Soccer

Soccer

Chapter 13

Soccer fi elds

British English: Football pitches Although playing fi elds can vary in si- ze, from 90 to 120 meters long, and from 45 to 90 meters wide, all soccer fi elds have the same basic characteri- stics.

Soccer fi elds are rectangular in sha- pe. There are two goal boxes. Each of these is 7,32 m in lenght and 2,44 m high.

The fi elds also have particolar lines drawn on them:

A line that divides the fi eld exactly in half. This line is called the halfway line. In the center of this dividing li- ne there is a circle that has a radius of

A rectangle, which is 5,5 meters wide and 18,32 meters in length, is called the goal area.

Another rectangle around the abo- ve one, which is 16,5 meters wide and 33 meters high. This second rectangle is called penalty area.

A spot which is 11 meters from the goal posts called the penalty kick mark (or penalty spot).

An arc which is above the penalty area, called the penalty area arc (see

Michael Filippo - Fotolia

Fig. 1 The soccer fi eld (British English: Football pitches)

105 In ancient times, various team sports were played. Each team tried to get a

ball on the opponets’ side of the fi eld by kicking, launching, etc. One of these games, fi rst played in ancient Greece, was called harpaston or episkuros.

This game then spread, fi rst to Rome, then to the rest of Europe, and it fi nally reached Great Britain with the Roman occupation of Britain. It was still being played in the Middles Ages: Florentine soccer was very popular; in Great Britain games would be played as a sort of celebration of victory over enemy armies.

By the 17th century, a less violent form of soccer began to develop in British public schools, even if this game had a diff erent set of rules. In 1943 the various schools decided to meet at the University of Cambridge to decide on a unifi ed set of rules so they could play matches against each other.

Over time, the graduates from the diff erent schools formed “football clubs” so they could keep on playing soccer, and in 1863, together with their old schools, founded the FA-Football Association.

Soccer arrived in Italy in 1893, and the fi rst Italian team had an English name Genoa Cricket and Football Club. In 1896 the “Federazione Italiana Football” was founded and in 1909 was substituted by the Federazione Italiana Gioco Calcio (FIGC). The championship, which lasted only one day, was held in Turin in 1898; Genoa won.

The fi rst olympic tournament was held in London in 1908, which was won by England. In 1930 the fi rst ever World Championship was won by Uruguay.

The Birth of Soccer T

T

goal area

penalty kick mark

corner arc

sideline

endline

90-120 m

goal: height 2,44 m, width 7,32 m

18,30 mmiddle line

9,15 m

11 m

5,5 m 16,5 m

45-90 m

penalty area

2 m

Fig. 2 Direct free kick Fig. 3 Offside

General Rules of the game The teams

Teams have a total of 18 players: 11 are on the fi eld playing, while the other 7 sit on the bench; up to 3 of these other players can be called in to sub- stiute any of the original 11; once out, a player can not play again during the same match.

The aim of the game is get the ball to go into the opposing team’s goal without using arms or hands.

How long matches last

Matches are played in 2 halves, each of which lasts 45 minutes. There is a 15 break between halves. The game is called “continuous” because the clock is not stopped during interruptions in matches. However, the referee can de- cide to prolong the game to make up for lost minutes during the match, once the original 90 minutes have passed.

Game infringements Players can not:

Push, hit or try to hit, trip, charge recklessly, spit on, tackle from behind, or hold back any player from the op- ponent team.

If players do any of the above things, the referee blows his whistle and assi- gns a direct free kick (see fi gure 2:

direct free kick).

During a match, players can not:

Play recklessly.

Block.

Play ball while the ball is off side (out of play) (see fi gure 3: off side).

If players do any of the above things, the referee blows his whistle and assi- gns an indirect free kick. This kind of sanction is easily recognized becau- se the referee raises one arm and the ball can be kicked into the goal only after another play has touched it (see fi gure 4).

DIRECTFREEKICK

A player can shoot the ball directly into the goal

BLOCK

Keep a rival player from running towards the ball

INDIRECTFREEKICK

The ball must be touched by two different players

Fig. 4 Indirect free kick

107

Goalee (or goalkeeper) infringements

are also sanctioned with indirect free kicks. Main goalee infringements are:

Using hands outside the goal area.

