Playing football

We know that football was first played in England about 150 years ago, but the game is really much older. Games with ball were well known hundreds of years ago. The old Roman game "Harpastum", the Old French game "Suolt", Georgian "Lelo", Russian "Shalyga" and many others were all forms of ball games. In the past all these football games were not played at the stadiums or on a football field. They were played in the squares and streets of cities and vil­lages, and they were dangerous to the windows and doors of the houses. People in those days enjoyed their ball games and got as excited about the game as they do now. Young workers used to leave their work to take part in the game. At the beginning of the XVII century, special laws were made against playing ball games. Nobody was allowed to play, and for two hundred and fifty years, there were no ball games.

People began to play again in the second half of the XIX century. In 1863, a meeting was called in a pub in Great Queen Street in London, for the purpose of deciding the rules of the game. The people were very excited, they shouted: "only feet" and "hands and feet". It was decided to introduce 13 rules of play­ing football at this meeting. These rules were published in December 1863, and later became the international rules of football game all over the world.

Comprehension Check

Task 1. True or false.

1. The game of football was first played in England about 150 years ago.

2. The English began to play football many centuries ago.

3. In the past football was not played on the football field.

4. There were no professional football players in the past.

5. At the beginning of the XIX century football was forbidden by the government in many countries.

6. People stopped playing football in the XVII century, because it was very dangerous for the windows in the houses.

7. People wanted to play football, but they had no stadiums.

8. In 1863 the new rules of playing football were adopted.

9. The rules of playing football have been changed since 1863.

10. The main rule is to play football only with feet, without hands.

Task 2. Choose the correct answer.

1. Football is …years old. a); 150 b) much older than 150 ; c) 200

2. The old Roman game was called …a) "Suolt"; b) "Shalyga"; c) "Harpastum"

3. In the past football was played … a) in the streets of cities and vil­lages; b) at the stadiums; c) on the football field.

4. Football was dangerous to the… a) people; b)animals; c) windows of the houses.

5. At the …century, special laws were made against playing ball games. a) end of the XVII; b) beginning of the XVIII; c) beginning of the XVII

6. How many years were there no ball games? a)150 ; b) 350; c)250

7. People began to play again in the …of the XIX century. a) beginning o; b) first half; c) second half

8. How many 13 rules of play­ing football are introduced in 1863? a) 12; b) 13 ; c)11

9. These rules were published in … 1863. a) December; b) November; c)September

10. These became the international rules of football game a)in England ; b) in Great Britain ; c) all over the world

Task3. Answer the questions.

1. When were games with ball well known?

2. Where were all these football games played in the past?

3. Did people in those days enjoy their ball games?

4. When were special laws made against playing ball games?

5. When did people begin to play football?

6. When were 13 rules of play­ing football published?

Text 13

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