History of Soccer - Research Paper Example

? Soccer is one of the greatest games of all time. It is also called football by some as the concept of the game itself is to kick the ball. Soccer is now a very popular sport among children and even young adults and has an interesting evolution on how it became the soccer that we know today. Soccer is an English word that was originally from the word association, referring to the Football Association. It is the habit of schoolboys to give nicknames to words, and as the tendency is to add –er to words, it became “assocer’ which then later became soccer. It is difficult to say exactly where soccer originated as there have been several games from different countries that have the same foundations as the soccer game that we know today. There is a record in China, wherein soccer was called Cuju which literally means “kick ball”. There was a claim that Cuju was invented by the Yellow Emperor as fitness training for military men and cavaliers. These Cuju matches were held at the Imperial Palace and was said to be played by scholars and intellectuals of Ancient China. There is also once record of Mesoamericans playing a game similar to soccer but instead of using the traditional soccer ball, they used rubber balls which made it a little more difficult to play with. The said game is said to be a combination of soccer, volleyball and basketball. It is said that the object of the game is to kick the rubber ball up the basket in order to score a point. Among the Ancient Greeks and Romans, the game that is similar to soccer is called Pheninda. It is said that Pheninda is a combination of soccer and rugby. In this game, there are no rules thus making it quite a dangerous game and a lot of players were injured. The Middle Ages saw the birth of a soccer game called Mob Soccer in Europe. In this game, the ball that they have to kick is made of pig’s bladders and sometimes, stuffed leather skin. The two teams can have as many members as they want as long as they came from the same village or town. The object of the game is to kick the ball to a specific landmark but no specific goal area like a basket or a ring. And with this in mind, it is not hard to imagine that the game is simply chaos. In Medieval France, the game similar to this was called La Choule. The object of this game is to strike the ball into the other team’s goal by whatever ways they have. This meant that one can use a club, a stick or any other means in order to score. One can only imagine the injuries the players have sustained in an effort to hit the ball but hit another instead. This same game was played in England, but due to the nature of the sport, this was banned by Nicholas de Farndone in 1314 of London. But this ban did not stop soccer from growing in Medieval England. Soccer has become a fitness sport for English boys in boarding schools. It was a sport enjoyed by Aristocrats and Upper-class Englishmen but even though it started that way, it later evolved into a sport for the commoners as well since it is very inexpensive and easy to learn. Soccer then started really growing among public schools, so then the concept of a tournament was born in the 19th century. Since different schools have then, different rules, Cobb Morley formed a semi-professional soccer club in Barnes and called it Barnes Club. He suggested a central body for rules and regulations be put into place. This idea then was put to practice on October 26, 1863 when a few soccer clubs set the base for the future organization, eventually called Football Association, met at the Freemasons’ Tavern in the English Capital. Cobb Morley came up with the rules of the game which set the official rules which would be put in place in every soccer game. He is now considered the father of soccer for his monumental contributions and his idea of the official rules which were put into place. In three decade after Cobb Morley set the official rules, soccer became a widespread sport around Europe, America and even Australia. In the early 20th century, the national teams were being formed and were gradually spreading throughout the world. 1930s saw the many European and American teams becoming part of the governing body of international soccer which is called FIFA or the Federation of International Football Associations. And so it began, Presently, soccer is proven to be the most popular game in the world and is said to be enjoyed by almost 3 billion people all over the world. The World Cup, which is organized by FIFA every four years, is considered to be one of the most significant international events alongside Olympics. It was mentioned above that in the early days, soccer tended to be a sport that turns out violent because of the absence of rules. Since the birth of the Football Association, the Association came up with 17 rules of the game, although some of it was modified, but the same concept remained. Below are the 17 rules of soccer: 1. The Field of Play- this is defined as the surface by which the game is being played. This rule ensures that the line markings, soccer pitch dimensions and proper use of it are applied. There are three factors that are taken into consideration why there are values for the field size. a. Soccer field layout and size related to stadium capacity- if there is a bigger field, then the stadium surrounding it must be the same. If the field is smaller, stadiums must be built closer so expectators can see the game. b. Soccer field layout and size related to tactics and formation- tactics and formations are affected by the width of the field. c. Soccer field layout and size related to entertainment value- bigger fields mean that the players would have to be fast runners since there is a lot of space for move around and the game to stretch. Smaller fields mean that there would be more room for scoring and give advantage