   #copyright

Football (soccer)

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports

   A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white
   kits) and is taking a shot at the goal. The goalkeeper will attempt to
   stop the ball from entering the goal.
   Enlarge
   A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white
   kits) and is taking a shot at the goal. The goalkeeper will attempt to
   stop the ball from entering the goal.
 ***

   Football (also known as association football or soccer) is a team sport
   played between two teams of 11 players each. It is widely considered to
   be the most popular sport in the world. A ball game, it is played on a
   rectangular grass field, or occasionally an artificial turf, with a
   goal at each end of the field. The object of the game is to score by
   manoeuvring the ball into the opposing goal; only the goalkeepers may
   use their hands or arms to propel the ball in general play. The team
   that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score
   is tied at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game
   goes into extended time, depending on the format of the competition.

   The modern game was codified in England following the formation of the
   Football Association, whose 1863 Laws of the Game created the
   foundations for the way the sport is played today. Football is governed
   internationally by Fédération Internationale de Football Association
   (FIFA). The most prestigious international football competition is the
   World Cup, held every four years. This event, the most widely viewed
   and famous in the world, boasts twice the audience of the Summer
   Olympics.

Nature of the game

   A goalkeeper dives to stop the ball from entering his goal.
   Enlarge
   A goalkeeper dives to stop the ball from entering his goal.
   A football match. (AOL-Arena in Hamburg, Germany, May 2004)
   Enlarge
   A football match.
   ( AOL-Arena in Hamburg, Germany, May 2004)

   Football is played in accordance with a set of rules, known as the Laws
   of the Game. The game is played using a single round ball (the
   football) and two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball
   into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team that has
   scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams
   have scored an equal number of goals, then the game is a draw. There
   are exceptions to this rule, however; see Duration and tie-breaking
   methods below.

   The primary rule is that the players (other than the goalkeepers) may
   not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play
   (though they do use 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 bodies other than their hands or arms.

   In typical game play, players attempt to propel the ball toward their
   opponents' goal through individual control of the ball, such as by
   dribbling, passing the ball to a team-mate, and by taking shots at the
   goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may
   try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through
   tackling the opponent who controls the ball; however, physical contact
   between opponents is limited. Football is generally a free-flowing
   game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play,
   or when play is stopped by the referee. After a stoppage, play
   recommences with a specified restart.

   At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For
   example, during the English 2005-06 season of the FA Premier League, an
   average of 2.48 goals per match were scored.

   The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than
   goalkeeper, but a number of player specialisations have evolved.
   Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or forwards,
   whose main task is to score goals; defenders, who specialise in
   preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who
   dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball in order to
   pass it to the forwards; players in these positions are referred to as
   outfield players, in order to discern them from the single goalkeeper.
   These positions are further differentiated by which side of the field
   the player spends most time in. For example, there are central
   defenders, and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may
   be arranged in these positions in any combination (for example, there
   may be four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards, or three
   defenders, three midfielders, and four forwards), and the number of
   players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more
   forwards and fewer defenders would create a more aggressive and
   offensive-minded game, while the reverse would create a slower, more
   defensive style of play. While players may 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 the players on
   the pitch is called the team's formation, and defining the team's
   formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager.

History and development

   Games revolving around the kicking of a ball have been played in many
   countries throughout history. According to FIFA, the "very earliest
   form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise
   of precisely this skilful technique dating back to the 2nd and 3rd
   centuries B.C. in China." In addition, the Roman games Harpastum may be
   a distant ancestor of football. Various forms of football were played
   in medieval Europe, though rules varied greatly by both period and
   location.

   Whilst football has continued to be played in various forms throughout
   Britain, the English public schools (fee-paying schools) are widely
   credited with certain key achievements in the creation of modern
   football (association football and the rugby football games - rugby
   league and rugby union football). The evidence suggests that during the
   sixteenth century English public schools generally, and headmaster
   Richard Mulcaster in particular, were instrumental in taking football
   away from its violent " mob" form and turning it into an organized team
   sport that was beneficial to schoolboys. Therefore, the game became
   institutionalised, regulated, and part of a larger, more central
   tradition. Many early descriptions of football and references to it
   (e.g. poetry) were recorded by people who had studied at these schools,
   showing they were familiar with the game. Finally, in the 19th century,
   teachers and former students were the first to write down formal rules
   of early modern football to enable matches to be played between
   schools.

