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The English language word football may mean any one of several team sports (or the ball used in that respective sport), depending on the national or regional origin and location of the person using the word.

Where English is a first language the unqualifed use of the word football is used to refer to the most popular code of football in that region. The sports most frequently referred to as simply football are American football, association football, Australian rules football, Canadian football, Gaelic football, and rugby football (rugby league or rugby union).

In the United States (where there are more people who speak English as a first language than anywhere else),^[1]^[2]^[3] an unqualified use of football would refer to American football — soccer is used when referring to association football.^[4]

Of the 45 national FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) affiliates in which English is the main or official language, only the federations of Canada, Samoa, and the United States have soccer in their names. Controversy has arisen in both Australia and New Zealand because — while the majority of people in both countries refer to association football as soccer — in the early 21st century the national governing bodies in both countries decided to rename themselves, using the word football in place of soccer.

There are also many other languages where the common term for association football uses a phonetically similar word to the English term football. (See the Names for association football article.)

Some of the many different codes of football.

Etymology

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) records that the first written use of the word football used to describe a game was in 1424 in an Act forbidding it. The first written use of the word football to describe the ball was 1486, and that the first use as a verb (hence footballing) was in 1599. For the etymology, the OED just indicates it is a compound of foot and ball.

While it is widely believed that the word football, or "foot ball", originated in reference to the action of a foot kicking a ball, this may be a false etymology. An alternative explanation has it that the word originally referred to a variety of games in medieval Europe, which were played on foot.^[5] These sports were usually played by peasants, as opposed to the horse-riding sports more often enjoyed by aristocrats. This explanation is supported by the fact that the word football has always implied a wide variety of games played on foot, not just those that revolved around kicking a ball. In some cases, the word has been applied to games which involved carrying a ball and specifically banned kicking. For example, the English writer William Hone, writing in 1825 or 1826, quotes the social commentator Sir Frederick Morton Eden, regarding a game — which Hone refers to as "Foot-Ball" — played in the parish of Scone, Scotland:

The game was this: he who at any time got the ball into his hands, run [sic] with it till overtaken by one of the opposite part; and then, if he could shake himself loose from those on the opposite side who seized him, he run on; if not, he threw the ball from him, unless it was wrested from him by the other party, but no person was allowed to kick it.^[6] [Emphasis added].

However, there is no conclusive evidence for either theory regarding the origins of the word.

The word "soccer" originated as an "Oxford '-er'" slang abbreviation of "association", and was popularised by a prominent English footballer, Charles Wreford-Brown. This origin is evident in the sometimes-heard variation, "soccer football."

Usage

Africa

The English language has a large official presence in Africa with numerous nations holding it as their official language.^[7]

Due to the tribal nature of parts of Africa and hundreds of different languages been spoken, the English language acts as the lingua franca in many of them and holds official status.^[8]^[9] In Western Africa, the modern day languages are post-colonial vartiations of West African Pidgin English, such as Nigerian Pidgin English, Cameroonian Pidgin English and Aku for example.^[10]

In these nations football means association football and it is by far the most popular sport on the continent,^[11]^{[citation needed]} English-speaking West and East Africa nations play other codes of football such as rugby union, though they are far less popular.^[12]^[13] English speaking countries in East Africa have a similar situation to West in terms of what the word football refers to,^[14]^[15]^{[citation needed]} association football remains the most popular sport^[14]

Zimbabwe and Namibia, both countries that have English an an official language, have appeared at the Rugby World Cup, yet the sport is known as just rugby, while football means association football (the word soccer is used sometimes, but far less frequently) and is the most popular sport within these countries.^[16]^[17]^{[citation needed]}

South Africa

In South Africa, the word football generally refers to association football. ^{[citation needed]} However, association football is commonly known as soccer despite this. ^[18] The domestic first division is the Premier Soccer League and both in conversation and the media (see e.g. The Sowetan or Independent Online), the term "soccer" is used almost exclusively. Despite this, the country's national association is called the South African Football Association and "football" might occasionally be used in official contexts.

Rugby union is another popular football code in South Africa, but it is commonly known as just rugby or sometimes rugby union to distinguish it from rugby league, which has a smaller presence.^[19]^[20]

Asia

English is one of the official languages of India.^[21]^[22]

Association football has a very long history and is highly popular in India. The Indian federation is known as the All India Football Federation and the country's population use football to refer to that sport^{[citation needed]}. Other codes of football are not as popular within the country.^[23]

There is a somewhat similar situation in the four other Asian countries that have English as an official language: Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Philippines all use the term football, to describe association football.^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27] In the English speaking nations of Asia, rugby union has a small but visiable presence with Hong Kong, India, the Philippines and Singapore having national sides, they generally call the game just rugby and the official federations carry the name rugby football union.^[28]^[29]^[30]^[31] Other codes of football have some popularity in Asia too such as American football, however this is generally confined to countries who do not have English as an official language such as Japan.^[32]

Europe

Ireland

In Ireland, "football" or "footballer" can mean association football , Gaelic football^[33]^[34]or rugby union^[35]^[36]

Any of these sports may be called "football" depending on the context; conversely, without context, "football" is avoided because of its ambiguity using full names to prevent ambiguity so instead of football Gaelic football and rugby football or rugby union are used while Association football may be used along with soccer. This is the approach taken by most of the Republic of Ireland media. ^[37] ^[38] ^[39] ^[40] ^[41] ^[42] ^[43]

United Kingdom

An example of the word "soccer" used in London in August 2006.

As in other English-speaking countries, the unqualified use of "football" in the United Kingdom tends to refer to the most popular code of football in the country, which in the case of England and Scotland is association football. However the term "soccer" is used by some, and understood by all as a name for association football in the same way that colloquial term rugger is used for rugby union.^[44] For fans who are more interested in other codes of football, within their sporting community, the use the word football may refer to their own code and they may call association football soccer for brevity and clarity. However even within such sporting communities an unqualified mention of football would usually be a reference to association football.^[45]

Irish nationalists in Northern Ireland may use "football" for Gaelic football (see above).^[46] Outside the nationalist community in Northern Ireland, Gaelic football is usually known as Gaelic football.

Australian rules football and American football are not played or watched by many in the UK. Australian rules football is usually known as Australian football, or Australian rules. Likewise American football is usually known by that name, although Channel 4 popularised the use of the term gridiron when it showed American football on Saturday evenings in 1982-92, and this term is still used by some people.^[47]

North America

Canada

In Canada, "football" can refer to either Canadian football or American football, often differentiated as either "CFL" (from the governing Canadian Football League) or "NFL" (from the US National Football League). Because of the similarity between the games, many people in both countries do not consider the two styles of football separate sports per se, but rather different codes of the same sport. If a Canadian were to say, "My brother plays football in the States", it would be clear from context that American football is meant. Association football, which is rapidly gaining in popularity, is called soccer.

The usage of football, to mean the local code, is so strong in Canada that Canadian football is referred to as le football among French-speaking Canadians, and Association football is le soccer.

Caribbean

In the English-speaking Caribbean, with the exception of the Bahamas, "football" and "soccer" are both used to refer to association football, but use of the word "football" is far more common. American football is exclusively referred to as "American football" and is largely unknown apart from American television. The nickname of the Trinidad & Tobago team, "The Soca Warriors", refers to a style of music, not the word soccer.

