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Soccer for Beginners
The Basic Rules and Regulations

Soccer, known outside the United States and Canada as football, is a team sport played on a rectangular field, with eleven players per team. At each end of the field, there is a goal that is defended by a goalkeeper. The object of the game is to end with the higher score, and a score is made when the ball is kicked into the goal. The only players who may use their hands are the goalkeepers. Play usually involves passing the ball between team members, which is a skill that soccer players work on consistently.

Soccer is one of the most popular international sports, with over 200 countries participating in the game regularly. FIFA (the Federation Internationale de Football Association), is the sport’s governing body. The fact that the rules are simple and little equipment is required has aided the spread and endurance of the sport. Also, the sport is relatively nonviolent by comparison to many other sports, as physical contact between players is not allowed and results in a penalty. Many of football’s fans remind the world that the term “fan” is derived from “fanatic”, with their passionate response and dedicated following.

Generally, the game flows quickly, and the ball is in constant play, with the exception of when the ball makes it completely out of bounds or the referee stops play. In professional soccer games, few goals are scored, and some actually finish with no goals made at all. The only specific position mentioned in the Laws of the Game is goalkeeper, though over the years, the game itself has developed to include designated player positions such as defenders, midfielders, and strikers. These can be further divided according to the portion of the field where they will spend the most time.

Though players are “assigned” to a part of the playing field, they are not restricted to that area by the Laws of the Game and may move about the field as needed. That includes the goalkeeper, who spends the majority of his time defending the goal directly behind him but may leave his post to assist the team on any other part of the field.

The players are laid out on the field in a specific formation, which is typically determined by the coach. The game is divided into two periods, or halves, each 45 minutes, with a 15 minute break in between (referred to as halftime). At the end of the match, the team who has scored the most points wins.

Soccer in the World
International Appeal

Soccer, known in most of the world as football, is a game played on a grassy field between two teams of eleven players. At each end of the field (commonly referred to as the pitch) stands a goal, which is guarded by a goalkeeper in an attempt to keep the opposing team from scoring (a score occurs when the ball is kicked between the goal posts). The only players allowed to use their hands are the goalkeepers, and any physical contact in this typically nonviolent sport can lead to a penalty call.

Soccer is an international sport that is participated in by some 200+ countries across six of the seven continents. Why does soccer hold such a huge appeal to the international crowd? First of all, the rules are simplistic and can be easily communicated between two parties who do not understand each other’s language (they can also be easily translated easily).

Second of all, the game requires little equipment. The goals can be substituted with less than sturdy equipment, and even poor and third world countries can find something to use in the place of the soccer ball. At the same time, international sports federations are donating sports equipment to some communities to help improve the physical health of the children and encourage the regular exercise that sports allow.

Soccer has always evoked passion from the home country of a professional team, especially in Mexico and South America, where soccer is the most prominent sport of those countries. In the United States, soccer is sometimes overlooked because basketball, baseball, football, and hockey are paved to lead young men and women to success. However, in many countries that cannot afford extensive athletic programs, soccer gives young people the athletic opportunity to advance from their poor background in the hopes of being able to support their families.

Soccer has few regular rules, and supplemental rules are rare. FIFA, the international organization that governs the sport, sees to it that these rules are present and referred to prior to the beginning of every game and is charged with any changes to the rule book that must be made to promote safety and goodwill across the soccer (football) federation.

SOCCER – Italy: Arbitration in Match-Fixing Scandal – October 8, 2006

Juventus and three other clubs are at the centre of Italy's match-fixing scandal and have been highly penalized last season. But the four clubs could have their point penalties reduced by an arbitration board this week.

The board, which has been created by the Italian Olympic Committee but acts independently, is the highest grade of justice in Italian sports. Juventus, Lazio and AC Milan will appear before the board on Wednesday. Fiorentina will have its hearing the next day on Thursday.

Juventus has been stripped of its last two Serie A titles, relegated to Serie B and docked 17 points by a sports tribunal on July 25, following an appeal. Fiorentina, Lazio and Milan escaped relegation but were docked points in Serie A by 19 for Fiorentina, 11 for Lazio and eight for Milan.According to Italian Newspapers, Juventus is likely to have its penalty reduced by five-to-eight points, Fiorentina by six-to-nine points, Lazio by four-to-six points and Milan two-to-four points. However sentences may not be handed down immediately and the board could require more hearings.

In the wake of the announcement of those hearings, Juventus gave up its plans to appeal to an ordinary court/ Already in August the team was confident that these hearings will take place after receiving "signals of willingness" from sports officials to conclude the situation fairly. Juventus is now 4-1-0 through five games in Serie B and currently has minus-four points. But it is another team Genoa which leads the second division with 12 points, followed by Mantova, Napoli and Brescia with 11 each.

But the decision of reviewing sentences after the beginning of the season is also criticized by second division team arguing that it would be totally unfair for the teams which are not involved.