Evolution of Soccer & Goal Posts

The soccer fanatics always look forward to the moment when their favorite teams will score goal against the opponents. Goal makes all the differences between the winning team and the defeated one. To score a goal, the ball must be kicked into the net fastened to the posts. Soccer is one of the most loved games in many countries and making a name in this arena is not easy.

Soccer goal posts play an important role in the match. Over the years, those posts have evolved a lot. We will take a closer look at evolution of both soccer and goals posts throughout this write-up.

Walking Back to 13th Century

Before the 13th century, soccer was mainly played by the peasants because this sport was played barefooted. The elite persons restricted their choice only to sports on horseback, such as Polo. The upper class considered soccer as ‘Mob Soccer'. The youths from two villages used to play soccer. The rules and regulations, in those days, were far different from what is governing modern-day soccer. The number of damage and injuries was also higher at that time. Due to high rate of on-pitch injuries, King Edward III banned the sport.

In that century, people used to become riotous while watching the game. Another reason behind the ban was an emerging belief that soccer was distracting the common men from practiced by almost all and sundry as preparation for war. The sport was banned for the next three centuries. Anyone playing soccer was imprisoned or fined 4 pence as punishment.

That ban failed to discourage people from playing football. They kept their love for the game alive. During the 16th century, King James I lifted the embargo. He even encouraged the Christians to play on the weekend (Sunday) after their morning prayer.

Encouragement for Schools

Later, the students in schools were encouraged to play the game. Those students were from the upper class. To minimize injuries to the participants, rules and regulations were created and implemented. Even off-side rules also came into practice. After steam engine was introduced, matches were organized among the schools from the neighboring nations. However, in absence of any authority to create and implement universal rules, every school used to play according to their own set of rules.

In order to maintain fairness and decorum, two sets of rules were used to be followed in two halves.  

Evolution of Goals

Evolution of football has also revolutionized goal post design. In the 15th century, two strategically planted bushes were used as goal posts. Those were referred to as gates. Modern-day goal posts are now available in different sizes like 24ft in length (standard), 12ft in length or the smaller one for children.

Most of the rules developed in the early period of soccer playing, along with the measurements of the goal posts, are still used in today's matches. The soccer fans should be grateful to those people who never let their passion die down in spite of banning and dire consequences, which has brought us the game in today's refined form.