Friday, August 6, 2010

Getting to know soccer better

The popular game of soccer is played in most countries worldwide at high professional levels as well as by those who take it up as a hobby. Soccer is a game meant to be played by two opposing teams using a ball. Referred to as soccer in the United States, it is better known as football in most other countries. The game has turned into a sort of craze with formations of various leagues and championships. The highest level of competition in soccer aka football known as World Cup Football is conducted by FIFA, an international body that organizes the competition once in every four years with participation from many leading countries.
Where and how is soccer played?
Basically, a game of soccer is played in a rectangle-shaped field, where the length is always more than the width. A typical soccer field is marked out into certain categories, such as the goal stands, certain fixed areas meant for penalty to players, and corners. The ball used in soccer is a hard, big, and spherical in shape. Each of the two teams comprise of 11 members including the goalkeeper. A strict rule in a game of soccer is that players are not supposed to touch the ball with their hands except for the goalkeepers. The players can either kick the ball with their legs or use their head and chest to move the ball forward. Essentially in a game of soccer, one team tries to move the ball by kicking to the opposite team’s goal stand where a goal keeper of the opposite team is standing to prevent the entry of the ball into the goal stand. If any of the team members are successful in kicking the ball into the opposite team’s goal stand that is protected by a net as well as a goalkeeper, then the team gets to win a point.
Strategies in the game
Usually, one gets to see plenty of action and thrill while the game is being played that lasts for a duration of one and half hours divided into two halves of 45 minutes each with a break in between consisting of 15 minutes. Beginning with a kick-off to the ball, the two teams set to dribble, kick, and pass the ball forward, each team member trying to propel the ball towards the opposition netted goal stand protected by a goalkeeper. Various strategies are applied by the two teams to outdo each other and gain points. If one team appears to be on the defensive then the opposite teams works out strategies that make them aggressive in their play. In the process of passing the ball, if one of the players kicks too hard resulting in the ball going out of the boundary mark, then any one of the opposite team member is awarded with an incentive in the form of getting to throw the ball with hands. Positions taken by team members in a game of soccer are carefully thought out strategies that include positions such as mid-field, defensive line etc. There is a variety of terminologies used in the game of soccer such as corner kick, offside, penalty points etc.
Who is the boss in soccer?
The usual norm is for the referee to blow a whistle at the start of the game and also when any rule is broken or a point awarded. The referee’s job is to oversee fair play in the game and shells out penalty to players such as yellow cards and red cards for breaking rules of the game.
For soccer equipment, visit wsports.com.

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