Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer,[a] is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it is the world's most popular sport.

Association football
The attacking player (No. 10) attempts to kick the ball into the net behind the opposing team's goalkeeper (here wearing red and yellow) to score a goal.
Highest governing bodyFIFA
Nicknames
First playedMid-19th century England[3][4]
Characteristics
ContactYes
Team members11 per side (including goalkeeper)
Mixed-sexNo, separate competitions
Type
EquipmentFootball (or soccer ball)
Football boots
Shin pads
Kits
Gloves (for goalkeepers)
VenueFootball pitch (also known as football field, football ground, soccer field, soccer pitch or "pitch")
GlossaryGlossary of association football
Presence
Country or regionWorldwide
OlympicMen's since the 1900 Olympics and women's since the 1996 Olympics
Paralympic5-a-side since 2004 and 7-a-side from 1984 to 2016

The game of association football is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game, a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference. The two teams compete to score goals by getting the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and only then within the penalty area. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or a foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out.[5]

Internationally, association football is governed by FIFA. Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA. Of these confederations, CONMEBOL is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with the Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup. The men's World Cup is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games.[6] The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League, which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of the men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world.[7][8]

Name

Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland,[9] whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia,[10] Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster),[11] and the United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of the 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league.[12]

The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School. Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling.[13][14] This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes, and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football.[15] The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca.[16]

History

On the left, an episkyros player on an ancient stone carving, c. 375–400 BCE, exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens;[17] on the right, children playing cuju in Song dynasty China, 12th century

Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures.[b] The Chinese competitive game cuju (蹴鞠, literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu) resembles modern association football as well as a mix of basketball, and volleyball. [18][19] This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce, a military history from the Han dynasty.[20] Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through the fengliu yan, a circular goal atop 10-11 meter poles.[18] During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established.[21] The Silk Road facilitated the transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty, the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball.[22] Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju.[23][24] Kemari originated after the year 600 during the Asuka period. It was a ceremonial rather than a competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari, a ball made of animal skin.[25] In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals".[26]

Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games.[20][27] An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on a stele of c. 375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens[17] appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy.[28] Athenaeus, writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum. Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football, wrestling, and volleyball more than what is recognisable as modern football.[21][29][30][31][32][33] As with pre-codified mob football, the antecedent of all modern football codes, these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it.[34][3]

Association football in itself does not have a classical history.[28] Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe.[3] The history of football in England dates back to at least the eighth century.[35] The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England.

 
The "Laws of the University Foot Ball Club" (Cambridge Rules) of 1856

The Cambridge rules, first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club, formed by former public school pupils in 1857,[36] which led to the formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules.[37]

 
An early draft of the original hand-written 'Laws of the Game' drawn up on behalf of The Football Association by Ebenezer Cobb Morley in 1863 on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester

These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street, London.[38] The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game, forming modern football.[39] The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding.[40] Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley, ratified the original thirteen laws of the game.[38] The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC, had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA.[38] Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union. The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games.[41]

 
The Aston Villa team in 1897, after winning both the FA Cup and the English Football League

The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup, which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock, and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow, again at the instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league, which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor.[42] The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England.[43]

Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).[44] The board was formed in 1886[45] after a meeting in Manchester of the Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association.[46] The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations.[47]

For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup, inaugurated in 1930, became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams.[48] In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and the champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world.[49]

In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world,[50] but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere.[48][50] Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa, Asia and North America,[50] and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football,[51] although countries in the Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia) have yet to make a mark in international football.[52][53] When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final.[48][50] These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women’s national team has won the FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team.[54]

Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams,[55] while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet.[56][57] A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football.[58] Football has the highest global television audience in sport.[59]

In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games.[60] The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure a truce to the nation's civil war in 2006[61] and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké, an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time.[62] By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras.[63] The sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990.[64]

Women's association football

Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that a similar ancient game (cuju, or tsu chu) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu.[65][66] There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian, Scotland, during the 1790s.[67][68]

 
North team of the British Ladies', the first organised women's football team, here pictured in March 1895

Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women.[68] In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on the pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play.[69] The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow.[67] In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895.[69] Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom.[70]

Association football continued to be played by women since the time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century.[70][71] The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club. Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where the sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation, and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most."[72] Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game.[73]

Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War, when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England. The team played in one of the first women's international matches against a French XI team in 1920,[74][75] and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0.[67]

Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920,[76][77] women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches,[78] stating that "the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged."[79] Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted,[77] and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game.[79] The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds.[80] Women's football also faced bans in several other countries, notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979,[81] in France from 1941 to 1970,[82] and in Germany from 1955 to 1970.[83]

 
A young Finnish girls' football team in Sweden

Restrictions began to be reduced in the 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968.[84] In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England,[70][85] with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom.[70] Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971. Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football,[70] while The Football Association rescinded the ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England.[85]

Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth[86] has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from the respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since;[87] by 2019, it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition.[88] Four years later, FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion,[89] while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record.[90] Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996.[91]

North America is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success,[92][93] and the women's game has been improving in South America.[94]

Gameplay

One half of a professional football match (45 minutes) between Slovenian clubs NK Nafta 1903 and NK Dob. The score after the half is 0–0.

Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game. The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference,[95] known as the football (or soccer ball). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by the Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks.[5]

The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with the forehead)[96] other than their hands or arms.[97] Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position.[98]

During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling, passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of the rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.[99]

 
A player executing a slide tackle to dispossess an opponent

At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match.[100] The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper,[101] but a number of specialised roles have evolved.[102] Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals; defenders, who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper.[citation needed]

These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time.[103] The layout of a team's players is known as a formation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager.[104]

Laws

There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted.[c] The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB.[105] In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football.[106][107] Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s[108] and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from, the IFAB Laws.[citation needed]

Players, equipment, and officials

 
The referee officiates in a football match

Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are a variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws.[101]

The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards. An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals.[109][110] Headgear is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury.[111] Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials.[112]

A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes,[113] with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match.[114] IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations.[115]

A game is officiated by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees. In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.[116]

Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether a goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during the buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions.[117]

Ball

 
A typical ball

The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with a latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic.[118][119]

Pitch

 
Standard pitch measurements

As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB, the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with a relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain.[120]

The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided the pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches;[121] however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented.[122]

The longer boundary lines are touchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines.[123] The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws.[124]

In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by a penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.[125]

Duration and tie-breaking methods

90-minute ordinary time

A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time.[126] The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents,[127][128] but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time, while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of the referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play, and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time".[129][130] The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs the players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee.[126] Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by the time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty.[131] The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty.[132]

Tie-breaking

 
Most knockout competitions use a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner if a match ends as a draw

In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such a deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays.[133] A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score.[5]

In competitions using two-legged matches, each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from the two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required.[5]

Ball in and out of play

 
A player takes a free kick, while the opposition form a "wall" to try to block the ball

Under the Laws, 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 eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play:

  • Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play.[99]
  • Throw-in: when the ball has crossed the touchline; awarded to the opposing team to that which last touched the ball.[134]
  • Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the attacking team; awarded to defending team.[135]
  • Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the defending team; awarded to attacking team.[136]
  • Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution or dismiss an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. A goal may not be scored directly (without the ball first touching another player) from an indirect free kick.[137]
  • Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls.[137] A goal may be scored directly from a direct free kick.
  • Penalty kick: awarded to the fouled team following a foul usually punishable by a direct free kick but that has occurred within their opponent's penalty area.[138]
  • Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason, such as a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective.[99]

Misconduct

On-field

Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and dismissed from the game with a red card. These colours were first introduced at the 1970 FIFA World Cup and used consistently since.

