The first versions of the manual were written by Itsuki Noda, while developing the soccerserver, and around version 3.00 there were several requests on an updated manual, to better correspond to the server as well as enable newcomers to more easily participate in the RoboCup World Cup Initiative. In the fall of 1998 Peter Stone initiated the Soccer Manual Effort, over which Johan Kummeneje took responsibility to organize and as a result the Soccer Server Manual version 4.0 was released on the 1st of November 1998.
In 1999, the manual for the soccerserver version 5.0 was released. Unfortunately the manual lost part of its pace, and there was no release of the manual for soccerserver version 6.0.
Since 1999, the soccerserver has changed major version to 7 and is continuously developed. Therefore the Soccer Manual Effort has developed a new version, which you are currently reading.