Association football, also known as football or simply football, is an international team sport played between two competing teams of eleven players each. It is played internationally, by about 250 million players in more than 200 nations and dependencies. It has been the most popular non-contact sport in the world for over half a century now, which only strengthens its case as the most popular sport in the world. Being one of the most well known, and well respected sports in the world, many people choose to play this sport.
The game is played in two phases. The offensive and defensive phases. The offensive phase of football involves scoring goals by catching and passing the ball to either side of the rectangular field. The defensive phase is all about trying to prevent the other team from scoring goals. The object is to keep your team completely protected on all sides of the field from the opposing goal-line.
A normal game consists of thirteen players on each team. But because football is played on a rectangular field, most games use twenty-four players instead. When playing catch, the players are usually seated at the center of the rectangular field, with each player occupying a boundary. The field of play can be curved and is designed to encourage plays to spread out.
Each team member is allowed to tackle another when their feet are under 5ft from the ground. If a player makes contact with an opponent when their feet are not more than fiveft away from the ground then the player is guilty of a foul. Foulalties can result in a penalty kick or even a yellow card, both of which are common in the modern game. Points are scored when a team member carries the football over the markershead and touches it outside the boundaries of the playing area.
To prevent fouls, players are required to wear protective equipment such as gloves and knee pads. A goalkeeper is on the field to stop the ball from being used by another team. The ball is placed inside a goal, which is in the centre of the playing field. The object of the game is to get the ball into the goal. The football rules are very complicated, but this article only attempts to explain them briefly.
Football is played throughout the world in dozens of countries, but it is the American version that is the most famous. Americans tend to love and idolize football, while English people prefer to watch American football. It is believed that the origin of football actually originated in England and was played with footballs covered in turf. Today, the sport of football can be enjoyed by all age groups. It is a fantastic way to socialize and watch the spectacular spectacle of a sports event while having fun.
