Places they refer to the game as soccer （or translations of）.

United States,
Canada,
Japan (サーカー）,
Phillipines,
Australia,
New Zealand,
South Africa,
Ireland,

Non English countries who use a different word loosely translating to Football:

Germany: Fußball (They use the English word "Football" to describe their Gridiron league)
Holland: voetbal
Norway: fotball
Sweden: fotboll
Denmark: fodbold
Serbia: fudbal
Greece: ποδόσφαιρο (podosphero), from the words πόδι (podi) meaning "foot", and σφαίρα (sphera) meaning "sphere" or "ball".
Georgia: pekhburti (foot and Ball)
Turkey: futbol
China: 足球 (foot ball)

Countries with their own word translated into something else:

Iceland: knattspyrna (knatt- = ball- and spyrna = kicking)
Czech Republic: kopaná (meaning kicking)
Hungary: labdarúgás (meaning ball-kicking)
Italy: calcio (translates as kick), from calciare meaning to kick
Croatia: nogomet ('translates as sweeping the ball using legs')
Vietnam: bóng đá (Kicking Ball)
Malaysia: bola sepak (Ball Kick)
Indonesia: sepak bola (Kick Ball)

There are others, but as we can see, only countries that speak English actually call it "Football" although many translations mean the same.
There are plenty that call it soccer or derivitives and others call it neither of the two.

In conclusion, it depends on what language the country you are in predominately that dominates usage of a particular word to describe the game. There are also many translations that relate to kicking or ball kick etc that are used over the world.
None of these words has any affect on the rules, how it is played, how popular it is or peoples love of the game.

If you beleive you are a "purist" and wish to call it "Football" because you are Anglo-centric in attitude (apologies to the English born), then please go ahead, but please do not force others to do the same.

I really like the game soccer, as I have always known it, loved it and will continue to see it as in Australia.

Edited by jollyrodger: 9/6/2010 11:29:30 PM

Thanks for that redsunited I cant read neither Japanese nor Chinese by the way what does transliterated mean

The only reason it's called サッカー in Japanese, is because it was transliterated into katakana from the American word for the game. Most English words in Japanese are done this way.

woah, optical illusion, the blue bits on that turn green on my screen as soon as you start scrolling

In Japanese it is サッカー translates to soccer

In Chinese it is 足球 translates to Foot ball

Is it really that much of an issue calling it 'soccer'?

In Australia it is too problematic to call it 'football' as we have 3 other sports that share this name. Unfortunately they came first (in terms of popularity) and took the name.

Most European nations and the other countries who refer to it as 'football' do not have those other competing sports, and when they do they are no where near as prominent as they are in Australia. Furthermore they do not have more than one of these other sporting codes.

Also context really matters, if you a speaking to a European then call the game football, but in Australia calling the game soccer defines it. It is also a solely unique name, as NRL, AFL and Rugby are all commonly referred to as 'footy'

Yeah I think that's the sentiments of most of us, and it's common sense reflecting the nature of our more unique 'football environment,' in this country.

Heck you use the word 'football' in some parts of Australia (Say ACT/Southern NSW) and they won't even know if you are talking of AFL, RL or RU, let alone 'our football!'

Right confusing! lol

call it what ever u like between people. Im from a british family and i call it football around friends and family. If im talking to friends who dont follow and play NRL i might use soccer. It doesnt matter which one is used between people but i believe it should be officially football in names like the federation and a league.

The whole British colonies thing does generally explain it, but in South Africa and even New Zealand's case it still generally irks me, as unlike Canada, the US and Here, those two don't have their own 'indigenous codes of football,' their only other football AFAIK is Rugby Union and some league (Latter only in NZ afaik)!

So there is easily room for the word 'football' to be clearly associated with the original football code.

The only reason I can think of, from my more ignorant POV on this matter, is that many South Africans and Kiwis may refer to Rugby (Union) as 'football?' But tbh from what little I know, that does not, generally, seem to be the case?

So again, the British Colonies spread of the word, seems to explain this.



Yep that generally explains it.



