Month: March 2021

Marn Grook (Australian Aboriginal Football)

Report

An Australian Aborigine game where the objective is to keep the ball in the air as long as possible. It includes the idea of the ‘mark’ whereby a player who catches the ball in the air can have a ‘free kick’. Tom Wills, who has Irish connections incorporated the idea into English Public School Football Codes, along with Gaelic Football like scoring to codify Australian Football in the 1840s.

adult happy sportsman hitting ball with head
Photo by Yogendra Singh on Pexels.com

References

Internet Archives

Aboriginal Football Wayback Machine (2006) Marn Grook [Internet] Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20060512152437/http://www.aboriginalfootball.com.au/marngrook.html (article)

Images

Photo by Yogendra Singh on Pexels.com

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Martha

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 25 March 2021

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Resereved.

Cuju (Chinese Football Code) 770 BC – Present

Report

Cuju is an Ancient Chinese code of Football, whose origins are unclear but maybe in Lanzi, the capital of Qi State during the Spring and Autumn Period 770 bc – 476 bc. After attending the Chian World Football Exhibition in 2004, President Sepp S. Blatter of FIFA, the world governing body of Soccer, declared that it was the origins of the present game of soccer.

It appears to have had religious symbolism, the football field represented the earth, and the football represented the celestial bodies. It is estimated that there are approximately 5,000 players of Cuju in Linzi distict. During the Northern Song Dynasty 960-1126 football pitches were laid out and professional Cuju football teams played at the court of the emperor. During the earlier Han dynasty the sport had poetic writing about it and had military significance as well as recreational. ‘Ju’ means a rubber ball covered in leather or an animal bladder stuffed with feathers. Cuju means to ‘Kick a ball with the foot’.

According to the World Sports Encyclopedia, the number of players in team was not fixed, and the numbers varied from 2-10. Teams could only pass to teammates in their own half, and by the time the border was crossed had to kick towards the goal, which was two poles adorned with coloured ribbons. It involves an aspect of keepie-uppies, like in Marn Grook.

Video

Cuju Video [References: 3]

References

Websites

[1] Oxford Reference (2021) Cuju [Internet] Available from: https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095652439 [Accessed 25 March 2021]

[2] Wojciech Liponski (2003) “Cuju” World Sports Encyclopaedia pg. 150.

Media

[3] You Tube (2021) Aug 19, 2018 “Man finds joy playing cuju, the parent of modern soccer” [Internet] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUBWojS3kH4 [Accessed 25 March 2021]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Caoilfhionn Nic Fhearai

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 25 March 2021

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Resereved.

The World’s 50 Versions of Football (With Links)

With 10 Codes of Gridiron (North American Football), 10 Codes of National Football (GAA, English Soccer, Rugby Versions, Australian Rules etc), 16 Codes of Wheelchair, Tag, Beach and Reduced Numbers Football (Street Soccer, Rugby Sevens, Beach AFL, Flag Football etc) and 14 Versions of World Football (Uncodified or Ancient Games undergoing Revival), there is Football for all.

Note: This is not a complete list: There are more Obscure or Unusual ones than in this list.

North American Gridiron Football

LeagueLink
National Football Leaguehttp://www.nfl.com/
National Collegiate Athletic Association Footballhttp://www.ncaa.com/sports/football/fbs
Canadian Football Leaguehttps://www.cfl.ca/
Liga de Futbol Americano Mexicohttp://lfa.mx/
XFLhttps://www.xfl.com/
Indoor Football Leaguehttps://goifl.com/
X-League Extreme Football League (Legends)https://extfl.com/
Fan Controlled Footballhttps://www.fcf.io/
American 7s Football Leaguehttps://www.a7fl.com/
Early Footballhttps://www.profootballresearchers.org/index.html
North American Gridiron Football Leagues

World Football Leagues

LeagueLink
English Premier Leaguehttps://www.premierleague.com/
Australian Football Leaguehttps://www.afl.com.au/
Gaelic Athletic Association Footballhttps://www.gaa.ie/football/
International Rules Footballhttps://www.gaa.ie/search/?q=International%20Rules
Super Rugby (Rugby Union)https://super.rugby/superrugby/
National Rugby Leaguehttps://www.nrl.com/
Major Arena Soccer Leaguehttps://www.maslsoccer.com/
Copa Libertadores Futsalhttps://www.conmebol.com/es/libertadores-futsal-argentina2019
Calcio Fiorentinohttps://www.calciostoricofiorentino.it/
Lelo Burti (Georgia)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scQcgvuEMh4
World Football Codes

Wheelchair, Beach & Tag Football

SportLink
Wheelchair Rugbyhttps://www.paralympic.org/wheelchair-rugby
Wheelchair Footballhttp://adaptedsports.org/
Powerchair Soccerhttps://www.fai.ie/domestic/football-for-all/association-of-irish-powerchair-football
AFL Wheelchairhttps://dsr.org.au/afl-wheelchair/#:~:text=AFL%20Wheelchair%20is%20an%20adapted,disability%20the%20opportunity%20to%20play.&text=The%20game%20is%20played%20between,either%20end%20of%20the%20field.
Beach Footballhttps://www.usbeachflagfootball.org/
Beach Soccerhttps://www.beachsoccer.com/
Beach Rugbyhttps://beachrugbyaustralia.com.au/
Beach AFLhttps://aflinternational.com/beach-footy/
Football Fives (Soccer)https://www.redbull.com/int-en/event-series/neymar-jrs-five/
Rugby Sevenshttps://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/?lang=en
GAA Football Sevenshttps://kilmacudcrokes.com/football/football-all-ireland-7s-0
AFL 9shttps://afl9s.com.au/
Flag Football (American)https://flagfootballworld.com/
Street Soccerhttps://globalstreetsoccer.com/
Tag Rugbyhttps://www.tagrugby.ie/Contact-ITRA-HQ.html
AFL Tags and Tailshttps://play.afl/auskick/activities/tags-and-tails
Wheelchair, Beach, Tag & Reduced Numbers Football

Uncodified World Football

Country / GameLink to Video or Media
China / Cujuhttps://web.archive.org/web/20060414084626/http://qlqwl.com.cn/english/news/t20040910_377495.htm
Japan / Kemarihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO3vRH2z8jo
India / Yubi LakpiNone
Aotearoa-New Zealand / https://archive.is/20130920185818/http://innz.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=533353
Australian Aboriginal / Marn Grookhttps://archive.is/20130920185818/http://innz.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=533353
Central America / Pok-ta-Pok(Ulama)https://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/174771
Normandy (France) / La Soulehttp://www.jeuxtradinormandie.fr/
Iceland / Knattleikrhttp://knattleikr.blogspot.com/
Scotland / Ba Gamehttp://www.orkneyjar.com/tradition/bagame/
Britain / Uppies & Downies and Shrovetide Footballhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lamUNwU9v3A
Canada / Broomballhttps://www.gatewayicecenter.com/page/show/1453223-what-is-broomball-
Eton Wall Gamehttps://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/house-note/sam-leith-history-eton-wall-game-sport/
Roman Harpastumhttps://www.topendsports.com/sport/extinct/harpastum.htm
Greek Episkyros
https://healthandfitnesshistory.com/ancient-sports/greek-episkyros-ball-game/

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Everyone who has ever played or enjoyed watching any version of Football

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 25 March 2021

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Resereved.