The History of Football Bans

Football is usually regarded as the world’s favourite game. The history of football spans from more than 100 years. The game involves kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. Sports, that were referred to as football in different places include: association football (known as soccer in some countries); gridiron football (specifically American football or Canadian football); Australian Rules football; rugby football (either rugby league or rugby union); and Gaelic football.

These different variations of football are called as football codes. A number of attempts have been made since the middle ages to ban football. The very first law of such kind was passed in England in 1314 on the complaints made by the London kings. As a result, King Edward II of England issued a proclamation banning the game of football in London. More than 30 such laws were passed in England between 1314 and 1667. The Enclosure Acts put common land into individual ownership. This took away the rights of the local people. Football was often used as a way to protest this enclosure due to which it faced armed opposition in the 18^th Century.

The British Highway Act of 1835 also banned the playing of football on public highways. In 1921, women were banned from playing football in the English and Scottish football leagues. This ban was lifted in 1970’s. Female footballers still face such problems in many parts of the world.

Content- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempts_to_ban_football_games

By- lAnuja Arora