to technical players over runners. There are different standards for the minimum and maximum sizes of the field depending on several factors. The table below shows the difference between standard and international matches: Table 1.1 Guidelines for minimum and maximum values for a soccer field Value Standard Soccer International Soccer Minimum length 100 yards (90 meters) 110 yards (100 meters) Minimum width 50 yards (45 meters) 70 yards (64 meters) Maximum length 130 yards (120 meters) 120 yards (110 meters) Maximum width 100 yards (90 meters) 80 yards (75 meters) 2. The Ball- the rule states that the size of the ball must be between 68-70 centimeters of circumference and a weight that must be between 410 to 450 grams. The material by which the ball can be made of states that as long as it is made of leather or similar material it is acceptable. So the evolution of the soccer ball has reached the point of close to perfection according to some. 3. The Number of Players- according to the rules, a team can be composed of 10 outfield players and one goalkeeper on the pitch and have several substitutes on the bench. 4. The Players’ Equipment- it must be composed of a shirt or a jersey, footwear, shin pads, shorts, socks, and must be different from the other team so that they can be distinguished on the pitch. Nowadays, a player’s jersey is very light and comfortable, it usually bears the name of their sponsor, number or name of the player, and the club’s or team’s badge. 5. The Referee- the role of which is to make sure that the rules of the game is enforced. There is one main or center referee, two assistant referees on each side of the pitch and one to oversee small issues or as a substitute in cases that one referee cannot perform his duties due to a reason or another. A soccer referee must have the stamina and good athletic skills, must be impartial, can handle pressure from players, audience and coaches and also to be firm in his decisions when making a call. 6. The Assistant Referees- they are placed on each side of the pitch and it is their responsibility to signal a game issue like an offside, foul and so forth. 7. The Duration of the Match- a standard soccer game would have two halves of 45 minutes separated by a 15 minute break. This 90 minute game includes substitutions unlike some other sports that whenever there is a substitution or other related issues that the clock stops ticking. If there is a knockout match the game is extended for another two extra 15 minutes period each in order to decide the winner. In the event that the game is still tied after this, the players will go on a penalty shootout to decide the winner. 8. The Start and Restart of the Play- there are 8 reasons for a game to be stopped and/ or restarted. These are: a. The game is restarted with a kick-off if a team is able to score a goal. If the ball goes out of bounds, the last player who touched the ball conceded a throw-in. b. A game is restarted with the other team throwing back the ball into play. c. If the ball was taken out of play from the defending team’s goal line by the attacking team, the goal kick is awarded to the defending team. When the goalkeeper kicks it from the safety box, the game is restarted. d. An opposing team earns a corner kick and restarts the game from the corner closest to where the ball went over the line when the defending team touches the ball last and outside the goal itself. e. A game is restarted with a ground kick that must bit be taken towards a goal when a team produces a non-penal foul, thus they are given an indirect free kick. f. A direct kick is awarded when a foul and handball is made and it can be aimed towards goal. g. If the offense occurs in the defending team’s penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded shooting the goal from the penalty spot 11 meters away. h. Game is restarted when a dropped ball occurs or when the referee stops the game for a special reason. 9. Ball in and out of Play- a ball is in play throughout the game except for instances wherein a ball goes over a bounding line, a play is halted for a reason or a foul or offense occurs. 10. The Methods of Scoring- as long as the ball is in play and the rules of soccer are followed, the players can score a goal. A goal is counted when the entire ball crosses the goal area. A goal happens through direct free kicks, from penalty spots and from action or during the game itself. 11. Fouls and Misconducts- the difference between a foul and a misconduct is that a foul is called when a players tries to get the ball from the opposing team and accidentally pushes or kicks him. Misconduct, in the other hand, happens when it is intentional and can be called even if the game is not ongoing. 12. The Offside- this happens when a player, usually a striker, is closer to the other team’s goal than the second last opponent or the last defender from the opposing team and the ball. 13. Free Kicks- when a free kick is given, players from the other team must at least be 9.15 meters away from where the free kick will be struck. 14. Penalty Kicks- this happens when a defended player commits handball inside 18 yard box or commits a foul. 15. Throw In- if the ball goes out of the side lines, the opponent player who touched the ball last will take a throw in. The player must maintain his feet outside the side lines and with soles on the ground; the throw must be done with the ball over the thrower’s head. 16. The Goal Kick- after the attacking team takes over the ball; the game is restarted by a goal kick. It is a direct free kick to that must reach the goal in order to count. 