Known simply as football in Europe, soccer is the word to distinguish this popular game from the American football. Soccer and American football are actually two very different games with different rules and philosophy. For example, while in soccer the use of hands and arms to touch the ball are strictly forbidden, in American football hands are used on a frequent basis. And if in the American football the physical force is one of the main advantages, in soccer the stress is on the technique, mastered by the player. Of course, both games have their fans.
Soccer is a team sport. For a soccer game there need to be two teams with a minimum of six and maximum of eleven players each that play on a special football playground covered with artificial turf. There are two goals located in the two opposite short ends centrally. The objective of the game is that the ball is driven to the opposite team's goal.
In each team there is one player who is a goalkeeper. He is the only one allowed to touch the ball with hands or arms. Depending on a strategy, in each team there are a different number of offensive and defensive players. Generally, the team which scores the most goals is the one that wins the game. If at the end of the game the two teams are having even score, then some extra time is given by the judge. As a rule, each soccer game requires a main referee and two assistant referees which make a trio of referees for each game.
There are many rules in soccer. For misconduct and breaking the rules, which are listed in Law12, there are different penalties, such as direct or indirect free kick or a penalty kick. When the referee shows a player a yellow card - it is a caution for misconduct. If the card is red - the player is sent off. When a player is sent off by a red card, the team remains with one player short till the end of the game.
Soccer is considered today the most popular game in the world. Though officially it is accepted that soccer was invented in England, as a rule, the best soccer teams come from England, Italy and Brazil. Actually, historical sources say that a game similar to soccer existed in the antiquity in China, Ancient Greece and Rome but this fact is not common knowledge.
The recognized governing body of football or soccer is FIFA - the International Federation of Football Associations which is based in Zurich. It comprises the Asian Football Confederation, the Confederation of African Football, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, the Union of European Football Associations, the Oceania Football Confederation and the South American Football Confederation.
The most important competition in the world of football is the World Cup, held in every 4 years. The 2010 World cup will be held in South Africa. Other important competitions are: the European Championship, Copa America, the African Cup of Nations, the Asian Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the OFC Nations Cup.
Soccer is a team sport. For a soccer game there need to be two teams with a minimum of six and maximum of eleven players each that play on a special football playground covered with artificial turf. There are two goals located in the two opposite short ends centrally. The objective of the game is that the ball is driven to the opposite team's goal.
In each team there is one player who is a goalkeeper. He is the only one allowed to touch the ball with hands or arms. Depending on a strategy, in each team there are a different number of offensive and defensive players. Generally, the team which scores the most goals is the one that wins the game. If at the end of the game the two teams are having even score, then some extra time is given by the judge. As a rule, each soccer game requires a main referee and two assistant referees which make a trio of referees for each game.
There are many rules in soccer. For misconduct and breaking the rules, which are listed in Law12, there are different penalties, such as direct or indirect free kick or a penalty kick. When the referee shows a player a yellow card - it is a caution for misconduct. If the card is red - the player is sent off. When a player is sent off by a red card, the team remains with one player short till the end of the game.
Soccer is considered today the most popular game in the world. Though officially it is accepted that soccer was invented in England, as a rule, the best soccer teams come from England, Italy and Brazil. Actually, historical sources say that a game similar to soccer existed in the antiquity in China, Ancient Greece and Rome but this fact is not common knowledge.
The recognized governing body of football or soccer is FIFA - the International Federation of Football Associations which is based in Zurich. It comprises the Asian Football Confederation, the Confederation of African Football, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, the Union of European Football Associations, the Oceania Football Confederation and the South American Football Confederation.
The most important competition in the world of football is the World Cup, held in every 4 years. The 2010 World cup will be held in South Africa. Other important competitions are: the European Championship, Copa America, the African Cup of Nations, the Asian Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the OFC Nations Cup.