Soccer

What is soccer?

Soccer is also called football, and is a team sport. Two teams compete against each other in a soccer game, and the team that scores the most goals wins.

How to play soccer

Soccer is generally played outdoors on a grass field. Each team has a net at their end of the field. The object of the game is to score more goals than the other team by kicking a soccer ball into the net. Each team has 11 players, but only the goalie on each team can use his/her hands to handle the ball. The other players mostly use their feet, but can use all parts of their body except their hands and arms to pass the ball to teammates and set up scoring attempts.

How to win

The team that scores the most goals against the other in the 90-minute game wins.

Equipment

Shoes – soccer shoes often have cleats, or spikes, at the bottom to dig into the grass field and provide better traction and body movement
Shin pads – worn by the 10 players (other than the goalie) to prevent injury if another player accidentally kicks them while trying to take the ball away from them
Uniform – each team wears a uniform which usually consists of the same short-sleeved jersey, shorts, and socks
Keeper’s uniform – the keeper’s uniform is slightly different: – he/she sometimes wears a long-sleeved jersey and pants to protect the body when he/she dives to the ground to stop the ball, and gloves to protect the hands when stopping hard shots

Sport lingo

Pitch – another word for the field, which is similar to an American football field and can be as large as 120 yards long by 70 yards wide
Keeper – another name for the goalie. The goalie protects the net and has three layers of players in front of him/her
Back – another name for the defenders, which is the group of players in front of the goalie, trying to prevent the other team from scoring
Midfielder – the group of players in front of the backs. Midfielders help the backs defend, and also turn the ball up field and lead the attack on the other team’s net
Striker – another name for the attacking forwards, who are the furthest from their own goalie, and who take passes from the defense and midfielders and try to score on the opposing team
Match – another name for the game, which usually is 90 minutes long
Dribbling – a soccer player who carries the ball forward a number of steps sometimes makes this move to get around opposing players
Header – happens when a player puts his/her head to the ball to direct it towards the opposing net or a teammate