Association football, more commonly known as
football or
soccer, is a
team sportTeam sport refers to sports that are practiced between opposing teams, where the players interact directly and simultaneously between them to achieve an objective. The objective generally involves teammates facilitating the movement of a ball or similar item in accordance with a set of rules, in...
played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical
ballA football is a ball used to play one of the various sports known as football.In the distant past, crude balls such as inflated pigs' bladders were used, but balls are now designed by teams of engineers to exacting specifications...
. Association football is the most popular
footballFootball is the name of several similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
variant worldwide, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world.
The game is played on a rectangular grass or
artificial turfArtificial turf, or Astroturf, is a man-made surface manufactured from synthetic made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
field, with a
goalGoal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface in which a score is made....
in the centre of each of the short ends. The object of the game is to score by driving the ball into the opposing goal. In general play, the goalkeepers are the only players allowed to use their hands or arms to propel the ball; the rest of the team usually use their feet to
kickKicking is a method used by many types of football, including:* Association football* Australian rules football* International rules football* American football* Canadian football* Gaelic football* Rugby league* Rugby union...
the ball into position, occasionally using their
torsoTorso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. It is sometimes referred to as the trunk. The torso includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
or head to intercept a ball in midair. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a
drawTo tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football...
is declared or the game goes into
extra timeExtra time is an additional period played in some sports codes if the score is tied at the end of normal time. In score notation, it is often denoted by the letters ET or AET, the latter of which stands for "after extra time"....
and/or a penalty shootout, depending on the format of the competition.
The modern game was codified in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
following the formation of
The Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, whose 1863
Laws of the GameThe Laws of the Game are the rules governing a game of association football. They are written and maintained by the International Football Association Board .-Current Laws of the Game:...
created the foundations for the way the sport is played today. Football is governed internationally by the
Fédération Internationale de Football AssociationThe International Federation of Association Football, commonly known by its French acronym, FIFA , is the international governing body of association football. Its headquarters are in Zürich, Switzerland, and its current president is Sepp Blatter...
(International Federation of Association Football), commonly known by the acronym FIFA. The most prestigious international football competition is the
FIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, held every four years. This event, the most widely viewed in the world, boasts an audience twice that of the
Summer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
.
Overview
Football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the
Laws of the GameThe Laws of the Game are the rules governing a game of association football. They are written and maintained by the International Football Association Board .-Current Laws of the Game:...
. The game is played using a single spherical ball, known as the
footballA football is a ball used to play one of the various sports known as football.In the distant past, crude balls such as inflated pigs' bladders were used, but balls are now designed by teams of engineers to exacting specifications...
. Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain.
The primary law is that players (other than
goalkeepersIn association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
) may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play (though they do use their hands during a
throw-inA throw-in is a method of restarting play in a game of Association football.-Award:A throw-in is awarded to the opponents of the team that last touched the ball, when the ball leaves the field of play by wholly crossing a side touch line .-Procedure:The throw-in is taken from the point where it...
restart). Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though the ball cannot be received in an
offsideOffside is a law in association football which effectively limits how far forward attacking players may be when involved in play. Broadly, a player cannot gain an advantage by waiting for the ball near the opposing goal when there are fewer than two opponents between him and the goal.- Application...
position.
In typical game play, players attempt to create goal scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by
dribblingIn sports such as football , basketball, bandy and water polo, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs , hands , stick or swimming strokes...
, passing the ball to a team-mate, and by taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the
refereeA referee presides over a game of association football. The referee has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" , and the referee's decisions regarding facts connected with play are final, so far as the result of the game is...
. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.
At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the
2005–06 seasonThe 2005-06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.48 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories:
strikerForwards, also known as attackers and strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
s, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals;
defendersWithin the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from scoring.There are four types of defender - centre back, sweeper, full back, and wing back.-Centre back:...
, who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and
midfielderIn association football, a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders. Their main functions are to dispossess the opposing team, to retain possession of the ball, and to feed it to the strikers, and perhaps, to score as well...
s, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball in order to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, in order to discern them from the single goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends most time. For example, there are central defenders, and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a
formationIn association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football....
. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's
managerIn sports, a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.- Staff :...
.
History
The modern rules of football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played at the public schools of England.
