ENGLISH PROJECT WORK

ENGLISH PROJECT WORK

SOCCER

INTRODUCTION:-Soccer, game played by two teams on a rectangular

field, in which players attempt to knock a round ball through the opponents’ goal, using any part of the body except the hands. Generally, players use their feet and heads as they kick, dribble, and pass the ball toward the goal. One player on each team guards the goal. This player, the goalkeeper, is the only player allowed to touch the ball with the hands while it is in play.

Soccer is a free-flowing game that has relatively few rules and requires little equipment. All that is needed to play is an area of open space and a ball. Much of the world's soccer is played informally, without field markings or real goals. In many places, the game is played barefoot using rolled-up rags or newspapers as a ball. Soccer is the world's most popular sport, played by people of all ages in about 200 countries. The sport has millions of fans throughout the world.

HISTORY:-

Evidence from many ancient societies—Chinese, Greek, Maya, and Egyptian—reveals that kicking games were a part of those cultures. The modern game of soccer began in the 19th century in England, when a variety of football games developed, all of which involved both handling and kicking the ball. The first laws of the modern game were supposedly drafted in 1862 by J. C. Thring of the Uppingham School. At a meeting of the London Football Association (FA) in 1863, the game was split into rugby football (the parent sport of American football), which permitted handling and carrying the ball, and association football, or soccer, which banned the use of the hands.

At first soccer was played mostly in private schools and universities, but before long people of the working classes picked up the sport. The FA Cup, a tournament first organized in 1871, sparked the rapid spread of soccer in England. (The tournament, which is still played, climaxes with the annual Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London.) An 1872 game in Glasgow, Scotland, between an English all-star team and its Scottish counterpart marked the beginning of international play. In 1885 the FA recognized the legitimacy of professional players and regular league play started in England in 1888. Soccer's global spread began in the late 1800s, when British traders, sailors, and soldiers carried the sport all over the world. Germans, Italians, and Austrians were eager converts in Europe, while Argentines, Uruguayans, and Brazilians took quickly to the sport in South America. FIFA was formed in 1904. By 1930 professional leagues were operating in many countries, and that year FIFA organized the first World Cup in Uruguay.

FIELD:- FIFA’s rules state that a soccer field must be rectangular. It must be between 90 and 120 m (100 and 130 yd) long and between 45 and 90 m (50 and 100 yd) wide. The rectangular goals at each end of the field are 7.32 m (24 ft) wide and 2.44 m (8 ft) high. The goals are generally made of metal or plastic. A nylon mesh net attached to the goal traps the ball when a team scores.

Several field markings define the area of play. These include the penalty areas, sidelines, end lines, and corner kick quarter-circles. The two penalty areas are the most important field markings. They lie at each end of the field directly in front of the goals. The areas are 40.32 m (44 yd) wide and extend 16.5 m (18 yd) in front of the goal. Goalkeepers can use their hands within this area, but if they venture beyond the boundaries of the penalty area, they must follow the general rules applying to all players.

EQUIPMENT:-Soccer is played with a round leather ball. It is between 68 and 71 cm (27 and 28 in) in circumference and weighs between 396 to 453 g (14 and 16 oz). Balls come in various designs and colors. Players prefer balls with stripes or other patterns so they can better gauge the spin of the ball during play.Soccer uniforms consist of jerseys, shorts, socks, and shoes with cleats (short knobs on the bottom of the shoe). The jerseys must include a number on the back so that game officials (and fans) can identify players quickly. Goalkeepers must wear a color that distinguishes them from the rest of the players on the same team. This way, the referee can easily know which player is allowed to use the hands within the penalty area. Goalkeepers’ jerseys and shorts often have extra padding stitched into the arm and hip areas to protect them when they dive to make saves. Most goalkeepers also wear special gloves that help them grip the ball.

Players wear cleated shoes for better traction while they are running. Cleats give them increased speed and maneuverability. Soccer shoes are usually made of durable leather, and the soles come in three basic varieties: with molded cleats, removable cleats, or molded rubber soles. Shoes with molded cleats usually have 14 of them, about 1.3 cm (.5 in) long. Players generally use molded cleats on dry fields. Shoes with removable cleats usually have six plastic or metal studs that are 1.3 to 1.9 cm (.5 to .75 in) long. Players generally wear these longer cleats on soft or wet fields. Molded rubber-sole shoes have 25 to 35 small nubs and are designed for use on hard fields or fields made of artificial turf.

Soccer rules require players to wear only one piece of protective equipment, shin guards. Shin guards are small shields worn on the front of the leg between the knee and top of the foot. They protect the lower leg against kicks. Shin guards are made of cloth-covered plastic.

PLAY:-

Informal soccer games can be of any length, but most regulation games last 90 minutes and are divided into two 45-minute halves. (Official youth games may be shorter.) There is a 15-minute break between the halves, called halftime. Before each game the referee tosses a coin to determine which team will kick off. The team that wins the toss chooses to begin the game either by kicking off the ball or by defending. The kickoff is taken at the center point of the field, and all players must be positioned on their own side of the field before play can begin.

