''Pasuckuakohowog'' is a
Native American game similar to
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
.
The term literally translates to "they gather to play ball with the foot" and was described by
Roger Williams
Roger Williams (March 1683) was an English-born New England minister, theologian, author, and founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Pl ...
.
There are records that show it was played in the 17th century, especially among Powhatan and Algonquin groups. The game was played on
beaches
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...
or clearings with goals about a half-mile-wide and set one mile apart. Up to 500 people usually played ''pasuckuakohowog'' at one time, while many games had up to 1,000 players.
''Pasuckuakohowog'' was a dangerous game and was played almost like a
war. Players would often have to quit due to broken bones or other serious injuries. This is because no rules existed to minimize physical contact as the game was played in a very aggressive and violent manner. ''Pasuckuakohowog'' players wore ornaments and
war paint to disguise themselves from retaliation after the game. The game would often last for hours and sometimes carry over to the next day. After each match there would be a large celebratory
feast, including both teams.
The only equipment used in ''pasuckuakohowog'' was a tightly bound ball made of animal hides or leather.
See also
*
Mesoamerican ballgame
The Mesoamerican ballgame (, , ) was a sport with ritual associations played since at least 1650 BC by the pre-Columbian people of Ancient Mesoamerica. The sport had different versions in different places during the millennia, and a modernized ...
*
Soccer in the United States
Association football, Soccer is the fourth most popular sport in the United States behind American football, basketball, and baseball, respectively.
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) governs most levels of soccer in the United States ...
References
External links
* http://www.footballnetwork.org/dev/historyoffootball/earlierhistory_1.asp
* http://www.expertfootball.com/history/soccer_history_america.php
* http://national.soccerhall.org/history/origins.htm
* http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctt184qqnb.19
* https://prezi.com/yzyyzaptepat/history-of-native-american-sports/
Ball games
Native American sports and games
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