1 9 2 0 s ▁before ▁disappear ing ▁shortly ▁before ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁La ▁B aret te , ▁or ▁" the ▁football ", ▁was ▁played ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁in ▁southern ▁and ▁central ▁France . ▁Also ▁known ▁as ▁h ien ▁in ▁Pic ard y , ▁Ar to is ▁and ▁Brit t any , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁sou le ▁or ▁sh ul ▁its ▁name ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁name ▁for ▁the ▁ball ▁- ▁the ▁" b aret te ". ▁ ▁Origin ally ▁there ▁were ▁fairly ▁large ▁local ▁differences : ▁in ▁some ▁areas ▁the ▁ball ▁or ▁bar ret te ▁could ▁( or ▁had ▁to ) ▁be ▁struck ▁" with ▁the ▁f ist " ▁( s ometimes ▁protected ▁by ▁a ▁ga unt let , ▁a ▁le ather ▁cu ff , ▁or ▁wood ) ▁while ▁elsewhere ▁only ▁the ▁foot ▁could ▁be ▁used , ▁although ▁in ▁all ▁versions ▁the ▁ball ▁could ▁also ▁be ▁carried . ▁The ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁ball ▁was ▁also ▁variable : ▁sometimes ▁it ▁is ▁spher ical , ▁sometimes ▁o void , ▁and ▁it ▁also ▁varied ▁in ▁size . ▁The ▁" goal " ▁also ▁varied : ▁here ▁a ▁simple ▁line ▁on ▁the ▁ground , ▁there ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁pol es ▁or ▁st akes ▁driven ▁into ▁the ▁ground , ▁elsewhere , ▁a ▁ho op . ▁▁ ▁However , ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁the ▁rules ▁adopted ▁in ▁Paris ▁had ▁pre va iled . ▁Play ers ▁( and ▁partic ar ly ▁schools ▁) ▁from ▁across