[merrywhether]

The name football comes from the fact that it was played _on_ foot by the commoners, as opposed to the equestrian sports played by the nobility.

[eesmith]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_(word) suggests neither definition has definitive support, giving a counter-example:

> Conversely, in 1363, King Edward III of England issued a proclamation banning "...handball, football, or hockey; coursing and cock-fighting, or other such idle games",[7] suggesting that "football" may have been differentiated from games that involved other parts of the body.