Cuju

Cuju or Ts'u-chü (蹴鞠) is an ancient Chinese ball game that is the earliest known recorded game similar to football. It is a competitive game that involves both teams trying to kick a ball through an opening into a central hoop without the use of hands whilst ensuring the ball does not touch the ground. This is similar to how hackey-sack is played today. Descriptions of the game date back to the Han dynasty, with a Chinese military work from the 3rd–2nd century BC describing it as an exercise. It was also played in other Asian countries like Korea, Japan and Vietnam.