17. The Corner Kick- this happens when a direct free kick is taken from the corner of the pitch. There is one thing that makes soccer so much interesting that any other sports; the fans. There are soccer fans that have been into fights with other fans, referees, players themselves and even other people who may try to intervene. Soccer fans are really intense when it comes to their team. There was even a report that in one famous soccer game where Palmeiras won over Sau Paulo that a fan was killed and 17 more were injured due to the rivalry between fans of soccer games. There are a lot of soccer teams around the world now, and with its humble origins that led to a fitness training for elites and then became a pastime for others, soccer teams now not only have their share on popularity around the world but also a huge amount of money from their earnings. There are some who would say that soccer games do not earn as much but according to Forbes Magazine, the top earning soccer teams and their worth are as follows: Table 2: Top Ten Most Valuable Soccer Teams Soccer Team Worth Revenues Manchester United(England) $1.86 billion $428 million Real Madrid (Spain) $1.4 billion $ 537 million Arsenal (England) $1.19 billion $336 million Bayern Munich (Germany) $1 billion $396 million Barcelona (Spain) $975 million $488 million AC Milan (Italy) $838 million $289million Chelsea (England) $658million $313 million Juventus (Italy) $628 million $251 million Liverpool (England) $552 million $276 million Inter Milan (Italy) $441 million $275 million It is not so surprising that these teams earn a lot. An average England soccer game would have approximately 20-26 million of audience. The fans are really all about seeing their teams win. The fans’ supports of different soccer teams are so intense and some of it has caused so many casualties over the years that most international even national soccer games have become a must watch or a phenomenon over the years. Over time we have seen so many famous players that have contributed to the rich history of soccer over the years. Pele, Maradona, Lev Yashin, Mia Hamm among others has made their mark on the soccer history. Below is a list of the top ten soccer players in the world as of 2010. Table 3: Top 10 Soccer Players as of 2010 Soccer player: National Statistics World Cup Statistics Lionel Messi 41 app, 13 goals 2 app, 1 goal Cristiano Ronaldo 68 app, 22 goals 6 app, 1 goal Wayne Rooney 57 app,25 goals 4 app, 0 goal Kaka 73 app, 26 goals 6 app, 1 goal Xavi 83 app, 8 goals 7 app, 0 goal Didier Drogba 65 app, 43 goals 2 app, 1 goal Andres Iniesta 39 app, 6 goals 1 app, 0 goal Fernando Torres 71 app, 23 goals 4 app, 3 goal Steven Gerrard 77 app,16 goals 5 app, 2 goal Michael Essien 74 app,10 goals 3 app, 0 goal It is inevitable then, that when there are so much soccer fans watching and clamoring to see their favorite team, these soccer players get paid well for their efforts. According to Forbes Magazine, the highest paid soccer player is named Lionel Messi, from Barcelona whose earnings for 2009 alone amounted to $ 44.5 million which, according to Forbes Magazine even topped David Beckham’s earnings. He is currently looked upon as one of the best soccer players of his time. It was said that he has won all possible awards there is in soccer at an early age. David Beckham, also one of the most famous soccer players, has made his mark in this sport. He is known not only as one of the highest paid athletes but has also been an endorser of several products and is married to Victoria (former Spice Girl) Beckham. Being a soccer player is not all glory, there are physical requirements and trainings that one must undergo in order to be successful. In a typical soccer game, a player would cover approximately 8-12 kilometers in a match. This would include jogs, sprints, walks, course, moving backwards and moving while one is in possession of the ball. It is said that a soccer training of a player would have to be really intensive on aerobic training since soccer games basically tests an athlete’s aerobic capacity; the greater the endurance, the more that they could cover in a game. There are types of sports that simple weight lifting would do the trick. Soccer training involves so much work on strength training, muscular endurance and a lot of other trainings that will aid them in playing their best. In other words, a player’s discipline into achieving his goals and making his body endure more and do more will help him into succeeding. One interesting fact about soccer is that the common last name in the World Cup is Gonzales. Another interesting fact about soccer is the fact that the first live coverage of a soccer match to be shown on the television was in the year 1937. It was in the Highbury Stadium and was a practice match of the Arsenal. In conclusion, soccer is one of the few sports that have a rich and long history. It is a sport that requires a lot of discipline and perseverance in order to succeed. Its evolution into the soccer that we now know today is amazing in so many ways. From the somewhat violent and restricted origins to the sport that billions of people now love, soccer indeed is the greatest sport of all time. References: Forbes Magazine. Brazil Soccer Fans Kill Man. February 22, 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com ESPN. Top 50 Players of World Cup. March 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2011. http://www.espn.com Reilly T (ed), Science and Soccer. 1996. Chapman & Hall, London, 2564 Allaway, R. and Jose, C. The encyclopedia of American soccer history.2001. Scarecrow Pr. Goldblatt, D. The ball is round: a global history of soccer. 2008. Riverhead Trade (Paperbacks) Murray, B and Murray, W. The world's game: a history of soccer. 1998. Retrieved May 13, 2011. books.google.com Forbes Magazine. The World’s Most Valuable Soccer Teams: Inside the numbers .April 2011.Retrieved May 13, 2011. http://www.forbes.com Dunning, E. Soccer: the social origins of the sport and its development as a spectacle and profession.1979. 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