World Cup

Soccer
I INTRODUCTION

Soccer, game played by two teams on a rectangular field, in which players attempt to knock a round ball through the opponents’ goal, using any part of the body except the hands. Generally, players use their feet and heads as they kick, dribble, and pass the ball toward the goal. One player on each team guards the goal. This player, the goalkeeper, is the only player allowed to touch the ball with the hands while it is in play.

Soccer is a free-flowing game that has relatively few rules and requires little equipment. All that is needed to play is an area of open space and a ball. Much of the world's soccer is played informally, without field markings or real goals. In many places, the game is played barefoot using rolled-up rags or newspapers as a ball. Soccer is the world's most popular sport, played by people of all ages in about 200 countries. The sport has millions of fans throughout the world.

Only in the United States and Canada is the game referred to as soccer. Outside these countries the sport is commonly called football, or fútbol in Spanish-speaking countries, where the game is particularly popular. The official name of the sport is association football. The word soccer is a slang corruption of the abbreviation assoc.

The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the worldwide governing body of soccer. FIFA governs all levels of soccer, including professional play, Olympic competitions, and youth leagues. The organization also governs the sport’s premier event, the World Cup, an international competition held every four years pitting national teams from 32 countries against one another.

II FIELD

FIFA’s rules state that a soccer field must be rectangular. It must be between 90 and 120 m (100 and 130 yd) long and between 45 and 90 m (50 and 100 yd) wide. The rectangular goals at each end of the field are 7.32 m (24 ft) wide and 2.44 m (8 ft) high. The goals are generally made of metal or plastic. A nylon mesh net attached to the goal traps the ball when a team scores.

Several field markings define the area of play. These include the penalty areas, sidelines, end lines, and corner kick quarter-circles. The two penalty areas are the most important field markings. They lie at each end of the field directly in front of the goals. The areas are 40.32 m (44 yd) wide and extend 16.5 m (18 yd) in front of the goal. Goalkeepers can use their hands within this area, but if they venture beyond the boundaries of the penalty area, they must follow the general rules applying to all players. If a player commits a major foul inside the penalty area, the other team is awarded a penalty kick. (Fouls and penalty kicks are discussed in greater detail in the Play section of this article.)

Sidelines and end lines define the area of play, meaning that any space outside these lines is considered out of play. If a team kicks the ball out of bounds over a sideline, the opposing team puts it back in play by a throw-in. To make a throw-in, a player outside the sideline throws the ball to a teammate who is in play. The player must always use two hands and bring the ball from behind the head while standing in the spot where the ball left the field of play. Failure to do so results in a change of possession, and the other team is awarded the throw-in.

When a ball passes beyond an end line, one of two things happens, depending on which team last touched the ball. When the defending team touches the ball last, a corner kick is awarded to the attacking team. A corner kick is a free kick taken from one of the quarter-circle areas at each corner of the field. If the attacking team kicks the ball past the end line, the defense takes possession of the ball. The defense is allowed to kick the ball up the field from one of the corners of the goal area, a smaller rectangular area within the penalty area. These kicks are called goal kicks.

III TEAM

In a regulation soccer game, each team fields 11 players. There are four main positions—goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and attacker. One player from each team plays the position of goalkeeper, but the distribution of other players among the other positions can vary.

Generally, teams play with three or four defenders, who are also known as fullbacks. Fullbacks are the last line of defense between the goalkeeper and the opposing team. Their primary job is to thwart an opposing attack by winning control of the ball. Fullbacks then initiate their own team's attack, moving the ball in the other direction, upfield, and passing it ahead.

Three or four players called midfielders, or halfbacks, act as a link between defense and offense. Midfield is the most demanding position, as halfbacks must master skills necessary both to defend and attack. Halfbacks are also constantly moving, running from one end of the field to the other.

Attackers, or forwards, are primarily responsible for scoring goals. Teams generally play with two, three, or four forwards. Forwards must handle the ball well and be excellent passers, and they also must be exceptionally quick.

Teams align their players in strategic formations that are described numerically. In the early days of soccer, the most common formation featured two fullbacks, three midfielders, and five forwards (2-3-5). As the game has developed, teams have put more emphasis on defense. In the modern game, most teams use the 4-4-2 (four defenders, four midfielders, two forwards). Other variations include the 3-5-2, 4-3-3, or 5-3-2. Regardless of the official formation a team uses, any player may be called upon to attack or defend at any time during a game.

