Soccer -- How to play

Soccer is a terrific sport. Learn about how to play and different rules.

The first thing you need to know when you want to learn how to play soccer is how many teams are in a regulation match. Obviously a regulation soccer game is always played with two teams. It is played in ninety minutes which are divided into two forty-five minute halves. The goal of soccer is to propel the soccer ball forward and into the opponent's goal without using the hands.

If a player is fouled inside of the opponent's eighteen, or better known as the bigger box surrounding the goal they receive a penalty kick. A penalty kick is where a player shoots against the goalie from a short distance away and tries to score without the goalie blocking the shot. If a player is fouled outside of the opponent's eighteen they are just awarded a free kick.

A free kick can either be direct, meaning they can shoot, or indirect, meaning another teammate has to touch the ball before a shot is taken. If a player has committed a foul they can receive one of three things: nothing, yellow card, and a red card. If nothing happens a player may not be in trouble.

When a player is given a yellow card that means they have been warned, and next time they will be thrown out of the game. A red card means that a player must leave the game, and may by certain league rules not play for the next couple of games.

Soccer Positions

In a regulated game of FIFA (federation international football association) soccer there are eleven players from each team on the playing field at once. Each player has a well defined role:

Defender - A player who works mainly in the defensive third of the field. They are primarily focused on stopping the opposition's attackers from scoring.

Fullback -- playa on the field cannot use their hands to defend the goal

Halfbacks -- play both defense and offence

Strikers -- who attack the opponent's goal.

Forward - A player who is responsible for most of a team's scoring. They play in front of the rest of their team (or in the attaching third of the field) where they can take most of the shots.

Goalie/Goalkeeper - the player positioned directly in front of the goal who tries to prevent shots from crossing the goalline; the only player allowed to use their hands and arms, though only within the 18-yard penalty area.

Midfielder - A player generally positioned in the middle third of the field between the forwards and defenders. Their job is to link the defense and the offense through ball control and passing. They play both an attacking role and a defensive role.

Striker - Generally the same as a forward, though it sometimes refers to a forward that is his team's primary scoring threat.

Sweeper - Not always used. In some formations, a single defender that plays closest to their own goal behind the rest of the defenders; a team's last line of defense in front of the goalkeeper.

Soccer How to Play
Great site with lots of videos and articles to help you learn about soccer.