During a game, the ball remains in play as long as it stays within the end lines and the sidelines. If the ball leaves the field it is returned to play by throw-in, goal kick, or corner kick, depending on where the ball left play and who knocked it out of play. The only time that play stops is when a player commits a foul, a player is injured, or a goal is scored.

The referee calls fouls on players who commit one of ten major infractions: intentionally kicking, tripping, or jumping at an opponent; violently charging, striking, holding, pushing, or spitting at an opponent; tackling an opponent without the ball; or touching the ball with the hands. If a player commits any of these fouls, the opposing team is awarded a free kick. If a player commits any of these offenses inside his own penalty area, the opposing team is awarded a penalty kick.

Players take penalty kicks from a spot 11 m (12 yd) from the goal, and only the goalkeeper may attempt to block the kick. Because there is no defender, the shooter has a decided advantage over the goalkeeper in a penalty kick and almost always scores. A penalty kick is one of soccer's most exciting plays, but because it so often results in a goal, a referee’s decision to award one is usually controversial.When a major infraction occurs outside the penalty area, free kicks are taken at the spot of the infraction. Players from the defending team must remain at least 9 m (10 yd) away from the ball until the kick is taken. These fouls are broken into two categories: direct kicks and indirect kicks. A direct free kick is awarded for major infractions, such as pulling an opponent to the ground by grabbing the jersey. The ball may be kicked directly into the goal from the spot of the foul. An indirect free kick is awarded for lesser infractions, such as obstructing an opponent while pursuing the ball. The ball must touch one other person before a goal can be scored.

SKILLS:-Soccer players use five basic skills:

kicking, dribbling, passing, heading, and trapping. Kicking is the most basic skill. Players who wish to kick the ball powerfully do so with the top of the foot, the area just above the toes, generating power from the upper leg and torso. A powerful kick may propel the ball up to 120 km/h (75 mph). Many players cannot kick the ball equally well with both feet, and favor the stronger foot when making a shot at the goal or kicking the ball a long distance.Players move the ball small distances by dribbling. Dribbling

entails tapping, dragging, or rolling the ball in front of the body while running. The objective—to advance the ball while keeping it in control and protecting it from defensive players—is similar to that of dribbling in basketball, using the feet instead of the hands. A player with good dribbling skills can make quick stops, change direction, and move the ball from one foot to another with ease. Advanced players can also fake one way with the ball, only to turn and move in the opposite direction.

Players use passes to move the ball around the field more quickly than they can by dribbling. Passes are like kicks, but they require less power and more control. Players usually pass by using the inside of the foot to push the ball in a certain direction, though sometimes the outside of the foot is used. Talented players can pass with both feet in all directions, including behind them.

Players use trapping to gain control of loose balls that may be rolling, bouncing, or flying through the air. To bring the motion of the ball to a momentary stop, players absorb the ball’s force with a part of their body. Most traps are made with the inside of the foot or the sole of the foot, but balls may also be brought under control with the leg, chest, head, or top of the foot. Good trapping allows players to control the tempo of the game by maintaining control of the ball for long periods of time. It also enables them to pass the ball with pinpoint accuracy, because they have control of the ball at the moment they pass.

PLAYERS USE HEADERS TO MAKE PLAYS ON BALLS THAT ARE IN THE AIR, EITHER TO PASS OR TO MAKE A SHOT ON GOAL. TO MAKE A HEADER, THEY KNOCK THE BALL WITH THE FOREHEAD, USING POWER GENERATED FROM THE NECK MUSCLES. WHEN A BALL IS HIGH IN THE AIR, MEMBERS OF BOTH TEAMS WILL JOCKEY FOR POSITION ON THE GROUND IN ORDER TO CONTROL THE HEADER. TALL PLAYERS AND THOSE WHO CAN JUMP HIGH HAVE A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE IN THESE SITUATIONS.

A sixth skill, called tackling, is the primary tool of defense. Tackling in soccer is not like tackling in American football. A tackle in soccer is a means of taking away the ball from an opponent, not bringing the opponent down. Blocking the advance of the ball with the foot or lower leg is the most common form of tackling in soccer. Some players also slide in front of attacking players to steal the ball, a move known as a slide tackle.

The best teams use not only individual skills, but teamwork as well. Players trap the ball, bringing it under control, then advance it toward the goal through a series of short, medium, and long passes. Once attacking players move close to the opposing goal, they try to gain position to shoot the ball toward the goal. While one player has the ball, teammates are constantly shifting and running into other slots on the field, attempting to create openings or distract defensive players. When on defense, players organize themselves so that they can repel attacks as a group as well as one on one.

THE END

MADE BY- SHUBHAM.R.R