In youth, high school, and college games, substitutes may enter the game as often as desired. In the professional game, however, a limited number of substitutes are permitted per contest, usually two or three. A replaced player may not reenter the game. Because of these restrictions, stamina is even more important in professional games than it is at other levels. During a professional game players may run 11 to 13 km (7 to 8 mi) in a grueling series of stops, starts, sprints, and quick changes of direction.

IV OFFICIALS

Soccer differs from other team sports in that there is only one referee, who makes all decisions related to rules. In most countries, the referee is also the sole timekeeper and has discretion to add time to the end of the game if he or she believes one team has intentionally wasted time. Or the referee may add time at the end of the game because of player injuries or other delays.

The referee can eject players from a match for violent or unbecoming conduct. The referee may show a player who commits an especially dangerous foul a yellow card, which is an official caution. A player who is shown the yellow card twice in one game is ejected, and his team must compete a player short for the remainder of the match. If a single foul is violent enough, the referee may immediately show the player a red card, which means automatic ejection. Soccer uses the yellow and red card system throughout the world. This means that even if the players and referee do not speak the same language, everyone can understand the referee’s actions.

Two assistants, known as linesmen or referees’ assistants, aid the referee. Their primary job is to alert the referee when balls go out of the playing area and to assist in making offsides calls (see Rules section below). The assistants carry flags, which they wave when the ball leaves the playing area or use to point to the spot where a foul was committed.

V EQUIPMENT

Soccer is played with a round leather ball. It is between 68 and 71 cm (27 and 28 in) in circumference and weighs between 396 to 453 g (14 and 16 oz). Balls come in various designs and colors. Players prefer balls with stripes or other patterns so they can better gauge the spin of the ball during play.

Soccer uniforms consist of jerseys, shorts, socks, and shoes with cleats (short knobs on the bottom of the shoe). The jerseys must include a number on the back so that game officials (and fans) can identify players quickly. Goalkeepers must wear a color that distinguishes them from the rest of the players on the same team. This way, the referee can easily know which player is allowed to use the hands within the penalty area. Goalkeepers’ jerseys and shorts often have extra padding stitched into the arm and hip areas to protect them when they dive to make saves. Most goalkeepers also wear special gloves that help them grip the ball.

Players wear cleated shoes for better traction while they are running. Cleats give them increased speed and maneuverability. Soccer shoes are usually made of durable leather, and the soles come in three basic varieties: with molded cleats, removable cleats, or molded rubber soles. Shoes with molded cleats usually have 14 of them, about 1.3 cm (.5 in) long. Players generally use molded cleats on dry fields. Shoes with removable cleats usually have six plastic or metal studs that are 1.3 to 1.9 cm (.5 to .75 in) long. Players generally wear these longer cleats on soft or wet fields. Molded rubber-sole shoes have 25 to 35 small nubs and are designed for use on hard fields or fields made of artificial turf.

Soccer rules require players to wear only one piece of protective equipment, shin guards. Shin guards are small shields worn on the front of the leg between the knee and top of the foot. They protect the lower leg against kicks. Shin guards are made of cloth-covered plastic.

VI PLAY

Informal soccer games can be of any length, but most regulation games last 90 minutes and are divided into two 45-minute halves. (Official youth games may be shorter.) There is a 15-minute break between the halves, called halftime. Before each game the referee tosses a coin to determine which team will kick off. The team that wins the toss chooses to begin the game either by kicking off the ball or by defending. The kickoff is taken at the center point of the field, and all players must be positioned on their own side of the field before play can begin. The team kicking off must kick the ball forward before any other team member can touch it, but once it moves forward, the ball can be kicked in any direction. Once play begins, the movement of the ball and the players is constant. The team in possession of the ball—the attacking team—tries to advance the ball by dribbling or passing (see the Skills section). The defending team tries to take possession by intercepting passes or by taking the ball away from opponents while they are dribbling. Changes of possession occur frequently.

During a game, the ball remains in play as long as it stays within the end lines and the sidelines. If the ball leaves the field it is returned to play by throw-in, goal kick, or corner kick, depending on where the ball left play and who knocked it out of play. The only time that play stops is when a player commits a foul, a player is injured, or a goal is scored.

