With the World Cup frenzy still in the air post the fantastic showcase of the beautiful game in South Africa and the Barclays English Premier League season just round the corner, how many of us who claim to know this sport are actually familiar with its origin and some commonly used terms?! While researching for this piece, I myself who claim to possess a considerable knowledge of the game stumbled upon some really interesting information and facts which made me feel a little exasperated at my half knowledge!
Let us begin with the origin then. The earliest traces of soccer hold your breath now; can be traced back to about 2BC from the Han Dynasty in China where players used to play with a leather ball! The evolution of the modern day soccer took place from England during King Edward III’s reign and as gruesome as it may sound, the first ball played with was reportedly the head of a Danish Brigand!
As frivolous as it may sound, some eccentric rulers during the monarchy reign in England passed many laws against the game which border on the line of insanity. Some of the famous ones being: in Scotland, King James I, in 1424, proclaimed in Parliament, “That na man play at the Fute-ball” (No man shall play football/soccer). Similarly, Queen Elizabeth I of England, had a law passed which provided for soccer players to be ‘jailed for a week, and obliged to do penance in church.’
‘Soccer’ as we know it today officially kick-started on December 8th 1863 with the formation of the the Football Association at Freemason’s Tower. So, why is it then called Soccer?! As time passed the word association was abbreviated to assoc., which eventually gave way to the word soccer, the game’s common name in North America.
Now, let us delve into some common rules which every person associated with the game should know:
When the ball is in play, the rules of soccer are fairly simple and do not require much application of the brain! During the course of the match, the ball cannot touch a player’s hands or arms intentionally except by the goalkeeper.
At the start of the match, half time, extra time or after every goal scored there is a kick-off from the center circle. At the kick-off all of the soccer players must be on their side of the field (the side they are defending). Only the player kicking the kick-off is allowed inside the center circle.
After kick-off, the ball will be in play until it goes out of bounds or the referee calls a penalty. Other ways of restarting include:
Throw-in: The term used when the soccer ball has gone out of bounds. The team that last touched the ball loses the possession and the opposing team gets to throw in the ball from the point where the ball crossed out of bounds.
Corner kick: The term used when the defending team last touches the ball and it crosses the goal line (and not scoring a goal). The opposing team gets to kick the ball from the corner of the field. There is a good chance of a corner resulting into a goal. So always be ready to witness some drama when the corner is being taken!
Goal kick: The term used when the offensive or attacking team last touches the ball before it crosses the goal line. The goalkeeper gets to kick the ball from the goal box.
Penalty kick: An extremely critical situation in the game which is awarded when a foul takes place inside the penalty area. The offensive team gets a penalty kick which is in most situations converted into a goal.
Soccer Fouls
Soccer fouls can be any number of unfair advantages taken by a player that are signaled by the referee. Fouls include tripping, pushing, and touching the ball with the hands. A foul outside the penalty area results in a Free kicks and a foul inside the penalty area as pointed above results in a penalty kick!
Unsportsmanlike or unruly behavior may result in a Yellow card or a Red card which are different forms of caution. Yellow card is shown when a player commits a foul which is not very serious in nature but worthy of a caution like a two footed tackle, pushing, tugging at the opponent player’s jersey or purposely obstructing the opposition team player. Red card implies a straight ejection from the game and is usually shown when the foul committed is very serious in nature like unruly behavior such as spitting at the opponent, engaging in a physical duel with the opponent, purposely tripping the opponent, a career threatening tackle and so on…
Also, two Yellow cards shown by a referee during the match proceeding result in a Red card which again results in the ejection of a player from the game
Offside Rule: To simplify this rule considered by many as ‘complicated’, it involves signaling offside by raising the flag present with the assistant referee when the attacking player goes past the last defensive player on the opposing team (not including the goalkeeper) without the ball.
Do not get nonplussed after reading the above rules which may seem a bit tedious at the first glance but in-fact are really easy to follow. The pulsating pace of the game and the finesse of the players associated with the sport who are revered as idols and role models all over the world make it a real treat for the eyes. So, what are you waiting for?! Tune into the world’s most popular sport and enjoy the beautiful game!