And 'Kashima Antlers 'Soccer' Club, who play in 'Kashima 'Soccer' Stadium,

It's because Japan has a history, especially recent, of Americanisation. That's the reason why Baseball is still perhaps the most popular team sport in Japan, even over Football. Their use of English is influenced strongly by 'American English,' which part of it in turn, a long while ago, was formerly part of the British Empire - So that follows from what RedsUnited said.

And there has been some debate over the origins of the word 'Soccer,' but what I and many have heard is that it originated in England and is a derivative of the word 'Association,' from 'Association Football,' which was/is an alternative name/title for the sport, that I presume also originated in England.

BTW With Japan - there's also 'FC Tokyo' and 'Kyoto Purple Sanga FC' so there, like here, there are some examples of 'football' being used aswell, including their very own football association, the 'Japanese Football Association,' or 'JFA.'

Though in South Korea, 'Soccer' is also in 'some' though more limited use and again that's a country with prominent and recent, American influence. And, no surprise, Baseball is quite a popular sport there. But again, their FA is called the 'Korean Football Association,' and most of their clubs, including K-League clubs, utilise 'FC' in their names. Infact I couldn't find any K-League sides or venues which used the word Soccer, which pleasantly surprised me - So maybe the don't use the word Soccer, hardly at all?





What should the round-ball game be called in Australia?
Football    43%    
Soccer    57%    
713 votes counted

INDEED c'mon guys!

There's Aussie Rules in the Southern States, there's League and Union in the Northern States.

But there's only 1 football, across Australia, played by most of the people in this country.

Edited by GloryPerth: 9/6/2010 09:45:39 PM

I have no problem with what people call it either, it's just when football snobs start telling me that I CAN'T call it soccer because it isn't pure enough, annoys me a lot.

I'm not sure why people keep saying football was called football before the 19th century. On closer inspection, you'll find that association football only established its rules around the 1860s, and even then they were able to carry the ball and used 'marks' like that of the code many on here hate so much (AFL). In reality, association football looked nothing like it does in its present day form in the 1800s and I wish people would do research before coming to the assumption that football is thousands of years old.

I'm pretty sure a vast majority of people call it soccer in Japan and the only people that call it football in Japan are the purists which I despise so much.

Thats generalizing as we know that not all 21 million people in Australia call it sokha.

Personaly I have know problem with what people call it in their own conversations or opinions but the fact remains that the most popular game in the world should not have to be forced to be called a deifferent name to accomodate a few million people in this country.

Call it soccer if you want but don't think the whole code should change its name to accomodate you. It is legaly known as football, it was known as football before Australia was even discovered and it is the only football code to be played with only your feet, draw your own conclusions

China call it 足球. And you can translate that as foot ball.

Japanese people call it 'soka.' So there's 130 million people that don't call it football.

I'm not sure about China, South Korea or India? Can anyone answer that?

The ABC won't be the determining factor over what the football world want to call the sport
Yes-the average Rugby supporter in Saffa calls it Soccer and have made sure that they have a mortgage on the word football.Yes NFL call Gridiron football and have had in their minds an ownership of the word football.Yes,AFL have called it football and out sport soccer but now in these 3 last nations its
So what if 3 countries out of 206 still have some recalcitrant's-eventually it will just be excepted because globalisation tends to do this:lol:


[youtube]j4Zvr_71SeU[/youtube]

Grandstand Poll Results

Results of the voting so far:

What should the round-ball game be called in Australia?
Football    42%    
Soccer    58%    
682 votes counted


http://www.abc.net.au/sport/poll/vote/total.htm

I think we should call it "Roundball" in Australia... :D

Grandstand Poll Results
Results of the voting so far:

What should the round-ball game be called in Australia?

Football 42%
Soccer 58%
679 votes counted

come on people pull yor finger out

and about 6 billion people generally refer to the game as "football" :-" :-"

ABC Grandstand Poll what should the round ball game be called in Aus.

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/poll/vote/

Also remember football is regarded as a black sport in South Africa and Rugby Union the sport played by the whites. They wouldn't want to call soccer football to be in anyway similar to the whites.

Generally all former colonies of British rule refer to the game as 'soccer'. Moreso in places with their own football codes.

I thought it was only the U.S and rugby and aussie rules players.

How could they ever have got a WC with an attitude like that? :-"