Association football, more commonly known asfootball orsoccer,[a] is ateam sport played between two teams of 11players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel aball around a rectangular field called apitch. The objective of the game is toscore more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framedgoal 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.
The game of association football is played in accordance with theLaws of the Game, a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by theIFAB since 1886. The game is played with afootball that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) incircumference. 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 thegoalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within thepenalty 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 anoffside call or afoul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in adraw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes intoextra time or apenalty shoot-out.[5]
Internationally, association football is governed byFIFA. Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations:AFC,CAF,CONCACAF,CONMEBOL,OFC, andUEFA. Of these confederations, CONMEBOL is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g.the FA in England, theU.S. Soccer in the United States,Canada Soccer in Canada,Football Australia in Australia,New Zealand Football in New Zealand, etc) 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 competition is theFIFA World Cup. The men's World Cup is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing theOlympic Games.[6] The two most prestigious competitions in club football are theUEFA Champions League and theUEFA 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]
Association football is one of a family offootball codes that emerged from variousball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most ofUlster 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, namelyrugby union andrugby league.[12]
The termsoccer comes fromOxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at theUniversity of Oxford in England from about 1875, and is thought to have been borrowed from the slang ofRugby School. Initially speltassoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling.[13][14] This form of slang also gave rise torugger for rugby football,fiver andtenner forfive pound andten pound notes, and the now-archaicfooter that was also a name for association football.[15] The wordsoccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form ofsocca.[16]
Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures.[b] The Chinese competitive gamecuju (蹴鞠, literally "kickball"; also known astsu 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 theZhan Guo Ce, a military history from theHan 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 thefengliu yan, a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles.[18] During theHan dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE),cuju games were standardised and rules were established.[21] TheSilk Road facilitated the transmission ofcuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in theTang dynasty, the period when theinflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball.[22] Other East Asian games includekemari in Japan andchuk-guk in Korea, both influenced bycuju.[23][24]Kemari originated after the year 600 during theAsuka period. It was a ceremonial rather than a competitive game, and involved the kicking of amari, a ball made of animal skin.[25] In North America,pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by theAlgonquians; 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]
In theMiddle Ages, one of the best-known games wascalcio storico fiorentino, which originated in the city ofFlorence,Italy. This sport was similar to modern football in several ways, because of the festive atmosphere in which these matches were played.[34] Another medieval sport that can be considered a type ofmedieval football isLa Soule orChoule, played in medievalFrance, in which the ball was propelled by hands, feet, and sticks,[35] dating from the 12th century.[36] As with pre-codifiedmob football, the antecedent of allmodern football codes, these five games involved more handling the ball than kicking it.[37][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.[38] The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widelyvarying forms of football played in thepublic schools of England.
The "Laws of the University Foot Ball Club" (Cambridge Rules) of 1856
TheCambridge rules, first drawn up at theUniversity of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written atTrinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting attended by representatives fromEton,Harrow,Rugby,Winchester andShrewsbury 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 theSheffield Football Club, formed by former public school pupils in 1857,[39] which led to the formation of aSheffield FA in 1867. In 1862,John Charles Thring ofUppingham School also devised an influential set of rules.[40]
These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation ofThe Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at theFreemasons' Tavern inGreat Queen Street, London.[41] The only school to be represented on this occasion wasCharterhouse. 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 namedLaws of the Game, forming modern football.[42] The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand andhacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding.[43] Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretaryEbenezer Cobb Morley, ratified the original thirteen laws of the game.[41] 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.[41] OtherEnglish rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed theRugby Football Union. The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar toVictorian 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.[44]
Laws of the Game are determined by theInternational Football Association Board (IFAB).[47] The board was formed in 1886[48] after a meeting inManchester of the Football Association, theScottish Football Association, theFootball Association of Wales, and theIrish Football Association.FIFA, the international football body, was formed inParis in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association.[49] 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.[50]
For most of the 20th century,Europe andSouth America were the dominant regions in association football. TheFIFA World Cup, inaugurated in1930, became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams.[51] In the second half of the century, theEuropean Cup and theCopa Libertadores were created, and the champions of these two club competitions would contest theIntercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world.[52]