A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of the Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick.[97]

The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by a caution (yellow card) or dismissal (red card). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff.[97][139]

Rather than stopping play, the referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage".[140] The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at the next stoppage of play.[141]

The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final.[142] The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect.[citation needed]

Off-field

Along with the general administration of the sport, football associations and competition organisers also enforce good conduct in wider aspects of the game, dealing with issues such as comments to the press, clubs' financial management, doping, age fraud and match fixing. Most competitions enforce mandatory suspensions for players who are sent off in a game.[143] Some on-field incidents, if considered very serious (such as allegations of racial abuse), may result in competitions deciding to impose heavier sanctions than those normally associated with a red card.[d] Some associations allow for appeals against player suspensions incurred on-field if clubs feel a referee was incorrect or unduly harsh.[143]

Sanctions for such infractions may be levied on individuals or on clubs as a whole. Penalties may include fines, point deductions (in league competitions) or even expulsion from competitions. For example, the English Football League deduct 12 points from any team that enters financial administration.[144] Among other administrative sanctions are penalties against game forfeiture. Teams that had forfeited a game or had been forfeited against would be awarded a technical loss or win.[citation needed]

Governing bodies

 
Headquarters of FIFA, the world governing body of football

The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer)[c] is FIFA. The FIFA headquarters are located in Zürich, Switzerland. Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:[145]

National associations (or national federations) oversee football within individual countries. These are generally synonymous with sovereign states (for example, the Cameroonian Football Federation in Cameroon), but also include a smaller number of associations responsible for sub-national entities or autonomous regions (for example, the Scottish Football Association in Scotland). 211 national associations are affiliated both with FIFA and with their respective continental confederations.[145] Other national associations may be members of continental confederations but otherwise not participate in FIFA competitions.[146]

While FIFA is responsible for arranging competitions and most rules related to international competition, the actual Laws of the Game are set by the IFAB, where each of the UK Associations has one vote, while FIFA collectively has four votes.[47]

International competitions

 
The FIFA World Cup is the largest international competition in football and the world's most viewed sporting event

International competitions in association football principally consist of two varieties: competitions involving representative national teams or those involving clubs based in multiple nations and national leagues. International football, without qualification, most often refers to the former. In the case of international club competition, it is the country of origin of the clubs involved, not the nationalities of their players, that renders the competition international in nature.[citation needed]

The major international competition in football and the most prestigious is the World Cup, organised by FIFA. This competition has taken place every four years since 1930, with the exception of the 1942 and 1946 tournaments, which were cancelled because of World War II. As of 2022, over 200 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals.[147] The finals tournament involved 32 national teams (expanding to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament) competing over a four-week period.[148][e] The World Cup is the world's most widely viewed and most followed sporting event, with the 2022 tournament estimated to be watched by 5 billion people, more than 60% of the global population.[149] The 1958 World Cup saw the emergence of Pelé as a global sporting star, a period that coincided with "the explosive spread of television, which massively amplified his presence everywhere".[150] The current champions are Argentina, who won their third title at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.[151] The FIFA Women's World Cup has been held every four years since 1991. Under the tournament's current format that was expanded in 2023, national teams vie for 31 slots in a three-year qualification phase, while the host nation's team enters automatically as the 32nd slot.[152] The current champions are Spain, after winning their first title in the 2023 tournament.[153]

There has been a football tournament at every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles when FIFA and the International Olympic Committee had disagreed over the status of amateur players.[154][155] Before the inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during the 1920s) were the most prestigious international event. Originally, the tournament was for amateurs only.[46] As professionalism spread around the world, the gap in quality between the World Cup and the Olympics widened. The countries that benefited most were the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe, where top athletes were state-sponsored while retaining their status as amateurs. Between 1948 and 1980, 23 out of 27 Olympic medals were won by Eastern Europe, with only Sweden (gold in 1948 and bronze in 1952), Denmark (bronze in 1948 and silver in 1960) and Japan (bronze in 1968) breaking their dominance. For the 1984 Los Angeles Games, the IOC allowed professional players to compete. Since 1992, male competitors must be under 23 years old, although since 1996, three players over the age of 23 have been allowed per squad.[156] A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, full international sides without age restrictions play the women's Olympic tournament.[157]

 
Spanish footballers Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, and Sergio Ramos celebrating winning the UEFA European Championship in 2012

