Soccer

Soccer is my biggest fave sport, and when it comes to teams, I have no real favorite team. I'm pretty partial to English Premier League Soccer and Italian League Soccer(Serie A). My step dad once again has gotten me hooked on something else, English Premier League Soccer. God, he's awesome!!!! Some days, I wish I could have gone for the soccer team in high school, but my main worry is that my grade in math would have kept me benched. I know one thing for sure, English Premier League and Serie A Soccer has some really sexy guys playing on those teams.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer

Soccer:
-Played between 2 teams of 11 players
-Sometimes known as football or soccer, especially in countries like England
-Uses a spherical ball with black spots on it
-Also known as association football
-Played on a rectangular field of grass or green artificial turf or Astroturf
-Two goals at either end of the field
-The main point of the game is to get goals by driving the ball into the goal net
-The only ones allowed to touch the ball are the goalies. They an touch the ball with their hands. As for the players, they are not allowed to touch the ball, only with their heads or feet
-The winners are the team with the most points.
-Depending on the format of the competition, if both teams reach a tie, either a draw is declared, meaning the game will go into extra time or a penalty shootout.
-The Laws of the Game were originally invented in England in 1863and have been changing ever since. The governing body on soccer is FIFA. And ever y 4 years, the FIFA World Cup is held

Etymology
-The rules for soccer were created in England in 1863 by the Football Association. The name Association Football was created to distinguish it from sports like rugby football, which is more commonly played in places like Australia and New Zealand. The term soccer originated in England in the 1800s, as an Oxford-er abbreviation of the word association

Game play
-The rules this game goes by is referred to as the Laws of the Game. The game is played by using a white speherical ball, known as the football or soccer ball. 2 teams of 11 players each play and compete to gt the ball into the opponent's goal to score. The winner is the team that scores the most goals. If the game results in a tie, then it's considered a draw. Each team is headed by a Captain whose sole purpose is to start the coin toss prior to kick off or penalty kicks. The main goal is that goalkeepers may not intentionally handle the ball with their hands or arms during the game, but only to touch the ball during a throw in restart. Players mainly use their feet to travel the ball around the field, but they also may use other parts to travel the ball. In typical play, players try to create opportunities to score, such as dribbling, passing the ball to one another, and taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the goalie. Opponents may try to regain the ball through tackling, but physical contact between players is restricted. It's s pretty free play sport, the only time it stops is when the ball leaves the field or the referee comes in to report a breaking of the rules. After that, the game restarts.

-When it comes to professional level playing, the players are only able to score a few goals. The Laws of the Game have produced multiple roles in soccer, such as strikers, defenders, and midfielders. Strikers are the ones who score the goals. Defenders are the ones who prevent their opponents from scoring, and last but not least, midfielders are the ones who keep possession of the ball and pass it to the strikers on their team. The layout of a team is often referred to as formation and the formation and tactics of the team are usually created by the team's manager.

History
-The earliest known soccer game was said to be in China, which was called cuju. It dated back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries of China. But as for modern rules, those were thought to have originated in England, during the 1800s, or 19th century.
-The Cambridge Rules, drawn up at no surprise Cambridge University in 1848, were thought to be more influential on the rules of soccer. These rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting between Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. During the 1850s, many clubs were connected through the English speaking countries to establish various forms of football. In 1857, the Sheffield Football Club is the most known one, which was created by former students. Today, over 200 million people regularly play football, whether it be amateur(non professional) or professional. It's one of the more watched sports than others.

Laws
-There are 17 rules in the Laws of the Game. These laws apply to all levels of football. But there can be modifications made for women, people with disabilities, juniors, seniors. The most important one is offside. This prevents players from attacking to receive the ball when close to the goal line.