In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world,[53] but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players fromLatin America and elsewhere.[51][53] Meanwhile, football has improved inAfrica,Asia andNorth America,[53] and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football,[54] although countries in theCaribbean andOceania regions (exceptAustralia) have yet to make a mark in international football.[55][56] 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.[51][53] These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as theUnited States women's national team has won the FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team.[57]
Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams,[58] while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet.[59][60] 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.[61] Football has the highest global television audience in sport.[62]
In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individualfans, 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.[63] TheIvory Coast national football team helped secure a truce to the nation'scivil war in 2006[64] and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital ofBouaké, an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time.[65] By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for theFootball War in June 1969 betweenEl Salvador andHonduras.[66] The sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of theCroatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match betweenDinamo Zagreb andRed Star Belgrade degenerated intorioting in May 1990.[67]
Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and severaloutlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that a similar ancient game (cuju, ortsu chu) was played by women during theHan dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playingtsu chu.[68][69] There are also reports of annual football matches played by women inMidlothian, Scotland, during the 1790s.[70][71]
North team of theBritish Ladies', the first organised women's football team, here pictured in March 1895
Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women.[71] In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on the pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play.[72] The first match recorded by theScottish Football Association took place in 1892 inGlasgow.[70] In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895.[72] Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom.[73]
Association football continued to be played by women since the time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century.[73][74] The best-documented early European team was founded by activistNettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named theBritish 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 ofemancipation, and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit inParliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most."[75] 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.[76]
Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of theFirst 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 wasDick, Kerr Ladies F.C. ofPreston, England. The team played in one of the first women's international matches against a French XI team in 1920,[77][78] and also made up most of the England team against aScottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0.[70]
Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920,[79][80]women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 whenThe Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches,[81] stating that "the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged."[82] Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted,[80] and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game.[82] The FA ban led to the formation of the short-livedEnglish Ladies Football Association and play moved torugby grounds.[83] Women's football also faced bans inseveral other countries, notably inBrazil from 1941 to 1979,[84] inFrance from 1941 to 1970,[85] and inWest Germany from 1955 to 1970.[86]
A young Finnish girls' football team in Sweden
Restrictions began to be reduced in the 1960s and 1970s. TheItalian women's football league was established in 1968.[87] In December 1969, theWomen's Football Association was formed in England,[73][88] with the sport eventually becoming the most prominentteam sport for women in the United Kingdom.[73] Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by theFIEFFin 1970 andin 1971. Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football,[73] while The Football Association rescinded the ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England.[88]
Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth[89] has seen major competitions being launched at both thenational andinternational levels, mirroring the men's competitions. TheFIFA 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;[90] by2019, it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition.[91]Four years later, FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion,[92] while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record.[93] Women's football has been an Olympic event since1996.[94]
North America is the dominant region in women's football, with theUnited States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success,[95][96] and the women's game has been improving in South America.[97]
One half of a professional football match (45 minutes) between Slovenian clubsNK Nafta 1903 andNK Dob. The score after the half is 0–0.
Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as theLaws of the Game. The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference,[98] known as thefootball (orsoccer 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 acaptain 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 orpenalty kicks.[5]
The primary law is that players other thangoalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during athrow-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)[99] other than their hands or arms.[100] 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 anoffside position.[101]
During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as bydribbling, 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 throughtackling 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 thereferee for an infringement of the rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.[102]
A player executing a slidetackle to dispossess an opponent
At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the2022–23 season of the EnglishPremier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match.[103] The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper,[104] but a number ofspecialised roles have evolved.[105] 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; andmidfielders, 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.[106] The layout of a team's players is known as aformation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team'smanager.[107]
Laws
"Rules of football" redirects here. For the rules of other football games, seeFootball.
