Cuju became popular during the Han Dynasty.
At that time, there were two types of balls played by people. One was simply made of hair or wool and was called a ball. It was less durable and could not be kicked very far.
The other kind is what Yan Shigu, a Tang Dynasty man, said, "use Wei as the material, and use the material as the material." Wei is a soft leather made by removing hair, sewn into a ball bag, and stuffed with animal hair. This solid ball is very It reminds us of the waste paper balls wrapped in plastic bags that we played when we were children, but they are higher-end than Maowan. This kind of ball was commonly used in the Xuchang Palace Arena at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Sports historians believe that this kind of solid ball with a leather shell appeared at least in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, because the word "ju" was changed from the radical at that time, and there was also a "ju dance" during sacrifices.
In the Tang Dynasty, there was a qualitative improvement in the production of footballs, from solid balls to inflatable balls. It is mentioned in many poems and articles of the Tang Dynasty. For example, Gui Shizi said in "A Poem of Replying to Rixiu Pi Zi" that "eight pieces of sharp points are cut into waves to make a ball, and they are burned in the fire and rubbed in the water." Zhong Wupo said in "Fu on Balloons" It is said in "Being diligent in following the rules, initially making it round due to squareness; filling in the seams with false hands, and finally making it full but not overflowing." Shut your breath and kick it."
Based on these data, it can be seen that football in the Tang Dynasty was more called a ball than a ball. The leather processing required multiple processes such as water, rubbing, and fire roasting. When making the ball, the leather was first cut into squares, and then eight pieces were used to make the ball. Pieces of leather were combined and sewn into a shell. Of course, this shell would certainly not be as round as today’s footballs made of thirty-two pieces of leather.
And the most important point is that the ball in the Tang Dynasty already had an "inner bladder", which was animal urine. This should be the earliest ball with an inner bladder in the world. According to world sports history records, the British invented the inflated ball in the 11th century, three or four hundred years later than our country. In the Tang Dynasty, the ball had to be blown with the mouth, then tied up and the outer shell was sewn, and then it was ready to be kicked.
The elasticity of the balloon is definitely much better than that of the solid ball, and it can be kicked higher and is more entertaining. Therefore, the major advancement of this equipment led to major changes in the football rules of the Tang Dynasty compared with the Han Dynasty. The folk gameplay involves several people kicking against each other, which is called "Baida", "surrounding and kicking them to prevent them from falling to the ground, taking it as a shame if they miss the kick, and taking pleasure in not falling for a long time";
There is also a pure competition of who can kick the ball higher, called "Cuju". In Wang Wei's "Han Shi Chengdong Ji Shi", there is "Cuju repeatedly over the flying bird", which is this kind of gameplay.
After entering the Tang Dynasty, strong players who were able to withstand and fall on the competition field were no longer popular, and ancient Chinese football locked into the "technical flow".
The number of goals in the Han Dynasty changed from six for one side to one shared by both sides, and from a low goal to a high goal. The winner was the one who kicked the ball through the most holes. The direct confrontation between the two sides turned into an indirect confrontation. Therefore, starting from the Tang Dynasty, long-distance running with the ball no longer occurred, and players paid more attention to the skills of stopping the ball and shooting.
Of course, Li Zexuan didn't understand these situations, and he didn't need to. What he wanted to do was bring modern football and football rules to the Tang Dynasty. Wouldn't it be nice for this great country to hold the World Cup every four years? Anyone who dares not to come is not giving face to the Tang Dynasty. If he is not giving face to the Tang Dynasty, then...
"Ah~! Sir, this ball is lighter than the hollow balls sold in Chang'an City, and it has better elasticity. How did Fu Bo and the others do it?"
Han Yuxi took the ball from Li Zexuan, tried it, and was surprised.
Li Zexuan smiled naturally and said: "Haha, this is made by the workshop using the latest technology and the latest materials. Only our family can do it in the entire Tang Dynasty. Others can't do it even if they know the method, haha~!"
Han Yuxi returned the ball to Li Zexuan and asked, "Do you plan to use this ball for the students?"
As Li Zexuan's pillow, Han Yuxi knew that her husband was not very interested in making money, so she guessed that this kind of light and elastic ball should be specially obtained by Li Zexuan to play with.
"Well, that's right! If we don't provide some entertainment for those little brats, they will always be idle and cause trouble~!"
Li Zexuan put away the football, walked into the house with Han Yuxi, and replied in passing.
In fact, football is not only for the students, but also for himself. He also wants to play football.
In his previous life, he was a fake football fan. Because his body was relatively weak, he couldn't stand it after running for a while, so he was just a fan off the field. He usually only watched football games and rarely played football in person.
Of course, when watching games, he only watches football games from other countries. It’s not that he is unpatriotic, but his own country’s football…………
In this life, he is strong, wealthy and in a high position. He wants to develop football in Datang and build a football power to make up for the regrets of his previous life.
If you want to promote football, of course you have to start with the academy. After all, more than half of the "second generation officials" in Chang'an City are gathered here.
"But sir, isn't the academy a place specifically for students to study?"
Han Yuxi asked.
"Hey, have you ever heard of work-rest integration? And my husband thinks that only students who can play will have good academic performance. If they can't even play, then what's the point of studying? Ha, my husband Go add some patterns to this ball, madam, go get busy!"
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The next day, Saturday.
Students who were supposed to be on vacation were still undergoing military training at school.
It is worth mentioning that some parents saw that their children did not come home yesterday. For fear of an accident, they went to Yanhuang Academy in person last night to inquire about the situation! After learning that the academy was taking a break, they left with peace of mind.
Thanks to their word-of-mouth spread, more and more people know about Yanhuang Academy's rescheduled leave, and parents who have not yet gone to Yanhuang Academy to inquire about the information save themselves the extra trip.
"Oh, it's boring! If it had been normal, I should still be lying on the bed and sleeping right now! The worst military training, the worst rest~!"
During the recess, Sun Zifan lay on his back on the grass and sighed sadly.
"It's not interesting, but there are only a few days left, and the class will be officially started later, and it should be much more interesting by then~!"
Li Tai rubbed his increasingly dry belly and said gloomily.
The belly that he was "proud of" before is no longer there, it's blue and thin!
"Fuck, I'm going to pee, it's time for military training again~!"
Sun Tzu Fan rolled like a carp and suddenly stood up from the grass.
As luck would have it, at this moment, a black and white spherical object roared towards him, and in the blink of an eye, it hit Sun Zifan right in the face.
"Bang~!"
As soon as the little kid got up, he fell down beautifully.
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