After the World Cup, the most important international football competitions are the continental championships, which are organised by each continental confederation and contested between national teams. These are the European Championship (UEFA), the Copa América (CONMEBOL), the Africa Cup of Nations (CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the Gold Cup (CONCACAF) and the Nations Cup (OFC).[158] These competitions are not strictly limited to members of the continental confederations, with guest teams from other continents sometimes invited to compete.[159] The FIFA Confederations Cup was contested by the winners of all six continental championships, the current FIFA World Cup champions, and the country which was hosting the next World Cup. This was generally regarded as a warm-up tournament for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and did not carry the same prestige as the World Cup itself.[158] The tournament was discontinued following the 2017 edition with its calendar slot replaced by an expanded FIFA Club World Cup.[160] The UEFA Nations League and the CONCACAF Nations League were introduced in the late 2010s to replace international friendlies during the two-year cycle between major tournaments.[161]

The most prestigious competitions in club football are the respective continental championships, which are generally contested between national champions, for example, the UEFA Champions League in Europe and the Copa Libertadores in South America. The winners of each continental competition contest the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, held annually, and the FIFA Club World Cup, held once every four years.[162]

Domestic competitions

 
A 2009 Spanish La Liga match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The fixture, known as El Clásico, is one of the most renowned in sport.[163]

The governing bodies in each country operate league systems in a domestic season, normally comprising several divisions, in which the teams gain points throughout the season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables, placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team plays every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a round-robin tournament. At the end of a season, the top team is declared the champion. The top few teams may be promoted to a higher division, and one or more of the teams finishing at the bottom are relegated to a lower division.[164]

The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may also be eligible to play in international club competitions in the following season. The main exceptions to this system occur in some Latin American leagues, which divide football championships into two sections named Apertura and Clausura (Spanish for Opening and Closing), awarding a champion for each.[165] Most countries supplement the league system with one or more "cup" competitions organised on a knock-out basis. These include the domestic cup, which may be open to all eligible teams in a country's league system—both professional and amateur—and is organised by the national federation.[166]

Some countries' top divisions feature highly-paid star players; in smaller countries, lower divisions, and many women's clubs, players may be part-timers with a second job, or amateurs. The five top European leaguesPremier League (England),[167] Bundesliga (Germany), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), and Ligue 1 (France) – attract most of the world's best players and, during the 2006–07 season, each of these leagues had a total wage cost in excess of 600 million.[168][needs update] These leagues also generated a combined €17.2 billion in revenue in the 2021–22 season from television contracts, matchday tickets, sponsorships, and other sources.[169]

See also

Notes

Listen to this article (30 minutes)
 
This audio file was created from a revision of this article dated 5 September 2007 (2007-09-05), and does not reflect subsequent edits.
  1. ^ For further information, see names for association football.
  2. ^ See Football#Early history for more information.
  3. ^ a b See List of types of football#Games descended from The FA rules for a list of association football variations.
  4. ^ For example, the English Premier League fined and levied an 8-match suspension on Luis Suárez for racially abusing Patrice Evra.
  5. ^ The number of competing teams has varied over the history of the competition.

