Association football, also known as just football or soccer, is an organized team sport usually played between two groups of eleven players. It is played by about 250 million people in more than 200 nations and dependencies, making it by far the world’s popular sport. The game is usually played between two sets of sides that are separated by an invisible line not more than 12 inches high and whose goal is to take the ball past the other side’s goal line. The object of the game is to score more points (“pts”) than the other team.
There are several different types of football games played around the world. International Federation of Football Associations (IFFA) is the governing body for football competitions and activities. It governs the actions of teams and conferences of teams. The most well-known association football game is the English Premier League, which serves as the tournament organizer. The official rules of the game are published by the IFFA. The game is divided into three phases namely, pre-season; the league season and the championship phase.
The history of football can be traced back to the ancient games played between Romans and Greeks. Those games were mostly fought with each other with wooden poles and they used to throw stones at each other. Later, leather boots were made to keep the feet of the players protected from the sharp sticks used during the games. The game spread to Europe after the Roman soldiers headed for foreign lands. As the game spread, football became more popular among the common people and it was soon dubbed as “the game of kings” and “the royal sport of Europe”.
Today, football has developed even further and it is played commercially. Major League Soccer, also known as the MLS, is one of the most watched and competitive sports in the United States. This professional American football league organizes games throughout the year with different venues. The teams play against other teams of different countries and professional football players have to be ready both physically and mentally because the competition is quite tough.
There is also another type of football commonly played in America and that is NFL football which stands for National Football League. The NFL has brought football to the homes of millions of Americans through their ten different regional television broadcasts each week. Professional players such as quarterback Tom Brady and running back LaDanian Tomlinson have become celebrities because of their great participation in the National Football League. They have both achieved fame not only on the field but off the field as well.
There are different types of football like indoor and outdoor football. In indoor football players need to wear protective clothing such as jerseys and shorts. The football players also need to warm up and stretch before the actual game day. Some people think that football players only need to sweat when they have to tackle an opponent or they can easily get wet. However, soccer players are also required to sweat because it helps them lubricate their body and prevent muscle aches and pains.