• Soccer was used to differentiate between Football Rugby and Football Soccer

        Soccer is derived from Association, and since Football Ass sounds…not great, Football Soccer became the name.

        So, Soccer is proper.

        Source: Yank

      • Last I checked - soccer players use their hands all the time - e.g. the keeper, and when throwing it in from the sidelines.

        Rugby allows you to use your hands more often, but it’s still not wide open. For example if a defending player tries to use their hands to gain possession of the ball that’s a straight up penalty. On the other hand they can absolutely use their feet to gain possession the ball in that situation (though it’s rare, since it could be classified as a dangerous play, and just like in soccer you can’t do anything with your feet that could cause serious injury to an oponent).

    • It has always been called football. Maybe not in your circles, but within the football community that has always been a common name for the sport. It is also consistent with international standards as FIFA, all continental governing bodies and the overwhelming majority of national member federations use the term.