The Big Question: Football or Soccer?

December 14th, 2007 | by: Daryl |

football or soccerball? Brazilian coach Professor Neto gave a speech in South Africa recently, arguing that for football to develop in the 2010 World Cup host nation, the word “soccer” needs to be abandoned. Apparently the 74 year old gave an impassioned speech arguing that the use of the term “football” is integral to developing a strong national football culture. “Our game is football, not soccer … Football is played with the foot obviously. What is soccer played with?”

The socks maybe? It was probably a rhetorical question. I personally prefer “football,” but it seems the term “soccer” has been unnecessarily demonized. Two conflicting schools of thought can be summed up by leading intellectuals Bill Shakespeare and Homer J Simpson.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.” – William Shakespeare.

“Not if you called it a stink blossom.” – Homer Simpson

So is soccer the stinkblossom to football’s rose?

It’s not just a crazy made up word, it’s an abbreviation of Association football dating back to the 1880s. So the idea that Americans invented the term just to be awkward is harsh. On soccer and on Americans. Neto noted that “soccer” is necessary in America to avoid confusion with NFL pointyball, but the same is true in plenty of other countries. In Australia soccer is used to differentiate the game from Aussie Rules Football (worth a look if you ever get the chance, it’s like Ultimate Fighting meets rugby) and even across the sea from England the Irish use soccer to avoid confusion with Gaelic Football (again, a brilliant sport if you get an opportunity to see it.)

And let’s not sanctify the word “football” either. It didn’t necessarily get the name just because the ball is played with the foot. One theory goes that it was used to distinguish between upper-class sports played on horseback and peasant sports played on foot. And one of the world’s great football cultures does’t even use the word, Italians calling the game “calcio” which simply translates as “kick”.

So, yes, “football” is preferable because of its links to the game’s beginning in England. But “soccer” shares that heritage too. More importantly, if not for the word “soccer” then the game wouldn’t even have a name in countries like America and Australia, two countries where the game is finally taking a hold via MLS and the A-League (not forgetting the Socceroos, which sounds a lot better than the Footballroos.)

So rather than betraying the sport, “soccer” is making it possible for the game we love to spread around the world. It may be the football equivalent to a stinkblossom, but it smells OK to me.

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http://argentina.worldcupblog.org Christian

This guys needs to learn a little history. The word soccer comes from the British, it wasn’t something that Americans made up to defy the world. I admit that I use football more often as well, but so what? I don’t cringe when I hear soccer.
http://viva2010viva.com Steve

Soccer or Football…It’s all the beautiful game! Most Africans use the term Soccer, and 2010 is an African affair, so why not let people use ‘Soccer’. Let’s not forget that a majority of South Africans don’t use either…but prefer iBhola or iDiski.

Call it what you will…the beautiful game is coming to Afirca!! Viva 2010! Viva Africa!

Check out all the latest 2010 news at http://www.VIVA2010VIVA.com
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Seems like most of the English-speaking world actually uses the term “soccer.”
Albo

I agree with Christian.
To me it’s Football, but it doesn’t matter if other people call it Soccer.
It’s still the most popular game of all.
Now, more than ever!!!
http://www.torlaune.de Torlaune

It’s football not soccer!
http://france.worldcupblog.org Laurie

I use “football” when I talk about the European game and “soccer” when I talk about the American.

And in Australia it has to be soccer, because after half a dozen pints, just try saying, “footballroos.”
Paul

Football is a generic word meaning the games that originated in England in the mid nineteenth century. Without qualification it means the predominant code of the game in the users context. Thus an American means American Football when they says ‘football’, an Australian means Australian Football when they say ‘football’.

Look it up on Wikipedia. A fiery debate has raged for years with all types of football adherents battling it out and coming to that conclusion.

The problem with all this is that the Association Football adherants are generally intolerant of other forms of football (usually citing the ‘foot’ and ‘ball’ argument) despite having the slightest knowledge of the history of the game or that their particular form is Association Football.

The post by Tolaune says it all.

So the question ought to be “Association Football or Soccer”.
Albo

“Association Football or Soccer”???
Ha ha ha
https://czechrepublic.worldcupblog.org Os Davis

I propose the addition of the word “futball” to English, pronounced with a long “oo” sound so as to distinguish it both in written and spoken forms from “American football.” Hey, that’s what they call it on “Around the Horn.”

Cheers,
Os Davis
(writer of futball at CzechRepublic.worldcupblog.org, and football at RealFootball365.com)
UCHE TITUS

I WANT TO IF FIFA IS SPONSORING MASTER MEGA LOTERY IN SOUTH AFRICA