HISTORY OF SOCCER:
Association football, commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players, ten outfielders and one goalie with a spherical ball. It is the world's most popular sport. The Laws of the Game published in England by the Football Association in 1863 remain the basis for the way the sport is played today. Early versions of the game of soccer can be traced back to ancient times, with the Chinese playing a rather blunt kicking game back in second century BC, or with Mezoamerican cultures practicing a game that was a combination of soccer and basketball.
FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCCER:
Under the laws of the game, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play. From the beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of the following restart methods depending on how it went out of play:
KICK-OFF: Following a goal by opposing team
THROW-IN: When the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; Then awarded to opposing team
GOAL KICK: When ball crosses goal line without a goal being scored; Awarded to defending team
CORNER KICK: When the ball crosses goal line without a goal; Awarded to attacking team
DIRECT FREE KICK: Awarded to fouled team following certain penalties
PENALTY KICK: Awarded to the fouled team following a foul usually punishable by a direct free kick
DROPPED-BALL: Occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason, serious injury, interference, or a defective ball