The referee calls fouls on players who commit one of ten major infractions: intentionally kicking, tripping, or jumping at an opponent; violently charging, striking, holding, pushing, or spitting at an opponent; tackling an opponent without the ball; or touching the ball with the hands. If a player commits any of these fouls, the opposing team is awarded a free kick. If a player commits any of these offenses inside his own penalty area, the opposing team is awarded a penalty kick.

Players take penalty kicks from a spot 11 m (12 yd) from the goal, and only the goalkeeper may attempt to block the kick. Because there is no defender, the shooter has a decided advantage over the goalkeeper in a penalty kick and almost always scores. A penalty kick is one of soccer's most exciting plays, but because it so often results in a goal, a referee’s decision to award one is usually controversial.

When a major infraction occurs outside the penalty area, free kicks are taken at the spot of the infraction. Players from the defending team must remain at least 9 m (10 yd) away from the ball until the kick is taken. These fouls are broken into two categories: direct kicks and indirect kicks. A direct free kick is awarded for major infractions, such as pulling an opponent to the ground by grabbing the jersey. The ball may be kicked directly into the goal from the spot of the foul. An indirect free kick is awarded for lesser infractions, such as obstructing an opponent while pursuing the ball. The ball must touch one other person (a teammate, opponent, or goalie) before a goal can be scored.

Another major rule in soccer, in addition to the prohibitions against striking the opponent and touching the ball with the hands, is offsides. An attacking player is offsides if, when receiving a forward pass from a teammate, there are not at least two opponents (usually one defender and the goalkeeper) ahead of the receiver—that is, between the attacking player and the opponents' goal line. A player cannot be ruled offside when receiving the ball from a throw-in or if the player is in his or her own half of the field. The referee or the referee's assistants determine offsides infractions and signal them by waving their flags and pointing to the spot where the infraction occurred. An indirect free kick from the point of infraction is then awarded to the defending team.

In most youth, amateur, and professional leagues, games tied at the end of regulation play are recorded as ties (or draws, as they are known in many parts of the world). Ties can be broken with an overtime period, which usually consists of 30 extra minutes of play. The first team to score wins the game. If neither team scores during overtime, teams can use a penalty-kick tiebreaker to determine the winner. In a tiebreaker, five players from each team alternate penalty shots (one by one) against the opposing goalkeeper. The team that scores the most goals is the winner. If the teams remain tied after five shots, both teams continue to alternate single penalty shots until one team misses and the other scores. Tiebreakers are common in tournament play.

VII SKILLS

Soccer players use five basic skills: kicking, dribbling, passing, heading, and trapping. Kicking is the most basic skill. Players who wish to kick the ball powerfully do so with the top of the foot, the area just above the toes, generating power from the upper leg and torso. A powerful kick may propel the ball up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Many players cannot kick the ball equally well with both feet, and favor the stronger foot when making a shot at the goal or kicking the ball a long distance.

Players move the ball small distances by dribbling. Dribbling entails tapping, dragging, or rolling the ball in front of the body while running. The objective—to advance the ball while keeping it in control and protecting it from defensive players—is similar to that of dribbling in basketball, using the feet instead of the hands. A player with good dribbling skills can make quick stops, change direction, and move the ball from one foot to another with ease. Advanced players can also fake one way with the ball, only to turn and move in the opposite direction.

Players use passes to move the ball around the field more quickly than they can by dribbling. Passes are like kicks, but they require less power and more control. Players usually pass by using the inside of the foot to push the ball in a certain direction, though sometimes the outside of the foot is used. Talented players can pass with both feet in all directions, including behind them.

Players use headers to make plays on balls that are in the air, either to pass or to make a shot on goal. To make a header, they knock the ball with the forehead, using power generated from the neck muscles. When a ball is high in the air, members of both teams will jockey for position on the ground in order to control the header. Tall players and those who can jump high have a distinct advantage in these situations.

Players use trapping to gain control of loose balls that may be rolling, bouncing, or flying through the air. To bring the motion of the ball to a momentary stop, players absorb the ball’s force with a part of their body. Most traps are made with the inside of the foot or the sole of the foot, but balls may also be brought under control with the leg, chest, head, or top of the foot. Good trapping allows players to control the tempo of the game by maintaining control of the ball for long periods of time. It also enables them to pass the ball with pinpoint accuracy, because they have control of the ball at the moment they pass.

