Medieval Football
Medieval football is a term in the modern era which is used to call a variety of localized games which were invented in the Middle Ages, which includes Mob Football. Medieval football can also be called folk football, mob football, and Shrovetide football. These games are still played today. These types of football are usually played between neighboring towns and villages, involving an unlimited number of players on both teams.
There are still a number of medieval football games which are still played today. One is Alniwick that is played in Northumberland, Atherstone Ball in Warwickshire, Corfe Castle in Dorset, Haxey in Lincolnshire, Bottle-kicking in Leicestershire, and Sedgefield in County Durham. In Scotland there’s Duns, Hobkirk, Jedburgh, Scone, and Kirkwall. In France there’s La Soule that is played in Normandy and Brittany.
A Calcio Fiorentino match (from the Official Report of the 1960 Olympic Games, v.1, p311) Some of the extinct medieval football games are Dorking, East Anglia, Newton ferrers, Kingston upon Thames, Teddington, Torrington, and Napan in Wales.
More versions of Medieval Football: Ba game, Calcio Fiorentino, Cornish Hurling, Haxey Hood, Lelo Burti, Royal Shrovetide Football, Uppies and Downies, Mob Football
No longer played: Chester-le-Street, Camping, Caid, Cnapan, La Soule
Alternative Names
Medieval football can also be called folk football, mob football, and Shrovetide football.
Similar Sports
- Mob Football — a type of medieval football, usually an annual traditional event with a ball, unlimited number of players and very few rules.
- Kila — a traditional Russian game with similarities to rugby, using a pumpkin-shaped ball.
- Rugby League — a rough game involving tackling the players in a bid to get the ball, with each team attempting to carry it over the end line
- Rugby Union — played on a grass field by two opposing teams with two H-shaped goalposts at opposite ends.
Related Pages
- About football (general)
- Football Decoder — what is called football around the world?
- See some listed on the unusual sports section: Uppies and Downies, Haxey Hood, Royal Shrovetide Football
- Football Decoder — what is called football around the world?
- About Extinct and Ancient Sports
- List of Extinct Sports
- List of unusual sports
- Complete list of sports
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