Something remarkable happened on October 26, 1863, inside the Freemasons' Tavern on Great Queen Street in London — a gathering that would reshape the sporting world forever. That evening saw the birth of The Football Association (FA), officially launching modern soccer and setting in motion the creation of what would eventually become the planet's most beloved sport. Up until that point, football existed as a chaotic, rule-free pastime with no universal structure.

Before the FA

Every school, club, and region played by its own version of the rules — some permitted players to handle the ball while others outlawed it completely. Naturally, this patchwork of competing standards bred constant confusion and arguments. The problem became especially acute when players from varied backgrounds found themselves thrown together at universities and elsewhere, turning matches into exercises in frustration and bewilderment.

At the heart of this chaos lay a fundamental disagreement: one camp championed a rougher, more physical "rugby-style" approach, while the other pushed for a skill-driven game centered on footwork.

The Origin

It was Ebenezer Cobb Morley, captain of Barnes Football Club, who set things in motion in 1862 by writing a letter to Bell's Life newspaper calling for a governing body that could establish a definitive set of rules. His proposal sparked a series of meetings that built toward the landmark assembly on October 26, 1863. Delegates from eleven London clubs and schools — among them Barnes, Civil Service, Forest (Leytonstone), and Crystal Palace — came together with one clear mission: to hammer out a unified code of football rules.

Through a total of six meetings, the assembled representatives debated, drafted, and ultimately adopted the original Laws of the Game. A defining moment came when Blackheath Football Club walked away from the process, objecting to the removal of two contentious provisions:

  • allowing players to carry the ball
  • permitting physical tackles, such as tripping and hacking

Their departure drew a sharp line between what would evolve into association football (soccer) and rugby.

Ebenezer Cobb Morley stood at the center of this transformation. Serving first as the FA's inaugural secretary and later as its second president, he was instrumental in shaping the rules — and he personally took the pitch in the first official match played under them, a goalless draw between Barnes and Richmond in December 1863. That contest, along with a subsequent exhibition game held in Battersea Park, provided the spark for the sport's rapid spread throughout England.

The FA's reach expanded swiftly from there. The FA Cup — now recognized as the world's oldest football competition — was inaugurated in 1871. Professionalism gained official recognition in 1885, and by 1888, the first Football League had come into existence.

Legacy

To this day, The Football Association stands as the oldest governing body in football, playing an essential role in overseeing the sport at both amateur and professional levels across England.