Why Do Americans Call Football as Soccer?

Football in Great Britain is known as soccer in the United States, which is one of the most visible differences between British and American English. Soccer is frequently thought of as an American invention, despite the fact that the sport was invented in England. The word really has a highly British origin. So why do Americans use the word more frequently than Brits do? The explanation is found in how the sport evolved in each nation.

Despite the fact that football-like games have been played for centuries, the modern game is frequently credited as having started in 1863, when the English Football Association published its first set of regulations. It wasn't the only game of its sort in the nation at the time, but it was the one that was played the most. A form of football that enabled players to carry and run with the ball to move it closer to the goal was called rugby. Its name was inspired by an English boarding school. As a result, association football was the name given to the sport played in accordance with FA regulations.

The names would inevitably be shortened. At Oxford University in the 1880s, linguistically inventive students made a distinction between the games of "rugger" (rugby football) and "assoccer" (association football). The latter term was further shortened to "soccer" and the word soon gained popularity outside of the university. In Great Britain, "soccer" was only ever really used as a nickname. Rugby football was more often referred to as rugby by the turn of the 20th century, while association football had gained the right to be referred to as just football.

Meanwhile, in the late 19th century, a sport that included elements of rugby and association football developed in the United States. It soon became clear that it was more well-liked than either of them. Although most people never bothered with the first term, it was officially known as gridiron football. As a result, American association-football players started using the word "soccer" more and more. In order to act as the official regulating body of American soccer, the United States Football Association was founded in the 1910s. In 1945, the name was changed to the United States Soccer Football Association, and finally the word "football" was totally removed. Soccer has become more than only a nickname.

The name "soccer" is also widely used in nations that have several football variations. For example, Canada has its own form of gridiron football, Ireland is the birthplace of Gaelic football, and Australia is crazy about Australian rules football (which is derived from rugby). Soccer is usefully precise in areas where football may be unclear.