   The rules of football as they are codified today are effectively based
   on the mid-19th-century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms
   of football played at the public schools of England. The first ever set
   of football rules were written at Eton College in 1815. The Cambridge
   Rules were a code of football rules, first drawn up at Cambridge
   University in 1848, which have influenced the development of
   Association football (also known simply as "football", or soccer) and
   subsequent codes.

   The Cambridge Rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848,
   at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby,
   Winchester and Shrewsbury schools, but they were not universally
   adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or
   universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play
   various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes
   of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club (formed by former
   pupils from Harrow) in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA
   in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised
   an influential set of rules.

   These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football
   Association (The FA) in 1863 which first met on the morning of 26
   October 1863 at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street, London.
   The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse.
   The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between
   October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive
   set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, the
   representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the
   removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which
   allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second,
   obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins),
   tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and
   did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football
   Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb
   Morley, went on to ratify the original thirteen laws of the game. The
   Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s.

   The laws of the game are currently determined by the International
   Football Association Board (IFAB). The Board was formed in 1886 after a
   meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish
   Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish
   Football Association. The world's oldest football competition is the FA
   Cup, which was founded by C. W. Alcock and has been contested by
   English teams since 1872. The first official international football
   match took place in 1872 between Scotland and England in Glasgow, again
   at the instigation of C. W. Alcock. England is home to the world's
   first football league, which was founded in 1888 by Aston Villa
   director William McGregor. The original format contained 12 clubs from
   the Midlands and the North of England. The Fédération Internationale de
   Football Association (FIFA), the international football body, was
   formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to Laws of
   the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the
   international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the
   International Football Association Board in 1913. The board currently
   consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from
   each of the four British associations.
   Map showing the popularity of football around the world. Countries
   where football is the most popular sport are coloured green, while
   countries where it is not are coloured red. The various shades of green
   and red indicate the number of players per 1,000 inhabitants.
   Enlarge
   Map showing the popularity of football around the world. Countries
   where football is the most popular sport are coloured green, while
   countries where it is not are coloured red. The various shades of green
   and red indicate the number of players per 1,000 inhabitants.

   Today, football is played at a professional level all over the world,
   and millions of people regularly go to football stadia to follow their
   favourite team, whilst billions more watch the game on television. A
   very large number of people also play football at an amateur level.
   According to a survey conducted by FIFA and published in the spring of
   2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200
   countries in every part of the world. Its simple rules and minimal
   equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in
   popularity.

   In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an
   important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and
   even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular
   sport in the world. ESPN has spread the claim that the Côte d'Ivoire
   national football team helped secure a truce to the nation's civil war
   in 2005. By contrast, however, football is widely considered to be the
   final proximate cause in the Football War in June 1969 between El
   Salvador and Honduras. The sport also exacerbated tensions at the
   beginning of the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, when a Red Star
   Belgrade-at- Dinamo Zagreb match devolved into rioting in March 1990.

Laws of the Game

   Football is popular among children as well as adults.
   Enlarge
   Football is popular among children as well as adults.

Overview of the laws

   There are seventeen laws in the official Laws of the Game. The same
   Laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although certain
   modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors or women are
   permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow
   flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game.
   In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other
   directives contribute to the regulation of football. The laws can be
   found on the official FIFA website.

Players, equipment and officials

   Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding
   substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may
   state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team; this
   is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the
   ball with their hands or arms, but they are only allowed to do so
   within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are a
   variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are
   strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or
   required by the Laws.

   The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt,
   shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards. Players are forbidden
   to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another
   player (including jewellery or watches). The goalkeeper must wear
   clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other
   players and the match officials.

   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, though
   the number permitted may be varied in other leagues or in friendly
   matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness,
   ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or as a defensive ploy to use up a
   little time at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult
   matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in
   the match.

   A game is officiated by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce
   the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been
   appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is
   assisted by two assistant referees. In many high-level games there is
   also a fourth official (and in the world cup a fifth official), who
   assist(s) the referee and may replace another official should the need
   arise.

Playing field

   Standard pitch measurements (See Imperial version)
   Enlarge
   Standard pitch measurements ( See Imperial version)

   Due to the original formulation of the Laws in England and the early
   supremacy of the four British football associations within IFAB, the
   standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in
   imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric
   equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though popular
   use tends to continue to use traditional units.

   The length of the rectangular field (pitch) specified for international
   adult matches is in the range 100-110 metres (110-120 yd) and the width
   is in the range 65-75 metres (70-80 yd). Fields for non-international
   matches may be 100-130 yards length and 50-100 yards in width, provided
   that the pitch does not become square. The longer boundary lines are
   touchlines or sidelines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the
   goals are placed) are goal lines. On the goal line at each end of the
   field a rectangular goal is centred. The inner edges of the vertical
   goal posts must be 8 yards (7.32 m) apart, and the lower edge of the
   horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 8 feet (2.44 m)
   above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not
   required by the Laws.

