Soccer, in ancient China, was called “Cùjú.” Its early development could be traced back to as early as the Spring-Autumn and Warring States periods. In Han dynasty, the first monograph on soccer in Chinese history, 25 articles on Cùjú, was published. In Tang dynasty, craftsmanship on manufacturing soccer balls made a leap forward with 2 major improvements in tow: soccer balls were made of 2 spherical shells of leather at that time. Tang craftsmen refined the technique by sewing 8 pieces of leather together into a ball. The other improvement was to replace the hair that was traditionally stuffed inside the ball with an animal bladder. The artisans were supposed to “blow air into the bladder” so the ball would be charged with air. Since the weight of the ball is reduced, the ball can go up in the air higher than before. The goal was set on 2 thirty feet high bamboo rods. Han and Tang dynasties also differed in soccer rules. In Han dynasty, the players from both sides scattered around the field of play and the match took its course. But in Tang dynasty, the goal was positioned right in the middle of the field, each side taken by a team. And “whoever scores more goals wins.”
The boom of women’s soccer was seen in Tang dynasty. The rules in women’s soccer dictated that no goal were to be used in the field. To win the game, the players were required to demonstrate mastery in high kicks and various soccer tricks. This is called the “báidǎ”. In Song dynasty, the soccer kicking techniques were taken to the next level by shifting the emphasis from soccer goal scoring skills to player's control skills. The flexibility of the player then began to play a more important role than simply scoring a goal. The craftsmanship on soccer ball manufacturing also reached new high in Song dynasty. The balls must be “made of 12 pieces of tan leather." The tan leather used were "boiled tan leather, thick materials cut exquisitely." Fine workmanship is also demanded: “neatly sewn together, with no visible threads.” The ball must weigh “exactly 12 taels.” The dimension of the soccer ball is also specified as “to be of perfect sphericity.”