The rules of football are governed by the referee, who is also the timekeeper and controls play in the game. He is assisted by two assistants who patrol the touchlines, signaling when the ball is out of play and when a player is offside. The referee has the ultimate decision-making power in the game, and the other players are the referee’s assistants. A penalty kick is awarded when the referee deems that the team has committed a foul.
The game evolved over the centuries. The game’s first documented form dates back to the 12th century in England. The early game involved punching a ball with a fist and involved many people. In addition, the game was played on large expanses in towns, causing damage and injury to people. The rules of football were not standardized until the nineteenth century. In the meantime, the game was continually developing. In 1863, the Football Association of England standardized the size of the ball and separated it into association football and rugby. During the next century, football continued to develop and had great flexibility in its rules.
During the 20th century, football gained worldwide popularity. In 1908, the game was included in the Olympic Games for the first time. Since then, the sport has been played in every Summer Games, except for the 1932 Summer Games in Los Angeles. In the twentieth century, football’s popularity soared, and FIFA strengthened its position as the global governing body of the sport. In 1961, Guinea became FIFA’s 100th member. By the 21st century, more than 200 nations were registered members of FIFA.
Professionalism in football dates back to the Victorian age, when the game first became widespread in Britain. The first significant competition of football took place in 1871, when England and Scotland played each other in an international tournament. The game grew in popularity in the 19th century as British citizens migrated overseas. Soon, South America and India became the largest football markets in the world. The popularity of football grew to such a level that tickets were sold for matchdays.
The game’s largest goal is the touchdown. To score a touchdown, a player must carry the ball over the opposition’s goal line or catch a pass into the end zone. The ball crosses the plane of the goal line to earn a touchdown. A touchdown is worth six points. Teams may add one or two points to their score through extra-point conversions. In addition, teams can only make three substitutions in a game.
A team may consist of any number of positions. There are wingers, left/right midfielders, central midfielders, and strikers. A striker plays closer to the opposition goal. In football, a team’s midfield is critical in establishing a cohesive attack. If these players aren’t doing their jobs, the rest of the team may suffer. A team’s success depends on its ability to work together.