References

  1. ^ "In a globalised world, the football World Cup is a force for good". The Conversation. 10 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  2. ^ "MLS as a Sports Product—The Prominence of the World's Game in the U.S. - Working Paper – Faculty & Research". Harvard Business School. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "History of Football – Britain, the home of Football". FIFA. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013.
  4. ^ "History of Football – The Origins". FIFA. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d "Procedures to determine the winner of a match or home-and-away" (PDF). Laws of the Game 2010/2011. FIFA. pp. 51–52. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  6. ^ "2002 FIFA World Cup TV Coverage". FIFA. 5 December 2006. Archived from the original on 14 March 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
  7. ^ "Champions League final tops Super Bowl for TV market". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 31 January 2010. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Champions League final vs Super Bowl: which is the most watched sporting event?". AS.com. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  9. ^ "The History of Football in England". English Heritage. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  10. ^ Manfred, Tony (14 June 2014). "The real reason Americans call it 'soccer' is all England's fault". Business Insider Australia. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  11. ^ Cunningham, John M. "Why Do Some People Call Football "Soccer"?". Britannica. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Editorial: Soccer – or should we say football – must change". New Zealand Herald. 11 June 2014. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  13. ^ Perrigo, Billy (11 July 2018). "Why Do Americans Call It Soccer Instead of Football? Blame England". Time.com. Time Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  14. ^ Clarke, Donald (3 July 2021). "There is no easier way to annoy a British soccer fan than referring to soccer as 'soccer'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  15. ^ "What's The Origin of the Word "Soccer"?". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Origin and meaning of soccer". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  17. ^ a b Item (NAMA) 873 Archived 22 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine displayed at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens
  18. ^ a b "Origins of Cuju in China". www.fifamuseum.com.
  19. ^ "Sports". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Classic Football History of the Game". FIFA. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  21. ^ a b Murray, Scott (2010). Football For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 33–. ISBN 978-0-470-66440-7. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  22. ^ Yang, Lin (2018). "Chinese Ju and World Football". Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research. 120: 276–281.
  23. ^ "History of Football – The Origins". FIFA. Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  24. ^ Chadwick, Simon; Hamil, Sean, eds. (2010). Managing Football: An International Perspective. London: Routledge. p. 458. ISBN 978-1-136-43763-2. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  25. ^ "History of Football, Part 2: The Aztec and The Oriental Version of the Game". Bleacher Report. 29 January 2009. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023.
  26. ^ Roberts, Mike (13 April 2011). "Little Brothers of War Ball games in Pre-Colombian North America". The same old game: the true story of the ancient origins of football. Barcelona: RobertsBCN Publications. ISBN 978-1-4610-9319-0. OCLC 1022073321. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  27. ^ "A gripping Greek derby". FIFA. 8 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  28. ^ a b "Fury as FIFA finds a field of dreams in China". Bangkok Post. 5 June 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  29. ^ Nigel Wilson, Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece, Routledge, 2005, p. 310
  30. ^ Nigel M. Kennell, The Gymnasium of Virtue: Education and Culture in Ancient Sparta (Studies in the History of Greece and Rome), The University of North Carolina Press, 1995, on Google Books Archived 5 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ Steve Craig, Sports and Games of the Ancients: (Sports and Games Through History), Greenwood, 2002, on Google Books Archived 6 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ Don Nardo, Greek and Roman Sport, Greenhaven Press, 1999, p. 83
  33. ^ Sally E. D. Wilkins, Sports and games of medieval cultures, Greenwood, 2002, on Google books Archived 6 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ "Rugby Football History". Rugby Football History. Archived from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  35. ^ "History of Football – Britain, the home of Football". FIFA. Archived from the original on 1 July 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2006.
  36. ^ Harvey, Adrian (2005). Football, the first hundred years. London: Routledge. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-415-35018-1.
  37. ^ Winner, David (28 March 2005). "The hands-off approach to a man's game". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2007.
  38. ^ a b c "History of the FA". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  39. ^ "British Library displays The Football Association's 1863 Minute Book". British Library. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  40. ^ "The Football Association". Bell's Life in London. 28 November 1863. p. 6. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  41. ^ Young, Percy M. (1964). Football in Sheffield. S. Paul. pp. 28–29.
