Football (soccer)
:
Association football, commonly known
as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams
of 11 players each. It is widely considered to be the most popular
sport in the world. A ball game, it is played on a rectangular grass
field, or occasionally on artificial turf, with a goal at each end
of the field. The object of the game is to score by manoeuvring
the ball into the opposing goal; only the goalkeepers may use their
hands or arms to propel the ball in general play. The team that
scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score
is tied at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the
game goes into extra time and or a penalty shootout, depending on
the format of the competition.
The modern game was codified in England following the formation
of the Football Association, whose 1863 Laws of the Game created
the foundations for the way the sport is played today. Football
is governed internationally by the Fédération Internationale
de Football Association (International Federation of Association
Football), which is commonly known by the acronym FIFA. The most
prestigious international football competition is the World Cup,
held every four years. This event, the most widely viewed and famous
in the world, boasts twice the audience of the Summer Olympics.
|