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.[108] In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football.[109][110] Within the United States,Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s[111] and theNational Federation of State High School Associations andNCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from, the IFAB Laws.[citation needed]
Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excludingsubstitutes), one of whom must be thegoalkeeper. 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 thepenalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are a variety ofpositions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players arestrategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws.[104]
The basic equipment orkit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequateshin guards. Anathletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals.[112][113]Headgear is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury.[114] 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.[115]
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,[116] with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or infriendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, ortimewasting 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.[117] 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.[118]
A game is officiated by areferee, 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 twoassistant referees. In many high-level games there is also afourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.[119]
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.[120]
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 1.1standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6pounds 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.[121][122]
As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations withinIFAB, the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed inimperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximatemetric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with a relatively recent history ofmetrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain.[123]
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;[124] however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented.[125]
The longer boundary lines aretouchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) aregoal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines.[126] 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.[127]
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 atkick-offs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.[128]
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.[129] 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,[130][131] but is most commonly referred to asstoppage time orinjury time, whilelost 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 isout of play, and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time".[132][133] 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.[129] Added time was introduced because of an incident in 1891 during a match betweenStoke andAston Villa. Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball far 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.[134] 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.[135]
Most knockout competitions use apenalty 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 invokereplays.[136] 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 ofpenalty 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 usingtwo-legged matches, each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from the two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, theaway 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]
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 areball in play andball out of play. From the beginning of eachplaying 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.[102]
Throw-in: when the ball has crossed the touchline; awarded to the opposing team to that which last touched the ball.[137]
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.[138]
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.[139]
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.[140]
Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls.[140] 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.[141]
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.[102]
Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and dismissed from the game with a red card. These colours were first introduced at the1970 FIFA World Cup and used consistently since.
Afoul 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 adirect free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by anindirect free kick.[100]
The referee may punish a player's or substitute'smisconduct 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.[100][142]
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".[143] 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.[144]
The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final.[145] 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]
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 andmatch fixing. Most competitions enforce mandatory suspensions for players who are sent off in a game.[146] 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.[146]
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, theEnglish Football League deduct 12 points from any team that entersfinancial administration.[147] 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]
The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such asfutsal andbeach soccer)[c] isFIFA. The FIFA headquarters are located inZürich, Switzerland. Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:[148]
National associations (or national federations) oversee football within individual countries. These are generally synonymous with sovereign states (for example, theCameroonian Football Federation in Cameroon), but also include a smaller number of associations responsible for sub-national entities or autonomous regions (for example, theScottish Football Association in Scotland). 211 national associations are affiliated both with FIFA and with their respective continental confederations.[148] Other national associations may be members of continental confederations but otherwisenot participate in FIFA competitions.[149]
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.[50]
TheFIFA 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 theWorld Cup, organised by FIFA. This competition has taken place every four years since1930, with the exception of the 1942 and 1946 tournaments, which were cancelled because ofWorld 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.[150] The finals tournament involved 32 national teams (expanding to 48 teams for the2026 tournament) competing over a four-week period.[151][e] The World Cup is the world's most widely viewed and most followed sporting event, with the2022 tournament estimated to be watched by 5 billion people, more than 60% of the global population.[152] The1958 World Cup saw the emergence ofPelé as a global sporting star, a period that coincided with "the explosive spread of television, which massively amplified his presence everywhere".[153] The current champions areArgentina, who won their third title at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.[154] TheFIFA Women's World Cup has been held every four years since1991. Under the tournament's current format that was expanded in 2023, national teams vie for 31 slots in a three-yearqualification phase, while the host nation's team enters automatically as the 32nd slot.[155] The current champions areSpain, after winning their first title in the2023 tournament.[156]
