閑中第一：明代蹴鞠的社會文化史考察

Abstract

英式足球是當代最熱門的世界運動項目之一，作為中國古代一種「用腳踢球」的遊戲，「蹴鞠」（Cu Ju）乘此足球熱而成為體育運動史中的熱門研究類目。

明代蹴鞠以城市為舞台，是一種風靡各階層的娛樂、遊戲，而不是一種體育運動，其器物形式大致承襲宋制，單毬門規格縮小許多，多人場戶在玩法規則上亦有所創新，作為一種遊戲行業，蹴鞠藝人仍承宋俗祀二郎神為其行業神，然其行業生態因圓社組織的消失而由集體化轉向個人化，由菁英封閉走向通俗開放，營生模式也走向多元的發展，蹴鞠藝人不僅要兼擅各類遊藝，還要兼作「幫閑」，過去以會社型態大規模參與社火活動的情況，一變為城市裡的娛樂表演活動，宗教性降低了，而與人同樂的世俗性加強了。

在中晚明自由開放的風氣趨向下，各階層人群藉由蹴鞠達到不分士庶你我的「天下圓」理想。

Cu Ju has been regarded as football in study for over 50 years, FIFA announced that Cu Ju from ancient China is the oldest type of Football at 2004. In ancient China, Cu Ju refers to use one's leg to kick a round ball, but it must not totally regard as football from England. Cu Ju is one type of recreational activity rather than a sport in the Ming Dynasty, the Goal became smaller than in Song, and some of the game rules have changed.

In the cities, Some people play Cu Ju for a living, they were considered as unproductive and worthless people, because it did not meet the social value at that times. However, these people provided city recreation services for all levels of the citizens, they had to be good at a lot of entertainment skills, so as to satisfy the citizens desire. They would be in a mentoring relationship, but they would not join professional groups like "QiYun" or "Yuan"(means ball), they regarded Cu Ju's founder Erlang as a god.