United States

In the United States, the word "football" refers to American football. Association football is called "soccer". Soccer is a less popular spectator sport, though it does have a considerable following, particularly among younger people and immigrants. Soccer is one of the most popular participatory sports in the United States among children (though its popularity is equalled or eclipsed by other sports in certain regions, especially baseball and ice hockey). Rugby union is generally known as rugby, with the "union" name rarely used. Gaelic football and rugby league have very small, albeit growing numbers of adherents. Australian rules football also has a very small following, but is known simply as "footy" by those who watched the Fosters highlights on ESPN and also by the sport's governing body in the country which often refers to itself "US Footy". Most people in the US are not usually aware of the distinction between rugby union and rugby league, and consequently both are referred to simply as "rugby". Because of the number of American players in the Canadian Football League, a small number of Americans follow Canadian football, which is occasionally broadcast on American cable channels. Because of the similarity between American and Canadian football, many people in both countries do not consider the two styles of football separate sports per se, but rather different codes of the same sport. If an American were to say, "My brother plays football in Canada", it would be clear from context that Canadian football is meant.

Oceania

Australia

Within Australia the term "football" is ambiguous and can mean around four different codes of football in Australian English, depending on the context, geographical location and cultural factors; this includes Australian rules football, rugby league, association football and rugby union.^[48] The most common useage of the word among the people is between the former two. In the states of Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and South Australia football commonly means the Australian rules variation with their league the Australian Football League,^[49] the slang term footy is also used in an unofficial context,^[50] while in these states the two rugby football codes are named league and rugby respectively. There is a different situation in New South Wales and Queensland, where rugby league is most popular and known as just football or the slang footy instead and Australian rules football is known as AFL or Aussie rules, while rugby union is known as just rugby.^[48]

Prior to the 21st century association football was mostly known as just soccer in the country (with the exception of some), the national team is nicknamed the Socceroos.^[51] However a period of official transition specifically related to the useage of the word football began in 2004 as the governing body changed its name to the Football Federation Australia from Australian Soccer Association and began refering to the sport exclusively as football.^[52] Some high profile media outlets in the country followed in the form of Special Broadcasting Service, Fox Sports, the Sydney Morning Herald and several other Sydney-based organisations.^[53]^[54] There is also a minority of rugby union fans who call their sport football, however rugby is usually used by them.^[55] The small following of American football is known by the name gridiron, or in an unofficial context American football.^[56]

New Zealand

In New Zealand, the word football most commonly means rugby union due to the huge success of the All Blacks national side, this sport is more well known as just rugby.^[57]^[58] The word football is also used to a lesser extent to refer to rugby league or association football. The slang term footie generally only means either of the two codes of rugby football, while rugby league is traditionally known as rugby league or just league. Association football is usually known as soccer by the general population, however useage of the term is going through a period of transition in recent times as the federation changed its name to New Zealand Football from New Zealand Soccer and the nickname of its woman's team to Football Ferns from SWANZ.^[59]^[60] Other codes are not traditionally popular but Australian rules football is known as Aussie rules, while American football is known as gridiron.^[61]

"Football" as a loanword

Many languages use the English word "football" and variations of it as loanwords for Association football (soccer). Examples include:

Czech: fotbal
French: football
Portuguese: futebol
Spanish: fútbol
Turkish: futbol

This has contributed to the adoption of the word football into the auxiliary language Interlingua.

The loanwords bear little or no resemblance to the native words for "foot" and "ball". By contrast, some languages have calques of "football": their speakers use equivalent terms that combine their words for "foot" and "ball". An example is the Greek ποδόσφαιρο (podósfero).

By contrast, in German, "Football" is a loanword for American football, while the German word Fußball, a calque of "football" (Fuß = "foot", Ball = "ball"), means Association football (soccer).

Metaphorical meanings

A political football refers to a political issue that is used primarily as part of the 'political game', rather than as an issue to be addressed.

The nuclear football refers to the briefcase which accompanies the President of the United States, containing codes which would enable him or her to launch a nuclear attack, should the need arise.