   In front of each goal is an area of the field known as the penalty area
   (colloquially "penalty box", "18-yard box" or simply "the box"). This
   area is marked by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 18
   yards (16.5 m) from the goalposts and extending 18 yards into the pitch
   perpendicular to the goal-line, and a line joining them. This area has
   a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the
   goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penal foul by a member of
   the defending team becomes punishable by a penalty kick.

   The field has other field markings and defined areas .

Duration and tie-breaking methods

   A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes
   each, known as halves. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the
   clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play; the referee does,
   however, make allowance for time lost through significant stoppages as
   described below. There is usually a 15-minute "half-time" break between
   halves. The end of the match is known as full-time.

   The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an
   allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players
   requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is commonly
   referred to as stoppage time or injury time, and is at the sole
   discretion of the referee. The referee alone signals the end of the
   match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, toward the end
   of the half the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time he
   intends to add, and the fourth official then informs the players and
   spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled
   stoppage time may be further extended by the referee.

   In league competitions games may end in a draw, but in some knockout
   competitions if a game is tied at the end of regulation time it may go
   into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If
   the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the
   use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as
   "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to
   the next stage of the tournament. Goals scored during extra time
   periods count toward the final score of the game, but kicks from the
   penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the
   next part of the tournament (with goals scored in a penalty shootout
   not making up part of the final score).

   Competitions held over two legs (in which each team plays at home once)
   may use the away goals rule to attempt to determine which team
   progresses in the event of equal aggregate scores. If the result is
   still equal following this calculation kicks from the penalty mark are
   usually required, though some competitions may require a tied game to
   be replayed.

   In the late 1990s, the IFAB experimented with ways of making matches
   more likely to end without requiring a penalty shootout, which was
   often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules
   ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra
   time was scored ( golden goal), or if one team held a lead at the end
   of the first period of extra time ( silver goal). Golden goal was used
   at the World Cup in 1998 (France) and 2002 (Japan-South Korea). The
   first World Cup game decided by a golden goal was France's victory over
   Paraguay in 1998. In Euro 1996, Germany was the first nation to score a
   golden goal in a major competition, beating Czech Republic in the
   final. Silver goal was used in Euro 2004 (Portugal). Both these
   experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.

Ball in and out of play

   Ronaldinho prepares to take a corner kick
   Enlarge
   Ronaldinho prepares to take a corner kick

   Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in
   play and ball out of play. From the beginning of each playing period
   with a kick-off (a set kick from the centre-spot by one team) until the
   end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except
   when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by
   the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by
   one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play:
     * Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each
       period of play.
     * Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded
       to opposing team to that which last touched the ball.
     * Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a
       goal having been scored and having last been touched by an
       attacker; awarded to defending team.
     * Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without
       a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a
       defender; awarded to attacking team.
     * Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following
       "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is
       stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul
       having occurred. A goal may not be scored directly from an indirect
       free kick.
     * Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed
       "penal" fouls.
     * Penalty kick: awarded to the fouled team following a foul usually
       punishable by a direct free kick but that has occurred within their
       opponent's penalty area.
     * Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any
       other reason (e.g., a serious injury to a player, interference by
       an external party, or a ball becoming defective). This restart is
       uncommon in adult games.

Fouls and misconduct

   Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and sent off with a red card.
   Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and sent off with a red card.
   Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and sent off with a red card.

   A foul occurs when a player commits a specific offence listed in the
   Laws of the Game when the ball is in play. The offences that constitute
   a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball, tripping an opponent,
   or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a
   direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence
   occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick.

   The referee may punish a player or substitute's misconduct by a caution
   (yellow card) or sending-off (red card). A second yellow card at the
   same game leads to a red card, and therefore to a sending-off.
   Misconduct may occur at any time, and while the offences that
   constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In
   particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal
   with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are
   not listed as specific offences. Non-players, such as managers and
   support staff, may be dismissed from the field and its surrounds by the
   referee if they fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner.

   Rather than stopping play, the referee may allow play to continue when
   its continuation will benefit the team against which an offence has
   been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee
   may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the
   anticipated advantage does not ensue within a short period of time,
   typically taken to be four to five seconds. Even if an offence is not
   penalised because the referee plays an advantage, the offender may
   still be sanctioned for any associated misconduct at the next stoppage
   of play.

