It is a sport played by millions of people around the world. Boys and girls, men and women, from all walks of life and from nearly every nation on earth; soccer boasts a pool of players that is vaster and varied than possibly any other sport. Soccer’s appeal is understandable; not only is it a fun and exciting game to play, it is a sport that nearly anyone can play as the only thing you really need is a ball and your feet. However, that is not to say that there is not more to soccer than the ball, and fans and players of organized soccer know that the importance of the soccer jersey cannot be understated.
A soccer jersey can convey the personality of your team. From the colors to your team crest or logo; your team's soccer jersey is what makes the first impression on your opponents. If you are the coach or organizer of a youth team, or even a team of older and more experienced players, then selecting a jersey with the right look is an important part of your job. Online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores alike offer selections of jerseys as well as the ability to put names and numbers on the back, just like those seen on the jerseys of the professionals.
Like jerseys in other sports, fans of soccer also like to wear the colors and crest of their favorite teams and favorite players. The unmistakable colors and cuts of the most famous soccer jerseys are clearly identifiable, even from a distance, and wearing them allows fans to make a statement of loyalty to their beloved club. However, simply wearing the soccer jersey of your favorite team is only one way that soccer fans enjoy the thrill of wearing an official jersey. The worldwide appeal of soccer gives fans of the game hundreds of ways to add new jerseys to their collection.
What true soccer fan can not appreciate the appeal of wearing the colors of great teams like AC Milan or Manchester United? And with combinations of home and away colors, as well as short and long sleeve versions, even the love of a single team can spawn a collection of several jerseys. Further, there is more to loving soccer than loving a single team. The various leagues around the world can make it easy to have several teams to root for, and each has their own distinctive collections of jerseys that fans will covet.
Rooting for specific teams is one way that people find themselves collecting jerseys, but rooting for favorite players might be even more popular. Wearing a soccer jersey with the names of great players on the back is as popular in soccer as it is in other sports. Ronaldinho, Beckham, Zidane, Ronaldo, are just a few names of soccer greats that adorn so many jerseys. And of course, let us not forget the ever popular Pele, who is still a popular choice decades after his playing career has ended.
Favorite teams and players aside, perhaps nothing catches the imagination of soccer fans like the World Cup. It is a time when team alliances are put aside and patriotism rules the day. With 198 nations fielding teams, and 32 of those teams making it to the final tournament, the World Cup is an event that drives soccer fans all over the world to purchase a new soccer jersey that conveys their national pride.
Whether you are wearing the jersey of the team on which you play, or the jersey of the team you root for the most, using the Internet you can find a soccer jersey for the team, player, or colors that best define you.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Basic Soccer Rules
Soccer rules - Despite being a sport with roots reaching out to medieval and even ancient times, soccer was never really played under a set of strict rules until 1863.
On 26 October, 1863 several amateur and semi-professional clubs from England gathered up in London and formed up the Football Association and devised a "constitution" for the game, including a set of standardized soccer.Obviously the "Laws of football" as they were called back then were just a set of basic soccer rules and they didn't cover all aspects of the game.
The main points covered by the Football Association were regarding violence on the pitch, as oftentimes the tense clashes in no-rules matches lead to bloody fistfights between the teams. Since then, soccer rules constantly evolved and began covering more and more of the game's principles and also adapting soccer to the age it was played in.
A simple example of this would be the offside rules which was introduced later on in the game, when matches became more and more tactical.
Without the offside rule, attackers would often have a hibernating role in the team, simply staying up front and waiting for the ball to come, hence with the new rule, they were forced to work as much as the other players on the pitch.
Let's take a look at some of the official soccer rules of today and give them a small explanation for why they are there and how they affect the game:
Soccer field dimensions - since not all soccer pitches could share the exact same size, FIFA decided a small length and width size threshold in order for a pitch to be playable. So the minimum length of a soccer field must be of 100 yards (90 meters), whereas the maximum length must be 130 yards (120 meters).
A bigger size difference was allowed for the width, which can be as small as 50 yards (45 meters) and as big as 100 yards (90 meters). You might have noticed that the minimum length coincides with the maximum width! Although strange indeed, soccer could actually be played on a square field, however for entertainment's sake no one built that kind of pitch yet (thankfully).
Number of players - The official soccer rules book states that each team can enter the field with 11 players (one of which is the goalkeeper).
The number of substitutes depends on the competition the match is played in, but in official FIFA matches the number of substitutes can range from none to 7, with 3 substitutions eligible for each of the two teams.
However, in friendly matches, it's often the case that both teams agree upon a set number of substitutions or simply go all-out and allow every bench player to get in the game at some point, replacing one of the first team members.
Ball in/out play soccer rules - The ball is in play whenever the referee doesn't intervene whistling a game stop and whenever it stays inside the play area.
