FIFA World Cup Germany 2006
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The sport called football in most the rest of the world is called soccer in the United States and a few other countries. The official English name of the sport is Association football. The origin of the word soccer is a slang abbreviation of Association.
Two teams of eleven players on each side contend to get a spherical ball into the other team's goal. The side which does this the most frequently is the winner. The primary rule for this objective is that nearly all players cannot use their hands or arms in any way while on the field.
The game is presided over by a referee, whose decisions are final, assisted by two linesmen, now officially referred to in these days of PC as referee's assistants. In many games a replacement is available, and he or she is commonly known as the fourth official
Each team has a goal keeper that is allowed to touch the ball with his arms and shoulders when he is standing within the outer marked area around the home goal, which is called the penalty area (aka the "box"). The penalty area or the 18 yards box, has limits set twelve yards to each side of the goal, and 18 yards in front of it.
The ten outfield players on either side are not allowed to touch the ball with their arms or shoulders whilst the ball is in play, but may however play it with any other part of their anatomies. The sole exception to this is when the ball is kicked out of play and a throw in results.
A number, (variable by league and nation), of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The usual reasons for a player's replacement include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or to waste a little time at the end of a finely poised game.
According to FIFA regulations the length of the football field for international matches should be in the range (100-110 metres) and the width should be in the range 64-75 metres. (For other matches the constraints are looser: 90-120 metres length by 45-90 metres width.)
The pitch is divided at the centre: this is the halfway line. Exactly halfway across the halfway line is the centre spot (this is where the ball commences play from). A circle is drawn around the centre spot, the centre circle which has a radius of 10 yards from the centre spot.
At either end of the pitch is a goal. This is a letterbox-shaped receptacle with a net behind it whose dimensions are: 8 feet in height and 24 feet in width. Two boxes are marked out on the pitch in front of the goal. The smaller box, which is laid out to surround the goal at an equal distance of 6 yards is to denote where the goalkeeper is to take goal kicks from. The outer box is known as the penalty area or the 18 yards box, and is set twelve yards to each side of the goal, and 18 yards in front of it. A small semicircle is also drawn at the edge of the penalty area, the D. This is an exclusion zone for all players other than the one taking the kick in the event of a penalty being awarded.
The penalty spot is immediately in the middle of and 12 yards in front of the goal.
In each corner of the pitch a small quarter circle with a 1 yard radius is drawn where corner kicks are taken from.
Ordinarily a match lasts 90 minutes (two halves - 45 minutes each) plus 2-5 minutes of injury time. Some games, particularly knock-out competition matches, provide for extra time in the event of a tied result at the end of normal time. Other variations on a theme such as the golden goal or penalty shoot-outs may also be involved in concluding a game.
The official rules of the game are laid down by FIFA (available here) and are known as the Laws of Football.
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The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. The World Cup competition takes place over a two year period. Over 160 national teams compete in regional qualifying tournaments for a place in the finals. The final tournament which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a 4 week period.
The major club event in Europe is the Champions League
In many countries (mainly in South America and Europe) football is not only a sport but also a way of life. Millions of people go to see the matches each weekend. This has a bad side, as groups of fanatics have often caused disturbances and sometimes tragedies (see hooligans and Football War).