Touching the ball with hands after it has been passed by a teammate.

While in possession of the ball, holding it for more than 4 seconds, or throwing it in after taking more than 4 steps.

Refereeing

Matches are directed by one referee.

The referee is helped by 2 assistent referees (previously: linesmen) who must tell the referee:

1

when the ball goes off the fi eld and whose turn it is to play;

2

when the

;

3

when a player is going to be substi- tuted by another teammate;

4

any fouls not noticed by the refe- ree.

During offi cial matches another re- feree’s helper, known as the “fourth man”, decides how much time the- re is to recuperate at the end of the match, and tells the referee before the end of the offi cial 90 minutes.

Like all other sports, players need to understand what the referee wants to tell them, so special signs are used by all referees.

OFFSIDE

A player is in the other team’s part of the field, and there are less than 2 defensemen, including the goalee, between him and the goal, and this happens when one of his teammates passes in front of him, and at the same time the player is in front of the ball.

Fig. 5 Abc’s of the Referee

Besides the gestures referees use to assign free kicks, they can also show a player a

or a

, when a player repeatedly behaves in an unsporty or dangerous way (see fi - gure 5).

YELLOWCARD

Warning

REDCARD

Send off (removal from the match)

Direct free kick In direct free kick Advantage Warning

Removal from game (send off)

Substitution of a player

Offside on the near side of the field Offside

Offside in the center of the field

Offside on the far side of the play

In play

Fig. 6 Trapping

109

Basic techniques

Trapping (blocking or stopping) Trapping is a technical move that per- mits a player to get the ball using any part of the body (except hands or arms), stop the ball in its tracks, and keep it under his control for the next move in the match.

To perform a trapping move, I must (see fi gure 6):

choose which part of the body I’ll use to stop the ball (foot, thigh, chest, head);

observe in which direction the ball is moving to fi nd the correct di- stance from the ball;

keep my balance, while relaxing the part of the body that will touch the ball.

The most common ways of trapping a ball are 5:

1

using the sole of a foot, to trap the ball when it is rolling on the round or curved;

2

with the top of the foot, to trap the ball coming from above;

3

with the internal or external part of the foot when the ball is rolling on the ground, isn’t very high or is bouncing;

4

with the abdomen, especially when the ball has bounced;

5

with the chest, for a curved ball on the ground or in the air.

Passing and kicking

A pass allows players to comunicate through the soccer ball, while a shoot is the end of an attack.

To properly pass and shoot a ball, I must:

have a mental picture of where I’ll come into contact with the ball;

fi nd a balanced position which is also the right distance from the ball;

raise the leg I’m going to kick

with and hit the ball; when I hit the

ball my calf must be kept rather fi rm.

Fig. 7 Shoots into the goal

The ways to hit the ball are:

1

with the inside of the foot, for pas- ses when the ball is directly on the ground, and for precise shoots;

2

with the outer part of the foot, for short passes on the side;

3

with the

, for passes that are long, on the ground, curved, or shoots into the goal;

4

with the instep, for precise shoots into the goal (see fi gure 7);

5

with the outer instep, for precise shoots and eff ective passes;

6

with the head, for brief shoots and passes;

7

with the point of the foot, for sho- ots into the goal; although quite po- werful, it is not easy to do.

Controlling the ball and dribbling This actions allows to move the ball varying direction and speed whi- le controlling it; when this is done to pass an opponent, it’s called “drib- bling”.

While controlling the ball:

one pushes the ball with soft, light movements, keeping the shin relaxed;

the ball must be kept near the kicking foot;

one runs at a speed where he can control the ball;

one looks ahead of himself and not at the ball, except for brief glances to check it, or when a player is fi rst le- arning how to play.

The ball can be moved with the in- step, inner or outer foot.

Save (or block)

It’s what the goalee does to keep the rival team from scoring a goal.

INSTEP

The raised part of the middle of the foot

Fig. 8 Save using hands

Fig. 9 The triangle

111

Depending on the force and direction

of the ball, the save can be done by:

blocking the ball with the chest;

saved with hands, above the head, or diving on the ground (see fi gure 8);

pushed back using fi sts, with one or both hands, or with the feet.