Notes and references

^ US Census, 2006, "Language Use and English-Speaking Ability: 2006 Table 1" This is people aged five years and older. It excludes people who reported they do not speak English at home, but know it "very well" or "well".
^ ethnologue.com, 2007, "English". Access date: October 5, 2007.
^ The Economist, "The Triumph of English" December 20, 2001. Access date: October 5, 2007.
^ Michael Scott Moore, "Naming the Beautiful Game: It's Called Soccer" (Der Spiegel, June 7, 2006). "'Football' is just not as accurate a word in the English language. It's also less used. Officially or unofficially, the game is referred to as soccer in the US, Australia and Canada, a combined English-speaking population of around 350 million..."
^ (a.) ICONS Online (commissioned by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport; no date) "History of Football"; (b.) Bill Murray (sports historian), quoted by The Sports Factor, 2002, "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" (Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 31, 2002) and Michael Scott Moore, "Naming the Beautiful Game: It's Called Soccer" (Der Spiegel, June 7, 2006); (c.) Professional Football Researchers Association (U.S.A.), (no date) "A Freendly Kinde of Fight: The Origins of Football to 1633". Access date for all references: February 11, 2007.
^ William Hone, 1825-26, The Every-Day Book, "February 15." Access date: March 15, 2007.
^ Intersol, Inc
^ "Nigerian Language and Nigerian Dictionary". EmbassyHomepage.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Ghana". Lou-Dayou Worldwide. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ McArthur, Tom. The English Language. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521485821.
^ "Fan Clubs for Education". FarmRadio.org. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Ghana". RugbyData.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Nigeria". RugbyData.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ ^a ^b "A brief overview of Football in Kenya". Kenya Football. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "HIV/AIDS Awareness Football Coaching Project - Uganda 2007". Tackle Africa. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Records". NamibianRugby.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Namibia - Namibia Football Association". GFDB.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Soccer in South Africa
^ "History of the game". SARugby.co.za. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "South African Rugby League: History". SARugbyLeague.co.za. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "English in India". Adaniel. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Languages Of India". ILoveIndia.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Football in India". ILoveIndia.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Constitution". PFF.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "The Home of Singapore Football". FAS.org.sg. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Football development cooperation with Croatia". HKFA.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Philippines". The-AFC.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Hong Kong Rugby, A Game for All - Overview". HKRugby.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Bangalore Rugby Club - India". KRFU.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "About Rugby". PRFU.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Singapore Rugby Union - About Us". SRU.org.sg. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Japan coach runs the rule at camp ahead of IFAF worlds". JapanTimes.co.jp. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "DCU footballers". Retrieved =2008-03-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ "French invasion of Croker mirrors our historical past". Retrieved 2008-03-02.
^ "O'Sullivan wary of Paterson ploy". Retrieved 2008-03-02.
^ "History of Skerries RFC". Retrieved 2008-03-02.
^ http://www.independent.ie/sport/
^ http://www.ireland.com/sports/
^ http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer
^ http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/
^ http://www.rte.ie/sport/index.html
^ http://www.munster-express.ie/sports/
^ http://www.eecho.ie/
^ OED:Soccer "The game of football as played under Association rules." and Rugger "Slang or colloquial alteration of RUGBY (in the sense of ‘Rugby football’). Freq. attrib. rugger-tackle"
^ Tony Collins. Football, rugby or rugger?, BBC sound recording with written transcript, and a comment in prose by Jonnie Robinson, Curator, English accents and dialects, British Library Sound Archive.
^ Campbell, Denis. "My team - Derry City: An interview with Martin McGuinness", The Guardian, 8 April 2001. Retrieved on 2007-12-09
^ Matt Tench California dreaming The Observer September 2, 2001.
^ ^a ^b "Football in Australia". CultureandCreation.gov.au. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "AFL History". AFL.com.au. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Footy FAQ". AFANA.com. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Features and Editorials". Socceroos Realm. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Soccer to become football in Australia". SMH.com.au. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "The World Game - Craig Foster". SBS Sport. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Football raises voice over competing din". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "About Rugby". Rugby.com.au. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Gridiron in Australia". GridironAustralia.org.au. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Maori Personalities in Sport". TeAoHou.natlib.govt.nz. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Welcome to The Game - How To Play". NZRugby.co.nz. 8 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Soccer gets the boot". The Press. 10 May 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Football Ferns step out with new name". YellowFever.co.nz. 10 May 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Gridiron in New Zealand". Gridiron.co.nz. 10 May 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+The [[English language]] word '''''football''''' may mean any one of several [[team sport]]s (or the [[football (ball)|ball]] used in that respective sport), depending on the national or regional origin and location of the person using the word.
-[[Image:Football4.png|right|thumb|225px|Some of the many different codes known as football, in different parts of the English speaking world.]]
-The [[English language]] word '''''football''''' may mean any one of several [[team sport]]s (or the [[football (ball)|ball]] used in that respective sport), depending on the national or regional origin and location of the person using the word. There are numerous different codes in which the word ''[[football]]'' word has been used to apply to: including codes from [[Europe]] where organised football orignated such as [[association football]], [[rugby union]], [[rugby league]] and [[Gaelic football]], to football codes from outside of that area such as [[American football]], [[Australian rules football]] and [[Canadian football]].
-Where [[List of countries where English is an official language|English is an official language]], the word ''football'' generally means the most popular form of football in that region. Of the seventy-five [[Names_for_association_football#Statistics|nations and territories]] who participate in any code of [[football]] internationally, the word "football" means [[association football]] in the overwhelming majority of them (at least sixty-four). The combined population of people in countries where English is an official language, and the word "football" means association football is around [[Names_for_association_football#Statistics|1,790,000,000]] people covered.{{ref|population|1}}
+Where [[List of countries by English-speaking population|English is a first language]] the unqualifed use of the word ''football'' is used to refer to the most popular code of [[football]] in that region. The sports most frequently referred to as simply ''football'' are [[American football]], [[association football]], [[Australian rules football]], [[Canadian football]], [[Gaelic football]], and [[rugby football]] ([[rugby league]] or [[rugby union]]).
+In the [[United States]] (where there are more people who speak English as a first language than anywhere else),<ref>[http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-29.pdf US Census, 2006, "Language Use and English-Speaking Ability: 2006 Table 1"] This is people aged five years and older. It excludes people who reported they do not speak English at home, but know it "very well" or "well".</ref><ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=eng ethnologue.com, 2007, "English"]. Access date: October 5, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=883997 ''The Economist'', "The Triumph of English"] December 20, 2001. Access date: October 5, 2007.</ref> an unqualified use of ''football'' would refer to American football &mdash; ''soccer'' is used when referring to association football.<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,420024,00.html Michael Scott Moore, "Naming the Beautiful Game: It's Called Soccer" (''Der Spiegel'', June 7, 2006)]. "'Football' is just not as accurate a word in the English language. It's also less used. Officially or unofficially, the game is referred to as soccer in the US, Australia and Canada, a combined English-speaking population of around 350 million..."</ref>
-Of countries with a population of atleast 1 million, [[Canada]] and the [[United States]] are the only [[FIFA]] affiliated nations to include the word "Soccer" in the name of their [[federation]] for the sport;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/fas-urls.html|publisher=RSSSF.com|title=Electronic Reachability of Football Associations|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> this is because in those nations [[American football]] and [[Canadian football]] are more popular. English speaking nations [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] previously called the sport of [[association football]] "soccer", however in the early 21st century the national governing bodies in both countries have renamed themselves to the more global usage of the word "''football''".<ref name="newzealand">{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4053983a6429.html|publisher=[[The Press]]|title=Soccer gets the boot|date=[[10 May]] [[2007]]}}</ref>
