Blog #4

The game of soccer has much more to it than just shooting a ball into a net.  Two opposing teams, 11 players on each team, first set up a formation.  Out of the 11 players on the field, there is guaranteed to be a goalie, leaving 10 other players.  How do they set up?  A very newly popular formation is 4-2-3-1: a goalie, which isn't mentioned because it is a given, four defenders, 2 defensive mids, 3 attacking mids, and 1 target player. The goalie typically is a taller person, giving them a bigger wingspan to stretch their arms out for more reach on the goal.  The defenders are typically the faster people, that might not have as much skill, but are more strong and ambitious.  The midfielders are the track runners of soccer.  They have to go back and forth from offense to defense, and have good ball skills as well.  And the forwards, or target players are the skilled players that typically score the goals for the team.

When playing soccer, unless the teams are highly unbalanced, an average soccer score is about 3-1, or 3-2.  A game is 90 minutes long, consisting of two 45 minute long halves, so soccer teams must take any opportunity they get to score, as you don't score every other minute like you do in basketball.  Coaches study which formations would lead to the most success, and what will shred apart defenses.

The rules that are in soccer would be hand balls, off sides, penalty kicks, out of bounds, fouls, red cards and yellow cards, and a few others.  Soccer is a game used with your feet, and a hand ball is not permitted.  Off sides comes into consideration when an offensive player is behind the last defender on the opposing team and the ball is played to he or she while they're still off sides.  Penalty kicks occur when a foul or hand ball is committed in the box.  Out of bounds is self-explanatory: the ball cannot go out of bounds.  However, the person possessing the ball can go out of bounds, and half of the ball itself has to be in bounds.  Red cards are committed when players get a second yellow card, or a very dangerous play that is judged by the refs.

There is a lot more to the game of soccer, as it is just more than kicking the ball into the net.  It is the most internationally played game in the world.  It is known as "the beautiful game," but also when the whistle by the refs is blown, it is called chaos. Quite a paradox, right?