soccer Essay Examples

All about Soccer (Essay Example)

Did you know that soccer is over 2000 years old? “Tsu Chu” is what it was referred to in ancient China which meant to kick the ball with the feet. It is a sport played using a spherical ball and by two teams of eleven players. Did you know that soccer, of all sports, is the most popular in the world? According to FIFA which is the international foundation of football association, soccer is played in over 200 countries by more than two hundred and fifty million players. In most parts of the world, soccer is known as football. The field in which soccer gets played on is a rectangle, and in each end, there is a goal post. You can score using any part of the body except for the hands and arms and get the ball in the opposing goal post which is the primary objective of the game.

Skills Required to Play Soccer

Before a beginner decides to start playing soccer, there are at least five fundamental skills that one should know. They are namely passing, controlling, dribbling, kicking and tackling. Of all of the skills, the major one is to understand how to pass the ball. You should be able to pass the ball amongst your teammates by using the inside part of your foot. Another vital skill that a player should be keen on is controlling the ball. Dribbling against an opponent while in the field is another skill that is necessary for soccer. It is critical to understand that not all players are good at the technique of dribbling. A player scores goals by having the skill of kicking the ball which is, therefore, another critical skill for one to have. To kick the ball, you have to hit it the in the center using the front of the foot.

The Players’ Uniforms

All the players in a team wear the same uniform. The uniform consists of shirts, shorts, cleats, and stockings. In other instances, if both of the teams agree, then they can all wear tennis shoes as opposed to the cleats. Shin guards are optional for both of the teams. For the goalie to stand out, he must wear a different color of jersey from the others. It is not a requirement, but sometimes the players can wear matching stockings or socks. Soccer shoes that are of quality should be padded, flexible and lightweight to allow the player to make pivots that are sharp. The shoes are called cleats because of the rubber and sometimes metal screws on the bottom of the shoes. The cleats are responsible for allowing the players make turns that are sharp without slipping.

About the Players

As previously mentioned, there are eleven players on each side of the team. The coach is responsible for the assigning of positions to the players. The popular tactic that the coaches use is 4-4-2, this means one goalkeeper, four defenders, four midfielders and two attackers. The defenders’ and the midfielders’ assignments are to stop the opponents or tackle them as they try to recuperate the ball and build an attack on the opponent team. Before the game, the players do warm ups. Warming up is helpful as it awakens the player's muscles and gets them ready for the match.

The Rules of Soccer

Just like any other sport, soccer has its own rules too. There are four referees in soccer. There is the official one who has two assistants and with the help of each other, they implement the rules of the game and control the match. The job of the fourth referee is to organize the substitutions. In soccer, there are two types of warnings, yellow and red cards. Depending on the foul that is committed, the referee will hand out one of the cards. An example is if the ball is touched by the hand with a defender voluntarily. Here, he is given a yellow card. A red card is given to the player if he is in an operating area and touches the ball; a red card means expulsion from the match. Then, there are kicks in soccer. They can be categorized into two, a direct kick and an indirect kick. A direct kick is when a player kicks the ball directly into the net while an indirect kick is when a player passes the ball to one of his teammates to continue their attack operation. Knowing the rules, the different types of kicks and fouls of soccer, helps a player to be familiar with the circumstances surrounding the match. The ages of the players determine the length of the game. For an adult game, it is made up of 45 minutes on each half. The captains of both teams are called in the center of the field before the game begins. Here a coin is tossed, and the captain that wins has the option of choosing to receive the ball or select the side of the field for his team. The team which scores the most goals at the end of the game wins.

Conclusion

Soccer has come a long way. It is a superb sport to play since it combines both the tactical and physical skills. Due to the constant running, the players tend to be lean and masculine. It is a sport that is manageable as it requires little equipment. You have to equip yourself with all of the soccer rules if you are planning to excel in the game. It will ensure a better playing condition for you.