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The creation of the Football Association allowed guidelines and rules to be made regarding the sport. This has allowed for fair games, and the rules are changed even today. http://www.topendsports.com/sport/soccer/history.htm
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football
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The Youdan Cup, which was the first soccer tournament, was held in England. This gave the start the many soccer tournaments and championships that would follow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youdan_Cup
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The penalty kick was introduced, which helped restart the game when the ball exited the field boundaries. This has become a main part of the game. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penalty_kick
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FIFA was created to help with the organization of international soccer matches. This has allowed thousands of players to compete in championships across the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA#Guilty_pleas
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For the first time soccer was included in the Olympics. This led to numerous other matches in the Olympics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_1908_Summer_Olympics
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In 1912 a rule was established that prevented goalkeepers from handling the ball beyond their goal area. This influenced strategies used for defensive parts of the matches, and limited the abilities of goalkeepers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_association_football
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In 1938 West Chester State College and Salisbury College competed against each other in the first multi college soccer event. This influenced soccer competitions at the youth level. http://www.ussoccer.com/About/History/Timeline.aspx
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The penalty shootout was established, which helped determine the winner of matches when the scores were tied. This has helped settle disputes regarding matches. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penalty_shoot-out_(association_football)#History
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The first FIFA Women's World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1991. This helped bring popularity to women playing professional soccer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_FIFA_Women%27s_World_Cup