There has been afootball tournament at everySummer Olympic Games since1900, except at the1932 games inLos Angeles when FIFA and theInternational Olympic Committee had disagreed over the status of amateur players.[157][158] 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.[49] As professionalism spread around the world, the gap in quality between the World Cup and the Olympics widened. The countries that benefited most were theSoviet Bloc countries ofEastern Europe, where top athletes were state-sponsored while retaining their status as amateurs. Between1948 and1980, 23 out of 27 Olympic medals were won by Eastern Europe, with onlySweden (gold in 1948 and bronze in 1952),Denmark (bronze in 1948 and silver in 1960) andJapan (bronze in 1968) breaking their dominance. For the1984 Los Angeles Games, the IOC allowed professional players to compete. Since1992, male competitors must be under 23 years old, although since1996, three players over the age of 23 have been allowed per squad.[159] 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.[160]
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 theEuropean Championship (UEFA), theCopa América (CONMEBOL), theAfrica Cup of Nations (CAF), theAsian Cup (AFC), theGold Cup (CONCACAF) and theNations Cup (OFC).[161] These competitions are not strictly limited to members of the continental confederations, with guest teams from other continents sometimes invited to compete.[162] TheFIFA 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.[161] The tournament was discontinued following the2017 edition with its calendar slot replaced by an expandedFIFA Club World Cup.[163] TheFinallisima was revitalized in 2022, and is contested between the Copa America and European Championship winners.UEFA Nations League and theCONCACAF Nations League were introduced in the late 2010s to replace internationalfriendlies during the two-year cycle between major tournaments.[164]
The most prestigious competitions in club football are the respective continental championships, which are generally contested between national champions, for example, theUEFA Champions League in Europe and theCopa Libertadores in South America. The winners of each continental competition contest theFIFA Intercontinental Cup, held annually, and theFIFA Club World Cup, held once every four years.[165]
In each country, football clubs are usually federated in associations or leagues that organize official tournaments among themselves, from which the champions of each country and the teams that will participate in international tournaments emerge. There is no unique system of tournaments and each national league organizes them according to its traditions.
The governing bodies in each country operateleague systems in adomestic season, normally comprising severaldivisions, in which the teams gain points throughout the season depending on results. Teams are placed intotables, placing them in order according to points accrued. In theOld World (Africa,Asia andEurope), each team plays every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in around-robin tournament. At the end of a season, the top team is declared the champion. The top few teams may bepromoted to a higher division, and one or more of the teams finishing at the bottom arerelegated to a lower division.[167]
The majority of the Latin American leagues (includingLiga MX fromMexico andLiga Profesional de Fútbol fromArgentina) divide football championships into two sections namedApertura and Clausura (Spanish forOpening andClosing), awarding a champion for each.[168] After a first phase using points in a round-robin tournament, Latin American leagues usually have a knockout phase, with a final defining the champion of each Apertura and Clausura tournament. In some countries the winners of the Apertura and Clausura play each other in a playoff for the season title.
TheBrazilian Serie A uses a single-season double round-robin format to decide the champions, similar to those in European leagues, though played between May and December. Brazilian clubs also participate in thestate leagues from January to April, some of which do feature a split season format similar to the Apertura and Clausura.Brazil has never used an Apertura and Clausura system in its national tournament, but rather many different systems with play-offs until 2002.
Major League Soccer in theUnited States andCanada uses a closed league system (withoutpromotion and relegation) and a conference system, similar to that used in other sports leagues in both countries. In each conference, clubs participate in a round-robin tournament, with those with the best points during the regular season qualifying for the playoffs, with a final to determine the champion.
TheA-League inAustralia uses a closed league system, at the end of a regular season in a round-robin tournament format, the clubs with the best points compete in playoffs to determine the league champion.
The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may also be eligible to play ininternational club competitions in the following season. Most countries supplement the league system with one or more "cup" competitions organised on aknock-out basis. These include thedomestic 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.[169]
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. Thefive top European leagues –Premier League (England),[170]Bundesliga (Germany),La Liga (Spain),Serie A (Italy), andLigue 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.[171][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.[172]
Street football can be played with only minimal equipment – a basic game can be played on almost any open area of reasonable size with just a ball and items to mark the positions of two sets of goalposts. Such games can have team sizes that vary from eleven-a-side, can use a limited or modified subset of the official rules, and can be self-officiated by the players.
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^Dart, James; Bandini, Paolo (21 February 2007)."Has football ever started a war?".The Guardian. London.Archived from the original on 29 October 2007. Retrieved24 September 2007.
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^"Estudiantes win Argentina Apertura title".Fox Sports. Associated Press. 13 December 2010.Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved4 March 2011.Under the system used in Argentina and most of Latin America, two season titles are awarded each year – the Apertura and Clausura.
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