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It comes from "asSOCiation football", an early name for the game used by the English as a nickname for football...to distinguish it from Rugby football.

In the few nations where football is not the #1 sport then its nickname soccer is used...for example in America to distinguish from American football (Gridiron)

Another answer:Same as the origins of soccer as a game, the origin of the word soccer can be attributed to different countries. As you probably know already, the game itself wasn't invented by the English, but it was them who popularized it and organized it under a strict set of rules.

Nowadays, the word soccer is usually attributed to Americans, but just like the above example, it was not the Americans who first used or invented the word, they were simply the ones that used it to full effect.

So where did the word soccer come from? I'll try to solve this mystery in the article ahead. You probably know of the slight dispute revolving around the word "soccer". The English will never agree to use the term "soccer" around what they call "football" for centuries.

Paradoxally, the origin of the word soccer comes from…you guessed, England. But in order to fully understand what I'm talking about, keep reading ahead as I'll share some of the beautiful history of soccer.

The date of October 26th 1863 is to soccer what March 4th 1787 is to the United States. It's the day that several soccer clubs all around England gathered up in London and formed The Football Association, the first soccer organization up to that date.

The reason I compared this date to the day the United States Constitution was adopted because the Football Association organized the game into a sportive "constitution" called the Laws of Football. The term "soccer" appeared shortly after, being an abbreviation from "Football Association" (from assoc.) and although not as heavily used as soccer, it was a short, light form to describe the phenomenon.

Reportedly, the man who stands at the origin of the word soccer is Charles Wreford Brown, an Oxford student who always preferred shortened versions of words, such as brekkers for breakfast, or rugger for rugby.

Soccer gained popularity in the United States later than in the rest of Europe and since the Americans already had a use for the world "football" in understanding the sport of American Football, a middle option was tried on in between 1945 and 1975, when the organization that controlled soccer in the USA was called the "United States Soccer Football Association".

Besides being long, the name was still confusing so after 1974 it simply adopted the name of "United States Soccer Federation" and the word "soccer" would define the sport in the US area ever since.

It's often mistakenly thought that the United States are the only country that uses the term soccer for what is traditionally known as football in Europe, Asia and other parts of the World. However, the new name was adopted by other countries, specifically those that associated football to a different sport prior to soccer being popular. Such countries include Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some parts of Ireland.

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13y ago
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13y ago

To differentiate American-style football from British-style football, which are two completely different kinds of games. "Soccer" comes from Society Football, which is the British variety.

im not sure this will be fine but....so you will not confuse it with American football which is different from football 'soccer' AnswerFootball is known globally as football. Gridiron or as Americans call it American football is only played in the usa and known globally as gridiron. It is not football and was created after the rules of football were formed.

Soccer is merely a nickname for football, as rugger is a nickname for Rugby union or b'ball for Basketball.

There is only one football and it was invented in England, is played primarily using the feet and is the most popular and consistently growing sport on earth.

AnswerThe word Soccer started as a phonetically abbreviated vernacular word for 'Association football' coined by English public school students who took the 'soc' from 'Association' and put an 'er' on the end. The same students called Rugby football 'Rugger' but this word has largely fallen out of use. Typically 'an Oxford University student who played Association football and Rugby football' would be described as "an Oxforder who plays Soccer and Rugger". Association Football was coded in 1863 and this is why prior to this the word Soccer did not exist.
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14y ago

Because in the vast majority of the world, association football is the only (or at least primary) type of football played, hence it is shortened to just 'football' by default. Only in the US and Canada does it get called soccer by most people, and this because they have their own variety.

Other countries such as Australia and New Zealand also refer to their dominant, non-Association Football codes as 'football' (being Australian Rules Football and Rugby Football respectively).

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9y ago

Same as the origins of soccer as a game, the origin of the word soccer can be attributed to different countries. As you probably know already, the game itself wasn't invented by the English, but they popularized it and organized it under a strict set of rules.

Nowadays, the word soccer is usually attributed to Americans, but just like the above example, it was not the Americans who first used or invented the word, they were simply the ones that used it to full effect.

So where did the word soccer come from? I'll try to solve this mystery in the article ahead. You probably know of the slight dispute revolving around the word "soccer". The English will never agree to use the term "soccer" around what they call "football" for centuries.

Paradoxically, the origin of the word soccer comes from, you guessed it, England. But in order to fully understand what I'm talking about, keep reading ahead as I'll share some of the beautiful history of soccer.

The date of October 26th 1863 is to soccer what March 4th 1787 is to the United States. It's the day that several soccer clubs all around England gathered up in London and formed The Football Association, the first soccer organization up to that date.

The reason I compared this date to the day the United States Constitution was adopted because the Football Association organized the game into a sportive "constitution" called the Laws of Football. The term "soccer" appeared shortly after, being an abbreviation from "Football Association" (from assoc.) and although not as heavily used as soccer, it was a short, light form to describe the phenomenon.

Reportedly, the man who stands at the origin of the word soccer is Charles Wreford Brown, an Oxford student who always preferred shortened versions of words, such as brekkers for breakfast, or rugger for rugby.

Soccer gained popularity in the United States later than in the rest of Europe and since the Americans already had a use for the world "football" in understanding the sport of American Football, a middle option was tried on in between 1945 and 1975, when the organization that controlled soccer in the USA was called the "United States Soccer Football Association".

Besides being long, the name was still confusing so after 1974 it simply adopted the name of "United States Soccer Federation" and the word "soccer" would define the sport in the US area ever since.

It's often mistakenly thought that the United States are the only country that uses the term soccer for what is traditionally known as football in Europe, Asia and other parts of the World. However, the new name was adopted by other countries, specifically those that associated football to a different sport prior to soccer being popular. Such countries include Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some parts of Ireland.

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