish between different versions of football.
In 1863, the Football Association (FA) was formed in England, and it standardized the rules for a version of football that would be played primarily with the feet, as opposed to games where the hands or other body parts were more central. This game became known as Association Football, derived from the word “association,” referring to the association of clubs and schools that were collaborating to set up the new football code.
Thus, the term “Association Football” referred to the particular version of football that was governed by the Football Association’s rules, as opposed to the many other versions played in England at the time.
The Emergence of the Term “Soccer”
Now that we have “Association Football,” the next chapter in the naming story involves the creation of the term “soccer.” Interestingly, the word “soccer” is derived from the word “association” itself.
In late 19th-century England, a common linguistic practice was the addition of “-er” to popular terms as a form of abbreviation or slang. For example, “rugger” was used as a colloquial term for “rugby,” and similarly, “soccer” emerged as a shorthand for “Association Football.” The suffix “-er” in “soccer” followed a common pattern in British slang, which was used to describe things associated with a specific institution, activity, or group.
The term “soccer” was widely used in England and throughout the British Empire well into the 20th century. In fact, it was considered the preferred term for the sport in many parts of the world during the early decades of its modern evolution. It was only later, after the sport gained a global following, that the term “football” became more dominant in most places outside of the U.S. and Canada.
The American Connection
The usage of the term “soccer” is often wrongly attributed to American innovation, but in fact, the U.S. played an important role in preserving the term. The key reason for the widespread adoption of “soccer” in America is the existence of another popular sport—American football. When Association Football made its way to North America in the late 19th century, it was already facing competition from American football, a version of rugby that had been developed and modified by American schools and colleges.
To avoid confusion between the two types of football, American fans and sportswriters began to use the term “soccer” to refer specifically to Association Football, while American football retained the moniker “football.” This distinction allowed both sports to flourish independently in the U.S., without the need for additional qualifiers or confusing jargon.
While soccer was used in the United States, Canada, and some other parts of North America for decades, the rest of the world continued to use the term “football.” The dominance of American football in the U.S., combined with the global appeal of Association Football (soccer), led to the term “soccer” becoming ingrained in North American culture.
Global Spread and Lingering Differences
As soccer spread across the globe, the use of the term “soccer” gradually faded in most regions. By the early 20th century, the term “football” had become the standard in virtually every country, with “soccer” becoming largely obsolete in places like the U.K. However, the term persisted in North America, where the word “football” was already in use for the American version of the game.
This situation led to a peculiar scenario: in countries like England and most of Europe, the game was referred to as “football,” while in North America, it remained as “soccer.” The term “soccer” became more entrenched in the United States when the U.S. Soccer Federation was established in 1913, and its official governing documents used the term “soccer.” In the early 20th century, the sport continued to grow in the U.S., and the continued use of the term helped separate the American version of football from its international counterpart.
Over the years, the term “soccer” gradually became less associated with its British roots in the United States, with many Americans considering it the sole and universal name for the sport. Why is soccer called soccer?, Today, while much of the world refers to the sport simply as “football,” “soccer” remains the dominant term in the U.S. and Canada, where “football” refers to a completely different game.
The Evolution of “Soccer” in Modern Times
The persistence of the term “soccer” in the United States and Canada has caused some confusion for outsiders, especially those from countries where the word “football” has been in use for centuries. However, the global reach of soccer (as it is now universally known) has led to a blending of terms. For example, major international events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games use “football” to describe the sport in their official materials, but the American media and fans still refer to the sport as “soccer.”
The term “soccer” has also seen a resurgence in some parts of the world. Countries like Australia and South Africa, where local variations of “football” exist, use “soccer” to distinguish Association Football from other types of football, much like in the U.S. and Canada.
Conclusion
The story of why soccer is called soccer is rooted in history, language, and the evolution of sports culture. The term originated as a colloquial abbreviation of “Association Football,” a term coined in 19th-century England to distinguish a specific form of football from other variants of the game. While it was once widely used across the British Empire and beyond, the term eventually became closely associated with the United States and Canada, where it helped differentiate the sport from American football.
Today, “soccer” remains the preferred term in North America, while the rest of the world continues to use “football.” This linguistic divide is a reflection of the unique cultural forces that shaped the global evolution of the game and a testament to the ever-changing nature of language itself. Despite the naming differences, soccer’s global popularity and cultural significance are undeniable, and it remains a unifying force that transcends borders, languages, and historical distinctions.
