Americans may love football, but did you know its origins are in medieval England?
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... Today, the word "football" is used to refer to different games: American football, the game played at the Super Bowl, where a foot is rarely used to direct the ball. And elsewhere in the world, football refers to what Americans call "soccer."

The origins of the word "football" is probably pretty obvious: It combines the words "foot" and "ball." Historical evidence indicates it was used to refer to any game that was played standing (instead of on horseback) or with a ball (usually an inflated animal bladder or made from woven reed) to be kicked, according to the FIFA Museum.

Regardless of the type of football game you are referring to today, experts say they have their origins in the simple and unregulated versions played in medieval Britain, according to Doug Harper, who created the Online Etymology Dictionary.

Scott Stempson, a history lecturer at the University of Nebraska, says the reference to "football" as a game or sport pops up in the 14th century in a royal proclamation from King Edward.

In it, Edward writes of how dangerous the game has become and how it has distracted young men in the middle of wartime, Stempson explains. He's found nearly two dozen other royal proclamations over the following 300 years, essentially warning of the game's violence.

And it was very violent. ...