  42. ^ "The History of the Football League". The Football League. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  43. ^ Parrish, Charles; Nauright, John (2014). Soccer around the World: A Cultural Guide to the World's Favorite Sport. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-61069-302-8. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  44. ^ "IFAB". FIFA. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  45. ^ "The International FA Board". FIFA. Archived from the original on 22 April 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  46. ^ a b "Where it all began". FIFA. Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
  47. ^ a b "The IFAB: How it works". FIFA. 4 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  48. ^ a b c Townsend, Jon (30 May 2015). "The continental kings of Europe and South America". These Football Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  49. ^ "FIFA Council approves key organisational elements of the FIFA World Cup". FIFA. 27 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  50. ^ a b c d Sarkar, Dhiman (8 December 2022). "Why Europe and South America dominate World Cup". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  51. ^ Rubio, Alberto; Sam (10 February 2023). "The reasons why South American teams are now struggling at the Club World Cup". MARCA. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  52. ^ Robinson, Mark (31 August 2018). "Can Caribbean football make an impact at international level?". Caribbean Beat Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  53. ^ "How Oceania fell off the FIFA map". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 August 2003. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  54. ^ "Women's World Cup: USWNT results at each tournament". 6 August 2023. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  55. ^ Ingle, Sean; Glendenning, Barry (9 October 2003). "Baseball or Football: which sport gets the higher attendance?". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2006.
  56. ^ "TV Data". FIFA. Archived from the original on 22 September 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  57. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup reached 3.2 billion viewers, one billion watched final". FIFA. 16 December 2015. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  58. ^ "FIFA Survey: approximately 250 million footballers worldwide" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2006. Retrieved 15 September 2006.
  59. ^ "2006 FIFA World Cup broadcast wider, longer and farther than ever before". FIFA. 6 February 2007. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  60. ^ Kapuscinski, Ryszard (2007). The Soccer War.
  61. ^ Stormer, Neil (20 June 2006). "More than a game". Common Ground News Service. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  62. ^ Austin, Merrill (10 July 2007). "Best Feet Forward". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 28 February 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  63. ^ Dart, James; Bandini, Paolo (21 February 2007). "Has football ever started a war?". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  64. ^ Drezner, Daniel (4 June 2006). "The Soccer Wars". The Washington Post. p. B01. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
  65. ^ "Genesis of 'The Global Game'". The Global Game. Archived from the original on 21 May 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2006.
  66. ^ "The Chinese and Tsu Chu". The Football Network. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2006.
  67. ^ a b c "A Brief History of Women's Football". Scottish Football Association. Archived from the original on 8 March 2005. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  68. ^ a b "A game of two sexes". The Herald. Glasgow. 8 February 1997. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  69. ^ a b "Women's Football History". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 25 March 2009.
  70. ^ a b c d e Gregory, Patricia (3 June 2005). "How women's football battled for survival". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  71. ^ Campbell, Alan (19 October 2012). "No longer the game of two-halves". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  72. ^ Ladda, Shawn. "Women's involvement with soccer was part of the emancipation process". SoccerTimes. Archived from the original on 16 November 2006. Retrieved 4 May 2006.
  73. ^ Mårtensson, Stefan (June 2010). "Branding women's football in a field of hegemonic masculinity". Entertainment and Sports Law Journal. 8 (1): 5. doi:10.16997/eslj.44. ISSN 1748-944X.
  74. ^ "The Dick, Kerr Ladies' FC". Donmouth. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  75. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Home Front – The Forgotten First International Women's Football Match". BBC. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  76. ^ Leighton, Tony (10 February 2008). "FA apologies for 1921 ban". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  77. ^ a b Alexander, Shelley (3 June 2005). "Trail-blazers who pioneered women's football". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  78. ^ Witzig, Richard (2006). The Global Art of Soccer. CusiBoy Publishing. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-9776688-0-9. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  79. ^ a b Wrack, Suzanne (13 June 2022). "How the FA banned women's football in 1921 and tried to justify it". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  80. ^ Newsham, Gail (2014). In a League of Their Own. The Dick, Kerr Ladies 1917–1965. Paragon Publishing.
