After the Han Dynasty, the antagonistic cuju match with two goals evolved into a goal shooting performance with a single goal. During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the cuju game with a single goal or two goals phased out of the history stage, while the cuju activity without goals continued until the Qing Dynasty. The skating-loving Manchurians even combined cuju with skating, creating a new sports called "cuju on the ice" to train the lifeguards.

 

 

The Northern Song Dynasty witnessed an unprecedented development of the cuju game, which became a socialized sport of the cities. In the imperial palace, the emperor and the court officials loved cuju, so professional men and women cuju teams were formed in the palace. Zhao Kuangyin, Emperor Taizu of Song, was a cuju player himself. Judging by the circumstance, cuju first rose in the imperial palace, and then gradually extended to the residential area of the civilians, thus gaining extensive popularity. During the festivals in the downtown area of Kaifeng, the cuju game could be seen everywhere, and a few fixed cuju play grounds were established. On a birthday of Emperor Huizong of Song, a grand single-goal cuju performance match was held in the imperial palace, each team having ten-odd players and a team leader. The uniforms of both teams differed in color. The scene was spectacular: there were drum corps and rooters to cheer up the players, while on the ground players were in fierce competition.