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Soccer is a game played by two teams on a rectangular field, with the object of driving the ball into the opponent's goal. The ball is controlled and advanced primarily by using the feet; only goalkeepers are allowed to handle the ball. All that is needed to play is an area of open space and a ball. Much of the world's soccer is played informally on patches of ground, without field marking or real goals. In many places, the game is played barefoot using rolled-up rags or newspapers as a ball. Soccer is the world's most popular sport, played by men and women of all ages, with millions of fans throughout the world. A chief reason for soccer's vast popularity is that it has proved to be among the most accessible and adaptable of the world's sports. Outside the United States, the game is commonly called football. The word soccer is a slang corruption of the abbreviation "assoc." Rules and Regulations The rules for soccer are formulated for worldwide use by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the governing body of international soccer. In the United States, youth leagues and high school and college teams may modify FIFA rules for their own play. Soccer's rules have deliberately been kept as simple as possible, and the referee is allowed wide discretion in applying them. Soccer is played by two teams of 11 players each. The size of the playing field may vary, with a length between 100 and 130 yd (90 and 120 m) and a width between 50 and 100 yd (45 and 90 m). The length of the field must always be greater than the width. At each end of the field is a goal comprising two upright posts 8 ft (2.44 m) high and 8 yd (7.32 m) apart spanned by a crossbar. Games normally consist of two 45-minute halves, though shorter halves-perhaps of 30 minutes-are played by youth teams. A referee on the field supervises the game, assisted by two linesmen who patrol the sidelines. The objective of the game is to force the ball-either by kicking it or by playing it with the forehead-into the opponent's goal. The team with the higher number of goals wins the game. If the game ends in a tie, overtime may be played. If the score is still tied at the end of overtime and a winner must be declared, as in tournament competitions, the game may be settled by a penalty kick shoot-out in which players from each team alternate in taking shots from 12 yd (11 m) at a goal defended by the opposing goalkeeper. Equipment The soccer ball is 27 to 28 in (68 to 71 cm) in circumference and weighs 14 to 16 oz (396 to 453 g). Players' uniforms consist of shirts, shorts, and socks in team colors. Goalkeepers wear jerseys in different colors to distinguish them from teammates and often wear special gloves to assist in handling the ball. Soccer shoes may have studs, or cleats, across the soles. The rules state that nothing shall be worn that may be dangerous to other players. Shin guards are compulsory, but no other protective equipment is permitted. Playing the Game With each team occupying one half of the field, play begins with a kickoff from the center spot. From that moment, the movement of the ball and the players is constant. The team in possession of the ball-the attacking team-tries to advance the ball by dribbling or passing. Changes of possession occur rapidly and frequently. The defending team tries to take possession by intercepting passes or by tackling the ball away from opponents. Tackles are made with the feet to strip the ball from an opponent's feet. Players may not kick, trip, or hold opponents. The punishment for these offenses, and for players other than the goalkeeper using the hands or arms to control the ball, is the awarding of a direct free kick to the opponents, to be taken at the point where the violation occurred. A goal may be scored directly from such a kick. If the offenses are committed by defenders within their own penalty area-an area 44 yd (40 m) wide and 18 yd (16.5 m) deep around the goal-the referee will award the attacking team a penalty kick. This is taken from the penalty spot, 12 yd from the goal, with only the goalkeeper to beat. Most penalty kicks result in goals. For lesser infringements, such as obstruction (a foul committed by a player who, while not trying to play the ball, intentionally obstructs an opponent), an indirect free kick, to be taken at the point where the violation occurred, is given by the referee. A goal cannot be scored directly from such a kick. The referee can issue official cautions to players for persistent foul play and may eject players from the game. The referee carries two colored cards, showing the yellow card when a player is cautioned and showing the red card for an ejection. An ejected player may not be replaced for that game by a substitute. The linesmen signal with small flags when the ball is out of play. The ball is returned to play by a member of the team that did not play it out; the player, standing outside the sideline, uses a two-handed, overhead throw known as a throw-in to put the ball into play. It is also the job of the linesmen to signal offside violations. A player is offside if, when receiving a forward pass from a teammate, there are not at least two opponents ahead of the receiver-that is, nearer the opponents' goal line. A player cannot be ruled offside when receiving the ball from a throw-in or if the player is in his or her own half of the field. The punishment for an offside violation is an indirect free kick awarded to the opposing team. Under FIFA rules, the game clock runs continuously throughout each half. There are no time-outs. The referee acts as the timekeeper and is empowered to add on time lost in treating injuries or as a result of deliberate time-wasting by players. Between three and five substitutes can be used by each team during a game, but once a player has been removed, that player cannot reenter the game. For collegiate and high school soccer in the United States, a sideline clock is used and time-outs can be called by the referee (but not by the coaches). College, high school, and youth leagues may also permit more substitutes than is specified by FIFA and may allow reentry. History Evidence from many ancient societies-Chinese, Greek, Mayan, and Egyptian-reveals that kicking games were played in those cultures. The modern game of soccer began in the 19th century in England, where a variety of football games developed, all of which involved both handling and kicking. At a meeting of the London Football Association (FA) in 1863, the game of football was split into rugby football (the parent sport of American football), in which handling and carrying the ball was allowed, and association football, which banned the use of the hands. The FA established the first set of rules for soccer, which was played at that time mostly in private schools and universities. Before long, soccer became widely played by people of the working classes, and in 1885 the FA reluctantly recognized the legitimacy of professional players. The FA Cup, a tournament first organized in 1871, sparked the rapid spread of soccer in England. (The tournament, which is still played, climaxes with the annual Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London.) Regular league play started in England in 1888. A game in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1872 between an English all-star team and its Scottish counterpart marked the beginning of international play. Soccer's global spread began at the end of the 19th century, when British traders, sailors, and workers carried the sport all over the world. Germans, Italians, and Austrians were eager converts in Europe, while Argentines, Uruguayans, and Brazilians took quickly to the sport in South America. By 1930 professional leagues were operating in many countries, and that year FIFA-formed in 1904-organized the first World Championship. Now known simply as the World Cup, the tournament is played every four years and has become the world's most popular sporting event. Olympic soccer competition-traditionally limited to amateur players-has been largely overshadowed by the World Cup and its professional players. In an attempt to invigorate soccer at the Olympic Games, eligibility requirements were modified in the 1980s to allow the use of professional players. Olympic players must be aged 23 or under, but each team is allowed to field three over-age players. One nation that long resisted soccer's appeal was the United States: Soccer was played, mostly among immigrants, but it was not until the 1970s that a national professional league gained some popularity. The North American Soccer League (NASL), founded in 1968, brought Brazilian star Pelé to the United States, and by 1980 the league had 24 teams. The NASL suffered financially, and in 1984 it went out of business. However, the league left a legacy of growing American involvement in the sport at youth level. By the 1990s, soccer was recognized as the fastest-growing college and high school sport in the United States. The Soccer Industry Council of America estimated that by 1994 there were more than 13 million boys and girls under the age of 18 who played soccer. The growing number of players in the United States attracted sponsorship backing for the sport, and faith in its future was recognized by FIFA when it granted the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) the right to organize the 1994 World Cup. The event proved to be a great success, attracting nearly 3.6 million spectators over the course of its 52 games. The increased American interest in soccer, sparked by the 1994 World Cup, led the USSF to announce plans for the formation of a new professional soccer league-to be called Major League Soccer (MLS)-scheduled to begin play in 1996.
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