If the ball crosses the goal line or touch line by more than half its circumference, then it goes out of play and a goal kick/corner or throw in is given to one of the teams (the opposition of the team that last touched the ball). If a ball hits the referee ,the corner flag, the goal post or any other object on the pitch, the game remains in play.
Fouls - Fouls are one of the most problematic soccer rules nowadays, since they can be easily misjudge or interpreted by the referee, which often causes arguments on and off the pitch. Theoretically, a foul is whistled and a direct or indirect kick is given when a player trips, kicks, pushes, punches, charges or holds an opponent.
However, in the fast pace of the game, it's often hard for the referee to see if a tackle touches the feet of the attacker or the ball. It's considered a foul even if the defending player doesn't touch the attacker at all, but has a dangerous intervention such as a high kick.
Goals - Last but not least, the essence of soccer rules and the object of the game itself, the goal.
In order to score a goal, the attacking team must pass the ball beyond the other team's goal line. The attacker can kick the ball, head the ball or push it in with any other body part other than the hand (in which case it is considered handball).
Not all shots that end up in the net are goals though, as a goal can be cancelled if it was scored after the attacker broke one of the other soccer rules, such as fouling a defender or the goalkeeper, using his hand to control the ball, being offside or scoring directly from an indirect free kick.
These are the basic soccer rules and although there are a few smaller twists to learn, if you manage to understand these, you'll be able to watch, and understand a soccer match without problems. Outside the offside rule the other official soccer rules are quite easy to grasp.
On 26 October, 1863 several amateur and semi-professional clubs from England gathered up in London and formed up the Football Association and devised a "constitution" for the game, including a set of standardized soccer.Obviously the "Laws of football" as they were called back then were just a set of basic soccer rules and they didn't cover all aspects of the game.
The main points covered by the Football Association were regarding violence on the pitch, as oftentimes the tense clashes in no-rules matches lead to bloody fistfights between the teams. Since then, soccer rules constantly evolved and began covering more and more of the game's principles and also adapting soccer to the age it was played in.
A simple example of this would be the offside rules which was introduced later on in the game, when matches became more and more tactical.
Without the offside rule, attackers would often have a hibernating role in the team, simply staying up front and waiting for the ball to come, hence with the new rule, they were forced to work as much as the other players on the pitch.
Let's take a look at some of the official soccer rules of today and give them a small explanation for why they are there and how they affect the game:
Soccer field dimensions - since not all soccer pitches could share the exact same size, FIFA decided a small length and width size threshold in order for a pitch to be playable. So the minimum length of a soccer field must be of 100 yards (90 meters), whereas the maximum length must be 130 yards (120 meters).
A bigger size difference was allowed for the width, which can be as small as 50 yards (45 meters) and as big as 100 yards (90 meters). You might have noticed that the minimum length coincides with the maximum width! Although strange indeed, soccer could actually be played on a square field, however for entertainment's sake no one built that kind of pitch yet (thankfully).
Number of players - The official soccer rules book states that each team can enter the field with 11 players (one of which is the goalkeeper).
The number of substitutes depends on the competition the match is played in, but in official FIFA matches the number of substitutes can range from none to 7, with 3 substitutions eligible for each of the two teams.
However, in friendly matches, it's often the case that both teams agree upon a set number of substitutions or simply go all-out and allow every bench player to get in the game at some point, replacing one of the first team members.
Ball in/out play soccer rules - The ball is in play whenever the referee doesn't intervene whistling a game stop and whenever it stays inside the play area.
If the ball crosses the goal line or touch line by more than half its circumference, then it goes out of play and a goal kick/corner or throw in is given to one of the teams (the opposition of the team that last touched the ball). If a ball hits the referee ,the corner flag, the goal post or any other object on the pitch, the game remains in play.
Fouls - Fouls are one of the most problematic soccer rules nowadays, since they can be easily misjudge or interpreted by the referee, which often causes arguments on and off the pitch. Theoretically, a foul is whistled and a direct or indirect kick is given when a player trips, kicks, pushes, punches, charges or holds an opponent.
However, in the fast pace of the game, it's often hard for the referee to see if a tackle touches the feet of the attacker or the ball. It's considered a foul even if the defending player doesn't touch the attacker at all, but has a dangerous intervention such as a high kick.
Goals - Last but not least, the essence of soccer rules and the object of the game itself, the goal.
In order to score a goal, the attacking team must pass the ball beyond the other team's goal line. The attacker can kick the ball, head the ball or push it in with any other body part other than the hand (in which case it is considered handball).
Not all shots that end up in the net are goals though, as a goal can be cancelled if it was scored after the attacker broke one of the other soccer rules, such as fouling a defender or the goalkeeper, using his hand to control the ball, being offside or scoring directly from an indirect free kick.
