Soccer+Review


 * SOCCER REVIEW**

Soccer Rules are relativley simple, and this is perhaps one of the main attractions that makes Soccer the most widely played and watched team sport in the world.

Soccer is a ball game played between two teams of 11 players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. A goal results when the ball passes over the goal line between the goalposts and under the crossbar. Soccer is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body except their hands and arms to propel the ball. The goalkeeper is the only member of the team allowed to handle the ball in the field of play. The winner of the toss of a coin shall have choice of goals/ends. The game shall be commenced by a place-kick from the centre of the field by the side losing the toss. The other side shall not approach within 10 yds(center circle) of the ball until it is kicked off.


 * __TERMS__**
 * Attack** - When a team has the ball they are generally referred to as the "attacking" team, no matter where the ball is on the field.


 * Corner-Kick** - When the ball goes out of bounds over the end line & was last touched by the defending team, the attacking team inbounds it from the nearest corner by kicking it in from the Corner Arc. Defenders must stay 6 yards back.


 * Cards** - **Yellow Card** - Indicates a formal "caution" which includes hard fouls; holding an opponent or deliberately handling the ball for the purpose of preventing an opponent from gaining possession of the ball. **Red Card** - Means a player is ejected from the game & may not be replaced (i.e., his team must "play short"). Serious foul play includes any use of excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball. violent conduct.


 * Support** - You want to have "support" on both offense & defense. "Support" refers to having teammates who are properly positioned near the ball (i.e., within passing range on offense and within 5 - 10 steps of the First Defender on defense)


 * Sideline** - (aka "Touch Line"). The long sides of the field.


 * Spacing** - Attackers want to get away from defenders into open space so they have time & room to attack. Defenders don't want to give attackers space, especially if the attackers are in scoring range.


 * Fouls** - There are 2 kinds of fouls, Direct Kick Fouls & Indirect Kick Fouls.


 * Free Kicks** -When one team is penalized, the other usually gets a "free kick". There are 2 types of free kicks (direct & indirect) and a special type of Direct Free Kick called a Penalty Kick.


 * Dribbling** - A player can dribble with any part of the foot.


 * Endline** - (aka Goal Lines) The lines that define the ends of the field.


 * Hand ball** - It is a "direct kick foul" if a player (other than the goalkeeper inside his own penalty area) deliberately handles the ball with the hand or with the movable part of the arm up to where the arm joins the shoulder.


 * Inside Foot Pass** - This pass is most often struck with the rear of the arch (under the anklebone) and is called a "push pass".


 * Juggling** - A training technique to teach touch & ball control, where any part of the body except the arms is used to strike the ball upward & the player sees how many times he can "juggle" it before it hits the ground.


 * Laces** - Refers to passing with the top of the foot where the shoelaces are. Long shots, long passes & power kicks are also struck with the laces.


 * Offside** - To be in an "offside position", a player must be on the opponent's half of the field & closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball & the second-last defender.


 * __POSITIONS:__**
 * Forwards** - Primary scorers who play closest to the other team's goal.


 * Stricker** - A scoring forward, usually a center forward (as distinguished from a "wing" forward, whose job might be to cross the ball to a striker) who is very skilled at scoring.


 * Sweeper** -His job is to cover the space between the fullbacks & the goalkeeper & to stop "breakaways" & "sweep up" the ball or kick long "through balls" out of bounds so the defense has time to recover.


 * Midfielders** - Play between Forwards & Fullbacks. Must support the Forwards & also support the Fullbacks.


 * __Soccer Field Diagram:__**