On Sports.

The world's most popular sport is soccer or football. It involves teams playing with a spherical ball. The two teams have 11 players. Worldwide, soccer is played in over 200 countries and dependencies. The number of players include 250 million human beings globally. The teams play in a rectangular field called a pitch. A goal are at each end of a field. The game of soccer desires both teams to score as many goals as possible. Soccer has existed during ancient times. The modern game came about in 1863 with the Laws of the Game which was codified in England by the Football Association. In soccer, players can't touch the ball with hands or arms while it is in play. The only exception is when the goalkeepers within the penalty area. Players other than the goalkeepers, can use mainly their feet to strike or pass the ball. They may use other parts of their bodies to do so except for the hands and arms. The team that scores most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shootout depending on the format of the competition. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association), which organized World Cups for both men and women every four years. In the 21st century, there has been a further increase of the popularity of soccer. Soccer is a cousin to American football and rugby football. America also saw a resurgence of soccer popularity too. Soccer is not only an international game filled with skill, strategy, and talent. It has unified people for generations succinctly.



The ball used in soccer is spherical. It has a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm. (27 and 28 inches). It has a weight in the range of 210 to 450 grams (14 to 16 oz), and it has a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 bars (or 8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch at sea level). The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided that the pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line.The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 24 feet (7.3 m) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 8 feet (2.4 m) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. The penalty area is in front of the goal. The penalty area has a goal line. The 2 lines start on the goal line 18 yards from the goalposts and extends 18 yards into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line (and a line joining them). Clothing in soccer are loose and shoes are designed to handle movement and hitting the ball as well.



The rules of the game are specific. The team with the most goals win. There are 2 teams of 11 players. If both team scored an equal number of goals, then the game is a a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by the Laws of the Game to represent their team in the coin toss before to kick off or penalty kicks. The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with the forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. Players dribble the ball in order to try to make a goal. Physical contact in soccer is restricted as compared to American football. Games can be stopped by the referee or when the ball left the field of play. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals; defenders, who specialize in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends most time. For example, there are central defenders, and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time.

The layout of a team's players is known as a formation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager. There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulation and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors, women and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is three in ninety minutes with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time, though the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. Video replay can investigate plays. Referees officiate the game.

A match usually have two halves of 45 minutes each.  The halves run continuously without stopping. There is a 15 minute break between halves. The end of the match is called full time. The referee is the timekeeper for the match. Some matches have a penalty shootout to decide the winner if a mach ends in a draw. When a ball is out of play, it is restarted by eight restart methods called: kick off, throw in, goal kick, corner kick, indirect free kick, direct free kick, penalty kick, and dropped ball. A yellow card is a caution for players who violate the rules. A red card is when a play is kicked out of the game for misconduct. In our time, the game of soccer is still very strong and influential.


By Timothy