The Cambridge Rules, first drawn up at Cambridge University in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge Rules were written at
Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 160 Fellows ....
, at a meeting attended by representatives from
EtonEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent boarding school for boys aged approx. 13 to 19. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
,
HarrowHarrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London. Harrow has educated boys since 1243 but was officially founded by John Lyon under a Royal Charter of Elizabeth I in 1572....
,
RugbyRugby School, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, is regarded as one of the UK's leading co-educational boarding schools and is one of the oldest public schools in England.-History:...
,
WinchesterWinchester College is a famous boys' independent school, set in the city of Winchester in Hampshire, England, the ancient capital. Officially known as Collegium Sanctae Mariae prope Wintoniam , or St Mary's College near Winchester, the College is commonly referred to as "Win: Coll:" or just...
and
ShrewsburyShrewsbury School is a public school located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It is one of the Clarendon Schools, the original nine great English public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868, and is now a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Shrewsbury School...
schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the
Sheffield Football ClubSheffield Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Sheffield F.C., Sheffield Club or Sheffield, are an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The club are most noted for the fact that they are the world's oldest club now playing Association football, founded in 1857...
, formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of
Uppingham SchoolUppingham School is a co-educational independent school situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England.The school's current Headmaster, Richard Harman MA, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the school is a member of the Rugby Group of independent schools...
also devised an influential set of rules.
These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of
The Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
(The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in
Great Queen StreetGreat Queen Street is a street in central London, England in the West End. It is a continuation of Long Acre from Drury Lane to Kingsway. It runs from 1 to 44 along the north side, east to west, and 45 to about 80 along the south side, west to east...
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. The only school to be represented on this occasion was
CharterhouseCharterhouse, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse, is a collegiate independent boarding school between Hurtmore and Godalming in Surrey, England....
. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other
English rugby football clubs followed this leadThe history of rugby union follows from various football games played long before the 19th century, but it was not until the middle of that century that rules were formulated and codified....
and did not join the FA, or subsequently left the FA and instead in 1871 formed the
Rugby Football UnionThe Rugby Football Union is the rugby union governing body for men's rugby in England - women's rugby is currently administered by the Rugby Football Union for Women . Among the Union's chief activities are conferences, organising international matches, and educating and training players and...
. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of
Ebenezer Cobb MorleyEbenezer Cobb Morley was an English sportsman and is regarded as the father of The Football Association and modern Football....
, went on to ratify the original thirteen laws of the game. These rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to
Victorian rules footballAustralian football, also commonly referred to as Australian rules football, football, or Aussie rules, colloquially as footy, and historically as Australasian football or Victorian football, is a variant of football played between two teams of 18 players, plus four interchange players, outdoors on...
being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games.
The laws of the game are currently determined by the
International Football Association BoardThe International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
(IFAB). The Board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
of The Football Association, the
Scottish Football AssociationThe Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
, the
Football Association of WalesThe Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of both FIFA and UEFA.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
, and the
Irish Football AssociationThe Irish Football Association is the organising body for football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for the whole of the island...
. The world's oldest football competition is the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
, which was founded by
C. W. AlcockCharles William Alcock was an influential English sportsman and administrator. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of the FA Cup....
and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The
first official international football matchScotland v England was the first ever official international football match to be played. It was contested by the national teams of Scotland and England. The match took place on 30 November 1872 at West of Scotland Cricket Club's ground at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland...
took place in 1872 between Scotland and England in
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, again at the instigation of C. W. Alcock. England is home to the world's first
football leagueThe Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, which was founded in
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
in 1888 by
Aston VillaAston Villa Football Club is an English professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, who play in the Premier League. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of Football League in 1888...
director
William McGregorWilliam McGregor was an association football administrator in the Victorian era, who is regarded as the founder of the Football League, the first organised football league in the world...
. The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and the North of England. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the international football body, was formed in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the
International Football Association BoardThe International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
in 1913. The board currently consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations.
Today, football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Its simple rules and minimal equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in popularity.
In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world.