+Of the 45 national [[FIFA]] (''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'') affiliates in which English is the main or official language, only the federations of [[Canada]], [[Samoa]], and the United States have ''soccer'' in their names. Controversy has arisen in both [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] because — while the majority of people in both countries refer to association football as ''soccer'' — in the early 21st century the national governing bodies in both countries decided to rename themselves, using the word ''football'' in place of ''soccer''.
-The population of [[India]] (who use the word in relation to association football) has English as an official language<ref name="indiaone">{{cite news|url=http://adaniel.tripod.com/Languages3.htm|publisher=Adaniel|title=English in India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref name="indiatwo">{{cite news|url=http://languages.iloveindia.com/|publisher=ILoveIndia.com|title=Languages Of India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> and is the largest nation in the world to do so, covering over 1 billion people. However, some North American studies claim that the [[United States]] has the largest population where [[List of countries by English-speaking population|English is a first language]], in this nation the term ''football'' means American football.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-29.pdf|publisher=Census.gov|title=Language Use and English-Speaking Ability: 2006 Table 1|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=eng|publisher=Ethnologue.com|title=English|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
-Around the word many nations have loaned the word "football" into their language to mean the association football code, for example with the widely spoken [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese languages]], while in the [[French language]] the word "football" is loaned without any alterations at all.
+There are also many other languages where the common term for association football uses a phonetically similar word to the English term ''football''. (See the [[Names for association football]] article.)
+[[Image:Football4.png|right|thumb|225px|Some of the many different codes of football.]]
 ==Etymology==
@@ Line 15: / Line 14: @@
 While it is widely believed that the word football, or "foot ball", originated in reference to the action of a foot kicking a ball, this may be a [[false etymology]]. An alternative explanation has it that the word originally referred to a variety of games in [[medieval Europe]], which were played ''on foot''.<ref> (a.) [http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/fa-cup/biography/history-of-football  ICONS Online (commissioned by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport; no date) "History of Football"];
-(b.) Bill Murray (sports historian), quoted by [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/sportsf/stories/s566884.htm ''The Sports Factor'', 2002, "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"] (Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 31, 2002) and [http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,420024,00.html USA journalist, Michael Scott Moore, "Naming the Beautiful Game: It's Called Soccer"] (''Der Spiegel'', June 7, 2006);
+(b.) Bill Murray (sports historian), quoted by [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/sportsf/stories/s566884.htm ''The Sports Factor'', 2002, "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"] (Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 31, 2002) and [http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,420024,00.html Michael Scott Moore, "Naming the Beautiful Game: It's Called Soccer"] (''Der Spiegel'', June 7, 2006);
 (c.) [http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=a-to1633 Professional Football Researchers Association (U.S.A.), (no date) "A Freendly Kinde of Fight: The Origins of Football to 1633"]. Access date for all references: February 11, 2007.</ref>  These sports were usually played by [[peasant]]s, as opposed to the [[Equestrianism|horse-riding]] sports more often enjoyed by [[aristocrat]]s. This explanation is supported by the fact that the word football has always implied a wide variety of games played on foot, not just those that revolved around kicking a ball. In some cases, the word has been applied to games which involved carrying a ball and specifically banned kicking. For example, the [[England|English]] writer [[William Hone]], writing in [[1825]] or 1826, quotes the social commentator Sir [[Frederick Morton Eden]], regarding a game — which Hone refers to as "Foot-Ball" — played in the parish of [[Scone, Scotland]]:
 :''The game was this: he who at any time got the ball into his hands, run [sic] with it till overtaken by one of the opposite part; and then, if he could shake himself loose from those on the opposite side who seized him, he run on; if not, he threw the ball from him, unless it was wrested from him by the other party,'' but no person was allowed to kick it.<ref>[http://www.uab.edu/english/hone/etexts/edb/day-pages/046-february15.html William Hone, 1825-26, ''The Every-Day Book'', "February 15."] Access date: March 15, 2007.</ref> [Emphasis added].
@@ Line 22: / Line 21: @@
 The word "soccer" originated as an "[[Oxford '-er']]" slang abbreviation of "association", and was popularised by a prominent English footballer, [[Charles Wreford-Brown]]. This origin is evident in the sometimes-heard variation, "soccer football."
+==Usage==
-==English language useage==
 ===Africa===
+The English language has a large official presence in Africa with numerous nations holding it as their official language.<ref>[http://www.intersolinc.com/newsletters/africa.htm Intersol, Inc]</ref>
-The English language has a large official presence in Africa with numerous nations holding it as their official language.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.intersolinc.com/newsletters/africa.htm|publisher=InterSolinc.com|title=The Languages of Africa|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> Of these countries, the most popular footballing code in the west and east especially is association football having an effect on the usage of the word,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/04022004/Sports/Sports0402200421|publisher=Daily Nation|title=Experts explain Kenya's losses |date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1136597,00.html|publisher=Guardian.co.uk|title=West is best and East is hopeless|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Creoles-of-Sierra-Leone.html|publisher=EveryCulture.com|title=Sierra Leone|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> though in the southern part of the continent [[rugby union]] is highly popular also, there is also a small [[rugby league]] presence.<ref name="sarugbyunion">{{cite news|url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/default.asp?cId=7535|publisher=SARugby.co.za|title=History of the game|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+Due to the tribal nature of parts of Africa and hundreds of different languages been spoken, the English language acts as the ''[[lingua franca]]'' in many of them and holds official status.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nigeria.embassyhomepage.com/nigerian_language_learn_nigerian_language_schools_nigerian_dictionary_online_holiday_phrases_in_nigerian_embassy_london_uk.htm|publisher=EmbassyHomepage.com|title=Nigerian Language and Nigerian Dictionary|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://loudayousa.com/Ghana.html|publisher=Lou-Dayou Worldwide|title=Ghana|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> In Western Africa, the modern day languages are post-colonial vartiations of [[West African Pidgin English]], such as [[Nigerian Pidgin|Nigerian Pidgin English]], [[Cameroonian Pidgin English]] and [[Aku language|Aku]] for example.<ref>{{cite book  | last = McArthur  | first = Tom  | title =The English Language | publisher =Cambridge University Press | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=m0XVCSfvfPkC&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=nigerian+pidgin+english+cameroonian+pidgin+english+and+aku&source=web&ots=CxJafUX-FA&sig=pkQ98mq9bdkERUyyjkA7bwEZfUQ | isbn = 978-0521485821}}</ref>
 [[Image:Ghana village football.jpg|right|215px|thumb|Children in English speaking African nation [[Ghana]], playing association football.]]
-Due to the tribal nature of parts of Africa and hundreds of different languages been spoken, the English language acts as the ''[[lingua franca]]'' in many of them and holds official status.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nigeria.embassyhomepage.com/nigerian_language_learn_nigerian_language_schools_nigerian_dictionary_online_holiday_phrases_in_nigerian_embassy_london_uk.htm|publisher=EmbassyHomepage.com|title=Nigerian Language and Nigerian Dictionary|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://loudayousa.com/Ghana.html|publisher=Lou-Dayou Worldwide|title=Ghana|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> In Western Africa, the modern day languages are post-colonial vartiations of [[West African Pidgin English]], such as [[Nigerian Pidgin|Nigerian Pidgin English]], [[Cameroonian Pidgin English]] and [[Aku language|Aku]] for example.