Shane Wilson

The Basics of Soccer In a Nutshell

For many many decades soccer has been one of the most popular sports in the world yet there are still some who can't even follow a game. Don't be embarrassed, it's not a big deal nor is it hard to learn what the game is about, how it's played or what and who is involved. After reading this article you'll be able to feel a lot more comfortable at your son or daughters soccer match.

First of all, the field in standard regulation might be a little bigger than you think. The length of the field can range from 100 to 130 yards. The width can range anywhere from 50 to 100 yards. The lines at the end of either side of the field are called goal lines, the lines running up the sides of the field are side lines and the line in the center of the field is called the mid field line. Simple enough right?

Now, the ball can come in 3 different sizes: 3,4 and 5. Size 3 soccer balls are for the little tykes ages 8 and under. Size 4 balls are for the 8-12 year olds and the size 5 ball is for the 13 and older crowd.

Next we have all the people on the field. Each team is allowed to have no more than 11 players each on the field at any given time. In a basic set up the player positions consist of a goalie, 4 defenders, 3 mid fielders and 3 forwards. Also on the field during game play is the referee along with his 2 assistants on either sideline.

Now, the game length can be a little long. In a typical regulation soccer match you'll have 2 45 minute halves with a 15 minute break at half time. This can be extended by the referee if there are any prolonged injuries during game play that require a stoppage of time.

Scoring in the game of soccer is easy to follow. Each goal counts as 1 point. So, whenever the opposing team shoots a ball with anything other than their arms into the goal, they receive 1 point. If both teams are tied after regulation then their will be what's called sudden death where the first team to score wins. Usually the will be 2 sudden death periods consisting of 15 minutes each. Now, if neither team scores, then both teams will take penalty kicks. In this scenario, each team selects 5 players to get one free shot on goal inside the penalty box where the goal keeper resides. This will go on until either team ends up with more goals.

So that's the game of soccer in a nutshell. There are some other aspects but there self explanatory and you should be able to pick up on them while viewing your first game. So now the next time you take in a match you don't have to look foolish asking to many questions.

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