Soccer Study Guide

Soccer Basic Rules
and History
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History
Nobody knows when soccer was actually invented, but plenty of cultures seem to have had the idea. Over 3,000 years ago, the Chinese played a game called "tsu-chu" by booting a leather ball into a net held up by bamboo canes. They played it to celebrate the emperor's birthday.
Early variations of the game were also played in Japan, Greece, Rome, and South America. Some ancient, warlike societies played a grim version of the game . . . using the head of a rival king.
The modern version of soccer, called football, arose in England. But it took a while, because kings and queens kept banning it. Some kings thought it distracted people from practicing archery, which was good practice for war; other royals just didn't like it.
But kids liked to play it, and in the 19th century, many schools saw soccer as a way to keep their students fit. Clubs formed, and finally, in 1863, the owners of several soccer teams wrote the laws of the game. Soccer was on its way.

Basic Rules
Soccer is a very simple game. There are 11 players: one goalkeeper, four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards. A goal—worth one point—is scored when the ball is kicked into the net. The ball must pass completely over the goal line to be a goal. So if the ball hits the top of the net and falls on the goal line, it is not a goal, and is still in play.

Here are three main rules of play:
• No Hands. Only the goalkeeper may use his or her hands. Other players may use any part of their body EXCEPT the area from the tips of their fingers to their shoulder to move the ball.
• Throw-ins. When the ball crosses the sideline and leaves the field, the team that did NOT touch it last throws it back in. The player throwing the ball back in play must keep his or her feet on the ground and throw the ball with both arms over his or her head.
• Corner Kicks and Goal Kicks. When the ball crosses the end line and leaves the field, a corner or goal kick is awarded. If the offensive team kicks the ball out, the other team is granted a goal kick. A goal kick is kicked from inside the goalie box. If the defensive team kicks it out, the other team gets a corner kick. A corner kick is booted from the corner nearest to where the ball left the field. A typical adult game lasts 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves. Youth games are shorter, depending on the age of the players.


• The other rule: If you're playing soccer, you should try to have fun.