Soccer

Soccer is known internationally as football (Spanish futbol) and is the most popular team in the world. It was described by the legendary Brazilian player, Pele, as "The Beautiful Game".

The game is played between two teams of 11 players (10 outfield players and one goalkeeper each). In official play, there are two 45 minute halves separated by a 15 minute break known as half-time. In knockout cup games, if a game is tied after 90 minutes, there is often an additional period of play consisting of 2 X 15-minute halves. If the scores are still level, the result is decided with a penalty shootout. The set of rules used in soccer are called the Laws of the Game.

The game is played on a grass (or artificial grass) pitch with dimensions 90-120 m (100-130 yards) in length and 45-90 m (50-100) in width. A goal is scored when the (spherical) ball is propelled into the opposition net. The distinctive feature of the game is that, with the exception of the goalkeepers, players may not touch the ball with their hands or arms.

The aim of soccer is to score more goals than your opponent.

A note on terms

"Soccer" is the term used in North America to refer to what is known abroad as "football". The word soccer derived in England as slang for "Association Football" (a similar construction can be seen in referring to rugby as "rugger")