Soccer

Soccer, known as football in most countries outside of North America, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. The objective of the game is to score goals by getting a spherical ball into the opposing team’s net, primarily using any part of the body except the arms and hands (goalkeepers are the exception). The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end and can vary in length and width according to the level of play.

Soccer is governed by a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are maintained by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The sport is played in two halves, typically lasting 45 minutes each, with stoppage time added at the referee’s discretion.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with an extensive following and numerous professional leagues and competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, which is held every four years. The game emphasizes teamwork, strategy, and skill, making it both a physically demanding and tactically rich sport.