Association football
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Association football
An attacking player (No. 10) attempts to kick the ball past the opposing team's goalkeeper and between the goalposts to score a goal
Highest governing body FIFA
Nickname(s) Football, soccer, footy/footie, "the beautiful game", "the world game"
First played Mid-19th century Britain
Characteristics
Contact Yes
Team members 11 per side
Mixed gender Yes, separate competitions
Categorization Team sport, ball sport
Equipment Football
Venue Football pitch
Olympic 1900
Association football, commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball. It is the world's most popular sport.[1][2][3]
The game is played on a rectangular grass, or green artificial turf, field, with a goal in the centre of each of the short ends. The object of the game is to score by driving the ball into the opposing goal. In general play, the goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms, while the field players typically use their feet to kick the ball into position, occasionally using their torso or head to intercept a ball in midair. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout, depending on the format of the competition.
The modern game was codified in England following the formation of The Football Association, whose 1863 Laws of the Game created the foundations for the way the sport is played today. Football is governed internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football), commonly known by the acronym FIFA. The most prestigious international football competition is the FIFA World Cup, held every for year.
Etymology
See also: Names for association football
The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as an Oxford "-er" abbreviation of the word "association",[5] often credited to former England captain Charles Wreford-Brown.[6]
Today the sport is known as football in English-speaking countries in which it is the most popular football code; where other codes are more popular, the sport is more commonly referred to as soccer. Non-English-speaking countries predominantly use a variation of football, such as French le football, Spanish fútbol, Portuguese futebol or German Fußball. (Though a notable exception to this rule is the Italian Calcio.)
Gameplay
A goalkeeper saving a close-range shot from inside the penalty areaFootball is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game. The game is played using a single spherical ball, known as the football. Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain.
The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms.[7] Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though the ball cannot be received in an offside position.
In typical game play, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling, passing the ball to a team-mate, and by taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.[8]
A goalkeeper dives to stop the ball from entering his goalAt a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2005–06 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.48 goals per match.[9] The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper,[10] but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals; defenders, who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball in order to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, in order to discern them from the single goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends most time. For example, there are central defenders, and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time.[11] The layout of a team's players is known as a formation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager.
Manchester United F.C.
Full name : Manchester United Football Club
Nickname : The Red Devils
Founded : 1878, as Newton Heath LYR F.C.
Ground : Old Trafford
(Capacity: 75,957[2])
Owner : Glazer family
Co-chairmen Joel & Avram Glazer
Manager : Alex Ferguson
League: Premier League
2009–10 Premier League, 2nd
ges, or machines
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