<ref>{{cite book  | last = McArthur  | first = Tom  | title =The English Language | publisher =Cambridge University Press | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=m0XVCSfvfPkC&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=nigerian+pidgin+english+cameroonian+pidgin+english+and+aku&source=web&ots=CxJafUX-FA&sig=pkQ98mq9bdkERUyyjkA7bwEZfUQ | isbn = 978-0521485821}}</ref> In these nations football means association football and it is by far the most popular sport on the continent,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/78-2script_en.asp|publisher=FarmRadio.org|title=Fan Clubs for Education|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> with the likes of [[Nigeria national football team|Nigeria]], [[Cameroon national football team|Cameroon]] and [[Ghana national football team|Ghana]] gaining international attention thanks to appearences at the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] and success in the [[Africa Cup of Nations]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nigeriafaonline.com/NFA_history.htm|publisher=NigeriaFAOnline.com|title= History of the NFA|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.myghanafootball.com/|publisher=MyGhanaFootball.com|title=Football in Ghana|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> English speaking West African nations compete in other codes of football internationally such as rugby union, though they are far less popular.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rugbydata.com/ghana|publisher=RugbyData.com|title=Ghana|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://rugbydata.com/nigeria|publisher=RugbyData.com|title=Nigeria|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> English speaking countries in [[East Africa]] have a similar situation to West in terms of what the word football refers to,<ref name="kenyfootball">{{cite news|url=http://kenyapage.net/football/over-foot.html|publisher=Kenya Football|title=A brief overview of Football in Kenya|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tackleafrica.org/uganda_tour07.html|publisher=Tackle Africa|title=HIV/AIDS Awareness Football Coaching Project - Uganda 2007|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> association football remains the most popular sport<ref name="kenyfootball">{{cite news|url=http://kenyapage.net/football/over-foot.html|publisher=Kenya Football|title=A brief overview of Football in Kenya|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> but East African nations have had little success in any football code (including rugby union), unlike in athletics especially in [[Kenya]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.athleticskenya.com/Aboutus.htm|publisher=AthleticsKenya.com|title=Athletics Kenya Museum - History|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
-[[South Africa]] is noted internationally for its contributions to [[rugby union in South Africa|rugby union]] with the ''[[South Africa national rugby union team|Springboks]]'', despite having the most international success in this code it is not commonly named just football in [[South African English]], though the federation had ''rugby football union'' in its name before changing to just [[South African Rugby Union]].<ref name="sarugbyunion">{{cite news|url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/default.asp?cId=7535|publisher=SARugby.co.za|title=History of the game|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> The sport is commonly known as just ''rugby'' or sometimes ''rugby union'' to distinguish it from [[rugby league in South Africa|rugby league]] which has a smaller presence.<ref name="sarugbyunion">{{cite news|url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/default.asp?cId=7535|publisher=SARugby.co.za|title=History of the game|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sarugbyleague.co.za/history.htm|publisher=SARugbyLeague.co.za|title=South African Rugby League: History|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> Association football is very popular in the country, with the national side playing in several [[FIFA World Cup|World Cups]] and set to host the [[Football World Cup 2010|2010]] competition, the sport is widely known as both ''soccer'' and ''football'' within the country, however football is used for the official [[South African Football Association]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.safagoal.net/index.php?page=safainformation|publisher=SAFAGoal.net|title=About the South African Football Association|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> Other official English speaking southern African nations have appeared at the [[Rugby World Cup]] such as [[Zimbabwe national rugby union team|Zimbabwe]] and [[Namibia national rugby union team|Namibia]], yet the sport is known as just ''rugby'', while ''football'' means association football (the word ''soccer'' is used sometimes, but far less frequently) and is the most popular sport within these countries.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.namibianrugby.com/Records.htm|publisher=NamibianRugby.com|title=Records|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gfdb.com/Association.80.Namibia.aspx|publisher=GFDB.com|title=Namibia - Namibia Football Association|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+In these nations football means association football and it is by far the most popular sport on the continent,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/78-2script_en.asp|publisher=FarmRadio.org|title=Fan Clubs for Education|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>{{Fact|date=February 2008}} English-speaking West and East Africa nations play other codes of football such as rugby union, though they are far less popular.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rugbydata.com/ghana|publisher=RugbyData.com|title=Ghana|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://rugbydata.com/nigeria|publisher=RugbyData.com|title=Nigeria|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> English speaking countries in [[East Africa]] have a similar situation to West in terms of what the word football refers to,<ref name="kenyfootball">{{cite news|url=http://kenyapage.net/football/over-foot.html|publisher=Kenya Football|title=A brief overview of Football in Kenya|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tackleafrica.org/uganda_tour07.html|publisher=Tackle Africa|title=HIV/AIDS Awareness Football Coaching Project - Uganda 2007|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>{{Fact|date=February 2008}} association football remains the most popular sport<ref name="kenyfootball">{{cite news|url=http://kenyapage.net/football/over-foot.html|publisher=Kenya Football|title=A brief overview of Football in Kenya|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+[[Zimbabwe national rugby union team|Zimbabwe]] and [[Namibia national rugby union team|Namibia]], both countries that have English an an official language, have appeared at the [[Rugby World Cup]], yet the sport is known as just ''rugby'', while ''football'' means association football (the word ''soccer'' is used sometimes, but far less frequently) and is the most popular sport within these countries.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.namibianrugby.com/Records.htm|publisher=NamibianRugby.com|title=Records|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gfdb.com/Association.80.Namibia.aspx|publisher=GFDB.com|title=Namibia - Namibia Football Association|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>{{Fact|date=February 2008}} <!-- source for "yet the sport is known as just rugby" source for "football means association football (the word ''soccer'' is used sometimes, but far less frequently) " -->
-===Americas===
-[[Image:2006 Pro Bowl tackle.jpg|thumb|left|175px|[[American football]], known in the [[United States]] as just ''football''.]]
-Usage of the word ''football'' in the [[Americas]] is complex and differs largely from nation to nation. The largest English language country in the Americas in terms of population size, the [[United States]] uses the word to identify the sport [[American football]], known outside the country as [[gridiron]]. American football is by far the most popular spectator [[football codes|code of football]] in the United States with the [[National Football League]] being most prominent but [[college football]] also well represented. These codes of football have had little effect or popularity outside of [[North America]] however. Other codes of football played in the United States have different names, ones with significant followings include: association football commonly known as ''soccer'', particularly popular among young people and immigrants. The federation for the sport was originally called the [[US Football Association]] and only dropped all use of the word football from its name in 1974 when it became the [[US Soccer Federation]]. Rugby union is generally known as just ''rugby'' and [[Canadian football]], which has some similarities to American football is known simply as Canadian football. Other codes of football are not well known at all.
+====South Africa====
-In [[Canada]] ''football'' most commonly means their own national code [[Canadian football]], with the [[Canadian Football League]] being the most prominent exponent. The sport is similar in some respects to [[American football]], which also has some popularity within the country: it is known as American football to differentiate but sometimes the name of the leagues are used to identify the code of football, with "CFL" ([[Canadian Football League]]) or "NFL" ([[National Football League]]). The next most popular footballing code is association football, rapidly crowing in popularity, it is called soccer with the [[Canadian Soccer League]] being the top level league, despite [[Canadian English]] having some similarities to [[British English]]. The usage of the term ''football'' to mean Canadian football is common even among [[French language|French]]-speaking Canadians as ''le football'', while association football is ''le soccer'' (in [[France]] itself, association football is known as football, untranslated).
+In [[South Africa]], the word ''football'' generally refers to association football. {{fact|date=February 2007}} However, association football is commonly known as ''soccer'' despite this. <ref>[http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/sports/soccer.htm Soccer in South Africa]</ref> The domestic first division is the [[Premier Soccer League]] and both in conversation and the media (see e.g. ''[[The Sowetan]]'' or [[Independent Online (South Africa)|''Independent Online'']]), the term "soccer" is used almost exclusively. Despite this, the country's national association is called the [[South African Football Association]] and "football" might occasionally be used in official contexts.