ESPNESPN is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....
has spread the claim that the
Côte d'Ivoire national football teamThe Côte d'Ivoire national football team , nicknamed Les Éléphants , is the national team of Côte d'Ivoire and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
helped secure a truce to the nation's civil war in 2005. By contrast, football is widely considered to be the final proximate cause in the
Football WarThe "Football" War , also known as the Soccer War or 100-hours War, was a four-day war fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. It was caused by political conflicts between Hondurans and Salvadorans, namely issues concerning immigration from El Salvador to Honduras...
in June 1969 between
El SalvadorEl Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as does Nicaragua further south. It has a population of approximately 5.7 million people as of 2009 on...
and
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
. The sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of the
Yugoslav warsThe Yugoslav Wars were a series of violent conflicts fought in former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the 1990s and 2001...
of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and
Red Star BelgradeFudbalski Klub Crvena Zvezda is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is sometimes known worldwide by translations of its Serbian name. Red Star Belgrade are the only Serbian club to have become European and World Champions having won the 1991 European Cup and 1991 Intercontinental Cup...
devolved into rioting in March 1990.
Laws
There are seventeen laws in the official
Laws of the GameThe Laws of the Game are the rules governing a game of association football. They are written and maintained by the International Football Association Board .-Current Laws of the Game:...
. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors, women and the physically challenged are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the
International Football Association BoardThe International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
, not FIFA itself. The most complex of the laws is
offsideOffside is a law in association football which effectively limits how far forward attacking players may be when involved in play. Broadly, a player cannot gain an advantage by waiting for the ball near the opposing goal when there are fewer than two opponents between him and the goal.- Application...
. The offside law limits the ability of attacking players to remain forward (i.e. closer to the opponent's goal line) of the ball, the second-to-last defending player (which can include the goalkeeper), and the half-way line.
Players, equipment and officials
Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding
substituteA substitute is a player in association football who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as bringing...
s), one of whom must be the
goalkeeperIn association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
. Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team; this is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are a variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws.
The basic equipment or
kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate
shin guardA shin guard, shin pad or sport greave, worn in front of the shins, is a piece of equipment commonly used in football, rugby, baseball, ice hockey and other sports where it is deemed necessary. Shin guards protect against a large range of very serious leg injuries...
s.
HeadgearAssociation football headgear is worn by association football players to protect the head from injury. The headgear is designed to absorb the impact of blows to the head by external physical forces in order to reduce the chance of a concussion, a noteworthy example in international football being...
is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials.
A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is three, though the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or
timewastingTimewasting in the context of sports refers to the actions of one team which expend time, but do not otherwise have a tactical purpose. This is usually done by a team that is winning by a slim margin near the end of a game, in order to reduce the time available for the opposing team to score...
at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match.
A game is officiated by a
refereeA referee presides over a game of association football. The referee has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" , and the referee's decisions regarding facts connected with play are final, so far as the result of the game is...
, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees. In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.
Pitch
As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB, the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate
metricSi, si, or SI may refer to :- Places :* Mount Si, a mountain in state of Washington* Si County, county in Anhui, China* Si River, a river in China* Slovenia, a European nation Si, si, or SI may refer to (all SI unless otherwise stated):- Places :* Mount Si, a mountain in state of Washington* Si...
equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though popular use tends to continue to use traditional units in English-speaking countries with a relatively recent history of
metricationMetrication refers to the introduction and use of the SI metric system, the international standard for physical measurements. This has involved a long process of independent and systematic conversions of countries from various local systems of weights and measures. Metrication began in France in...
, such as Britain.
The length of the pitch for international adult matches is in the range 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 91–120 m (100–130 yd) length and 45–91 m (50–101 yd) in width, provided that the pitch does not become square.
Since 2008, In order to standardize the size of the football pitch for A international matches, the IFAB has decided to set a fixed size of
105 m long and 68 m wide (instead of a minimum and maximum length – from 100 m to 110 m – and a minimum and a maximum width – from 64 m to 75 m – as mentioned in the present text). The longer boundary lines are
touchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are
goal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (8 yd) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws.
In front of each goal is an area known as the
penalty areaThe penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5 metres to each side of the goal and 16.5 metres in front of it...
. This area is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by a penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.
Duration and tie-breaking methods
A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time.
