Sports (Principia Moderni IV Map Game)

Sports are forms of competitive physical activity or games which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants, and in some cases, entertainment for spectators.

In the Principia Moderni IV universe there are many popular sports that are played around the world, which are listed below.

Football
Association football, known more commonly as football or soccer is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, in which a spherical ball is used to score on the opposing teams goal.

Football is believed to have originated in the British Isles some time in the early nineteenth century, and became popular among college campuses in England. The first nation to officially sponsor the game of football and formulate a rules sytem was Hawaii, after a visit by the Hawaiian monarch to England.

The game became heavily popular in the Pacific, partially thanks to its inclusion in the Pan-Polynesian Games, and the creation of the Pacific Football Committee in 1825. Later that year the sport would spread outside the Polynesian region, when it reached the Mehican Empire. In 1826 the first international exhibition game took place in the city of Guadalajara, between the two popular Hawaiian teams of Lahaina and Lanai City. This was followed later in the year by another game in St Denis, Brésil between Kaluahine and Hilo. By the time of the second Pan-Polynesian Games in 1828 several teams from the Pacific, Laurentia, and Arcadia participated in the football tournament. Kaluahine FC would become the 1828 football champions, and would go on to have good seasons in 1829 and 1830 as well. In 1830 a famous exhibition match would be held in St Denis, Brésil, famously attended by both the Hawaiian and Brésilian monarchs, and the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte. Also that year the first football matches took place in Uluru.

The sport of football remained largely isolated to the western hemisphere until later in the century. In 1867 a game similar to football began to be played in Ethiopia, and the first official team was personally promoted by Prince Theodore. Similar teams followed in the capital city of Addis Ababa, beginning an amateur league in the city. The first semi professional league in the country would be formed in 1871, known as the Ethiopian League, with two teams being created in each of the four major cities. Prince Theodore would become a member of the Addis Abba Royals, who took home the first ever championship, while Prince Theodore would be honored with the Emperor's Choice Award, an award voted upon by the players and the audience. The prince would retire after that inaugural season.

In 1871 the sport also became popular in Nova Belgica, initially being played mostly on college campuses and in amateur leagues in the major cities. By the mid 1870s the sport would become one of the most popular in the colony, also sparking interest in neighboring colonies, such as New Netherlands. In 1872 French migrants spread the sport from Nova Belgica to France, with the Picardy Football Club becoming the first official football club in mainland France. Normandy, Brittany, and Orleanais would soon follow that year, forming their own teams.