Association football, also known as football or football, is a common team sport typically played between two parallel teams of eleven players. It is played throughout the world by about 250 million players in more than 200 countries and dependencies. It has a well-known international fan following and is played in all major countries including Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Russia, USA, Canada, Australia and South Africa. It has become an important part of social life and is often reflected upon in national sporting competitions.
The game of association football is usually played with three separate parts – the two teams of players who are standing upright on the field and the rest of the crowd or spectators on the opposite benches or field. The ball is passed between the players or teams using a specially designed stick or a kick-ball, which is propelled by the forward motion of the player. In addition to kicking the ball, other types of play may be adopted, including hand-to-hand and indirect free kicks.
The origin of the word football can be traced back to swell days in Ireland when people would throw the ball in the air to be “thrown” back. This was a fun way for children to play and the game caught on in common crowds. Eventually the game developed and was taken up by the English. The game today is generally played on a hard surface using a ball made from a hard rubber like material called polystyrene or PVC. The ball is usually colored black, blue or red to distinguish it from the other sports.
Association football is played between teams of different nations. Each nation sends one representative to the World Cup, also known as the World Cup, which is organized every four years and is held in different countries including Mexico, Japan, China, Australia and South Africa. The association football game is generally played on a rectangular field with a goal post at the center. Other interesting formations include defensive and attacking football and penalty kick arrangements.
International soccer is the sport that most people associate with football but there is actually a second major footballing sport that is played internationally, this sport is called football of the Americas. The origin of this sport can be traced back to Guyana, a small South American country, where a local player threw a banana ball back and forth to try and score goals. This game caught on and was quickly followed by football games played in Europe and in America.
The game we know today as football was first developed as a game of war with a throwing or kicking ball. As the sport developed with more people playing it, the word football came about and was used to describe the sport. With the use of the ball eventually evolved into what we know today as soccer. There is even a professional sport in the United States known as Major League Soccer.