In the early days of this game, an association was set up in England to codify the rules.  The game was sometimes referred to as "association football," probably to distinguish it from other variations.  "association" was abbreviated to "assoc.," so the game was nicknamed "soccer."\nSince the term "football" was already used in the U.S. to describe a different game, the name "soccer" stuck here.
What is the origin of the name 'Soccer'?