1. As legend has it, soccer started in a rather grim setting during the middle ages. In Europe and more specifically, in England, the first forms of "mob soccer" were played after public executions, when the head of the poor victim was thrown in the crowd and the mob started kicking it aggressively. With lot's of executions being performed during that period in England, it's easy to understand why the Brits took this sport as their own. Still, leaving legend aside, let's pass on to the fact-based history of soccer balls.
Since the history of the soccer game can be traced back to ancient times, it's quite clear that the soccer balls used back then were improvisations made out of daily used materials. The Aztecs used small, bouncy rubber balls in their basketball-soccer game of hoop kicking, whereas Chinese warriors would often enjoy a game of no-rules soccer using sewn up leather balls stuffed with light materials.