Other World Sports

World Sports include the Asian Sports of Kabaddi (India), Sepak Takraw (South East Asia), Cuju (China), Kemari (Japan); Oceanian Sports of Polocrosse (Northern Territories, Australia), Marn Grook (Australian Aboriginal), Road Tennis (Barbados); African Sports of Ringball (South Africa) and Chandimu (Tanzania); South American Sports of Cestoball (Argentina) and Chaco South American Indian Hockey; Central American Sports of Ulama (Mexico – Aztec), Pok-ta-Pok (Guatemala, Belize and Honduras – Maya); North American Sports of Stickball (Oklahoma – Choctaw) and Ringette (Canada)

Renaissance European Football

First codified in Renaissance Florence (Tuscany, Italy), Calcio Storico Fiorentino is still played in Florence. Resembling a more brutal version of Gaelic Football, it is the oldest codified football game in the world. Other codified versions of European Football which bear a similarity to Gaelic Football include Lelo (also known as Lelo Burti) in Georgia, on the borders of Eastern Europe and Asia.

Calcio Storico Fiorentino

This is the Eirball – World / Irish North American and World Sports Archive landing page for Calcio Storico Fiorentino, one of the earliest forms of organised football in the world, and which bears a striking resemblance in play to Gaelic Football, as well as a shared Atlantic heritage in a pre-Roman/pre-English, pre-Catholic Rennaisance or Revival. To view results of Calcio Fiorentino just click on the links in red/blue (purple) below the introduction.

This is the GAA World (Eirball) Landing page for the All-Time Results of Calcio Fiorentino.

Header Picture Credit: [1] MONACO – CIRCA 1963: A stamp printed by MONACO shows an illustration of the Calcio Fiorentino field and starting positions from a 1688 book by Pietro di Lorenzo Bini, Florence, circa 1963 By Sergey Goryachev / www.shutterstock.com

Calcio Storico Fiorentino is a Renaissance Football game first played in Florence (Fiorentina), Tuscany in the 1400s by workers on breaks from work in the city, that was first played by workers between breaks in work, and then organised matches beginning in 1530. It was the first organised football in the world, rather than the Medieval mob football which preceeded it and where there were no rules or restrictions on numbers playing. It could be seen as part of the wider Renaissance whereby Tuscany’s ancient pre-Roman, pre-Catholic past was brought back.

The earliest orgainsed Football matches anywhere in the world, as far as Eirball has discovered, although earlier reports in Ancient Europe, Greece, Rome, Italy and China mention similar games, though of what nature is hard to discern – they may just have been children’s catching games. [See articles on Medieval Football at: Medieval Celtic Sports for more information and references on this]

*The Tuscan language (Etruscan) is one which predates the Latin arrival in the Italian peninsula, and even though the letters and sounds are known there is no knowledge of the word meanings as no document translating Etruscan to Latin or Greek has ever been found. It does, however, sound similar to Basque, and therefore could be included in the Celtic sports section as part of the “Atlantic” or “Black Atlantic” family along with the Celtic languages, Basque and Berber (Tamashek) – half the words in the Gaelic language are of an Indo-European origin (Greek, Latin, Germanic, Slavic etc)and half of a North African Afro-Asiatic origin (Berber, Tuareg, Maltese, Hebrew, Arab etc).

[References: [4] Calcio Storico Fiorentino Sito Ufficiale (2020) CALCIO STORICO FIORENTINO [Internet] Available from: http://calciostoricofiorentino.it/?q=calcio-storico-fiorentino [Accessed 4 August 2020] and [5] Calcio Storico Fiorentino Sito Ufficiale (2020) Studies & Documentation [Internet] Available from: http://www.calciostoricofiorentino.it/?q=studi_e_documentazione [Accessed 4 August 2020]

Lelo Burti (Georgia)

Lelo Burti is the traditional Georgian form of Rugby, Gaelic or Medieval Football

Marn Grook (Australian Aboriginal)

Japanese Sports (Hanetsuki & Kemari)

Kemari – Kemari is an ancient Keepie-Uppie Version of Football from Japan.

Hanetsuki – Hanetsuki is a traditional Japanese form of Badminton.

Chinese Sports (Cuju)

Cuju is an ancient ‘Penalties’ Version of Football from China.

Traditional Europe (Choule Crosse Normande & Italian Tamburello)

The Traditional Sports and Games of Normandy (North France) were first described in the 12th Century A.D. Choule is a Team Sport involving a curved stick and a leather ball.

Palla Tamburello is an Italian Team Racquet Sports (5-a-side) that utilizes a Tambourine to hit the ball rather than a racquet

African Sports (Ringball & Chandimu)

African Sports include Ringball, a South African version of Basketball. Chandimu is an African Street Football sport.

Central America (Hipball – Ulama – Pok-ta-Pok)

Ulama (as known to the Mexica (Aztecs) or Pok-ta-Pok (as known to the Maya) is a Native Mexican and Central American Sports using a rubber ball and the hips. It is played in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. Road Tennis is the National Sport of Barbados.

Ulama is the ancient sport of the Native Aztec (Mexica) and Maya of Central America (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras). It is played with the hips, with two teams trying to propel the ball past the opposing team and has been played since 1400 BC. It is known as “Pok Ta Pok” to the Maya and “Ulama” to the Mexica.

The Juego de Pelota Mesoamerican Ulamaztli Championship is an Annual Regional Competition in Teotihuacan, Mexico City, the seat of the ancient religious / ritual centre, and where the most impressive ancient Ball Court is to be seen.

The Ulama Mesoamerican Ball Game Tournament is the Annual World Cup basically, bringing together teams from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.

Caribbean Sports (Road Tennis)

Oceanian sports included here are those of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Atlantic Islands, Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Arctic (Greenland and Canadian Arctic)

South American Sports (Cestoball & Chaco Hockey)

Cestoball is a version of Basketball Native to Argentina. The Liga Nacional A is the Top Men’s Division in the country.