Soccer For

Starters

By Jake Wilner

The Basics

Have you ever wanted to learn how to play the most popular sport in the world? This sport is called soccer. Every game is a battle between players, a race against the clock. Want to learn how to play?

In soccer two teams try to kick a ball into the other team’s net. No one except a player called the goalie can touch the ball with their hands or arms. Other players can use any other part of their body to touch the ball. The goalie can only use his hands in an box called the penalty area. The point of the game is to get the ball into the other team’s net as much as possible before time runs out. Now you get the gist of soccer but if you really want to play, read on!

THE FIELD

Boundaries, how to get the ball in play, and the penalty and goal boxes

Boundaries

There are two different kinds of boundaries on a soccer field. They are called goal lines and sidelines, otherwise known as end lines and touch lines. Sidelines or touch lines are the longer lines. They are 100 to 130 yards long. The shorter lines are the goal lines or end lines. They are 65 to 100 yards long. The sidelines are the lines that run along the sides of the field. The goal lines are at the ends of the field, where the nets are (see figure 1).

Back In Play

When a ball crosses a sideline or goal line there are three different ways to get it back in play. These three ways are called goal kicks, corner kicks, and throw ins. A throw in is the most common of these three and happens whenever a ball crosses a sideline. The team who had not touched the ball last gets a throw in. A throw in is the only occasion that a player who is not the goalie is allowed to touch the ball with his or her hands. A throw in is where a player steps off the field

Back In Play

and picks up the ball. The player then has to lift it all the way behind his or her head and throw the ball. The feet can not leave the ground when the ball is thrown or else the other team gets the throw in. The player can then step into the field and resume playing as normal.

A goal kick happens when a team kicks the ball over the other team’s goal line. That team then takes a kick from the corner of their goal area. A corner kick happens when a team kicks the ball over their own goal line.

Back In Play

This kick is taken in the closest corner to where the ball crossed the goal line. The player can then kick the ball from that corner. The player then cannot touch the ball until someone else touches it first, as is the same for goal kicks and throw ins.

The Two Areas

The penalty area is a section in front of each goal. This area is 44 yards wide and 18 yards deep. When a player in their own penalty area fouls another player, the fouled team is awarded a penalty kick. The penalty kick is taken from the penalty dot (see figure 1). The goal area is a section inside the penalty area. This area is 20 yards wide and 4 yards deep. The goal area is used to help restart the game. It shows the distance the ball has to be from the goal when taking a goal kick.

The Nets and the Circle

The nets are at the ends of the field in the center of the goal line. There is one per goal line. The nets are 8 yards wide and 8 feet high. They then slope back from that rectangle and have netting in the back to catch the ball. The center circle is used to restart the game. At the start of the game and when anyone scores a goal, a kickoff occurs. While one team is taking their kickoff the other team must be outside the center circle and on their side of the field until the other

The Nets and the Circle

team touches the ball. The center circle is in the middle of the half line. It has a diameter of about 20 yards.

Figure 1This shows the dimensions of a soccer field and labels the areas

Penalty Dot

POSITIONSDifferent positions and how to play them

Different Positions

Different positions include forward, midfield, defense, and goalie. The forwards play closest to the other team’s net and will fall back to just outside the penalty box. The midfielders play up and down the entire field. They go to the opponent’s net and all the way back to their net. The defenders play close to their goal and go up to just past the half line when their team is attacking (see figure 2). The goalie stays in the goal

Different Positions

area when on the defense and will go up to the top of the penalty area if his team is attacking.

How to Play Positions

The jobs of all the positions are very different. The forwards try to score goals on the other team’s net. The midfielders try to get the ball from the defenders up to the forwards. The defenders try to stop the ball from getting to the goal and try to get it to the midfielders or sometimes the forwards. The goalie tries to stop any balls from getting into the net if the ball gets past the defenders. The goalie can use any part of the body to stop the ball.

Figure 3The red dots are the forwards and the yellow dots are midfielders. The blue dots are the defenders and the gray dot is the goalie. This is a 4-4-2 formation. There are other formations than this one. Ex: 3-4-3.

EQUIPMENTUniform and ball

The Ball

The ball is made of synthetic material. It is then filled with air so that it is hard enough to kick, but not too hard. The ball has a circumference of about 27-28 inches. It weighs about 14-16 grams. Children usually play with a ball that has a circumference of about 25 inches.

The Uniform

The soccer uniform consists of a jersey, calf length socks, cleats, and shin guards. Each team wears a jersey made of breathable material. Each team’s jersey needs to be different from the other team’s jersey. Each goalie needs to wear a different jersey than anyone else on the field.

Cleats are spiked shoes that dig into the ground to help the player get a better grip on the field (see figure 4). The goalie wears gloves which protect the hands when blocking shots from the other team.

