Medieval football

Medieval football is a term used for many informal football games played in Europe during the Middle Ages. These games, also called folk football, mob football, or Shrovetide football, were the ancestors of modern codes of football. Compared to today's football, these old games were very chaotic and had few rules.

These games became popular in England, especially around Shrovetide, the time before Lent. They might have started with the Romans, who played ball games like harpastum, but we do not have much proof. One old story from the ninth century tells of boys playing with a ball in Southern England or Wales. By the 12th century, a game called La Soule or Choule was played in northern France, where players used their hands, feet, and sticks to move a ball.

These old football games were played in towns and villages with many players on each side. They would all crowd together, trying to move an inflated pig's bladder to markers at each end of the town. The games had few rules, as long as they did not lead to manslaughter or murder. These games decreased in the 19th century when a law called the Highway Act 1835 stopped people from playing football on public roads. Even so, some of these games still exist today in places like Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, Workington in Cumbria, Ashbourne in Derbyshire, and Atherstone, Warwickshire.

History

The earliest records of ball games in Europe come from the eighth century. An English historian named Bede mentioned children playing with balls. By the ninth century, there were records of boys playing ball games in Wales.

In the 12th century, there are descriptions of ball games in England during festivals. One account from around 1174 to 1183 describes how young people in London played ball games during Shrove Tuesday. In the 13th century, there are references to kicking in ball games in England.

By the 14th century, ball games were being played by university students, and there were efforts to ban these games. In the 15th century, references to football appear more frequently, with descriptions of games involving kicking. In the 16th century, there are more detailed accounts of football games, including rules and how the games were played. Football continued to evolve through the centuries, with various rules and traditions developing in different places.

Surviving medieval ball games

England

• Alnwick in Northumberland has the Scoring the Hales game, where the Duke of Northumberland drops a ball from Alnwick Castle to start the fun.
• Ashbourne in Derbyshire plays Royal Shrovetide Football.
• Atherstone Ball Game in Warwickshire is played every year on Shrove Tuesday along an old Roman road. This game has been going on for over 800 years, since the time of King John.
• Corfe Castle in Dorset holds The Shrove Tuesday Football Ceremony of the Purbeck Marblers.
• In Haxey, Lincolnshire, there's the Haxey Hood played on Epiphany. It uses a special leather tube instead of a ball, and players try to get it to one of four village pubs.
• Hurling the Silver Ball happens at St Columb Major in Cornwall, with matches between the town and the country on Shrove Tuesday. A gentler version for children is played at St Ives on Feast Monday in February.
• Bottle-kicking in Hallaton, Leicestershire, is played on Easter Monday and has similarities to old ball games.
• The Sedgefield Ball Game takes place in County Durham on Shrove Tuesday.
• Workington in Cumbria has three Uppies and Downies matches around Easter. Teams try to throw the ball to different goals over a mile apart.

Scotland

In Scotland, the Ba' game ("Ball Game") is played in several places:

• Duns, Berwickshire
• Hobkirk, Scottish borders. Handba' is played the Monday before or after Shrove Tuesday.
• Jedburgh, Roxburghshire
• Scone, Perthshire
• Kirkwall, Orkney

Europe

• La Soule in Normandy and Brittany, France.
• Lelo burti, a Georgian game similar to rugby.
• Knattleikr, an Icelandic revival of an ancient Viking game
• Calcio Fiorentino – a modern revival of Renaissance football from 16th-century Florence, played in Italy

Outside Europe

• Cuju, China
• Kemari, Japan.
• Kī-o-rahi, a Māori game.
• Marn grook, an Australian Aboriginal ball game.
• Yubi lakpi, Manipur, India.
• Mesoamerican ballgame, an ancient, Pre-Columbian American game.

Extinct medieval ball games

In the United Kingdom, many towns had exciting ball games during the Middle Ages. For example, Chester-le-Street in County Durham had a game played between two groups until 1932. Derby had large gatherings where people from different parts of town played football, but the game was banned in 1846.

Dorking in Surrey also had a fun game where people tried to keep the ball in their area. In East Anglia, Camp ball was a popular sport in the 15th century. Other places like Kingston upon Thames, Twickenham, Bushey, and Hampton Wick had traditions of kicking a ball around and collecting money.

In Wales, a game called Cnapan was once popular in places like Llanwenog and Pembrokeshire. Ireland had a game known as Caid. These games were enjoyed by many people in old times.

Pre-medieval games

Carved stone balls have been found in Scotland, northern England, and north eastern Ireland. These balls often had spirals and rings carved on them, similar to designs found on standing stones and ancient structures. Places like Maughanby Circle and Newgrange were built to track the sun, especially around the winter solstice. Though we don’t know for sure, these stone balls may have been important to the people who made them, perhaps used in ceremonies or festivals.

Later, in Ancient Greece, a game called Episkyros was played. In Ancient Rome, there was a game known as Follis, and in the Roman Empire, a game called Harpastum existed. These games might be connected to the ball games played in festivals long ago.