The French have a reputation for being rather mediocre in English. Yet you don't need to be bilingual to know the basics of Shakespeare's language: we know that "hello" means hello, "please" means please, and foot means foot. Hence the term"soccer", a sport in which you kick a ball with your foot.
Yes, but then... Why is American soccer, which is played by hand, so named? As fans of the sport prepare for the high-voltage finale of the Super Bowl on February 9, 2025, others are asking existential questions.
To better understand this linguistic curiosity, let's go back to the early 1860s. Two sports from England, soccer and rugby, arrived in the United States. These activities gradually gained in popularity, and university teams were formed, but not all followed the same rules. Some invented their own version of the sport, mixing different aspects of soccer and rugby.
Around 1880, Walter Camp, a coach at Yale University, decided to standardize the games and create rules for everyone. He is considered the father of American soccer. Walter Camp reused many of the rules and practices already used by sports teams, thus completing the blending of the two European sports. Over the years, the rules have evolved and become generally accepted, notably with the professionalization of American soccer and the creation of leagues.
In American soccer, we find a team of 11 players, a try-scoring system, forward rather than backward passing, but handball... In fact, today's American sport is very similar to rugby union.
In culture, as in sport, the USA retains its reputation as amelting pot of cultures. Would you like to try your hand at American soccer? It's possible!
Super Bowl: where to see and play American soccer in Paris and the Île-de-France region?
For the Super Bowl, why not join an American soccer club? For those who'd like to take up the sport, or simply practice it occasionally, a number of clubs in Paris and the surrounding area offer an introduction to touchdowns and other sporting activities. We take a look at the clubs and stadiums where you can play American soccer! [Read more]
Super Bowl: where to see and play American soccer in Paris and the Île-de-France region?