Team basics Attacks

Triangle

A player passes the ball to a teamma- te, runs ahead to pass a rival player, and gets the ball back again (see fi gure 9

“the triangle”).

Change position and stay on the si- delines

A player who has the ball at his side passes it to a teammate and runs along the sidelines.

The teammate who received the pass passes the ball to a third teamma- te and goes to take his place.

A

A¹ B

Defense

British English: defence Player to player

Each player has a rival teammate to guard, try to get that player to go to- wards the sidelines in order to gain control of the ball.

Zone Defense

The whole team guards the goal by creating a barrier between the goal and the rival team; of course the area to control depends on what attacking zone the rival team is in.

Mixed defense

Some players defend a particular area of the fi eld while others guard a rival player.

Pressing

The team, using one or two players, exerts constant pressure on the rival team’s player who has the ball.

Roles

In today’s matches, each player’s role is not standard, but dynamic and ever changing; just like the diff erent plays during a match. We can distinguish 2 basic roles for players: defenders and attackers; every player is one or the other, depending on whether his te- am has the ball or not.

For example, if a player has the ball and brings it into his area of the pitch, and begins to attack, a rival player will

There are diff erent ways to attack and defend, depending on which part of the pitch they take place; in fact, the fi eld is divided into 3 diff erent playing zones:

The area in the team’s goal, inclu- ding the penalty box arc (fi rst line of play or defense zone).

Middle of the pitch (second line of play or centerfi eld).

Area of the rival team’s goal (third

Fig. 10 Position change

A

B

A¹ B¹

C¹

C

The last player who now has the

ball passes it back to the fi rst player

and runs ahead to help as needed (see

fi gure 10 position change).

Fig. 11 Lineup

4-3-3

4-4-2

5-3-2

113

Player’s roles are divided into fi rst, se-

cond and third line, and they all must defend or attack depending on which team has the ball.

Game Systems Player lineup

The lineup, or the positions the pla- yers go to on the fi eld, are used to best adapt to the technical, tactical and physical abilities of the athletes (see fi - gure 11, lineup) The most commonly used are:

4-3-3;

4-4-2;

5-3-2.

5-A-side soccer 5-a-side football

Because soccer is an easily played and well liked sport, it has been widely played with a limited number of pla- yers and space. This limited number of players and space has allowed people to play soccer even under conditions which aren’t always the best.

So, it was relatively easy to set up a set of rules for a game in a limi- ted amount of space and that could be played either indoors or outdoors.

5-a-side soccer starter in Uruguay in

1930. Professor Juan Carlos Cerini re-

alized that students were often forced

to play soccer on a basketball court so

he decided to adapt the rules for spa-

ces that were originally designed for

other sports.

Professor Cerini put together rules from soccer, waterpolo, basketball and handball for 5-a-side soccer. The size of the fi eld and the permission to sho- ot a goal once you’ve passed the hal- fway mark were taken from handball.

Game time (40 minutes), number of players and their positions on the fi eld were taken from basketball. All the ru- les regarding the goalee were taken from waterpolo. Over the next few years 5-a-aside soccer spread all over the world.

It reached Italy in 1961 when the fi rst Championship of 5-a-side soccer clubs was held. Until 1983 there were two federations and two champion- ships, then 5-a-side soccer entered the FIGC. In 1989 the 5-a-aside soccer di- vision was created and the federation delegated The National Amateur Lea- gue to manage the championships.

Playing area

The fi eld has a rectangular shape which is from 25 to 42 meters wide and from 15 to 25 meters long; the goals are 3 meters wide and 2 meters long. On the fi eld are:

a halfway line, a circle that has a 3 meter wide radius;

a 3 meter long parallel line that me- ets at the shorter sides of the fi eld with one quarter of the circumference, loca- ted at 6 meters from the goal; the cen- ter of the circumference is the goalpost (6 meter line); at the center of the 6 meter line there is a free kick spot;

at 10 meters from the free kick spot there is another spot (free kick).

Differences with 11 player soccer Despite the many similarities betwe- en the two games, there are diff eren- ces between them:

the number of players,

pitch

size of the goal

duration of game

general rules.

