The First Football League was the inaugural professional football league in England, established in 1888. It was created to provide a structured competition for clubs and featured 12 founding teams, including notable clubs like Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers. The league aimed to standardize rules and improve the quality of the game. The league operated on a system of promotion and relegation, which allowed teams to move between divisions based on their performance. Over the years, the First Football League evolved, leading to the formation of the Football League and eventually contributing to the modern structure of professional football in England.