Association football
An attacking player (No. 10) attempts
to kick the ball past the opposing team's goalkeeper and between
the goalposts to score a goal. |
| Highest
governing body |
FIFA |
| Nickname(s) |
Football, soccer, footy/footie, "The
beautiful game", "The world game", "The king sport" |
| First played |
Mid-19th century England |
| Characteristics |
| Contact |
Yes |
| Team members |
11 per side |
| Mixed gender |
Yes, separate competitions |
| Categorization |
Team sport,
ball sport |
| Equipment |
Football (or soccer ball) |
| Venue |
Football pitch (or soccer field) |
|
Olympic |
Yes, since the
1900 Olympics |
|
Paralympic |
No |
| Country or region |
Worldwide |
Association football, more commonly known as football
or soccer (especially in countries where another sport is
commonly referred to as "football"),
is a
sport played between two teams of eleven
players with a spherical
ball. At the turn of the 21st century, the game was played by
over 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the
world's most popular sport.[1][2][3][4]
The game is played on a rectangular
field of grass or green
artificial turf, with a
goal in the middle of each of the short ends. The object of the
game is to score by driving the ball into the opposing goal.
The game is played at all levels, from unrefereed teams of a few (not
necessarily as many as eleven) children without spectators in a field of
any size, with pairs of coats as goalposts and not strictly conforming
to the rules, to strictly-regulated games between teams of
highly-competent professional players before enthusiastic crowds of
100,000 or more in a purpose-built
stadium.
In general play, the
goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with
their hands or arms (unless the ball is carried out of play, where the
field players are required to restart by a throw-in of the game ball),
while the field players typically use their feet to
kick the ball, occasionally using other parts of their legs, their
torso, or their head. The team that scores the most goals by the end of
the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a
draw is declared or the game goes into
extra time and/or a
penalty shootout, depending on the format of the competition. The
Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by the
Football Association in 1863 and have evolved since then.
Association football is governed internationally by
FIFA—Fédération
Internationale de Football Association (English: International
Federation of Association Football)—which organises the
FIFA World Cup every four years.[5]
Etymology and
names
The rules of association football were codified in England by the
Football Association in 1863 and the name association football
was coined to distinguish the game from the
other
forms of football played at the time, specifically
rugby football. The term soccer originated in England, first
appearing in the 1880s as an
Oxford "-er" abbreviation of the word "association".[6]
Within the
English-speaking world, association football is now usually called
football (colloquially footy or footer and
occasionally soccer as used in older generations) in the United
Kingdom, and mainly soccer in Canada and the United States. Other
countries, such as Australia and New Zealand may use either or both
terms, and may also have local names for the sport.
Gameplay
A goalkeeper saving a close-range shot from inside the
penalty area
Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules
known as the
Laws of the Game. The game is played using a spherical ball (of
71 cm (28 in) circumference in FIFA play), known as the
football (or soccer ball). Two teams of eleven players
each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the
posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has
scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams
have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team
is led by a
captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by the
Laws of the Game: to be involved in the coin toss prior to kick-off or
penalty kicks.[7]
The primary law is that players other than
goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or
arms during play, though they do use their hands during a
throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move
the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading"
with the forehead)[8]
other than their hands or arms.[9]
Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any
direction and move throughout the pitch, though the ball cannot be
received in an
offside position.[10]
In typical game play, players attempt to create goal-scoring
opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by
dribbling, passing the ball to a team-mate, and by taking shots at
the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players
may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through
tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical
contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a
free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the
field of play or when play is stopped by the
referee for an infringement of the rules. After a stoppage, play
recommences with a specified restart.[11]
At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For
example, the
2005–06 season of the English
Premier League produced an average of 2.48 goals per match.[12]
The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than
goalkeeper,[13]
but a number of
specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main
categories:
strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals;
defenders, who specialise in preventing their opponents from
scoring; and
midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of
the ball in order to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in
these positions are referred to as outfield players, in order to
distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further
subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends
most time. For example, there are central defenders, and left and right
midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any
combination. The number of players in each position determines the style
of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more
aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a
slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most
of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player
movement, and players can switch positions at any time.[14]
The layout of a team's players is known as a
formation. Defining the team's formation and tactics is
usually the prerogative of the team's
manager.[15]
History
Games revolving around the kicking of a ball have been played in many
countries throughout history, such as
woggabaliri in Australia,
harpastum in the
Roman Empire, and
cuju in
China. The modern rules of association football are based on the
mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely
varying forms of football played in the public schools of England.
The history of football in England dates back to
at least the eighth century.[16]
The
Cambridge Rules, first drawn up at Cambridge University in 1848,
were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes,
including association football. The Cambridge Rules were written at
Trinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting attended by representatives
from
Eton,
Harrow,
Rugby,
Winchester and
Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the
1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed
throughout the English-speaking world, to play various forms of
football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most
notably the
Sheffield Football Club, formed by former public school pupils in
1857,[17]
which led to formation of a
Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862,
John Charles Thring of
Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules.[18]
These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of
The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the
morning of 26 October 1863 at the
Freemasons' Tavern in
Great Queen Street, London.[19]
The only school to be represented on this occasion was
Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more
meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the
first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA
treasurer, the representative from
Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two
draft rules at the previous meeting: the first allowed for running with
the ball in hand; the second for obstructing such a run by hacking
(kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other
English rugby football clubs followed this lead and did not join the
FA, or subsequently left the FA and instead in 1871 formed the
Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge
of
Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original thirteen laws
of the game.[19]
These rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of a
crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to
Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia.