These diff erences allow each pla-

yer to come into contact with the ball

more often, playing techniques are

faster, and so are passes and changes

from defensive to attacking play. Whi-

le 11 player soccer allows players to be

specialized in certain positions, the

lower number of players in 5-a-side

soccer demands that every player on

each team works together, attacking

and defending. Even when only one

115

player lets his guard down, the rival

team quickly gains an enormous ad- vantage.

1 Numer of Players

. There are 5 pla- yers (includine the goalee). Other 7 players are available on the bench for substitutions and can enter or exit the game in any moment.

2 Playing surface

and

. The sizes of the pitch allow matches to be held in gyms, while the size of the goals are reduced so that players are obliged to get close to the goal in order to try to score.

4 Game time

. There are 2 periods of 20 minutes of

; with a 10 minute break in between; each te- am’s captain can ask for a one minute break per half.

5 General rules of the game

.

General rules of the game

5-a-side soccer rules copy 11 player soccer rules. There are some diff eren- ces though, to allow for the diff erent player number and for the diff erent kinds and sizes of pitches.

1

Sanctions assigned for intentional fouls are direct kicks right where the foul was committed.

2

If a player does an intentional foul while he is in his own penalty area,

a penalty kick is assigned no matter where the ball is.

3

Playing recklessly, entering on the fi eld shoulder fi rst when the ball is not nearby, blocking an opponent, fouls towards or by the goalee are san- ctioned with indirect kicks.

4

The goalee can not:

– keep the ball for more than 4 se- conds;

– receive the ball from a teammate who hasn’t passed the halfway line, or if that same teammate was tou- ched by a rival player.

REALGAMETIME

Whenever the game is stopped, game time is also stopped

5

The off side rule doesn’t exist, so to put the ball in play it must be done with the feet.

6

When a team does 5 fouls, the cu- mulative foul rule is applied: a free kick is assigned to the rival team, de- spite the type of infringement. With this type of shoot the team can score directly. The defending team can not form a barrier in front of the penalty box, because only their goalee must be between the ball and the goal.

Player’s positions

Because defensive and attacking play are so quick, each player needs to be able to play every position. However, in better teams, there are players who play speci- fi c postions:

center attacker,

pi- vot,

outfi elders and

goalee.

1 Centerfielder defense

. Usually a strong defenseman and good game organizer is assigned this role.

2 Pivot

. Must be a good scorer, but mostly is a refrence point in attack play; able to rapidly change position and give other teammates the possibi- lity to score.

3 Outfielders

. Connecting points among the players, must be able to quickly adapt to the game being pla- yed.

4 Goalee

. Because shots are usual- ly violent and close, the goalee must have quick refl exes much like a vol- leyball player in order to block the ball; he must also have a good vision of the game, to block and counterat- tack.

Noam - Fotolia

Fig. 12 Game (Player) Lineup

117

Basic Techniques

Basic techniques between 5-a-side football and 11 player soccer are not very diff erent. They both ask for the same abilities.

One diff erence is the head butt, which is rarely used in 5-a-side soc- cer, because it’s better to play while the ball is on the ground.

Game (Player) Lineup

The most common lineups used in 5-a-side soccer are 2-2, 1-2- 1, and 3-1 (see fi gure 12 Game or player lineup).

2-2-1

.The players are in two lines, one attack and one defense; of course players change from attack to defense and viceversa.

1-2-1

. Also known as the dia- mond, this position allows quick de- fense moves, while the center defen- seman attacks and leads the game; at the same time, the center defenseman stays behind, ready to reorganize de- fense from a better position.

3-1

. The

lined-up players pass the ball to the centerfi elder who tries to get the team to move up by playing on the sides of the pitch.

2-2

1-2-1

3-1

1 Describe the soccer fi eld (or pitch).

...

2 How did soccer begin?

...

3 How many players are on each team?

...

4 How long do matches last?

...

5 Describe the infringements and the relative gestures used to signal them.

...

6 How are the games directed?

...

7 Describe the basic techniques.

...

8 List and describe the main attack moves.

...

9 List and describe the main defense moves.

...

10 List and show the players’ positions.

...

11 Which player lineups are used most?

...

12 Talk about 5-a-side soccer.

...

13 What are the main differences between 5-a-side soccer and 11 player soccer?

...

14 List and show the players’ positions.

...

15 Which player lineups are most common in 5-a-side soccer?

Answer the following questions