FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

(FA) ruling body for English football (soccer), founded in 1863. The FA controls every aspect of the organized game, both amateur and professional, and is responsible for national competitions, including the Challenge Cup series that culminates in the traditional Cup Final at Wembley. The FA helped organize Scottish, Welsh, and Irish associations in the late 1800s to supervise the game in those countries. It later joined the Fdration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to formulate rules of international competition. By the early 1980s the FA represented about 37,000 clubs and more than 1,000,000 players. Its activities included producing instructional materials for coaches, players, and referees, advising foreign football organizations, approving rules and regulations of English leagues, and serving as a court for those charged with having broken such rules. FA headquarters are at Lancaster Gate in London.