A sixth skill, called tackling, is the primary tool of defense. Tackling in soccer is not like tackling in American football. A tackle in soccer is a means of taking away the ball from an opponent, not bringing the opponent down. Blocking the advance of the ball with the foot or lower leg is the most common form of tackling in soccer. Some players also slide in front of attacking players to steal the ball, a move known as a slide tackle.

A goalkeeper must learn all the skills that other players do, but because the goalkeeper can use the hands, he or she must also master an entirely different set of skills. The goalkeeper must be able to catch balls in the air and trap them with the hands and body when the ball is bouncing along the ground. Goalkeepers must also know how to punch away balls that are kicked towards the top or corners of the goal, as attempting a catch in these difficult situations is often more dangerous than simply knocking the ball away.

The best teams use not only individual skills, but teamwork as well. Players trap the ball, bringing it under control, then advance it toward the goal through a series of short, medium, and long passes. Once attacking players move close to the opposing goal, they try to gain position to shoot the ball toward the goal. While one player has the ball, teammates are constantly shifting and running into other slots on the field, attempting to create openings or distract defensive players. When on defense, players organize themselves so that they can repel attacks as a group as well as one on one. Generally, defensive players spread themselves out evenly across the field to prevent long, easy passes between members of the opposing team.

Weather and field conditions sometimes dictate what strategies teams use. For instance, in Britain and other parts of Europe the game is played in fall, winter, and spring, when fields are wet and soggy. Therefore, British playing style uses long passes and direct sprints toward the opponent’s goal, because short passes and fancy dribbling can be difficult in poor field conditions.

Fields in South America and Africa are usually drier and thus in better shape than European fields. One result is that the South American and African styles of play focus more on individual skills and a certain dramatic flair. There are fewer long passes but more dribbling and short, intricate passes. Because the weather is usually hot, the game is also often played at a slower pace than it is in Europe.

VIII AMATEUR COMPETITION

FIFA governs soccer competition on youth and amateur levels worldwide by registering players and overseeing national soccer federations. The FIFA U-17 World Championship for players under the age of 17 and the FIFA Youth World Championship for players under 20 are the most important international soccer events for youths. At local levels, amateur clubs for all age and skill levels are extremely popular across Europe, Africa, and Central and South America.

In the United States about 20 million people play soccer. Almost every urban community has at least one amateur association, and many rural communities do as well. Local leagues are governed by their state’s soccer association. The 50 state associations fall under the control of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the governing body for all U.S. soccer. The USSF in turn falls under FIFA.

Soccer is one of the most popular high school sports in the United States. Separate youth leagues also operate independently of school athletic programs, with some beginning play as young as five years of age. Extremely talented young players may move up to play with older players in higher leagues.

Many American colleges and universities sponsor soccer teams. These institutions provide teams with uniforms, coaches, training facilities, and transportation to matches, and some grant scholarships for talented players. Annually, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctions national championships for both men’s and women’s teams in several different divisions.

IX PROFESSIONAL SOCCER

Almost every country in Europe, North America, and South America has prominent professional leagues, and many countries in Africa and Asia have them as well. These leagues are usually divided by skill level, with teams moving up or down from league to league depending on performance from year to year. In most countries the best teams also attempt to qualify for a berth in a major regional tournament such as the European Cup or South America’s Copa Libertadores (Spanish for Liberator’s Cup).

Many teams evoke loyal support from fans well beyond their own region. A.C. Milan of Italy, Ajax Amsterdam of The Netherlands, Manchester United of England, Real Madrid of Spain, Boca Juniors of Argentina, São Paulo of Brazil, and Colo Colo of Chile are a few of the world’s most famous teams.

In 1996 a new professional league known as Major League Soccer (MLS) began play in the United States. Beginning with ten teams, MLS added two more franchises in 1998 and is divided into three four-team divisions—Western, Central, and Eastern. The MLS regular season runs from April to September, followed by an eight-team playoff. The top two teams to emerge square off in the championship match, called the MLS Cup. The majority of MLS players are American, but the league also attracts stars from many South and Central American countries, as well as from Africa and Europe.

X INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

The most famous competition in soccer is the World Cup, which is regarded as the world championship of the sport and is considered the most popular spectator event in the world. A worldwide television audience of 1.7 billion, or nearly one-third of the world's population, witnessed the 1998 World Cup championship game between France and Brazil won by France, 3-0. By comparison, about 800 million people watched the Super Bowl of American football that same year.