The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is commonly referred to as
stoppage time or
injury time, and is at the sole discretion of the referee. The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, toward the end of the half the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time he intends to add. The fourth official then informs the players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between
StokeStoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Founded in 1863, Stoke is the oldest club in the Premier League, and thought to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts County....
and
Aston VillaAston Villa Football Club is an English professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, who play in the Premier League. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of Football League in 1888...
. Trailing 1–0 and with just two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty. Villa's goalkeeper kicked the ball out of the ground, and by the time the ball had been recovered, the 90 minutes had elapsed and the game was over.
In league competitions, games may end in a draw, but in some knockout competitions if a game is tied at the end of regulation time it may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of
penalty shootoutsPenalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a draw in a game of association football...
(known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Goals scored during extra time periods count toward the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored in a penalty shootout not making up part of the final score).
In competitions using
two-legged matchIn sport , a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or legs, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs...
es, each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from the two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the
away goals ruleThe away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise tied...
may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg played away from home. If the result is still equal, kicks from the penalty mark are usually required, though some competitions may require a tied game to be replayed.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the IFAB experimented with ways of creating a winner without requiring a penalty shootout, which was often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (
golden goalThe golden goal is a method used to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during extra time to be declared the winner. The game finishes when a golden goal is scored. The...
), or if one team held a lead at the end of the first period of extra time (
silver goalThe silver goal was a method used in association football to decide the result of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regular time. A fifteen-minute extra time period is played, and if either team is leading at the conclusion of that period, that team wins the match....
). Golden goal was used at the World Cup in
1998The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as hosts by FIFA on 1 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and
2002The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as hosts by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia...
. The first World Cup game decided by a golden goal was
FranceThe France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation and competes as a member of UEFA....
's victory over
ParaguayThe Paraguay national football team is the national team of Paraguay and is controlled by the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol. The Paraguay national football team has reached the second round of the World Cup on three occasions but has never advanced beyond that stage...
in 1998.
GermanyThe German national football team is the football team representing the country of Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association DFB which was founded in 1900....
was the first nation to score a golden goal in a major competition, beating
Czech RepublicThe Czech national football team is the national football team of the Czech Republic controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic.-History:...
in the final of Euro 1996. Silver goal was used in Euro 2004. Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.
Ball in and out of play
Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are
ball in play and
ball out of play. From the beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play:
- Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play.
- Throw-in
A throw-in is a method of restarting play in a game of Association football.-Award:A throw-in is awarded to the opponents of the team that last touched the ball, when the ball leaves the field of play by wholly crossing a side touch line .-Procedure:The throw-in is taken from the point where it...
: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball.
- Goal kick
-Award:A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball leaves the field of play by crossing the goal line without a goal having been scored, having been last touched by an attacking player.-Procedure:...
: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the attacking team; awarded to defending team.
- Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules in 1867...
: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the defending team; awarded to attacking team.
- Indirect free kick
An indirect free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. Unlike a direct free kick, a goal may not be scored directly from the kick. The law was derived from the Sheffield Rules that stated that no goal could be scored from a free kick...
: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution or send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. A goal may not be scored directly from an indirect free kick.
- Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls.
- Penalty kick: awarded to the fouled team following a foul usually punishable by a direct free kick but that has occurred within their opponent's penalty area.
- Dropped-ball
A dropped-ball is a method of restarting play in a game of association football.-Award:A drop-ball is not awarded to either team; rather it is used to restart play when the referee has stopped play for any reason not listed for another form of restart...
: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason, such as a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective. This restart is uncommon in adult games.
Misconduct
A
foulA foul in football is an unfair act by a player which is deemed by the referee to contravene Law 12 of the Laws of the Game.For an act to be a foul it must:...
occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of the Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a
direct free kickA direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an
indirect free kickAn indirect free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. Unlike a direct free kick, a goal may not be scored directly from the kick. The law was derived from the Sheffield Rules that stated that no goal could be scored from a free kick...
.
The referee may punish a player or substitute's
misconductMisconduct in association football is any conduct by a player which is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game....
by a caution (
yellow cardA penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offence. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
) or sending-off (
red cardA penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offence. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
). A second yellow card at the same game leads to a red card, and therefore to a sending-off. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in his official notebook.
If a player has been sent off, no substitute can be brought on in their place. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute or substituted player. Non-players such as managers and support staff cannot be shown the yellow or red card, but may be expelled from the technical area if they fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner.