• Players, equipment and officials
• Each team consists of 11 players
• 1 must be the goalkeeper
• Goalkeepers or goalies are only allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area

• The basic equipment consists of a shirt, socks, shorts, footwear and adequate shin guards, Head wear is not required, but some players prefer it to avoid concussions. Players are forbidden from wearing anything that may harm another player, such as watches or jewelry. And as for the goalies, they must wear clothing that can distinguish them from the players and match officials

AC Milan. Serie A

• When it comes to substitutions, there must be a reason. Reasons include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or time wasting
• The game is ruled by the referee. who has full authority to enforce the laws, and whose decisions. 
• Pitch
• The dimensions of soccer are measured by imperial units. Since the laws were originated in England, the 4 British football associations within IFAB(International Football Association Board), the dimensions have become measured in imperial units.
• Pitch for adult matches is: 100-110m(110-120 yd), width in range is 64-75 m(70-80 yd). Non international matches may be 90-120 m(100-130 yds) length and for width it may be 45-90 m(50-100 yds) in width.
• The longer boundary lines are called touchlines while the shorter ones are called goal lines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (8 yds) apart while the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar must be 2.44 m (8ft) above the ground
• In front of each area it is called the penalty area. This area is marked by the goal line, which is 2 lines that extend from the goal line 16.5 m (18 yds) from the goal posts and extending 16.5 m (18yd) to the pitch perpendicular to the goal line.

• Duration and tie-breaking methods
• Standard adult game consists of 2 periods do 45 minutes each, known as halves. The clock stops when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15 minute half time break between the halves. The official timekeeper for the match is also the referee. They make make allowances for substitutions, injuries, other stoppages. The added time is referred to as injury time or stoppage time.
• In league competitions, games may end in a draw. But it may go into further time, extra time, consisting of 15 minute halves. Goals during extra time count towards final score.
• Ball in and out of play
• Kick Off: following goal by opposing team or to begin each period of play
• Throw In: wen the ball has crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to which that last touched the ball
• Goal Kick: when the ball has crossed the goal line all the way; without a goal being scored and having been touched by the attacking team
• Corner Kick: when the ball crosses the goal line all the way without a goal being scored and being touched by the defending team
• Indirect Free Kick: awarded to the opposing team following "Non penal" fouls
• Direct Free Kick: awarded to fouled team
• Penalty Kick: awarded to fouled team following a foul
• Dropped-Ball: occurs when referee stops play for any reason, such as injury to player, interference by outside party, or ball becoming defective
• Misconduct
• Fouls occur when player commits an offence according to the Laws of the Game. Offences include handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, pushing an opponent are examples of penal fouls. These are punishable by direct free kicks or penalty kicks. The referee may punish the offending player with either a yellow or red card. The yellow card means a caution while the red card means sending off. A player given a yellow card means he/she is booked, their name is written in the referee's notebook. If they have been sent off, they can have no substitutions.

Governing Bodies
-Here are some of the governing bodies of soccer, or football in some countries:
-Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
-Confederation of African Football (CAF)
-Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
-Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)
-Oceania Football Confederation (OCF)
-South America: Confederacion Sudamericana De Futbol/Confederacao Sul-Americana De Futbol (CONMEBOL)

David Beckham

International Competitions
-The main international competition is the World Cup.
-Happens every 4 years
-Over 190 teams from over 200 countries come together to play
-The finals tournament involves 32 teams competing over 4 weeks.
-The most recent one was held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, AC Milan, Serie A

Domestic Competitions
-The domestic competitions operate on a domestic season, meaning they operate on how many points they gain through the season.
-Teams are placed into tables, placing them in order of points they acquired.
-The top few teams may be promoted to higher divisions
-Teams at the top may be eligible for international playing
-Some divisions feature highly known players. In lower divisions and smaller countries, players will most likely be paired up with amateurs. There are 5 major European leagues: Premier League(England), La Liga(Spain), Serie A(Italy), The Bundesliga(Germany), Ligue 1(France).

Ronald Inho

Women's Association Football
-Women have been playing soccer since 1895 in North London. For women, it has been associated with charity games and physical exercise, specifically in the United Kingdom. This opinion began to change in the 1970s, with the breakthrough of organised women's association football.
-In 991, the FIFA Women's World Cup was started and has also been held every 4 years.

English Premier League Soccer

Serie A