SOCCER

Team Sports—Columbus North High School

History: It is impossible to say accurately when and where the game of soccer started, but it is reasonable to
assume that some type of ball game from which the organized game we know today developed, has been played
some where on the planet for over 3000 years. Today, the game of soccer is extremely popular all over the
world, especially in Europe and Central/South America. Throughout the rest of the world, soccer is known as
futball (football). One of the most exciting and important soccer events is the World Cup, which takes place
every four years.

Soccer is a game of continuous action and constantly changing possession. It is a team game in which each
player is clearly an individual with a style and skill all his own. Watching soccer games presents no problem be-
cause the rules (with the exception of the offside rule) are straightforward and easy to follow.

Each team has eleven players who try to get the ball into their opponent’s goal. The full size ball measures
between 27 and 28 inches in circumference (an inch less than a basketball), but a smaller 24-inch ball is avail-
able for players of ten years and under. One member of each team, the goalkeeper, guards the 8-yard-by-8-
yardf goal, and he is allowed to use his hands within his own penalty area. The other ten players are not al-
lowed to use their hands at all. Players’ equipment consists of shirt, shoes (either cleats or tennis shoes), and
socks. Some players use shin guards inside their socks, and some goalkeepers wear gloves.
The game is usually played in two 45-minute halves with a 5-10 minute interval, but shorter periods, 30
minute halves are recommended for younger players. Play is controlled by single referee assisted buy two
linesmen or in a college and high school games, by two referees.

The players control and move the ball with their feet, their legs, their heads– in fact almost any part of their
body except the hands and arms. If during play, the ball goes over the sideline and was last played buy a mem-
ber of Team A, it is put back into play by a throw-in taken by a member of Team B. Here the hands are used,
but the players is standing outside the field of play when he makes the throw.

If the ball goes over the goal line (other than into the goal) and was last played by the attacking team, it is
put into play with a goal kick. The ball is placed within the goal area and kicked up-field by a member of the
defending team (often but not always the goalkeeper). If the ball was last played by a member of the defend-
ing team, the ball is put into play with a corner kick by the attacking team.

There are nine major fouls in soccer. Four of them involve sue of the hands: handling the ball, holding,
pushing, or striking an opponent. Two involve use of the body: charging an opponent violently and/or danger-
ously, and charging from behind. Contact by a shoulder charge is permitted. Three major fouls involve use of
the feet: tripping, kicking, or jumping at an opponent. After any of these fouls, the offending team players
must back off at least 10 yards from the ball during the direct kick. The kicker can score as goal directly
from such a kick.

If one of the nine-major fouls is committed by the defending team in its own penalty area, the attacking
team is awarded a penalty kick. The ball is placed on the penalty spot, and a player of the attacking team
takes a sot at the goal with only the goalkeeper to beat, all other players of both teams, must be outside the
penalty area and penalty arc. The goalkeeper is not allowed to move his feet until the ball has been kicked. In
There are a number of minor offenses such as obstructing an opponent and arguing with the referee. Minor offenses are
penalized with an indirect free kick against the offending team. During an indirect free kick, the kicker cannot score a
goal directly. He or she must kick the ball to another player first.

Among the offenses for which an indirect free kick is awarded is offside. Offside is the one soccer rule that may at first be dif-
ficult to grasp. Briefly, an attacking player is offside at the moment the ball is passed to him if he is 1) ahead of the ball near
his opponent’s goal line 2) there are fewer than two opponents between him and the goal line and 3) he is in his opponents half
of the field. The difficulties of the offside rule arise from the fact that it is not the player’s position when he gets the ball that
matters, but where eh was when the pass to him was made. A player cannot be offside if he receives the ball from an opponent
or directly from a goal kick, corner, kick, or throw-in.

SOCCER TERMS:
1 Center—to pass the ball from a wide position on the field into the penalty area
2. Charge—pushing the opponent off balance legally by shoulder to shoulder contact
3. Clear— A throw or kick by the goalkeeper or a kick by the defender in an attempt to get the ball away from the goal
4. Defender—primarily a defensive player who assists the goalkeeper in protecting the goal
5. Dribble—a way of advancing the ball past defenders by a series of short taps with one or both feet
6. Forward—primarily an attacking player whose responsibility is to create and score goals.
7. Goalkeeper—the last line of defense. The only player who can use his hands within the field of play and he is limited to \
using his hands only within the penalty area.
8. Half-Volley—kicking the ball just as it is rebounding off the ground.
9. Hands—intentionally touching the ball with the hands or arms
10. Heading—a method of scoring, passing and controlling the ball by making contact with the head
11. Linkman—another name for midfielder
12. Lob—a high, soft kick taken on the volley. Lifting the ball over the heads of the opponents
13. Marking—guarding an opponent
14. Midfielder—is both an offensive and defensive player who is responsible for linking the forwards and defenders
15. Obstructing—preventing the opponent from going around a player by standing in hi path
16. Save—the goalkeeper stopping an attempted goal by catching or deflecting the ball away from the goal
17. Screen—retaining possession and protecting the ball by keeping your body between the ball and the opponent
18. Sliding Tackle—attempting to take the ball away from the opponent by sliding on the ground
19. Striker—a central forward position on the team with a major responsibility for scoring goals
20. Tackling—attempting to take the ball away from an opponent when both players are playing the ball with their feet
21. Trap—controlling a ball passed close to the player by means of the feet, thighs, or chest
22. Volley—kicking the ball while it is in flight
23. Wall Pass—a pass to a teammate followed by a first time return pass, for you to collect on the other side of the opponent
24. Wing—an area of the field near the touchline
25. Winger—name given to the right and left outside forwards