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3 BCE
first sight of football
The first known ball game which also involved kicking took place In China in the 3rd and 2nd century BC under the name Cuju. Cuju was played with a round ball on an area of a square -
601
first proper ball
first documents of balls filled with air are from the 7th century -
Rules
The Cambridge Rules are created -
First club
the first football club in the world, is founded in 1857. That same year the Sheffield Rules are also created. -
Gradually spread to other European countries.
The first game that took place outside Europe occurred in Argentina in 1867, but it was foreign British workers who were involved and not Argentinean citizens. -
using new skills and goal keeper
First "goalkeepers", and passage from "dribbling game" to "passing game" is seen in club matches in Sheffield and London. -
First proper FA game
Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) became the first important competition when it was run in 1871. The following year a match between two national teams was played for the first time. This was played between England and Scotland -
crossbar
The crossbar is introduced, replacing tape as the means of marking the top of the goal. -
match time.
The length of a match is set at 90 minutes -
whistle
Referees begin to use whistles -
admission to matches
Clubs charge for admission. Players paid lost wages and expenses -
Back players
In Britain, Andrew Watson is known to be the first black player, and he played in the Scottish club Queen’s Park in the 1880s. -
Twelve years later
The first international tournament took place and included four national teams: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. -
goals
Goal nets used for the first time. -
penalties
The penalty kick is introduced -
referee
Referee in complete control of game. -
players
The number of a football team is defined to be 11 players. -
international
The first international match between non-British European national teams: -
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in 1904 and a foundation act was signed by representatives from France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. -
England and the other British countries join FIFA
England and the other British countries did not join FIFA from the start, they had invented the game and saw no reason to subordinate to an association. Still, they joined in the following year, but would not partake in the World Cup until 1950. -
football joins the Olympics
football for the first time be included as an official sport in the Olympic Games -
goalkeepers
Goalkeepers banned from handling the ball outside their own penalty area -
distance
Opposing players forced to stand at least ten yards away from a free kick -
goalkeepers
Goalkeepers have to stand still on their lines for penalty kicks -
first FIFA world cup
The first edition of the FIFA World Cup was played in 1930 in Uruguay and has since then returned every fourth year with two exceptions due to the Second World War. -
shirt numbers
Shirt numbering is made compulsory. -
wins
The Football League begins awarding three points for a win instead of two -
Woman's football joined FIFA
In 1991 the first World Cup for women was held in China and has since then also returned every fourth year. -
woman's football
woman's football was added to Olympics -
football player
The first openly gay footballer -
Baltic states make appearance
Latvia is the first football team from the Baltic states to make an appearance in a major football competition,