An early form of a game in which a ball was kicked around a field is recorded in 1004 B.C. Japan. Some sports historians believe that the game of soccer began in England in the third century, however. They say that early English warriors  kicked around the head of a killed enemy. This may or may not be true, but it is certain that soccer is an ancient sport. Without doubt, the English played soccer during the times of King Edward I in the 1300s. In fact, the king passed a law against playing it. The law said, "There is great noise ... caused by kicking large balls from which many ghosts may appear." Anyone caught playing soccer at that time was put into prison. Two hundred years later, Queen Elizabeth I still had people put into prison for playing this " _ " sport. Although there were such laws, soccer grew more popular. In 1681 it became an official  sport in England. By the 1800s, people throughout the country played soccer. By the 18th century, upper-class boys played it at schools. Its popularity grew among all English people. At a meeting held in an English school in 1843, the first rules were suggested. In 1863 the heads of English soccer teams met in London to agree on some official rules. They organized an English football association . By 1871 all of the English clubs were following these rules. Today all soccer teams play by them. Soccer is called "football" everywhere but in the United States. The game is played mostly with feet. No players except the goalie ( ) may touch the ball with their hands. They may control the ball with any part of the body except their hands. Soccer is by far the world's most popular sport. Every four years, nearly every country in the world tlghts for the World Cup. Tens of billions of soccer fans from around the world watch the World Cup on television. According to the passage, a "vulgar" sport probably
appears to be rude appears to be old requires lots of energy requires good teamwork