  81. ^ "Women footballers: Born with talent, held back by prejudice". BBC News. 28 February 2018. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  82. ^ Lasserre, Victoria (7 July 2022). "5 dates clefs sur l'histoire du football féminin". Cosmopolitan.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  83. ^ Wünsch, Silke (20 June 2011). "Female footballers". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  84. ^ Pecci, Giulio (5 November 2018). "The reinassance of women's football in Italy". NSS Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  85. ^ a b "History of women's football". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  86. ^ Kleen, Brendon (21 December 2022). "Women's Football Is Growing in the Middle East and North Africa". Global Sport Matters. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  87. ^ "Tournaments: Women's World Cup". FIFA. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  88. ^ Glass, Alana (21 October 2019). "FIFA Women's World Cup Breaks Viewership Records". Forbes. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  89. ^ "With 100 days to Women's World Cup, calls for gender equity grow". Al Jazeera. 11 April 2023. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  90. ^ "Women's World Cup ticket sales break record with close to 1.4m sold on eve of 2023 tournament". The Guardian. 19 July 2023. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  91. ^ Moore, Kevin (2015). "Football and the Olympics and Paralympics". In Hassan, David; Mitra, Shakya (eds.). The Olympic Games: Meeting New Global Challenges. London: Routledge. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-415-74176-7. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  92. ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup History – Past World Cup Winners, Hosts, Most Goals and more". FOX Sports. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  93. ^ Kelly, Ryan (8 August 2021). "Which country has won the most Olympic gold medals in football?". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  94. ^ Rey, Debora (7 July 2022). "South American women's soccer improving but some way to go". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  95. ^ "Circumference". FIFA Quality Programme. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016.
  96. ^ "How to head a football". Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  97. ^ a b c "Laws of the game (Law 12)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  98. ^ "Law 11 – Offside" (PDF). Laws of the Game 2010/2011. FIFA. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  99. ^ a b c "Laws of the game (Law 8)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  100. ^ Ducker, James (5 December 2023). "Seven graphs that explain the Premier League's goal glut". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  101. ^ a b "Laws of the game (Law 3–Number of Players)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  102. ^ "Soccer positions explained: names, numbers and what they do". Bundesliga. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  103. ^ "Positions guide, Who is in a team?". BBC Sport. 1 September 2005. Archived from the original on 5 November 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  104. ^ "Formations". BBC Sport. 1 September 2005. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  105. ^ "Laws of the Game". FIFA. Archived from the original on 1 September 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  106. ^ "Offside and handball laws under Ifab review along with concussion substitutions". BBC Sport. 29 February 2020. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  107. ^ Reilly, Thomas; Williams, A. Mark, eds. (2005). Science and Soccer (Second ed.). London: Routledge. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-415-26231-6. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  108. ^ Maurer, Pablo. "How U.S. soccer experimented with 10 changes to the game before launching MLS". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  109. ^ "Health Advice for Boys". Strikingeagles.tripod.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  110. ^ "Soccer Position Paper" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  111. ^ "Football's biggest headache". Marca. Spain. 12 March 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  112. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 4–Players' Equipment)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  113. ^ "Five substitutions permitted in all top-level competitions from 2022/23". 90min.com. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  114. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 3–Substitution procedure)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  115. ^ "Law 3 – The Number of Players" (PDF). Laws of the Game 2010/2011. FIFA. p. 62. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  116. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 5 – The referee)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  117. ^ "Video Assistant Referees (VARs) Experiment – Protocol (Summary)". International Football Association Board. 26 April 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  118. ^ "Laws of the Game 2013/2014" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2013.
  119. ^ "Football manufacturing". FIFA quality program. FIFA. Archived from the original on 4 September 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  120. ^ Summers, Chris (2 September 2004). "Will we ever go completely metric?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2007.
  121. ^ "Goal-line technology put on ice". FIFA. 8 March 2008. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  122. ^ "FIFA Amendments to the Laws of the Game, 2008" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  123. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 1.1 – The field of play)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  124. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 1.4 – The Field of play)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  125. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 1.3 – The field of play)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  126. ^ a b "Laws of the game (Law 7.2 – The duration of the match)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  127. ^ "Interpretation of the Laws of the Game – Law 07" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2012.
  128. ^ "Law 7 – The Duration of the Match" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2011.
