Soccer is a relatively easy game to both understand and play, especially when comparing soccer with American sports. The fundamental object of soccer is for one team to score more goals than the other team. Goals may only be scored by putting the soccer ball into the opposing team’s net. Each goal is worth one point, and can be scored utilizing any part of the body except for the arms and hands.
A regulation soccer field is very similar to a U.S. football field with respect to dimensions. A soccer field is generally betweeen 50-100 yards wide and 100-130 yards long. At each end of the soccer field there is a net that forms an opening 24 feet across and 8 feet high that denotes the goal. Located at the four individual corners of the field are flags that indicate when the soccer ball is out of bounds. Soccer games commence with a coin toss in which the home team chooses heads or tails. The team that wins the coin toss is permitted to decide either which team will kick off or which side of the field the respective soccer teams will play.
A soccer team is made up of 11 players, and consists of a goalkeeper, defenders, midfield, and front line. The goalkeeper is primarily responsible for blocking goal attempts made by the opposing team, and is the only soccer player that is permitted to touch the ball with his hands. Althought the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the soccer ball, he can not use his hands outside of the “penalty box.” In soccer, the penalty box is an area inside the net that starts from the goal line and is 18 yards deep. A goalkeeper is also not permitted to utilize his hands if the soccer ball is intentionally passed to him by one of his own players.
The four soccer players directly in front of the goalkeeper are referred to as defenders. Their main responsibility is to keep the soccer ball from getting anywhere near the net. Defenders consist of a full back on the left and right side with a center back in the middle. Playing directly behind the center back is the sweeper.
Immediatley in front of the defenders are the three soccer players known as the midfield. The left-half, right-half, and center-half are responsible for passing the soccer ball amongst themselves and getting the ball to the forward so that he may score a goal. The forward is a member of the front line on a soccer team, and is known for his speed and ability to score. The front line is made up of a left-wing, right-wing, forwards, and center-forwards.
Unlike most American sports, international soccer rules mandate that only two player substitutions are allowed per game. Furthermore, any player who is pulled out of the soccer game is not permitted to re-enter the event. Along with soccer’s basic and easy to comprehend rules, this exciting element of the game reveals why soccer is the world’s most popular sport.
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