SOCCER
SUMMARY
Association football, sometimes known as football or soccer, is a team sport in which two teams of 11 players compete against each other using a spherical ball. It is currently the world’s most popular sport, with roughly 250 million players in over 200 nations and dependencies. The game is played on a pitch, which is a rectangular surface with a goal at each end. The goal of the game is to score more goals than the other team by getting the ball over the goal line and into the opposing goal in 90 minutes or less. Football is governed by a set of laws referred to as the Laws of the Game. The football is a 68–70 cm (27–28 in) diameter ball with a circumference of 68–70 cm (27–28 in). The two sides fight to score a goal by getting the ball into the other team’s goal (between the posts and under the bar). Except for goalkeepers within the penalty area, players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play. Players can strike or pass the ball with any part of their body other than their feet.
The side with the most goals at the end of the game is proclaimed the winner; if both teams have scored the same number of goals, the game is declared a draw or the game is sent to extra time or a penalty shootout, depending on the competition’s structure. Each team is led by a captain who, according to the Laws of the Game, has just one formal responsibility: to represent their side in the coin toss prior to kick-off or penalty kicks.
The International Federation of Association Football, which organizes World Cups for men and women every four years, governs football internationally. Since 1930, the men’s FIFA World Cup has been held every four years, with the exception of the tournaments in 1942 and 1946, which were canceled due to World War II. For a spot in the finals, approximately 190–200 national teams compete in qualification tournaments organized by continental confederations. Every four years, the finals event takes place, with 32 national teams participating over four weeks. [b] It is the world’s most renowned men’s football tournament, as well as the most extensively watched and followed sporting event, surpassing the Olympic Games. Similarly, the FIFA Women’s World Cup has been held every four years since 1991, despite the fact that women have played football since its inception.
History of SOCCER
Football (or soccer as it is known in other parts of the world) has a long and distinguished history. Football as we know it now began in England in the mid-nineteenth century. Alternative variants of the game, on the other hand, existed much earlier and are documented in football history. Over 3,000 years ago, the first known examples of a team game employing a rock-made ball were found in ancient Mesoamerican communities. Although several variants of the game were disseminated across broad territories, it was created by the Aztecs and was known as Tchatali. The ball would represent the sun in some rituals, and the captain of the losing side would be sacrificed to the gods. A bouncing ball made of rubber was a distinctive element of Mesoamerican ball game variations; no other early culture had access to rubber.
Cuju, the first recorded ball game that included kicking, was played in China in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. Cuju was played on a square with a round ball (stitched leather with fur or feathers inside). Later, a modified version of this game migrated to Japan, where it was known as kemari and was played in ceremonial forms. Perhaps an even older cuju was Marn Gook, a ball game mostly requiring kicking that was played by Aboriginal Australians and described by white emigrants in the 1800s. Encased leaves or roots formed the ball. The rules are mostly unclear, but keeping the ball in the air was undoubtedly a key feature, as it was in many other early forms of the game.
Other types of ball games date back to Ancient Greece. Shreds of leather were used to make the ball, which was filled with hair (the first documents of balls filled with air are from the 7th century). Ball games, on the other hand, were considered low-status and were not included in the Panhellenic Games. Games with balls were not part of the entertainment in Ancient Rome’s large arenas (amphitheaters), but were part of military training known as Harpastum. Football was brought to the British Isles by the Roman culture (Britannica). However, it is unclear to what extent the British people were inspired by this type and to what extent they produced their own variations.
Rules of SOCCER
- A match comprises of two 45-minute halves separated by a 15-minute rest period.
- A match requires a minimum of 7 players and each team must have at least 11 players (including one goalkeeper who is the only player allowed to handle the ball within the 18 yard box).
- Artificial or natural grass must be used on the field. Field sizes might vary, but they must be between 100 and 130 yards long and 50 to 100 yards wide. A rectangular shape around the outside of the pitch must be marked with out of bounds, two six yard boxes, two 18 yard boxes, and a center circle. A penalty spot 12 yards out from both the goals and the center circle must also be visible.
- The ball must be round in shape and have a circumference of 58-61cm.
- Each side has the option of naming up to seven substitute players. Substitutions can be made at any moment throughout the game, with each team having a maximum of three substitutions. If all three substitutes are used and a player is forced to leave the field due to injury, the team will be forced to play without a replacement.
- One referee and two assistance referees are required for each game (linesmen). The referee’s responsibility is to maintain track of time and make any necessary decisions, such as fouls, free kicks, throw-ins, penalties, and added time at the end of each half. At any point throughout the match, the referee may consult with the assistant referees about a decision. The assistant referee’s responsibility is to recognize offsides during the game (see below), throw ins for either team, and aid the referee in all decision-making procedures.
- After the stipulated 90 minutes, 30 minutes will be added in the form of two 15-minute halves if the game needs to go to extra time because both teams are tied.
- If the sides are still tied after extra time, a penalty shootout is required.
- To be considered a goal, the entire ball must cross the goal line.
- A player may earn a yellow or red card for fouls committed, depending on the severity of the foul; this is at the discretion of the referee. A yellow card serves as a warning, whereas a red card results in the player’s ejection. One red card is equal to two yellow cards. A player who has been sent off cannot be replaced.
- A throw in is awarded when a ball is knocked out of play by an opponent on one of the sidelines. It’s a goal kick if it comes out of play off an attacking player on the base line. It’s a corner kick if it comes from a defender.