Soccer is a sport that, through the years, has been adapted and modified by different cultures around the world Countries like China, England, Mexico, and Central America have developed soccer into the sport it is today. Throughout the years, this sport had advanced from being a "violent mob sport with no rules" (History of Soccer) to an organized activity enjoyed by millions of kids and adults around the world. In the beginning, soccer was referred to as football. The actual name, soccer, was "derived from the abbreviation of the word association (assoc.)" (TBSA). "Soccer was carried to continental Europe, South America, and India by British sailors and settlers. It gained instant appeal wherever it was demonstrated."(Soccer Origins) Ancient games were known to be very violent and vigorous. It has been stated that "Olympic games in Ancient Rome were so vigorous that two-thirds of the men playing had to be hospitalized after a fifty minute game." King Edward, King Henry IV, King Henry VIII, and Queen Elizabeth I all passes laws or proclamations banning soccer in their country. (Brief History of Soccer) In 1365 in England, King Edward III prohibited soccer because of "excessive violence." (TBSA) The reason for these bans may be the fact that most of the earliest organized games were simply massive confrontations between two or three parishes each. Today, soccer is the most watched single sport in the world. It is bigger and more popular than baseball, football, and basketball combined. (Brief History of Soccer) It can definitely be said that the sport of soccer has been adjusted greatly from the savage, mob-like games of the past. Since this sport has traveled to many different countries, being influenced by the different belief systems, it has touched the lives and hearts of many people-young and old. As our world advances and moves technology to new heights, it would be wrong to not assume that soccer, as well as other sports, will not move a long in the advances as it has throughout time. All of the information came from the following sites: History-U.S. Soccer Historyhttp://lcsoccer.com/history.htm TBSA http://www.tetrabrazil.com/history_of_soccer.htm A Brief History of Soccer http://www.msu.edu/user/fultond/soccer/history.htm