+[[Rugby union in South Africa|Rugby union]] is another popular football code in South Africa, but it is commonly known as just ''rugby'' or sometimes ''rugby union'' to distinguish it from [[rugby league in South Africa|rugby league]], which has a smaller presence.<ref name="sarugbyunion">{{cite news|url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/default.asp?cId=7535|publisher=SARugby.co.za|title=History of the game|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sarugbyleague.co.za/history.htm|publisher=SARugbyLeague.co.za|title=South African Rugby League: History|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+<!-- QUESTION: does the word football in isolation -always- mean association football? For people that say soccer for association football what does the word football mean to them? This is the kind of information that's relevant here. -->
-In the English-speaking [[Caribbean]], football is used to refer to association football. American football is exclusively referred to as "American football" and is largely unknown apart from American television. The nickname of the [[Trinidad & Tobago national football team|Trinidad & Tobago team]], "The [[Soca music|Soca]] Warriors", refers to a style of music, not the word soccer.
 ===Asia===
+[[Image:Soccer ball.jpg|thumb|right||The official match ball of the 2006 [[FIFA World Cup]]]]
-Due to the history of [[British colonialism]], the English language and with it [[Sport in the United Kingdom|British sports]] arrived in Asia at an early stage. A highly notable example of this is [[India]], where the word ''football'' means association football,<ref name="indiazone">{{cite news|url=http://www.indianetzone.com/1/football_tournaments.htm|publisher=IndiaNetZone.com|title=Football Tournaments|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> this sport has a very long history and is highly popular, even though the country is better known for non-footballing sports such as cricket. The third oldest association football tournament in the world<ref name="indiazone">{{cite news|url=http://www.indianetzone.com/1/football_tournaments.htm|publisher=IndiaNetZone.com|title=Football Tournaments|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> is played in India in the form of the [[Durand Cup]], notably [[List of stadiums by capacity|two of the three largest]] capacity stadiums in the world are in India and are used primarily for hosting football, in the form of the [[Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi|Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium]] and [[Salt Lake Stadium]]. The Indian federation known as the [[All India Football Federation]] and the countries population use ''football'' to refer to that sport, a legacy of the [[British English]] variations of the English language. The language is one of the official ones of the country to this day.<ref name="indiaone">{{cite news|url=http://adaniel.tripod.com/Languages3.htm|publisher=Adaniel|title=English in India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref name="indiatwo">{{cite news|url=http://languages.iloveindia.com/|publisher=ILoveIndia.com|title=Languages Of India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> Other codes of [[football]] are not as popular within the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.iloveindia.com/sports/football/index.html|publisher=ILoveIndia.com|title=Football in India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+English is one of the official languages of India.<ref name="indiaone">{{cite news|url=http://adaniel.tripod.com/Languages3.htm|publisher=Adaniel|title=English in India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref name="indiatwo">{{cite news|url=http://languages.iloveindia.com/|publisher=ILoveIndia.com|title=Languages Of India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+Association football has a very long history and is highly popular in India. The Indian federation is known as the [[All India Football Federation]] and the country's population use ''football'' to refer to that sport{{fact|date=February 2008}}. Other codes of [[football]] are not as popular within the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.iloveindia.com/sports/football/index.html|publisher=ILoveIndia.com|title=Football in India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
-There is a somewhat similar situation in the four other official English speaking countries of Asia, where British English is the variation which has had widest affect. The four official English language countries of [[Pakistan]], [[Singapore]], [[Hong Kong]] and [[Philippines]] all use the term ''football'', to describe association football.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pff.com.pk/PFF%20Constitution/article2.htm|publisher=PFF.com|title=Constitution|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fas.org.sg/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=1157|publisher=FAS.org.sg|title=The Home of Singapore Football|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hkfa.com/includes_files/board_details.php?news_id=5461|publisher=HKFA.com|title=Football development cooperation with Croatia|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.the-afc.com/eng/nassoc/country.jsp_PHI-313-1.html|publisher=The-AFC.com|title=Philippines|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> In the English speaking nations of Asia, the [[rugby football]] code of [[rugby union|union]] has a small but visiable presence with [[Hong Kong national rugby union team|Hong Kong]], [[India national rugby union team|India]], the [[Philippines national rugby union team|Philippines]] and [[Singapore national rugby union team|Singapore]] having national sides, they generally call the game just ''rugby'' and the official federations carry the name ''rugby football union''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hkrugby.com/hkrugby/about-hkrfu/about-hkrfu_home.cfm|publisher=HKRugby.com|title=Hong Kong Rugby, A Game for All - Overview|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.krfu.com/index.htm|publisher=KRFU.com|title=Bangalore Rugby Club - India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.prfu.com/content/view/43/48/|publisher=PRFU.com|title=About Rugby|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sru.org.sg/aboutus.html|publisher=SRU.org.sg|title=Singapore Rugby Union - About Us|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> Other codes of football have some popularity in Asia too such as [[American football]], however this is generally confined to countries who do not have English as an official language such as [[Japan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/sf20070320a1.html|publisher=JapanTimes.co.jp|title=Japan coach runs the rule at camp ahead of IFAF worlds|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+There is a somewhat similar situation in the four other Asian countries that have English as an official language: [[Pakistan]], [[Singapore]], [[Hong Kong]] and [[Philippines]] all use the term ''football'', to describe association football.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pff.com.pk/PFF%20Constitution/article2.htm|publisher=PFF.com|title=Constitution|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fas.org.sg/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=1157|publisher=FAS.org.sg|title=The Home of Singapore Football|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hkfa.com/includes_files/board_details.php?news_id=5461|publisher=HKFA.com|title=Football development cooperation with Croatia|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.the-afc.com/eng/nassoc/country.jsp_PHI-313-1.html|publisher=The-AFC.com|title=Philippines|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> In the English speaking nations of Asia, [[rugby union]] has a small but visiable presence with [[Hong Kong national rugby union team|Hong Kong]], [[India national rugby union team|India]], the [[Philippines national rugby union team|Philippines]] and [[Singapore national rugby union team|Singapore]] having national sides, they generally call the game just ''rugby'' and the official federations carry the name ''rugby football union''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hkrugby.com/hkrugby/about-hkrfu/about-hkrfu_home.cfm|publisher=HKRugby.com|title=Hong Kong Rugby, A Game for All - Overview|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.krfu.com/index.htm|publisher=KRFU.com|title=Bangalore Rugby Club - India|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.prfu.com/content/view/43/48/|publisher=PRFU.com|title=About Rugby|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sru.org.sg/aboutus.html|publisher=SRU.org.sg|title=Singapore Rugby Union - About Us|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> Other codes of football have some popularity in Asia too such as [[American football]], however this is generally confined to countries who do not have English as an official language such as [[Japan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/sf20070320a1.html|publisher=JapanTimes.co.jp|title=Japan coach runs the rule at camp ahead of IFAF worlds|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
 ===Europe===
 ====Ireland====
-In [[Ireland]], ''football'' or ''footballer'' can mean several different codes: association football, [[Gaelic football]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcu.ie/alumni/summer02/p30.html|title=DCU footballers|accessdate==2008-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/french-invasion-of-croker-mirrors-our-historical-past-54234.html|title= French invasion of Croker mirrors our historical past|accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref> or less commonly [[rugby union]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/sixnations/2008/0220/osullivane.html|title=O'Sullivan wary of Paterson ploy|accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skerriesrfc.ie/history.html|title=History of Skerries RFC|accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref> Any of these sports may be called ''football'' depending on the context; conversely, without context ''football'' is sometimes avoided because of its ambiguity, using full names to prevent confusion instead ''football'', the sports are known as: Gaelic football and rugby football or rugby union are used while association football may be used or sometimes soccer (the latter not used by Irish who participate in the sport).
