Soccer also known popularly as football is an outdoor game played with a ball where two teams engage in a rectangular field. Every team has a goalpost erected behind the team members. The aim of the game is to deliver the ball by kicking it into the opponent team’s goal post where points are awarded for every goal. The winning team is the one that achieves the highest points by scoring the maximum number of goals.
Rules of the game
The game is not very easy as using hands to control the ball by players is strictly prohibited. Players use their feet, heads and bodies to control and move the ball towards the opposite goal. They are forbidden to use hands even to keep the ball out of their own goal. The goalkeeper of every team takes full charge of defending the team’s goal. He is the only player allowed to use his hands along with other body parts in handling the ball. Intentional touching the ball with hands is an offense, and in case of any such accidents by any team player, the referee blows his whistle and penalty is assigned to the team. The opposite team is awarded a penalty kick. However, in case of an accidental collision of an airborne ball with a player’s hand, the referee may pronounce it a ‘hand ball’. The opponent team might be given a free kick in this case. Certain other activities such as intentional kicking, holding or tripping, hurting any other player also calls for penalties.
The players can be penalized by awarding them yellow card which is a stern warning to refrain themselves from unprofessional behavior. In case a player continues to disrupt the game by unacceptable behavior he is given another yellow card or the red card. A red card or two yellow card symbolizes that the player cannot play in the match anymore and has to leave the field for his objectionable behavior. It also means that he cannot play the next subsequent match and has to sit in the bleachers.
Details of the game
Eleven players of each team are dressed uniformly matching the team’s color. The goalkeeper is dressed differently to stand out. The referee who regulates and watches the game is accompanied by a pair of linesmen walking along the sidelines and noting the team responsible for kicking the ball over the line. In such cases, the opponent team throws the ball back on the field towards the goal of the other team.
As the game begins with one team kicking off the ball from the designated center spot, the ball is constantly on a move till the referee blows his whistle. Rapid change in a team’s possession of the ball goes on during the game.
