Soccer and volleyball are both team sports that are popular sources of exercise, entertainment and recreation for children and adults. Both are non-contact sports and can be played either indoors or outdoors. As popularity for both sports increases, parks and recreation centers include soccer goals and volleyball nets as standard equipment. Soccer is much more popular around the world and offers its players a variety of professional career opportunities. The two sports differ with regard to equipment used, objective and popularity.
Equipment
Volleyballs are generally 25.6 to 26.4 inches in circumference and weigh between 9.1 and 9.8 oz. An indoor volleyball court is 59 feet long and 29.5 feet wide. An outdoor volleyball court is about 52 ½ feet long and 26 ¼ feet wide. The court is divided into equal parts by a net with opposing teams of six players on each side during indoor completion and two players during outdoor games. Soccer balls are approximately 27 to 28 inches in circumference and weigh between 14 and 16 oz. Soccer fields are about 130 yards long and 100 yards wide. Soccer goals are placed at opposite ends of the field. Eleven soccer players per team play on the field at one time.
Objective
The most obvious difference between the two sports is that soccer players use their feet to handle the ball and score points while volleyball players generally use their hands. The objective of volleyball is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it so that the other team will not be able to return the ball. Soccer players score points by kicking the ball into the other team's goal. Soccer games usually are divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. Volleyball games are not time limited but instead end at a certain score.
Positions
The six volleyball players are arranged into two rows of three players. Attackers and blockers are in the front row along with the setter. The passer begins the offensive game by setting up the play for the team. Volleyball players in the back row are passers or diggers. There are four basic soccer positions. The goalkeeper defends the goal and stops the other team from kicking the ball into the net. Fullbacks help to defend the goal and try to stop the other team from scoring. Forwards try to score points and midfielders help either the offensive or defensive players.
Popularity
Soccer, known globally as football, is one of the most popular sports in the world. Professional soccer teams play throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and America. David Beckham is currently an internationally known soccer player and celebrity. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association boats that the World Cup is the world's most televised sporting event. Opportunities to play volleyball professionally are more limited, with the sport being more popular among high school and college teams. Both sports are part of the Olympics.
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