Soccer is one of the most popular games in the world and it is played by people in all age groups. Although the level of play and age of player will sometimes lead to slight changes in the rules, the main objectives and regulations of the game remain identical.
Logistics
A soccer field at the professional level will measure between 70 and 80 yards in width and 110 and 120 yards in length. Because youth games are generally played on fields that are smaller, the actual size of the fields may vary.
Each soccer goal is 8 feet tall and 24 feet long. The rectangular box located directly in front of the goal is known as the penalty area. It measures 18 yards in length and 44 yards in width. This is the only area in which the goalie is permitted to play the ball with his hands. If any offensive player is fouled while inside the penalty area, the referee will award a penalty to the player that was fouled.
The soccer ball is round. It weighs between 14 and 16 oz. and has a total circumference of 27 to 28 inches.
Players
In soccer, each team fields a total of 11 players. This includes 10 players on the field and one goalkeeper. A team can place their players anywhere on the field. The player formations are completely dependent on what type of a style the team chooses to play with. The most common formation includes two or three forwards, three or four players at midfield and four defenders.
The official rules of soccer state that each teammate must wear an identical jersey, making one team easily distinguishable from the other. To determine the goaltender as such, he must wear a jersey that is a different color from his teammates.
Every player on the field is required to wear the proper protective equipment. This equipment includes items such as shinguards, socks and footwear. Shinguards must provide the player with a reasonable amount of protection and must be made of hard plastic or another similar material. Typically, a shinguard will stretch from right under the knee to the ankle.
Game Rules
Every soccer game begins with a kickoff. Once the game has begun, players from each team attempt to move the ball forward towards the goal of their opponent. A player can touch the ball with any part of her body other than the arms and hands.
Kicking the ball into the goal of the opposing team is the objective of the game. In order for a goal to be valid, the soccer ball must cross the goal line in its entirety.
If a team kicks or hits the ball over the out-of-bounds sideline, the opposing team is given a throw-in. The throw-in the only time in which a player is allowed to touch the ball with her hands. While standing in the out-of-bounds area, a player uses her hands to hoist the ball over her head and throw it on to the field.
If the team that is on defense knocks the ball out-of-bounds over the goal line, the attacking team is granted a corner kick. A corner kick is simply a free kick that can be taken from any corner located on the field.
The defensive team is allowed to take a goal kick in situations in which the attacking team kicks the ball out-of-bounds. A goal kick is taken from the goal box.
The total length of a soccer game is 90 minutes, played in two 45-minute halves. There are no timeouts whatsoever and the clock does not stop for any reason. A referee has the ability to add additional time to the game if she feels that too much time has passed with no play.
When the game comes to an end, the team that has the highest number of goals scored is declared the winner. Soccer does not use an overtime system. If the teams are tied at the end of the 90 minutes, the game is considered a draw.
Member Comments