Offside

   The offside law effectively limits the ability of attacking players to
   remain forward (i.e. closer to the opponent's goal-line) of the ball,
   the second-to-last defending player (which can include the goalkeeper),
   and the half-way line.

Governing bodies

   The recognised international governing body of football (and associated
   games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération
   Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The FIFA headquarters
   are located in Zürich, Switzerland.

   Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
     * Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
     * Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
     * Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central
       American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF; also known
       as The Football Confederation)
     * Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
     * Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
     * South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American
       Football Confederation; CONMEBOL)

   The recognised various national associations (see football around the
   world) oversee football within their jurisdictions. These are
   affiliated both with FIFA directly and also with their respective
   continental confederations.

   The Laws of the Game are not maintained by FIFA itself; rather they are
   maintained by the International Football Association Board, as
   discussed in the history and development section above.

Major international competitions

   The FIFA World Cup trophy, which has been awarded to the world
   champions since 1974.
   Enlarge
   The FIFA World Cup trophy, which has been awarded to the world
   champions since 1974.

   The major international competition in football is the World Cup,
   organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year
   period. More than 190 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments
   within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the
   finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now
   involves 32 national teams (increased in 1998 from the 24 of 1994)
   competing over a four-week period. The 2006 FIFA World Cup took place
   in Germany; in 2010 it will be held in South Africa.

   There has been a football tournament at every Summer Olympic Games
   since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Prior to the
   inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during the 1920s)
   had the same status as the World Cup. Originally, the event was for
   amateurs only, however, since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals
   have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which
   effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides.
   Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level. In
   the past the Olympics have allowed a restricted number of over-age
   players per team; but that practice will cease in the 2008 Olympics.
   The Olympic competition is not generally considered to carry the same
   international significance and prestige as the World Cup. A women's
   tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, the
   women's Olympic tournament is played by full international sides
   without age restrictions. It thus carries international prestige
   considered comparable to that of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

   After the World Cup, the most important football competitions are the
   continental championships, which are organised by each continental
   confederation and contested between national teams. These are the
   European Championship (UEFA), the Copa América (CONMEBOL), African Cup
   of Nations (CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF)
   and the OFC Nations Cup (OFC). Two of the most prestigious competitions
   in club football are the respective continental championships, which
   are generally contested between national champions, for example the
   UEFA Champions League in Europe and the Copa Libertadores de América in
   South America. The most prestigious competition until 2005 was the
   Intercontinental Cup which was contested by the winner club of the
   European Champions League cup and the winner of the Copa Libertadores.
   This was a single match played in Tokyo, Japan and went from 1980 until
   2004. This was also known as the Toyota Cup. Due to the growing number
   of audience and interest of people from Africa, North America and Asia,
   this "cup" was replaced in 2005 by the FIFA Club World Championship in
   which there is no single match, but a whole tournament between the
   winners of the six club championships of each FIFA confederation.

Domestic competitions

   The governing bodies in each country operate leagues, normally
   comprising several divisions, in which the teams gain points throughout
   the season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables, placing
   them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team
   plays every other team in its league at home and away in each season.
   At the end of a season, the top team are declared to be the champions,
   and the top few teams may be promoted to a higher division; and one or
   more of the teams finishing at the bottom are relegated to a lower
   division. The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may be
   eligible also to play in international club competitions in the
   following season. The main exceptions to this system occur in some
   Latin American leagues, which divide football championships into two
   sections named Apertura and Clausura, awarding a champion for each.

   In addition to a league system, most countries operate one or more cup
   competitions during the season. These are organised on a knock-out
   basis, the winner of each match proceeding to the next round; the loser
   takes no further part in the competition.

   Some countries' top divisions feature highly-paid star players; in
   smaller countries and lower divisions, players may be part-timers with
   a second job, or amateurs. The top European leagues, especially
   England's, Spain's, and Italy's, attract most of the world's best
   players. Historical restrictions on the number of foreign players in a
   club's team have been largely eliminated by the Bosman ruling.

Names of the game

   The rules of football were codified in England by the Football
   Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to
   distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the
   time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer first appeared in
   the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of Association football, often
   credited to Charles Wreford-Brown.

   Today the sport is known by a number of names throughout the
   English-speaking world, the most common being football and soccer. The
   term used depends largely on the need to differentiate the sport from
   other types of football played in a community. Football is the term
   used by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, and the International
   Olympic Committee. For more details of naming throughout the world,
   please refer to the main articles above.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_%28soccer%29"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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