King Edward Third passed extremely harsh measures in 1331 to suppress football, which was regarded as a public nuisance. At the same time, similar measures were also introduced in France. During the one-hundred years' war between England and France from 1338 to 1453 the court was also unfavorably disposed towards football, albeit for different reasons. Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V made football punishable by law because the well-loved recreation prevented their subjects from practicing more useful military disciplines, particularly archery, which played an important and valuable role in the English army at that time. All the Scottish kings of the 15th Century also deemed it necessary to ban and prohibit football. Particularly famous amongst these was the decree proclaimed by the Parliament convened by James 1st in 1424:

"That na man play at the Fute-ball". None of these efforts had much effect. The popularity of the game amongst the people and their obvious delight in the rough and tumble for the ball went far too deep to be uprooted.

The passion for football was particularly evident in Elizabethan times. An influence that most likely played a part in intensifying the native popularity for the game came from Renaissance Italy, particularly from Florence, but also from Venice and other cities that had produced their own brand of football known as "Calcio".

It was certainly more organized than the English version and was played by teams dressed in colored livery at the important gala events held on certain holidays in Florence. It was a truly wonderful spectacle. In England the game was still as rough and ungracious and lacking in refinement as ever, but it did at this time find a prominent supporter who commended if for other reasons when he saw the simple joy of the players chasing after the ball. This supporter was Richard Mulcaster, the great pedagogue, head of the famous schools of Merchant Taylor's and St. Paul's. He pointed out that the game had very positive educational value and it promoted health and strength. He claimed that all that was needed was to refine it a little and give it better manners. His idea was that the game would benefit most if the number of participants in each team were limited and, more importantly, there were a stricter referee to enforce the rules.

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