Rather than stopping play, the referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within a short period, typically taken to be four to five seconds. Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at the next stoppage of play.
Governing bodies
The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as
futsalFutsal is a variant of association football that is mainly played indoors. Its name is derived from the Portuguese fut ebol de sal ão and the Spanish fút bol sal a/de sal ón, which can be translated as 'salon football'...
and
beach soccerBeach Football is a variant of association football. The game itself is played on a beach, or some form of sand, and emphasises skill, agility and shooting at goal....
) is the
Fédération Internationale de Football AssociationThe International Federation of Association Football, commonly known by its French acronym, FIFA , is the international governing body of association football. Its headquarters are in Zürich, Switzerland, and its current president is Sepp Blatter...
(FIFA). The FIFA headquarters are located in
ZürichZürich or Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne...
.
Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
- Asia: Asian Football Confederation
The 46 member Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Asia, excluding Cyprus and Israel, and including Australia....
(AFC)
- Africa: Confederation of African Football
The Confédération Africaine de Football , is the administrative and controlling body for African football. It is almost always referred to by its acronym CAF ....
(CAF)
- Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football
CONCACAF is the continent-wide governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
(CONCACAF; also known as The Football Confederation)
- Europe: Union of European Football Associations
The Union of European Football Associations is the administrative and controlling body for European football. It is almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA ....
(UEFA)
- Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
(OFC)
- South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol/Confederação Sul-americana de Futebol
The South American Football Confederation , known by the acronym CONMEBOL or CSF, is the governing body of football in most of South America and is one of FIFA's six continental confederations....
(South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL)
National associations oversee football within individual countries. These are affiliated both with FIFA and with their respective continental confederations.
Some of the football associations not recognised by FIFA are affiliated to the
Nouvelle Fédération-BoardThe N.F.-Board , unofficially Non-FIFA-Board, is a football association established on 12 December 2003. It is made up of teams that represent nations, dependencies, unrecognized states, minorities, stateless peoples, regions and micronations not affiliated to FIFA...
(NF-Board).
International competitions
The major international competition in football is the
World CupThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. More than 190 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, involves 32 national teams competing over a four-week period. The
2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000...
took place in Germany; in 2010 it will be held in
South AfricaThe 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, the premier international football tournament. It is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in South Africa. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August 2007 and involved...
.
There has been a
football tournamentAssociation football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
at every
Summer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
since 1900, except at the 1932 games in
Los AngelesThe 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations and...
. Before the inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during the 1920s) had the same status as the World Cup. Originally, the event was for amateurs only, however, since the
1984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984. Los Angeles was selected as the host of the Games on May 18, 1978 on the 80th IOC session at Athens, Greece, without a vote,...
professional players have been permitted, albeit with certain restrictions which prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides. Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level. In the past the Olympics have allowed a restricted number of over-age players per team; but that practice ceased in the 2008 Olympics. The Olympic competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, full international sides without age restrictions play the women’s Olympic tournament. It thus carries international prestige considered comparable to that of the
FIFA Women's World CupThe FIFA Women's World Cup is recognized as the most important International competition in women's football and is played amongst women's national football teams of the member states of FIFA, the sport's global governing body...
.
After the World Cup, the most important international football competitions are the continental championships, which are organised by each continental confederation and contested between national teams. These are the European Championship (UEFA), the
Copa AméricaThe Copa América is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation...
(CONMEBOL),
African Cup of NationsThe Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Nations Cup is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been held every two years...
(CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the
CONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF.When the Gold Cup does not fall the same year as an edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, the winner, or highest place team that is a member of both CONCACAF and FIFA, qualifies for...
(CONCACAF) and the
OFC Nations CupThe OFC Nations Cup is a football competition held among the Oceania Football Confederation member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name Oceania Nations Cup...
(OFC). The
FIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host country, to bring the number of teams...
is contested by the winners of all 6 continental championships, the current
FIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
champions and the country which is hosting the Confederations Cup. This is generally regarded as a warm up tournament for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and does not carry the same prestige as the World Cup itself.