+In '''[[Ireland]]''', "football" or "footballer" can mean association football , [[Gaelic football]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcu.ie/alumni/summer02/p30.html|title=DCU footballers|accessdate==2008-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/french-invasion-of-croker-mirrors-our-historical-past-54234.html|title= French invasion of Croker mirrors our historical past|accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref>or [[rugby union]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/sixnations/2008/0220/osullivane.html|title=O'Sullivan wary of Paterson ploy|accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skerriesrfc.ie/history.html|title=History of Skerries RFC|accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref>
-====United Kingdom====
-As in other English-speaking countries, the unqualified use of "football" in the [[United Kingdom]] tends to refer to the most popular code of football in the country, which in the case of [[England]] and [[Scotland]] is association football. For fans who are more interested in other codes of football, within their sporting community, the use the word football may refer to their own code and they may call association football soccer for brevity and clarity.{{dubious}}{{fact}} However even within such sporting communities an unqualified mention of football would usually be a reference to association football.<ref>Tony Collins. ''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/individual/leeds-leeds-collins-tony.shtml Football, rugby or rugger?]'', BBC sound recording with written transcript, and a comment in prose by Jonnie Robinson, Curator, English accents and dialects, British Library Sound Archive.</ref>
+Any of these sports may be called "football" depending on the context; conversely, without context, "football" is avoided because of its ambiguity using full names  to prevent ambiguity so instead of ''football'' Gaelic football  and rugby football or rugby union are used while Association football may be used along with soccer. This is the approach taken by most of the [[Media in Ireland|Republic of Ireland media]].
-A scene from the [[football hooligan]] themed movie [[Green Street]] is a clear example in popular culture of British people's antipathy for the word "soccer". Represented in a scene where a conversation is taking place between the newly arrived American Matt Buckner and the English football fan Pete Dunham.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385002/quotes|publisher=IMDB.com|title=Hooligans (2005)|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+<ref>http://www.independent.ie/sport/</ref>
+<ref> http://www.ireland.com/sports/</ref>
+<ref> http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer </ref>
+<ref> http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/ </ref>
+<ref> http://www.rte.ie/sport/index.html </ref>
+<ref>http://www.munster-express.ie/sports/ </ref>
+<ref> http://www.eecho.ie/ </ref>
+====United Kingdom====
-*Pete: Fuck it. I will take you with me. You might learn something.
+[[Image:Newspaper-soccer.jpg|thumb|right|An example of the word "soccer" used in London in August 2006.]]
-*Matt: About soccer?
+As in other English-speaking countries, the unqualified use of "football" in the [[United Kingdom]] tends to refer to the most popular code of football in the country, which in the case of [[England]] and [[Scotland]] is association football. However the term "soccer" is used by some, and understood by all as a name for association football in the same way that colloquial term [[rugger]] is used for [[rugby union]].<ref>[[OED]]:Soccer "The game of football as played under Association rules." and Rugger "Slang or colloquial alteration of RUGBY (in the sense of ‘Rugby football’). Freq. attrib. rugger-tackle"</ref> For fans who are more interested in other codes of football, within their sporting community, the use the word football may refer to their own code and they may call association football soccer for brevity and clarity. However even within such sporting communities an unqualified mention of football would usually be a reference to association football.<ref>Tony Collins. ''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/recordings/individual/leeds-leeds-collins-tony.shtml Football, rugby or rugger?]'', BBC sound recording with written transcript, and a comment in prose by Jonnie Robinson, Curator, English accents and dialects, British Library Sound Archive.</ref>
-*Pete: No, mate. Not about "soccer". And for fuck's sake, stop saying "soccer".
 [[Irish nationalism#Northern Ireland|Irish nationalists]] in [[Northern Ireland]] may use "football" for Gaelic football (see [[#Ireland|above]]).<ref name=Campbell-2001-04-08>Campbell, Denis. "[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,468041,00.html My team - Derry City: An interview with] [[Martin McGuinness]]", [[The Guardian]], [[8 April]] 2001. Retrieved on [[2007-12-09]]</ref> Outside the nationalist community in Northern Ireland, Gaelic football is usually known as Gaelic football.
@@ Line 59: / Line 69: @@
 Australian rules football and American football are not played or watched by many in the UK. Australian rules football is usually known as Australian football, or Australian rules. Likewise American football is usually known by that name, although [[Channel 4]] popularised the use of the term gridiron when it showed American football on Saturday evenings in 1982-92, and this term is still used by some people.<ref>
 Matt Tench ''[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,543952,00.html California dreaming]'' [[The Observer]] [[September 2]], 2001.</ref>
+===North America===
+====Canada====
+In '''[[Canada]]''', "football" can refer to either Canadian football or American football, often differentiated as either "CFL" (from the governing [[Canadian Football League]]) or "NFL" (from the US [[National Football League]]). Because of the similarity between the games, many people in both countries do not consider the two styles of football separate sports ''per se'', but rather different codes of the same sport.  If a Canadian were to say, "My brother plays football in the States", it would be clear from context that [[American football]] is meant.  Association football, which is rapidly gaining in popularity, is called soccer.
+The usage of football, to mean the local code, is so strong in Canada that Canadian football is referred to as ''le football'' among [[French language|French]]-speaking Canadians, and Association football is ''le soccer''.
+====Caribbean====
+In the English-speaking Caribbean, with the exception of the Bahamas, "football" and "soccer" are both used to refer to association football, but use of the word "football" is far more common. American football is exclusively referred to as "American football" and is largely unknown apart from American television. The nickname of the [[Trinidad & Tobago national football team|Trinidad & Tobago team]], "The [[Soca music|Soca]] Warriors", refers to a style of music, not the word soccer.
+====United States====
+[[Image:Wilson American football.jpg|thumb|An American football]]
+In the '''[[United States]]''', the word "football" refers to [[American football]].  Association football is called "soccer".  Soccer is a less popular spectator sport, though it does have a considerable following, particularly among younger people and immigrants.  Soccer is one of the most popular participatory sports in the United States among children (though its popularity is equalled or eclipsed by other sports in certain regions, especially [[baseball]] and [[ice hockey]]). Rugby union is generally known as rugby, with the "union" name rarely used. Gaelic football and rugby league have very small, albeit growing numbers of adherents.  Australian rules football also has a very small following, but is known simply as "footy" by those who watched the Fosters highlights on ESPN and also by the sport's governing body in the country which often refers to itself "[[US Footy]]".  Most people in the US are not usually aware of the distinction between rugby union and rugby league, and consequently both are referred to simply as "rugby".  Because of the number of American players in the [[Canadian Football League]], a small number of Americans follow [[Canadian football]], which is occasionally broadcast on American cable channels.  Because of the similarity between American and Canadian football, many people in both countries do not consider the two styles of football separate sports ''per se'', but rather different codes of the same sport.  If an American were to say, "My brother plays football in Canada", it would be clear from context that [[Canadian football]] is meant.
 ===Oceania===
+====Australia====
-[[Image:AFL - Aussie rules game.jpg|right|215px|thumb|In Australia the word ''football'' most commonly means [[Australian rules football]].]]
+[[Image:AFL - Aussie rules game.jpg|right|thumb|In Australia the word ''football'' often means [[Australian rules football]].]]
