THE GAME OF SoCCER The game of soccer or association football as it is properly called is the world s most popular team sport Virtually every country on Earth plays the game It has been estimated that at the turn of the 21st century there were some 240 mil lion soccer players around the globe and more than 1 3 billion fans One of the reasons that soccer is so appealing is because of its simplicity A ball and a bit of open space are all that is required to play and there is really only one essential rule players cannot touch the ball with their hands Many people are drawn to the athletic skill and quick thinking that soccer requires Brazil s Pelé perhaps Soccer teams line up in a generally standard forma tion though variations are used to increase offense and defense Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc IO
THE GAME OF SoCCER Corner A corner It maximum width 80 yd 73 m minimum width Toyd 64 m goal area o 6 yd flag flag 20 yd 18 3 m 5 5 m penalty area 18 yd 44 yd 40 2 m 16 5 m OY 0 0 0 oo 0 0 halfway line left е е 10yd 9 1 m O O outside inside inside outside left O right right forward forward center forward forward forward OO left halfback center right halfback halfback left fullback O N right fullback penalty kick mark Corner flag goalo goalkeeper Corner flag Byrd 73 m 8ft 2 4 m high II
SoCCER AND ITS GREATEST PLAYERS the greatest player the sport has ever known called soccer the beautiful game Rules established by the Fédération Internationale de Association Football FIFA the worldwide governing body of soccer require that soccer be played on a rectangular field between 100 and 130 yards 90 and 120 meters long and between 50 and 100 yards 45 and 90 meters wide For inter national matches the field is 110 to 120 yards 100 to 110 meters long and 70 to 80 yards 64 World renown goalkeeper Petr Cech of the Czech Republic slides into action during the FIFA 2010 World Cup qualifier match against Northern Ireland on Oct 14 2009 Having sustained a near fatal bead injury in 2006 Cech wears not only the standard goalie garb but protective headgear as well Alexander Hassenstein Getty Images I2
THE GAME OF SoCCER to 73 meters wide A goal 8 yards 17 3 meters wide and 8 feet 2 4 meters high is placed at each end of the field The lines marking the sides of the field are the touchlines those on either end are the goal lines The field has distinctive markings for the halfway line the goal areas the penalty areas the corners and the center circle The uniforms usually consist of shorts a shirt with a number socks shoes with cleats and shin guards Goalkeepers typically wear padded shorts and gloves and must wear a shirt that is noticeably different from the other players The ball is a round inflated rubber blad der covered with leather or some other approved material It measures between 27 and 28 inches 68 and 70 centimeters in cir cumference and weighs between 14 and 16 ounces 4IO and 450 grams How THE GAME Is PLAED The purpose of the game is to propel the ball into the opponents goal using only the feet head or body Only the goalkeepers can touch the ball with their hands The team scoring the most goals wins There are 11 players to a team a goalkeeper and ten field players 13