The Uniform

Shin guards are pieces of plastic that protect your shins (see figure 3). They attach to ankle guards which are used to protect the ankles. The ankle guards slip on the ankles. The shin guards are then attached to your legs using a strap. The socks are used to cover up the shin guards and help hold them in place.

Figures 3 (top) and 4 (bottom)Above is a picture of shin guards with ankle guards, and below is a picture of cleats.

FOULSTypes of fouls, cautions and ejections

Types of Fouls

There are ten fouls that result in a direct free kick and four that result in a indirect free kick. These fouls are all called by the referees. A list of these fouls is shown on the next page.

Types of Fouls

Direct Kick Tripping or trying to

trip someone Kicking or trying to kick

someone Jumping at someone Charging someone Striking or attempting

to strike someone Pushing someone Tackling someone Holding someone Spitting at someone Purposely touching the

ball with your hands or arms

Indirect Kick Dangerous play Blocking someone Interfering with the

goalie Offsides

Cautions and Ejections

There are two different kinds of cards in soccer, a yellow and a red. These cards are carried by the referees. A yellow card represents a caution and a red card represents ejection from the game. Two yellow cards will also result in an ejection (see figure 5). What can get someone a caution or ejection is shown on the next page.

Cautions and Ejections

Caution Unsporting

behavior Arguing Repeatedly fouling Delaying the game Not going the

required distance from a free kick/throw in

Entering or leaving the field without permission

Ejection Serious foul play Violent conduct Spitting at anyone Getting two

cautions

Figure 5This shows what happens when someone gets different cards. One red gets an ejection. A yellow gets a caution. Two yellows will also result in an ejection.

Ejection

Ejection

Caution

SOCCER STORYMy first game this year

Soccer Story

I arrived at my first game of the season. I was 20 minutes early so that I could warm up with the rest of my team. We did a few warm up drills. Later the whistle blew for the players to go out for the coin toss. Whoever wins gets to choose their side of the field or get the kickoff first. Whatever the winning team doesn’t choose the other team gets. We won the toss and then chose our side of the field. They then took the kickoff.

I was assigned the position of left

Soccer Story

forward. They passed the ball back to their center midfielder. He then passed it up to a forward. One of our midfielders then stole the ball and took it up the field. I got out in the middle and he passed the ball to me. I then took my shot. The goalie jumped but the ball flew past him. I scored! They then took the ball back for a kickoff. They took their kickoff and did the same thing as last time. Our right forward then took the ball from the midfielder but was stopped by a

Soccer Story

defender. One of our midfielders then got the ball and passed it to me in the middle, again. Whoosh. I scored, again.

A while later they got down the field and scored. Then my team substituted me out and I went and sat on the bench. The rest of the game had great offense on both sides but we were better. They scored one next but then we scored one back. We then scored another goal, and then one more. After halftime we went back onto the field. After a while I shot

Soccer Story

again and scored another goal. I had finally achieved a hat trick, three goals in one game. We won that game, 9-5.

Figure 6A soccer player is about to shoot a ball

What Now?

Now you know how to play soccer. You know the equipment and the fouls. You know the positions and how to play them. You know what almost everything on the field is called. You even know what to do when the ball goes out of bounds.

But what are you going to do with all of that knowledge? You could take a class which would teach you the finer points of soccer. You could join a team and play against other teams. You could be a great player. So go play the game!

OTHER INFOGlossary and Bibliography

Glossary Direct free kick- a kick that one team gets to take while

the other team has to stand a certain distance away that can go straight into the goal

Half line- a line that extends from sideline to sideline in the middle of the field

Halftime- a period in the middle of the game where players get to come off the field and rest

Indirect free kick- a kick that one team gets to take while the other team has to stand a certain distance away that can’t go straight into the goal

Kickoff- a procedure that is used when the game starts and when anybody scores, the team who isn’t taking the kickoff must stand outside of the center circle and on their side of the field

GlossaryOffsides- when a player is past everyone on the other team except the goalie and gets passed to. This has to take place on the other team’s half

Penalty kick- a kick that is taken from the penalty dot where all players must stand outside of the penalty box except for one player and the goalie. The goalie must stand on the goal line as the player shoots

Referee- an official who doesn’t play in the game but calls fouls, issues cards and makes sure the game is played fairly and safely

Bibliography

"Kids Sports." Soccer for Kids: The Soccer Field. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015.

"How to Play Soccer-The Basics, Fundamentals and Essentials." How to Play Soccer. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015.

"Soccer Shin Guards." Sports Authority, Inc. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015.

"SOCCER CLEATS." Soccer Cleats. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015.

"Soccer Photography Tips." Soccer Photography Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015.