In 1876 Harvard students persuaded the likes of Princeton and Yale to do away with the "dribbling" game and adopt the rougher, rugby-like game. Soccer remained an important leisure practice outside the ivory tower as working-class immigrant men from Britain continued to play in industrial towns such as Fall River and New Bedford (Massachusetts), and Trenton and Newark (New Jersey). By the 1890s the game had expanded beyond the northeastern US and tightly-knit immigrant communities. According to Steve Holroyd, the Pullman Football Club began in Chicago in 1883 and in 1890 the Kensington club claimed the St. Louis Football Association title thanks to a team dominated by American-born players. Nathan Abrams tells us that over 45,000 spectators watched Boston English High School defeat Boston Latin for the city championship at Franklin Park in 1895.

In the early 1900s soccer entrenched itself as the sport of working-class immigrants. An important cause of this development was the codification of the rules of gridiron football by Walter Camp of Yale in 1906. These rules eliminated the violent excesses of the Americanized rugby game that had led President Teddy Roosevelt to threaten a ban on this college sport.

On the contrary, apart from the absolute necessity to employ the legs and feet in such a tough bodily tussle for the ball, often without any laws for protection, it was no doubt recognized right at the outset that the art of controlling the ball with the feet was extremely difficult and, as such, it required special technique and talent. The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise of precisely this skilful technique dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C. in China. A military manual dating from the period of the Han Dynasty includes among the physical education exercises, the "Tsu'Chu". This consisted of kicking a leather ball filled with feathers and hair through an opening, measuring only 30 - 40 cm in width, into a small net fixed onto long bamboo canes - a feat which obviously demanded great skill and excellent technique. A variation of this exercise also existed, whereby the player was not permitted to aim at his target unimpeded, but had to use his feet, chest, back and shoulders whilst trying to withstand the attacks of his opponents.

Law 2 - The Ball The Qualities and Measurements of the soccer ball. How to Replace a Defective soccer ball using the correct soccer rules, during the course of a game.

Law 3 - The Number of Players The Minimums & Maximum number of players required to play a game. Substitution Procedures How to change a Goalkeeper during a game Infringement of Player Substitutions How to Restart a game after a Substituting Infringement. Dealing with Substituting Players that are being sent off for an Infringement.

Law 4 - The Player's Equipment Safety First as mandated by the soccer rules. The Basic Equipment Required The Goalkeeper's Jersey Requirement How to Deal with an Infringement of this Law.

Law 5 - The Referee What the Referee's Authority Covers Powers and Duties of the Referee The Decision of the Referee is Final

Law 6 - The Assistant Referee The Duties of the Asst Referee.

Law 7 - The Duration of the Match Periods of Play Half-time Allowance of Lost Time Penalty Kicks Extra Time.

Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play Pregame - coin toss Kickoff Game Procedures Dropped Ball to Restart play.

Law 9 - The Ball In and Out of Play How a ball is determined whether it is In or Out of Play.

Law 10 - The Method of Scoring How the ball is Scored Determining the Winning Team.

Law 11 - Offsides Soccer Rule. The Offsides Position - "It is not an offense in itself to be in an offsides position." Determining whether a Player is in an Offsides Position WHEN to PENALIZE a Player in an Offsides Position The Infringements The 3 exceptions to the Rule - Receive the ball from a Goalkick, Throw-in, or a Cornerkick.

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconducts The how and why to awarding a Direct Free Kick The how and why to awarding an Indirect Free Kick The how and why to awarding a Penalty Kick CAUTIONABLE Offenses - Yellow Card SENDING OFF Offenses - Red Card.

Law 13 - Free Kicks Types of Free Kicks - Direct and Indirect Explanations of the Free Kicks.

Law 14 - The Penalty Kick The Reason for a Penalty Kick Position of the Ball and Players The Referee Penalty Kick Procedures.

Law 15 - The Throw-In The how and why a Throw-in is awarded Throw-in procedures.

Law 16 - The Goal Kick The how and why a Goal Kick is awarded Goal Kick procedures.

Law 17 - The Corner Kick - The how and why a Corner Kick is awarded and Corner Kick procedures.