It all began in 1863 in England, when rugby football and association football branched off on their different courses

and the Football Association in England was formed - becoming the sport's first governing body. The game became so popular in England that the kings of that time (Henry II and Henry IV) actually banned football. They believed that football was taking away interest from the traditional sports of England, such as fencing and archery. Football are believed to have descended from the ancient Greek game of harpaston. Harpaston is mentioned frequently in classical literature, where it is often referred to as a very rough and brutal game. American football was started in 1879 with rules instituted by Walter Camp, player and coach at Yale University.