Soccer, name commonly given in North America to a form of football played with a spherical ball. It is the most widely played team game in the world and the most popular spectator sport, followed avidly by hundreds of millions of fans. Originally called association football (the name soccer is a corruption of the word assoc, derived in turn from association), soccer is distinguished from American or Canadian football and from Rugby in that it is primarily played with the feet; only the goalkeeper, within the goal area, may handle the ball. It also differs from these games in that, because soccer is speedier, players must improvise their tactics as play proceeds,constantly shifting their positions to receive or intercept passes. Rules and Regulations The game is played by teams of 11 players on a pitch, or field, of not more than 130 yd (119 m) in length by 100 yd (91 m) in width, and not less than 100 yd (91 m) in length by 50 yd (46 m) in width. At either end of the field is a goal—a pair of upright posts 8 ft (2 m) high and 8 yd (7 m) apart, spanned by a crossbar and backed by netting. The basic objective of the game is for one team to force the ball—by kicking it or propelling it with the chest or head—past the goalkeeper, under the crossbar, and into this relatively small goal area. One point is awarded for each goal thus scored; the winning team is the one with the highest number of points. The game is played in two 45-min halves. If regulation time ends in a tie, an overtime period may be played; if the teams remain tied at the conclusion of overtime, the game may be decided by a kicking contest in which each team takes up to five unobstructed shots at the opposing goalkeeper. Play is supervised by a referee who determines the general conduct of the game and by two referees at the sidelines who determine when, and by whom, the ball has left the bounds of the field. The ball, a leather-covered sphere 27 to 28 in. (68 to 71 cm) in circumference and weighing 14 to 16 oz (435 to 497 g), is continually in motion. Opponents gain control of the ball by intercepting it or by tackling opposing players. Tackles may be made with the feet, the intention being to force the ball away from the control of the other player's feet, but the player making the tackle may not deliberately kick, or trip, or hold the opponent directly. The penalty for these infringements, or for using hands or arms to propel the ball (except for goalkeepers, or in the case of a throw-in; see below), is the opponent's chance for a direct free kick at the ball from the place where the offense occurred. If this offense takes place within the penalty area—an area 20 yd (18 m) wide and 18 yd (16 m) deep directly in front of the goal—the kicker, standing 12 yd (11 m) away from the center of the goal, aims a kick directly at the goal with only the goalkeeper to attempt to obstruct the kick. For other infringements, such as deliberate obstruction of other players or time-wasting tactics, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposition. This does not, however, count toward a goal until the ball has been touched by another player. The referee may also assess other penalties, warning players for foul play, and if necessary removing them from the game. The players may not call for time out, but the referee may stop play, briefly, if a serious injury occurs or if the ball crosses the goal or goes outside the sidelines. When the ball has been driven over the sidelines, an opposing player may throw it in with use of the hands. Soccer does not have complex, detailed rules, the exception being a major rule change on offside play, made in the 20th century. This ruling declares a player offside (that is, potentially in an unfairly advantageous position) if he or she is nearer the opponent's goal line than the ball at the moment the ball is played, unless one of the following exceptions applies: The player is in his or her own half of the field; two opponents are nearer to their own goal line than the player is; the ball was last touched or played by an opponent; the player received the ball directly from a kick or a throw-in. An offside position is penalized by awarding an indirect free throw to the opposing team. Another recent rule revision allows for substitute players: two substitutes (without resubstitution) under international rules, up to five substitutes under U.S. regulations. All that is needed to play soccer is a ball, goals (which may be represented by chalk marks drawn on the playing area), and, for those who can afford or desire them, uniforms consisting of shorts, stockings, and athletic shoes. It can even be played barefoot. This simplicity and informality is a chief reason for the worldwide popularity of the game. Because tackling is not as violent as in other forms of football, and the round ball is more easily controlled than an oval one, soccer is especially suited to younger players.
The game began in England in the mid-19th century, primarily in the great public (private) schools of the day. Standard rules evolved rapidly. Football clubs began to be established in 1855, and the Football Association was established in London in 1863. The game evolved into a spectator sport that transcended its narrower class origins. Professional players were admitted into Football Association-supervised play in the mid-1880s; thereafter, the game was dominated by professional clubs and drew more and more of its public from the working class.
Soccer began to spread internationally in the 1870s and by the next decade had gained adherents in central Europe, where it eventually became exceptionally popular. Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and other European nations took it up early in the 20th century, established clubs, and began to field teams that competed in international play. South Americans were taught soccer by English emigrants in the late 19th century; the game soon became immensely popular there and, by the mid-20th century, had reached an extraordinarily high level of play. After World War II, competition had so spread that Middle Eastern and Asian nations fielded increasingly formidable and well-trained elevens. A World Cup competition, sponsored by soccer's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, has been played every four years since 1930; the World Cup was scheduled to be played in the U.S. for the first time in 1994. The first women's World Cup match was played in 1971 in Mexico City. Olympic competition has also been important in the spread of soccer, although no professional footballers were allowed to compete in the Olympics until 1984. One nation that long resisted soccer's spread was the United States, where a different and indigenous form of football evolved. Still, the game was popular among small pockets of urban immigrants, especially central Europeans and Latin Americans. Only in the 1970s did widespread interest in soccer develop in the U.S., spurred by the worldwide popularity of the star Brazilian player Pelé. In 1968 the North American Soccer League was founded with the purpose of promoting professional competition. At the end of 1984 it comprised 8 clubs in the U.S. and Canada; however, by March 1985 all but 2 clubs had withdrawn from the league and competition was subsequently suspended. At the amateur level, soccer has become a popular sport among young people throughout the U.S.
