
Webster's Dictionary defines soccer as "a game played on a field between two teams of 11 players each with the object to propel a round ball into the opponent's goal by kicking or by hitting it with any part of the body except the hands and arms"
Franz Beckenbauer, a captain of the German National team from the 60s to mid-70s, defines soccer as "the sport that unites the world"
The word "soccer" actually comes from England, where the modern version of the game originated. In England, there were two types of football: rugby football and association football. The slang term for rugby football was "rugger," and the slang for association football was "assoc." The word "assoc" gradually evolved into "soccer," which was much easier to say. Later on football was dropped from rugby and soccer was then known as football since it is the sport that mainly uses feet to play. When association football was introduced to North America, gridiron football (the type played by the NFL and in the Super Bowl) was already well established. To avoid confusion, Americans adopted the British nickname "soccer" for the new sport.
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