  129. ^ "Football reforms: Scrapping 45-minute half to be debated at Ifab". BBC Sport. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 22 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  130. ^ We Timed Every Game. World Cup Stoppage Time Is Wildly Inaccurate Archived 12 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine, David Bunnell, FiveThirtyEight, 27 June 2018
  131. ^ The Sunday Times Illustrated History of Football Reed International Books Limited 1996. p. 11 ISBN 1-85613-341-9
  132. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 7.3 – The duration of the match)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  133. ^ For example, in the FA Cup prior to the semi-finals.
  134. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 15 – The Throw-in)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  135. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 16 – The Goal Kick)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  136. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 17 – The Corner Kick)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  137. ^ a b "Laws of the game (Law 13 – Free Kicks)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  138. ^ "Laws of the game (Law 14 – The Penalty Kick)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2007.
  139. ^ "How cards for managers has improved behaviour in the technical area". The Independent. 13 May 2020. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  140. ^ "Referee's signals: advantage". BBC Sport. 14 September 2005. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  141. ^ "Law 5: The Referee: Advantage" (PDF). Laws of the Game 2010/2011. FIFA. p. 66. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  142. ^ "Law 5: The Referee" (PDF). The Laws of the Game. FIFA. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  143. ^ a b For example, see The Football Association's rules regarding player suspensions in FA competitions: "Disciplinary procedures". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  144. ^ "Football League administration penalty raised to 12 points". BBC Sport. 5 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  145. ^ a b "Member Associations". FIFA. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  146. ^ Oinam, Jayanta (9 December 2022). "Harbouring FIFA non-members, the Caribbean Football Union way". FIFA. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  147. ^ Ansari, Aarish (14 June 2022). "FIFA World Cup 2022: Brazil, Germany, England among confirmed teams for Qatar". Olympics. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  148. ^ Mayorquin, Orlando (19 November 2022). "How does the World Cup work? The ultimate soccer showcase, explained". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  149. ^ "Qatar 2022 to be watched by 5bn people, says Gianni Infantino". SportsPro. 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  150. ^ Goldblatt, David (29 December 2022). "Pelé set the standards by which footballing greatness is judged". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  151. ^ Mcnulty, Phil (18 December 2022). "Argentina win dramatic World Cup final on penalties". BBC Sport. BBC. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  152. ^ Lewis, Russell (23 July 2023). "The Women's World Cup expanded to 32 teams this year. Has the quality suffered?". NPR. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  153. ^ Peterson, Anne M. (20 August 2023). "From turmoil to triumph, Spain earns its first Women's World Cup title with a 1-0 win over England". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  154. ^ "Football at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  155. ^ "Football Equipment and History". International Olympic Committee (IOC). Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  156. ^ "Football: Five superstars who have won gold in the Olympics". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  157. ^ Borg, Simon (7 August 2021). "Olympic soccer rules, explained: How men's and women's football tournaments work in Tokyo". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  158. ^ a b Molinaro, John F. (22 May 2009). "Continental champions collide at the Confederations Cup". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  159. ^ Williams, Aidan (12 June 2019). "Japan, Qatar and the history of guest teams at the Copa América". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  160. ^ "2021 FIFA Club World Cup to remain a seven-team tournament". The Athletic. 4 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  161. ^ Straus, Brian (17 November 2017). "How CONCACAF League of Nations Alters Competitive Landscape for USA, Region". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  162. ^ "Organising Committee strengthens FIFA Club World Cup format". FIFA. 14 August 2007. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2007.
  163. ^ Philip, Tom (19 November 2015). "What the Hell is El Clásico?". GQ. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  164. ^ Fort, Rodney (September 2000). "European and North American Sports Differences(?)". Scottish Journal of Political Economy. 47 (4): 431–55. doi:10.1111/1467-9485.00172.
  165. ^ "Estudiantes win Argentina Apertura title". Fox Sports. Associated Press. 13 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2011. Under the system used in Argentina and most of Latin America, two season titles are awarded each year – the Apertura and Clausura.
  166. ^ Rueter, Jeff (22 August 2023). "What is the U.S. Open Cup? Soccer tournament history, how to watch and Messi's path to another trophy". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  167. ^ Hughes, Ian (31 March 2008). "Premier League conquering Europe". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2008.
  168. ^ Taylor, Louise (29 May 2008). "Leading clubs losing out as players and agents cash in". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  169. ^ Buckingham, Philip (14 June 2023). "Premier League generated £5.5bn in 2021–22 – more than La Liga and Bundesliga combined". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.