| Known simply as football in Europe, soccer is the | | | | breaking the rules, which are listed in Law12, there |
| word to distinguish this popular game from the | | | | are different penalties, such as direct or indirect free |
| American football. Soccer and American football are | | | | kick or a penalty kick. When the referee shows a |
| actually two very different games with different | | | | player a yellow card - it is a caution for misconduct. If |
| rules and philosophy. For example, while in soccer the | | | | the card is red - the player is sent off. When a player |
| use of hands and arms to touch the ball are strictly | | | | is sent off by a red card, the team remains with one |
| forbidden, in American football hands are used on a | | | | player short till the end of the game. |
| frequent basis. And if in the American football the | | | | Soccer is considered today the most popular game in |
| physical force is one of the main advantages, in | | | | the world. Though officially it is accepted that soccer |
| soccer the stress is on the technique, mastered by | | | | was invented in England, as a rule, the best soccer |
| the player. Of course, both games have their fans. | | | | teams come from England, Italy and Brazil. Actually, |
| Soccer is a team sport. For a soccer game there | | | | historical sources say that a game similar to soccer |
| need to be two teams with a minimum of six and | | | | existed in the antiquity in China, Ancient Greece and |
| maximum of eleven players each that play on a | | | | Rome but this fact is not common knowledge. |
| special football playground covered with artificial turf. | | | | The recognized governing body of football or soccer |
| There are two goals located in the two opposite | | | | is FIFA - the International Federation of Football |
| short ends centrally. The objective of the game is | | | | Associations which is based in Zurich. It comprises the |
| that the ball is driven to the opposite team's goal. | | | | Asian Football Confederation, the Confederation of |
| In each team there is one player who is a | | | | African Football, the Confederation of North, Central |
| goalkeeper. He is the only one allowed to touch the | | | | American and Caribbean Association Football, the |
| ball with hands or arms. Depending on a strategy, in | | | | Union of European Football Associations, the Oceania |
| each team there are a different number of offensive | | | | Football Confederation and the South American |
| and defensive players. Generally, the team which | | | | Football Confederation. |
| scores the most goals is the one that wins the game. | | | | The most important competition in the world of |
| If at the end of the game the two teams are having | | | | football is the World Cup, held in every 4 years. The |
| even score, then some extra time is given by the | | | | 2010 World cup will be held in South Africa. Other |
| judge. As a rule, each soccer game requires a main | | | | important competitions are: the European |
| referee and two assistant referees which make a | | | | Championship, Copa America, the African Cup of |
| trio of referees for each game. | | | | Nations, the Asian Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup and |
| There are many rules in soccer. For misconduct and | | | | the OFC Nations Cup. |