The most prestigious competitions in club football are the respective continental championships, which are generally contested between national champions, for example the
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
in Europe and the
Copa Libertadores de AméricaThe Copa Libertadores de América, officially the Copa Santander Libertadores de América for sponsorship reasons, is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the most prestigious club competition in South American football. Despite being a South...
in South America. The winners of each continental competition contest the
FIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup, formerly known as the FIFA Club World Championship, is a football competition contested between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations, although, since 2007, the champions of Oceania must play a qualifying play-off against the champion club of the host...
.
Domestic competitions
The governing bodies in each country operate
league systemA league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport that usually teams can be promoted or relegated between, depending on finishing positions or playoffs. They are often called pyramids due to their tendency to have more divisions at the bottom...
s in a domestic season, normally comprising several
divisionA division in sports consists of a group of teams which compete against one another for a divisional title.It is often part of a league system, which is a set of divisions, in which teams can move between differently ranked divisions...
s, in which the teams gain points throughout the season depending on results. Teams are placed into
tableA table is both a mode of visual communication and a means of arranging data. The use of tables is pervasive throughout all communication, research and data analysis. Tables appear in print media, handwritten notes, computer software, architectural ornamentation, traffic signs and many other places...
s, placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team plays every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a
round-robin tournamentA round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a type of tournament "in which each contestant meets every other contestant in turn". In a single round-robin schedule, each participant plays every other participant once. If each participant plays all others twice, this is frequently called a...
. At the end of a season, the top team is declared the champion. The top few teams may be
promotedIn many sports leagues around the world , promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season in which teams are transferred between divisions...
to a higher division, and one or more of the teams finishing at the bottom are
relegatedIn many sports leagues around the world , promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season in which teams are transferred between divisions...
to a lower division. The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may be eligible also to play in international club competitions in the following season. The main exceptions to this system occur in some
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish, Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,501 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n leagues, which divide football championships into two sections named
Apertura and ClausuraThe Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a recent innovation for many Latin American association football leagues in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish words for...
, awarding a champion for each.
The majority of countries supplement the league system with one or more "cup" competitions. These are organised on a knock-out basis, the winner of each match proceeding to the next round; the loser takes no further part in the competition.
Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star players; in smaller countries and lower divisions, players may be part-timers with a second job, or amateurs. The five top European leagues –
Serie ASerie A, called for sponsorship reasons as Serie A TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top echelon of the Italian football league system operating for eighty years from 1929. It is organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new league like the English Premier...
(Italy),
La LigaThe Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, in terms of sponsorship, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional football league in Spain...
(Spain), the Premier League (England), the
BundesligaThe Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany's football league system. The term Bundesliga also applies to football in Austria and is used to refer to the highest level league competitions in several other sports in the two countries....
(Germany) and
Ligue 1Ligue 1 is the top division of French football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue 2. One member club, AS Monaco, is based in the independent Principality of Monaco, rather than in France proper...
(France) – attract most of the world's best players and each of the leagues has a total wage cost in excess of £600 million.
Etymology
The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name
association football was coined to distinguish the game from the
other forms of footballFootball is the name of several similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
played at the time, specifically
rugby footballRugby football may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of football developed in different areas of the United Kingdom. Today it refers to either rugby league or rugby union.- History :...
. The term
soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of the word "association", often credited to former England captain Charles Wreford-Brown.
Today the sport is generally known simply as
football in countries where it is the most popular football code. In countries where other codes are more popular, the sport is more commonly referred to as
soccer, and indeed is referred to as such in the official names of the governing bodies in the United States and Canada. FIFA, the sport's world governing body, defines the sport as association football in its statutes, but the term most commonly used by FIFA and the
International Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on 23 June 1894. Its membership consists of the 205 National Olympic Committees....
is football.
See also
- Association football culture
- List of association football clubs
- List of men's national association football teams
- List of top association football goal scorers
- List of top association football goal scorers by country
- Lists of association football players
- List of association football competitions
- Paralympic association football
- Variants of association football
There are many variants of association football played around the world, these use widely differing rules and some have a more formal structure than others. Games such as Indoor soccer were created to provide year-round play, others such as Paralympic football were created to allow those with...
- Soccer (association football) in the United States
Association football, or soccer, has long been a popular sport in the United States. It is the most popular recreational sport for both boys and girls and has been so for more than 30 years...
External links