Medieval football was called Gameball, `game' being the Old English word for fight or battle. The rules were much simpler ... there weren't any! First team to get the ball into their opposing team's goal, wins.
Popularity
The sides were seldom equal. Gameball was practice for battle and battle was frequently one-sided. In a friendly pickup game among knights on a campaign, the goals were probably only a few dozen yards apart.
Location
Location was generally in a village as one custom in Derbyshire still follows to this day. Apart from the knights involvement in the villages some goals were anything up to 3 miles apart.
Age
In these days everyone joined in with total disregard for physical consequences.
Description
The ball was a pig's bladder, stuffed with dried peas and tightly sewn. Despite the care utilized in its construction, it often came apart in the middle of a game. A neutral person would throw the ball into the air as high as possible between the two teams and then run for dear life as the teams converged. There was no penalty for roughing the ref. The ball could be carried, kicked, passed or thrown, whatever got it closer to the goal.
Dedication
It was not so much dedication but all people joined, with little regard for personal welfare. As you may have realized, the potential for mayhem was enormous. Documented instances of crippling injuries, including several fatalities abound. A papal dispensation was issued in 1321 to a player who accidentally killed an opponent. The Lord Mayor of London, Nicholas Farndon, prohibited the game due to the number of injuries it caused. The law was ignored.
Potential
The only potential of this was to have a damned good rough and tumble and worry about injuries if they happened.
Closely
Related Activities
This was the fore-runner of todays soccer and believe it or not American football
Cost
The only cost would have been what was caused through injury.
Level of Demand
The table below shows the maximum levels of demand that this activity requires. NOTE: These are not entry levels or levels of requirement and has nothing to do with ability.
Energy |
Arms
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Legs
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Sight
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Hearing
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Speech |
Learning |
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