Soccer-HowToPlay.com

soccer training..please help me!?
first off, I'm going to be a freshman in hs. I want to play on the soccer team, and i have 3 weeks until school starts. I havent practiced running since school ended in june .I didnt have a soccer team in middle school, and the last time i was on a team was 3 [...]first off, I'm going to be a freshman in hs. I want to play on the soccer team, and i have 3 weeks until school starts. I havent practiced running since school ended in june .I didnt have a soccer team in middle school, and the last time i was on a team was 3 years ago, but I have played other sports since then. What can i do for stamina and endrance? speed as well? answers and advice is much appreciated. :] two core ideas: 1. run bleachers for stamina and "suicides" the back and forth- tag the line drill. This will build your endurance more than adequately. 2. Soccer traing is first and foremost about muscle memory. You need the eye /foot coordination set in stone at that level. Juggling, cones, and drills are a must. I wouldnt stop kicking the ball/dribbling/juggling between now and the practice. and i'd let the coach see you doing it too. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fsoccer-howtoplay.com%2Funcategorized%2Fsoccer-trainingplease-help-me'; addthis_title = 'soccer+training..please+help+me%21%3F'; addthis_pub = '';
Soccer Training help, a little desperate?
Hi, I'm thinking of trying out for Forward/Striker for my school's soccer team in the fall so I want to practice and train during the summer. Currently I go to the Weight Room and work out my legs because I want to have a stronger shot than what i already have. Also I run at [...]Hi, I'm thinking of trying out for Forward/Striker for my school's soccer team in the fall so I want to practice and train during the summer. Currently I go to the Weight Room and work out my legs because I want to have a stronger shot than what i already have. Also I run at the tracks a bit but not so much because I get tired easily. I would like to know if there are any training techniques and/or workouts I can use to be able to run faster, for a longer period of time. Also if you can teach me some effective soccer drills for Forwards it would be greatly appreciated. I have been playing soccer all my life, (I'm 14 years old in 9th grade currently) and i already know all the basics except I want to master the curl/curve and have an even more accurate shot. So what I need help with is Speed, Endurance, What to do in the Weight Room, and How to improve my shot and skills in soccer. Thank You So Much for Your Help! Spend more time on the track and less time in the weight room. The only way to improve your conditioning is to run. A striker needs to be fast but he/she also needs to be quick and able to run for a whole game without sucking wind. Instead of focusing on one position try to be proficient at all positions. I used to move my strikers back to defense as a fullback or sweeper when I needed speed in the back. Increase your speed by sprinting short distances and doing (plyometrics) Look it up. When working out in the weight room use light weight and do high reps. Spend an adequate amount of time doing (core) exercises. Work on your abs. Swimming is excellent for over all conditioning. I used to make my players run sprints in a pool as if they were running on a track. The water resistance is good for building strength in the legs and also improving muscle twitch fiber for speed. While in the pool swim some laps for the rest of your body and heart and lungs. Another thing I did was I had my players put 2 pound ankle weights around their ankles. Then I had them play short scrimmage games. Or I had them run on the beach in the sand. Speed is important but the goal is to play the last quarter as if it were the first. The team that has better over all conditioning is the team that will win games. There is no magic pill or formula to be fast. 90% of speed is hereditary. As boring as it sounds, sprinting will help speed and distance running improves condition. Good luck addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fsoccer-howtoplay.com%2Funcategorized%2Fsoccer-training-help-a-little-desperate'; addthis_title = 'Soccer+Training+help%2C+a+little+desperate%3F'; addthis_pub = '';
Soccer training?
I want to train for soccer. What is a good way of improving my strength, aerobic capacity, and speed throughout the pre-season, in sesaon and off-seson? i more have to write a report about it. so it is for professional soccer push your self. i wanted too play soccer this year but i cant make the training so [...]I want to train for soccer. What is a good way of improving my strength, aerobic capacity, and speed throughout the pre-season, in sesaon and off-seson? i more have to write a report about it. so it is for professional soccer push your self. i wanted too play soccer this year but i cant make the training so i am playing AFL too stay fit and have a good year next year. do u wanna play pro? then id train train and train addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fsoccer-howtoplay.com%2Funcategorized%2Fsoccer-training'; addthis_title = 'Soccer+training%3F'; addthis_pub = '';

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Mangolovr says:
3 weeks ago

thx this really helped

Goalie and Defenders

Advanced Soccer Positions

Attacking Midfielder - The midfielder that plays right behind the forwards; they support the offense by providing passes to forwards to set up goals.

Central Defender - guards the area directly in front of their own goal, often considered the strongest defender.

Central Forward - Usually a team's best-scoring forward who plays towards the center of the field.

Central Midfielder - The midfielder most responsible for organizing play in the midfield area, creating scoring opportunities for the attackers, and often a team's leader.

Defensive Midfielder - The player positioned just in front of their team's defense and often assigned to mark the opposition's best offensive player; tends to play more defense as a midfielder.

Finisher - A forward or striker who has the ability to "put away" or score when opportunities are given to them.

Halfback - Same as a midfielder.

Midfield Anchor - Same as a defensive midfielder.

Midfield General - Same as the central midfielder.

Midfield Maestro - Same as the central midfielder.

Stopper - The player that defends or guards the best scorer on the attacking team, often the opposition's striker.

Wingers - The outside forwards and midfielders (often the fastest players and best dribblers) who play on the sides of the field. Their primary task is to provide them with accurate crossing passes so they can shoot at the goal.