Preliminary matches for the World Cup begin about two years before the finals. Regional elimination tournaments narrow the field of competition. Once a field of 32 countries has been established, those teams meet in the World Cup tournament. Historically, a single nation hosts the tournament, with matches taking place throughout the country in different cities. The host country’s national team is always given an automatic berth in the field of 32 entries.

Brazil, with four titles, has more World Cup championships than any other country. Italy and Germany have won three titles each. (All three of Germany's titles were won by West Germany before the country reunified in 1990.) Uruguay and Argentina have each won twice, and France and England have each captured the cup once. Although Europe and South America are the only continents to have produced World Cup champions, national teams on other continents are gaining strength, especially in Africa, where Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ghana are among the countries that have produced talented players and teams.

Olympic soccer, which debuted at the 1900 Games in Paris, France, is the second most important international competition. After pre-Olympic regional tournaments, 16 teams compete during the Summer Games. Olympic guidelines require that players must be younger than 23 years old, although in some years nations have been allowed to use as many as three players older than 23.

International competitions based on the World Cup and Olympic tournaments are also held for women, although these competitions were established much later than those for men. Some of the world’s strongest female squads are the United States, Norway, and China. The United States won the inaugural Women's World Cup in 1991 and won the gold medal when women’s soccer debuted at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. The United States won a dramatic penalty-kick tiebreaker over China to capture the 1999 Women’s World Cup, an event hosted by the United States that broke attendance records for women’s sports.

XI HISTORY

Evidence from many ancient societies—Chinese, Greek, Maya, and Egyptian—reveals that kicking games were a part of those cultures. The modern game of soccer began in the 19th century in England, when a variety of football games developed, all of which involved both handling and kicking the ball. The first laws of the modern game were supposedly drafted in 1862 by J. C. Thring of the Uppingham School. At a meeting of the London Football Association (FA) in 1863, the game was split into rugby football (the parent sport of American football), which permitted handling and carrying the ball, and association football, or soccer, which banned the use of the hands.

At first soccer was played mostly in private schools and universities, but before long people of the working classes picked up the sport. The FA Cup, a tournament first organized in 1871, sparked the rapid spread of soccer in England. (The tournament, which is still played, climaxes with the annual Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London.) An 1872 game in Glasgow, Scotland, between an English all-star team and its Scottish counterpart marked the beginning of international play. In 1885 the FA recognized the legitimacy of professional players and regular league play started in England in 1888.

Soccer's global spread began in the late 1800s, when British traders, sailors, and soldiers carried the sport all over the world. Germans, Italians, and Austrians were eager converts in Europe, while Argentines, Uruguayans, and Brazilians took quickly to the sport in South America. FIFA was formed in 1904. By 1930 professional leagues were operating in many countries, and that year FIFA organized the first World Cup in Uruguay.

One nation that long resisted soccer was the United States. Soccer was played in the United States, mostly among immigrants, but it was not until the 1970s that a national professional league gained some popularity. The North American Soccer League (NASL), founded in 1968, earned a devoted following thanks in part to the import of players such as Brazilian star Pelé, and by 1980 the league had 24 teams. But the league was not financially sound, and in 1984 it went out of business. However, the NASL left a legacy of growing American involvement in the sport at the youth level. By the 1990s soccer was the fastest-growing college and high school sport in the United States.

The growing number of players in the United States attracted sponsorship for the sport, and faith in its future was recognized by FIFA when it granted the USSF the right to organize the 1994 World Cup. The event proved to be a great success, attracting nearly 3.6 million attendees over the course of its 52 games. This strong show of support led to the formation of Major League Soccer, which brought top-level soccer back to the United States two years later.

A new U.S. women’s professional league, the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), started up in 2001. The league, which was formed after the great success of the Women’s World Cup in 1999, showcased many of the top female players from around the world. The eight-team league lasted three seasons before financial problems forced it to shut down after the 2003 season.

In 2002 two countries shared World Cup hosting duties for the first time, as Japan and South Korea teamed up for the first World Cup to be held in Asia. Germany was selected to host the 2006 World Cup. China was named host of the 2003 Women’s World Cup, but the competition was moved to the United States after severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) emerged as a serious health problem in China.


Contributed By:
Darius