Soccer is… Who doesn’t know what soccer is? Today there are hardly anyone who has never heard of this sports game. However, it is not surprising, because it is recognized as the most popular mass sport. Everyone plays soccer: adults and children, men and women. By definition, soccer is a team sport. The task of each team is to pass the ball to each other to reach the main goal – to score it in the gates of the enemy, and of course, do not miss the ball in their goal. Soccer team includes 11 players: 1 goalkeeper and 10 field players. Soccer games are played on specially equipped stadiums, with sizes 69-75 by 100-120 meters.

Soccer is known to people for over 2000 years. Even in ancient Greece, China, Japan and the Middle East played this game. However, modern soccer, which we are accustomed to see with you, appeared relatively recently – in 1863 in England. It was this year that the first official competitions were held by the rules. The English managed to open all the advantages of soccer to other nations.

Thanks to passion for soccer of the British sailors, employees and emigrants, South America and all Europe learned about this wonderful game. Already in 1902 the first international match was held on the continent of Europe. That year the teams of Austria and Hungary, Argentina and Uruguay fought for victory.

In 1904, was founded International Football Federation – that’s FIFA. In principle, it is not surprising that the initiators of its creation were European countries. However, England itself joined FIFA only in 1946, while some Latin American countries joined in 1912. Today FIFA includes more than 140 countries and is rightfully considered the largest sports organization.

The Olympic program began to include soccer as a sporting discipline in 1908. In the first tournament participated 7 countries, or rather, 7 teams from 7 countries. The team of England was the winner. In 1912, at the Olympics, England repeated the result, again breaking into the leaders. However, in 1920, good luck has changed England’s team, and the victory went to a team from Belgium.

Since 1924 the Olympics began to include not only teams from Europe but also teams from South America. Thus, in 1928 the team of Uruguay became the Olympic champion.

Since 1927 there were championships, in which the club teams were able to distinguish themselves. And since 1955 international club tournaments have reached continental significance. This is how the tradition of European Championships was born.

As for the World Cup, the International Congress, whose main building, by the way, is located in Amsterdam, in 1928, decided that such large-scale tournaments can be held once every 4 years. The first World Cup took place in 1930, hosted by Uruguay.

Soccer still belongs to those sports in which the most prestigious competition is the World Cup, not the Olympics.

Now for the rules.

Soccer game is called “match”, consisting of two halves of 45 minutes each. The break between halves lasts 15 minutes. During this time the teams have a rest, and then go back on the field, switching gates. Soccer field may have both grass and synthetic turf. As a rule, a soccer team consists of 11 people, but it may also consist of 7 people, but this is not much soccer. These 11 people include 1 goalkeeper and 10 field players. The goalkeeper is the only person in the game, of course, unless you take cases where the ball is brought into play (such as a touchdown), who can touch the ball with his hands in the penalty area. The goalkeeper’s job is to protect his goal. The other 10 men are divided into defenders, midfielders and forwards. Each position requires certain knowledge and skills of the players.

As mentioned above, the most important thing for each team is to score the ball in the other’s goal and defend against it. The team that scores at the end of game time wins the match.