In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), the popularity of Cuju gradually spread from the army to the royal courts and upper classes. It is said that the Han emperor Wu Di enjoyed the sport. At the same time, Cuju games were standardized as rules were established. Football matches were often held inside the imperial palace. A type of court called "ju" cheng was built especially for Cuju matches, with six crescent-shaped goal posts at each end.

The sport was improved during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). First of all, the feather-stuffed ball was replaced by an air-filled ball with a two-layered hull. Also, two different types of goal posts emerged: One was made by setting up posts with a net between them and the other consisted of just one goal post in the middle of the field. The level of female Cuju teams also improved. Records indicate that once a 17-year-old girl beat a team of army soldiers.

Although women in feudal times were of a low status and precluded from many outside occasions, playgrounds seemed to be the one exception where they could appear in public. In the Tang Dynasty , women's football flourished in the courts. Records note that a 17-year-old civilian girl once beat a team of soldier players.

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