# Why is football called soccer and american football called football? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717 "2003-01-05T03:41:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/21 "2003-01-06T04:42:56Z")
Check pravnik’s post, seccond from the top. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/22 "2003-01-06T04:53:10Z")
Thanks, **SC\_Wolf** , but it’s not very clear. Was “soccer” created from the syllable “soc” in the word “association”? If so, do we know when, by whom, and the rationale for the “-cer” part? ---
**Author:** ![bradministrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@bradministrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradministrator)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/23 "2003-01-06T05:35:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary T \* > \*\*Thanks, **SC\_Wolf** , but it’s not very clear. Was “soccer” created from the syllable “soc” in the word “association”? If so, do we know when, by whom, and the rationale for the “-cer” part? \*\* [wordorigins.com](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordors.htm#soccer) ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/24 "2003-01-06T07:27:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary T \* > \*\*Thanks, **SC\_Wolf** , but it’s not very clear. Was “soccer” created from the syllable “soc” in the word “association”? If so, do we know when, by whom, and the rationale for the “-cer” part? \*\* Legendarily the term soccer originated when a well known English gentleman (i.e. upper class) and sports player (i.e. an archetypal productof the 19th century public school system) was asked what he was doing that day and he replied (paraphrased as this story is taken from memory) “Well in the moring I’m playing rugger [rugby] and in the afternoon I’m playing soccer [association football]”. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/25 "2003-01-06T12:25:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, following the rationale, people should call it soft rugby, otherwise you would offend the english people, since rugby is more intense and they don’t use any protection pads or helmet. Or Rugby could be called Soft Football (American football). Sicen if the guys we have playing Football hit your rugby players your men would pop like overripe melons. Its that 300+ poundage thing, I think. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/26 "2003-01-06T12:40:51Z")
300+ pounds is not an unsual weight for a Rugby forward and I’d like to see anyone who could pop Jonah Lomu, when he’s in full flight, (266 pounds, 100m in 10.8 secs). > **[Welcome to The Official #JonahLomu Merchandise Store](https://www.jonahlomu.com/index.php)** > > The one stop shop where genuine and personally signed items of #JonahLomu can be purchased. "It's official and original" said the man himself #Jonhlomu. ---
**Author:** ![keithnmick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90db22/32.png) [@keithnmick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keithnmick)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/27 "2003-01-06T14:36:58Z")
Let’s also bear in mind that Rugby players have to play both offense AND defense and so have to run around the whole time, don’t get so many time outs, have to all be able to catch, pass and run with the ball and will not slink out of bounds to avoid being hit. The kicker as well. I’d like to see Warren Sapp play a game of Rugby. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/28 "2003-01-06T15:49:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ñañi \* > \*\*I don’t know what the Italian _calcio_ means. Whether it actually means Foot ball or not is something I can’t answer. \*\* Italian _calcio_ is a cognate of _calcium_. It once meant “bone” and, probably by extension, “skull”. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/29 "2003-01-06T16:31:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\*Italian _calcio_ is a cognate of _calcium_. It once meant “bone” and, probably by extension, “skull”. \*\* my god! is that what the italians used to kick around?! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/30 "2003-01-06T18:52:57Z")
My friend who is Italian said that calcio means “kick” as in “the game is which you kick a ball around” That makes more sense to me than the skull theory ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/31 "2003-01-06T19:46:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ivar \* > \*\*My friend who is Italian said that calcio means “kick” as in “the game is which you kick a ball around” > > That makes more sense to me than the skull theory \*\* Your friend is correct – however, there’s still a etymological chicken-and-egg question about just how the word’s meaning has evolved over time. ---
**Author:** ![IMF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@IMF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IMF)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717/32 "2003-01-07T01:29:07Z")
It’s amazing how complex, and yet, how interesting a discussion about etimology of the most popular (being that soccer, football or calcio) game on earth can get. We deviated a little bit (that was my fault, and I rest my case), but I believe the question was completely answered and I really enjoyed the discussion, as I enjoyed watching Zidane’s assistance to two Real Madrid’s goals last night, specially the one that originated the fourth goal! Cheers! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-football-called-soccer-and-american-football-called-football/146717.md?page=1)