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Soccer is a popular sport played all over the world. Even though it
has only been popular in North America for the past 30 years, soccer has
been a long time favorite most everywhere else. It is the national sport of
most European and Latin-American countries, and of many other nations.
Millions of people in more than 140 countries play soccer. The sport dates
back to the Egyptians, who played games involving the kicking of a ball.
Now, the sport has grown to a global pastime, including men s and women s
teams, and the World Cup (which is played every four years). History and
Origins Games similar to soccer were played in China as early as 400 BC. In
about 200 AD the Romans played a game in which two teams tried to score
by advancing a ball across a line on the field. The Romans passed the ball to
one another but they never kicked it. London children in about 1100 played
a form of soccer in the streets.
During the 1800's the people of England played a game similar to
soccer. Many rules changed and each person interpreted the rules
differently. The modern version came about in the early nineteenth century,
in England. It started as a game involving kicking and handing, but later this
branched off into two separate sports: rugby and football (which is what the
English call soccer). In 1848 a group of school representatives met at
Trinity College in Cambridge and drew up the first of soccer rules. In 1863
English soccer clubs founded the Football Association. By the late 1800's
soccer began to spread to the rest of the world. The Canadian Soccer
Association was established in 1912 while the United States Soccer
Federation was set up in 1913. The first World Cup Championship was in
Montevideo, Uruguay. Since then it has been played every four years except
during WWII. The North American Soccer League (NASL) was formed in
1968 and the sport began to gain popularity in the 1970 s.
Modern Game and Rules The modern game of soccer has a simple
goal: kick or head the ball in to the goal of your opponent s team. Basically,
there is also one simple rule: No one except the goalkeeper may use they re
hands to play the ball. Soccer is a simplistic sport. Eleven members of each
team defend their side of the field to prevent the ball from being forced into
their goal, which results in a point scored by the team kicking the ball.
There are only three officials involved during play: The referee, and two
linesmen. The equipment used in soccer is also very simple. In addition to
the field itself, all that is needed for a game is two goals (eight feet high and
eight yards apart) and a ball. Each player wears hard plastic or padded shin
guard, covered by long socks, for protection during play. Cleats are also
worn for traction on the field. A goalie may also wear a special padded shirt,
and gloves to protect his or her hands.
A standard field, as regulated by the Federation International de
Football Association (or FIFA), has a length between 100 and 130 yards,
and a width of between 50 and 100 yards. The rules of play for soccer have
deliberately been kept simple. The referee makes most of the decisions, and
attempts to encourage fair play. A soccer game begins with a kickoff in the
center of the field. A coin is flipped to decide which team will kickoff. The
other team kicks off at the start of the second half when the teams switch
sides or nets.