Time Period: First recorded 2,000 years ago, but popularity of the sport peaked between the Tang (618-907 A.D.) and Song Dynasties (960-1279 A.D.)
Description: Cuju was a sport that could be played by both men and women, and is one of the earliest recorded forms of soccer.
How it was played: Cuju was essentially the game of soccer; it even had practically the same set of rules. The number of players did not matter as long as there were 2 teams. The goal was set on bamboo sticks in the center of a field, and the goal was to get the ball, an inflated animal bladder encased in a shell wrapped in leather, into the goal without using one's hands.