What Is Soccer?

What Is Soccer? — page 1 — Let’s PLay soCCer Soccer is the world’s most popular team sport In most parts of the world the game is called football or association football Both men and women play soccer in schools clubs and on national and professional teams In a soccer game two teams compete to score more points which are called goals The players move the ball around a rectangular field usually by kicking it A team scores when it sends the ball Many people are drawn to the athletic skill and quick thinking that soccer requires 4

What Is Soccer? — page 2 — into the opposing team’s goal Games like soccer were played in China more than two thousand years ago Similar games were played in ancient Greece Rome Japan and Mexico But the modern game of soccer started in England in the nineteenth century Billions of people around the world watch teams from different countries compete in the World Cup The World Cup soccer tournament is the world’s most popular sports event Every four years teams from many countries compete for the World Cup Compare and Contrast How are team sports like individual sports In what ways are they different 5

What Is Soccer? — page 3 — FieLd and equiPment Soccer fields vary in size A field should be 100 to 130 yards 90 to 120 meters long and 50 to 100 yards 45 to 90 m wide Boundary lines called touchlines mark the sides of the field Goal lines mark the ends of the field A goal is located at each end of the field The goal is a For international soccer matches the field should be 110 to 130 yards long and 70 to 80 yards wide 6

What Is Soccer? — page 4 — frame that is 8 yards 7 3 m wide and 8 feet 2 4 m high It has a net on the top sides and back A soccer ball is round and filled with air Soccer teams have eleven players Each team tries to control the ball and move it toward the opponent’s goal Only one player on each team the goalkeeper can touch the ball with the hands and arms The other players can touch the ball with any other body part They usually move the ball with their feet Soccer uniforms are most often shorts a shirt with a number socks shoes with cleats and shin guards Think About It Why do you think goalkeepers are allowed to touch the ball with their hands 7

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