soccer

Etymology

Originally British English; Colloquial abbreviation for association football, via abbreviation assoc. + -er (slang suffix); earlier socker (1885), also socca (1889), with soccer attested 1888. Compare contemporary rugger, from Rugby. Similarly constructed coinages from the same period include: brekker (“breakfast”), fresher (“freshman”) and footer (“football”). See Oxford -er.

noun

1. (historically slang, now standard) association football.
   The 'Varsity played Aston Villa and were beaten after a very exciting game; this was pre-eminently the most important "Socker" game played in Oxford this term. 1885-12, “Our Oxford Letter”, in The Oldhallian, page 171
   Golf is perhaps seven or eight years old in Oxford, ... football, seu Rugger, sive Soccer, not more than sixteen or seventeen. 1888-02-15, “Charley Symonds”, in The Oxford Magazine, page 224
   Those who play under the "Socker" (Association) rules in the North of England, the Midlands, and Scotland take no heed of the warmness of the weather 1889-09-16, “Football Prospects in the West of England”, in The Western Daily Press, volume 63, number 9757, Bristol, page 7
   Socker (public schools), football played according to the Association Rules 1890, Albert Barrère, Charles Leland, A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant, volume 2, Ballantyne, page 275
   1987, Charles Hughes, The Football Association Coaching Book of Soccer: Tactics and Skills, London: BBC, →ISBN:

verb

1. (Australian rules football) To kick the football directly off the ground, without using one's hands.
   The rule seems to have encouraged players to soccer the ball along the ground. 1990, Geoffrey Blainey, A Game of Our Own: The Origins of Australian Football, Black Inc. Publishing, published 2003, page 73
   […]West Perth seemed on the verge of victory, only to succumb by 4 points after a soccered goal from Old Easts with less than half a minute remaining. 2008, John Devaney, Full Points Footy′s WA Football Companion, page 334
   Fevola showed the best and worst of his play after dropping a simple chest mark, only to regather seconds later and soccer the ball through from the most acute of angles. March 27 2010, Michael Whiting, “Lions give Fev debut to remember”, in AFL - The official site of the Australian Football League