You are playing with your friends and you score a beautiful goal. A scout is watching you and he tells you that he needs a player like you and he wants you on their team. You tell your parents and they are very excited. You go on your computer to search up how to play soccer, the positions, teams, leagues, cups, equipment, best players, and the rules because you only played soccer for fun. If you read this article, you will find all of that information.
Professional soccer has been around in England since the 1800s, but some say the game was created 2000 years ago by the Aztecs using a rubber ball. Others say a version of the game was played in China as far back as the 3rd century BC. The fact is, we’ll never know when, or where soccer was invented.
The cups that are in soccer are the Premier League Title by being the best team in England. The only team to win four consecutive Premier League titles has Manchester City. Another cup is the FA Cup, which is pretty important. Another cup is the Carabao Cup, but teams barely want to win it. Another cup is the Community Shield. It starts before the real season games start and it is between the previous season’s Premier League champions and FA Cup winners. The last and most prestigious club competition is the Champions League. It is the best cup for all teams in Europe.
The equipment that is very necessary for soccer are cleats, shin guards, and a ball. Other equipment that aren’t necessary, but good, are grip socks and mini shin pads. Grip socks are good if your feet are slipping inside the soccer cleat. It has a grip on the bottom of the sock, so your feet shouldn’t move a lot. Mini shin pads are lightweight and good for most wingers because they have to run a lot, so the mini shin pads are not as bulky as regular size shin guards.
The top 5 leagues in Europe are Premier League, La Liga, Bundisliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1. Most of the best players play in those leagues. Some of the best players currently are Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius JR, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kevin De Brunye, Virgil Van Dijk, Mohammed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Allison Becker, Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Rodri, Nico Williams, Cole Palmer, and Victor Gyökeres.
Positions on an 11 v 11 field are goalkeeper, center defenders, left back, right back, right wing back, left wing back, center defensive midfielder, center midfielder, left midfield, right midfield, center attacking midfielder, left wing, right wing, striker, and center forward. The goalkeeper has to save the ball that is trying to go into the net. The center defenders, left back, right back, and left wing back help the goalkeeper not letting the ball go into the net. The center defensive midfielder stays by the defenders and defends the ball so that the attacking team cannot score. One difference between the center defensive midfielder and the defense is that the center defensive midfielder moves up if the team is attacking. The center midfielder controls the intensity of the game and tries to create chances for their team to score. The left and right midfielder are similar to the center midfielder, but they provide width. The center attacking midfielder links up with the team to try to build an attack. The left winger and the right winger are to deliver crosses into the middle, dribble past defenders, and cut in and try to score. The striker’s goal is to score. The center forward is like a striker, but playing a little back.
There are innumerable rules in soccer. One of the most common rules is offsides. Offsides are tricky to understand. The referee will call offside if the player is on the attacking half and any part of their body is past the last person, but their arms and the goalkeeper. Another rule is a foul. A foul happens when instead of getting the ball, you hit the player first. A foul could happen if you do unnecessary roughness to the opposition. When you are in either box by the goal and you foul them or if you touch the ball with your hands, it is considered a penalty. Another big rule in soccer is for throw-ins. For throw-ins, both of your feet have to be behind the line, the ball has to be behind your head, and when you throw the ball, your feet still have to be behind the line. You could do a run up and throw to get more length.
In conclusion, soccer has many leagues, rules, equipment, positions, and many players. Now, get a soccer ball and go to a soccer field and start playing the most amazing sport of all time!