-Within [[Australia]] the term "football" is ambiguous and can mean around four different codes of football in [[Australian English]], depending on the context, geographical location and cultural factors; this includes [[Australian rules football]], [[rugby league]], association football and rugby union.<ref name="four">{{cite news|url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/football/|publisher=CultureandCreation.gov.au|title=Football in Australia|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> The most common usage of the word among the people is between the former two. In the states of [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[Western Australia]], [[Tasmania]] and [[South Australia]] ''football'' commonly means the Australian rules variation with their league the [[Australian Football League]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/Statistics/History/tabid/967/Default.aspx|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=AFL History|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> the slang term ''footy'' is also used in an unofficial context,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.afana.com/drupal5/node/32|publisher=AFANA.com|title=Footy FAQ|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> while in these states the two [[rugby football]] codes are named ''league'' and ''rugby'' respectively. There is a different situation in [[New South Wales]] and [[Queensland]], where [[rugby league]] is most popular and known as just ''football'' or the slang ''footy'' instead and Australian rules football is known as ''AFL'' or ''Aussie rules'',  while rugby union is known as just ''rugby''.<ref name="four">{{cite news|url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/football/|publisher=CultureandCreation.gov.au|title=Football in Australia|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+Within [[Australia]] the term "football" is ambiguous and can mean around four different codes of football in [[Australian English]], depending on the context, geographical location and cultural factors; this includes [[Australian rules football]], [[rugby league]], association football and rugby union.<ref name="four">{{cite news|url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/football/|publisher=CultureandCreation.gov.au|title=Football in Australia|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> The most common useage of the word among the people is between the former two. In the states of [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[Western Australia]], [[Tasmania]] and [[South Australia]] ''football'' commonly means the Australian rules variation with their league the [[Australian Football League]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/Statistics/History/tabid/967/Default.aspx|publisher=AFL.com.au|title=AFL History|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> the slang term ''footy'' is also used in an unofficial context,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.afana.com/drupal5/node/32|publisher=AFANA.com|title=Footy FAQ|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> while in these states the two [[rugby football]] codes are named ''league'' and ''rugby'' respectively. There is a different situation in [[New South Wales]] and [[Queensland]], where [[rugby league]] is most popular and known as just ''football'' or the slang ''footy'' instead and Australian rules football is known as ''AFL'' or ''Aussie rules'',  while rugby union is known as just ''rugby''.<ref name="four">{{cite news|url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/football/|publisher=CultureandCreation.gov.au|title=Football in Australia|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
 Prior to the 21st century association football was mostly known as just ''soccer'' in the country (with the exception of some), the national team is nicknamed the ''[[Australia national football (soccer) team|Socceroos]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://home.alphalink.com.au/~warrior/ausfeat.htm|publisher=Socceroos Realm|title=Features and Editorials|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> However a period of official transition specifically related to the useage of the word football began in 2004 as the governing body changed its name to the [[Football Federation Australia]] from Australian Soccer Association and began refering to the sport exclusively as ''football''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Soccer/Soccer-to-become-football-in-Australia/2004/12/16/1102787198357.html?from=moreStories|publisher=SMH.com.au|title=Soccer to become football in Australia|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> Some high profile media outlets in the country followed  in the form of [[Special Broadcasting Service|Special Broadcasting Service]], [[Fox Sports (Australia)|Fox Sports]], the [[Sydney Morning Herald]] and several other [[Sydney]]-based organisations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/about/les-murray-106369/|publisher=SBS Sport|title=The World Game - Craig Foster|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/football/football-raises-voice-over-competing-din/2008/02/24/1203788145350.html|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|title=Football raises voice over competing din|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> There is also a minority of rugby union fans who call their sport ''football'', however ''rugby'' is usually used by them.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rugby.com.au/about_the_aru/about_rugby/about_rugby,182.html|publisher=Rugby.com.au|title=About Rugby|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> The small following of American football is known by the name ''[[Gridiron football|gridiron]]'', or in an unofficial context ''American football''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://gridironaustralia.org.au/|publisher=GridironAustralia.org.au|title=Gridiron in Australia|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref>
+====New Zealand====
-Just south-east of Australia in [[New Zealand]], the word ''football'' most commonly means rugby union due to the huge success and notoriety of the ''[[All Blacks]]'' national side, this sport is more well known as just ''rugby''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://teaohou.natlib.govt.nz/teaohou/issue/Mao04TeA/c53.html|publisher=TeAoHou.natlib.govt.nz|title=Maori Personalities in Sport|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nzrugby.co.nz/TheGame/HowToPlay/tabid/994/Default.aspx|publisher=NZRugby.co.nz|title=Welcome to The Game - How To Play|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> The word ''football'' is also used to a lesser extent to refer to rugby league or association football. The slang term ''footie'' generally only means either of the two codes of [[rugby football]], while rugby league is traditionally known as ''rugby league'' or just ''league''. Association football is usually known as ''soccer'' by the general population, however useage of the term is going through a period of transition in recent times as the federation changed its name to [[New Zealand Football]] from New Zealand Soccer and the nickname of its woman's team to ''Football Ferns'' from ''SWANZ''.<ref name="newzealand">{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4053983a6429.html|publisher=[[The Press]]|title=Soccer gets the boot|date=[[10 May]] [[2007]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yellowfever.co.nz/show-news.asp?ID=804|publisher=YellowFever.co.nz|title=Football Ferns step out with new name|date=[[10 May]] [[2007]]}}</ref> Other codes are not traditionally popular but [[Australian rules football]] is known as ''Aussie rules'', while American football is known as ''[[Gridiron football|gridiron]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gridiron.co.nz/|publisher=Gridiron.co.nz|title=Gridiron in New Zealand|date=[[10 May]] [[2007]]}}</ref>
+[[Image:Allblackhaka.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Haka of the All Blacks|haka]] performed before a match by the [[All Blacks]]]]
+In [[New Zealand]], the word ''football'' most commonly means rugby union due to the huge success of the ''[[All Blacks]]'' national side, this sport is more well known as just ''rugby''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://teaohou.natlib.govt.nz/teaohou/issue/Mao04TeA/c53.html|publisher=TeAoHou.natlib.govt.nz|title=Maori Personalities in Sport|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nzrugby.co.nz/TheGame/HowToPlay/tabid/994/Default.aspx|publisher=NZRugby.co.nz|title=Welcome to The Game - How To Play|date=[[8 January]] [[2008]]}}</ref> The word ''football'' is also used to a lesser extent to refer to rugby league or association football. The slang term ''footie'' generally only means either of the two codes of [[rugby football]], while rugby league is traditionally known as ''rugby league'' or just ''league''. Association football is usually known as ''soccer'' by the general population, however useage of the term is going through a period of transition in recent times as the federation changed its name to [[New Zealand Football]] from New Zealand Soccer and the nickname of its woman's team to ''Football Ferns'' from ''SWANZ''.<ref name="newzealand">{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4053983a6429.html|publisher=[[The Press]]|title=Soccer gets the boot|date=[[10 May]] [[2007]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yellowfever.co.nz/show-news.asp?ID=804|publisher=YellowFever.co.nz|title=Football Ferns step out with new name|date=[[10 May]] [[2007]]}}</ref> Other codes are not traditionally popular but [[Australian rules football]] is known as ''Aussie rules'', while American football is known as ''[[Gridiron football|gridiron]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gridiron.co.nz/|publisher=Gridiron.co.nz|title=Gridiron in New Zealand|date=[[10 May]] [[2007]]}}</ref>
-==Loanword in other languages==
+==="Football" as a loanword===
 {{main|Names for association football}}
 Many languages use the English word "football" and variations of it as [[loanword]]s for Association football (soccer). Examples include:
@@ Line 83: / Line 109: @@
 By contrast, in [[German language|German]], "''Football''" is a loanword for [[American football]], while the German word ''Fußball'', a calque of "football" (''Fuß'' = "foot", ''Ball'' = "ball"), means [[Football (soccer)|Association football]] (soccer).
-==Metaphorical meanings==
+===Metaphorical meanings===
 A ''political football'' refers to a political issue that is used primarily as part of the 'political game', rather than as an issue to be addressed.
 The ''[[nuclear football]]'' refers to the briefcase which accompanies the [[President of the United States]], containing codes which would enable him  or her to launch a [[nuclear attack]], should the need arise.
+==Notes and references==
-==Footnotes==
+{{reflist}}
-#{{note|population}}The population figures are based on [[List of countries by population]].
-==References==
-{{reflist|2}}
-==External links==
+==Further reading==
 {{wiktionary|football}}
+* Steve Boughey ''[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10404048 Soccer: Alan Shearer in town this week]'', [[Auckland]] [[Herald on Sunday]], [[October 3]], 2006. This article shows how soccer is used for association football in New Zealand and Australia and how [[Alan Shearer]], a former captain of the English association football team, uses the term soccer to avoid confusion while visiting Australia and New Zealand.
 [[Category:Football]]