These are the basic soccer rules and although there are a few smaller twists to learn, if you manage to understand these, you'll be able to watch, and understand a soccer match without problems. Outside the offside rule the other official soccer rules are quite easy to grasp.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Soccer Dvd Can Help Take Your Game To New Heights
Soccer is the world's most popular game, and consequently there is no shortage of books, videos, and DVD's that focus on the game. Like fans of most any sports, soccer lovers are likely to want to focus on their game even when they are far away from the field of competition. However, unlike sports like football, basketball, baseball, golf, and many others, there is a shortage of television programming that is dedicated to soccer.
That void is especially noticeable when it comes to television programming that is dedicated toward instruction or fundamentals of the game. However, soccer fans can fill that void by purchasing a soccer DVD to help them pass the time, and elevate their game, during their time at home.
Whether you are an aspiring player, coach, or fan of soccer, there is a soccer DVD that is sure to deliver the information you need in an entertaining format. Any soccer lover is sure to enjoy the action oriented DVD titles that are currently available. From titles like The 2006 FIFA World Cup Film – narrated by Pierce Brosnan – to Champions of Europe, a highlight film covering fifty years of European Cup action; watching soccer played at the highest levels is sure to raise anyone’s appreciation of the game, and it can even help them develop their game by watching the finest players at their finest moments.
And if retrospective video is what you really enjoy, then no soccer DVD collection is complete without the two disk Special Edition of FIFA Fever. FIFA Fever takes you through 100 years of the greatest action and players in soccer history. From Beckham to Pele, Ronaldo to Zidane; you will find all the greatest players and moments on this special set.
While watching a soccer DVD such as FIFA Fever or Champions of Europe is sure to entertain any soccer fan – and you might learn a thing or two as well – if improving your skills or expanding your understanding of the fundamentals is what you seek then there are hundreds of DVD titles that are sure to help you on your way to that goal. A soccer DVD can bring the best coaches and players into your living room where they can pass all their valuable information on to you in a format that allows you to watch it again and again. From tips on coaching premier players from a former elite coach in Europe – such as David Williams in the Coaching the English Premier League series – to tips on coaching young children who are just learning the game, the soccer DVD is the perfect medium for passing along this timeless information.
More advanced players and their coaches are sure to make use of DVD titles that address game situations that better players will encounter, and with proper practice and coaching, exploit. The Tactics and Drills series takes players and coaches through exercises in passing and possession, attacking and goalscoring, and zonal defending, and that series is hardly alone in the marketplace. No matter what your skill level or relationship to the game, there is a soccer DVD that will help you raise your understanding, expertise, and skill.
That void is especially noticeable when it comes to television programming that is dedicated toward instruction or fundamentals of the game. However, soccer fans can fill that void by purchasing a soccer DVD to help them pass the time, and elevate their game, during their time at home.
Whether you are an aspiring player, coach, or fan of soccer, there is a soccer DVD that is sure to deliver the information you need in an entertaining format. Any soccer lover is sure to enjoy the action oriented DVD titles that are currently available. From titles like The 2006 FIFA World Cup Film – narrated by Pierce Brosnan – to Champions of Europe, a highlight film covering fifty years of European Cup action; watching soccer played at the highest levels is sure to raise anyone’s appreciation of the game, and it can even help them develop their game by watching the finest players at their finest moments.
And if retrospective video is what you really enjoy, then no soccer DVD collection is complete without the two disk Special Edition of FIFA Fever. FIFA Fever takes you through 100 years of the greatest action and players in soccer history. From Beckham to Pele, Ronaldo to Zidane; you will find all the greatest players and moments on this special set.
While watching a soccer DVD such as FIFA Fever or Champions of Europe is sure to entertain any soccer fan – and you might learn a thing or two as well – if improving your skills or expanding your understanding of the fundamentals is what you seek then there are hundreds of DVD titles that are sure to help you on your way to that goal. A soccer DVD can bring the best coaches and players into your living room where they can pass all their valuable information on to you in a format that allows you to watch it again and again. From tips on coaching premier players from a former elite coach in Europe – such as David Williams in the Coaching the English Premier League series – to tips on coaching young children who are just learning the game, the soccer DVD is the perfect medium for passing along this timeless information.
More advanced players and their coaches are sure to make use of DVD titles that address game situations that better players will encounter, and with proper practice and coaching, exploit. The Tactics and Drills series takes players and coaches through exercises in passing and possession, attacking and goalscoring, and zonal defending, and that series is hardly alone in the marketplace. No matter what your skill level or relationship to the game, there is a soccer DVD that will help you raise your understanding, expertise, and skill.
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