Association football, also known as football as well as either football or soccer, is an international team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. It is played throughout the world by about 250 million players, making it the most popular sport in the world. This game is regularly played by men, women and children from all walks of life. In fact, this game has now become so popular that there are now youth leagues in various countries.
The history of football can be traced back to the ancient games played by the Romans and Greeks, which were similar to today’s association football. However, the game was not widely played until the 19th century where it was popularized by the English and Scottish National Teams. From its humble roots, the sport has become one of the most played and watched sports in the world today. One notable game that helped to popularize the sport is the Football World Cup held every four years in England.
The basic rules of football are very easy to follow; for the most part it requires eleven players including the goalkeeper who does not have to actively kick the ball. The side that scores the most goals after the halftime break wins. Another variation of football is known as goalkeeper football where the goalkeeper only needs to make a save attempt before the ball is eventually scored. Goalscoring is usually not required in this variation.
A typical game of football involves two teams who engage in a head to head competition. The goal is scored when the team controlling the ball scores more goals than the opponents. This form of football takes place in a neutral venue such as a town or city park or even a recreational center. For many different countries, this game is often called ‘football’ although it is not technically considered a true sport. The term stems from the fact that English football is often played in the same way as American football by having regular matches with the opposition.
Over the years, soccer has developed into two different codes. The first code was created in FIFA (Federation of International Football Associations) while the other is the European league football. The latter is the governing body for soccer. Despite these two different codes, they have managed to stay together and share common principles. Soccer is widely played throughout all countries, regardless of their political structure and social class.
To play competitive football, you need to register with the association football league where you will then be assigned a league number. Each and every match you participate in will earn you points and once you reach a certain number of points (different teams get different amounts), you become eligible to be considered for a championship match. The championship matches are played in a round robin format, with the winners of each group advancing to the finals which consist of the champions, runners-up and the losers of the championship bouts.