The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s with the FA
absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between
the games.[20]
The laws of the game are currently determined by the
International Football Association Board (IFAB).[21]
The Board was formed in 1886[22]
after a meeting in
Manchester of The Football Association, the
Scottish Football Association, the
Football Association of Wales, and the
Irish Football Association. The world's oldest football competition
is the FA
Cup, which was founded by
C. W. Alcock and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The
first official international football match took place in 1872
between Scotland and England in
Glasgow,
again at the instigation of C. W. Alcock. England is home to the world's
first
football league, which was founded in
Birmingham in 1888 by
Aston Villa director
William McGregor.[23]
The original format contained 12 clubs from the
Midlands and the
North of England.
FIFA, the
international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared
that they would adhere to Laws of the Game of the Football Association.[24]
The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance
of FIFA representatives to the
International Football Association Board in 1913. The board
currently consists of four representatives from FIFA and one
representative from each of the four British associations.[25]
Today, football is played at a professional level all over the world.
Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their
favourite teams,[26]
while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet.[27]
A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level.
According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240
million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football.[28]
Football has the highest global television audience in sport.[29]
In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays
an important role in the life of individual
fans, local communities, and even nations. R. Kapuscinski says that
people who are polite, modest or even humble in Europe fall easily into
rage with playing or watching soccer games.[30]
The
Côte d'Ivoire national football team helped secure a truce to the
nation's
civil war in 2006[31]
and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel
forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of
Bouaké,
an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first
time.[32]
By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final
proximate cause for the
Football War in June 1969 between
El Salvador and
Honduras.[33]
The sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of the
Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, when a match between
Dinamo Zagreb and
Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990.[34]
Laws
"Rules of football" redirects here. For the rules of other football
games, see
Football.
There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a
collection of stipulation and guidelines. The same laws are designed to
apply to all levels of football, although certain modifications for
groups such as juniors, seniors, women and people with physical
disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms,
which allow flexibility in their application depending on the nature of
the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained
by the
International Football Association Board (IFAB).[35]
In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other
directives contribute to the regulation of football.
Players, equipment, and officials
Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding
substitutes), one of whom must be the
goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum number of players
required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are
the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms,
provided they do so within the
penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are a variety
of
positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are
strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or
required by the Laws.[13]
The basic equipment or
kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts,
socks, footwear and adequate
shin guards.
Headgear is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players
today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury.
Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to
themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The
goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that
worn by the other players and the match officials.[36]
A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course
of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most
competitive international and domestic league games is three, though the
permitted number may vary in other competitions or in
friendly matches. Common reasons for a substitution include injury,
tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or
timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult
matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in
a match.[37]
IFAB recommends that "that a match should not continue if there are
fewer than seven players in either team." Any decision regarding points
awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football
associations.[38]
A game is officiated by a
referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in
connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and
whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two
assistant referees. In many high-level games there is also a
fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another
official should the need arise.[39]
Pitch
As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially
administered solely by the four British football associations within
IFAB, the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally
expressed in
imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate
metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets),
though popular use tends to continue to use traditional units in
English-speaking countries with a relatively recent history of
metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain.[40]
The length of the pitch for international adult matches is in the
range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m
(70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m
(100–130 yd) length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided that the
pitch does not become square. Although in 2008, the IFAB initially
approved a fixed size of 105 m (344 ft) long and 68 m (223 ft) wide as a
standard pitch dimension for A international matches,[41]
this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented.[42]
The longer boundary lines are touchlines, while the shorter
boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. A
rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line.[43]
The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (8 yd) apart,
and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal
posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed
behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws.[44]
In front of each goal is an area known as the
penalty area. This area is marked by the goal line, two lines
starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and
extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line,
and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most
prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and
where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes
punishable by a
penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or
players at
kick-offs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.[45]
Duration and tie-breaking methods
A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes
each, known as halves. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the
clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a
15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known
as full-time.[46]
The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an
allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring
attention, or other stoppages. This added time is most commonly referred
to as stoppage time or injury time, while loss time
can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the
sole discretion of the referee. The referee alone signals the end of the
match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, toward the end
of the half the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time he
intends to add. The fourth official then informs the players and
spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled
stoppage time may be further extended by the referee.[46]
Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891
during a match between
Stoke and
Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 and with just two minutes remaining, Stoke
were awarded a penalty. Villa's goalkeeper kicked the ball out of the
ground, and by the time the ball had been recovered, the 90 minutes had
elapsed and the game was over.[47]
The same law also stands that the duration of either half is extended
until the penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed, thus no game
shall end with a penalty to be taken.[48]
In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout
competitions where a winner is required various methods may be employed
to break such a deadlock, some competitions may invoke
replays.[49]
A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which
consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied
after extra time, some competitions allow the use of
penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as
"kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to
the next stage of the tournament. Goals scored during extra time periods
count toward the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty
mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part
of the tournament (with goals scored in a penalty shootout not making up
part of the final score).[7]
In competitions using
two-legged matches, each team competes at home once, with an
aggregate score from the two matches deciding which team progresses.
Where aggregates are equal, the
away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case
the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played
away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially
a penalty shootout are required.[7]
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the
IFAB experimented with ways of creating a winner without requiring a
penalty shootout, which was often seen as an undesirable way to end a
match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either
when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden
goal), or if one team held a lead at the end of the first period
of extra time (silver
goal). Golden goal was used at the World Cup in
1998 and
2002. The first World Cup game decided by a golden goal was
France's victory over
Paraguay in 1998.
Germany was the first nation to score a golden goal in a major
competition, beating
Czech Republic in the final of
Euro 1996. Silver goal was used in
Euro 2004. Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.[50]
Ball in and
out of play
Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are
ball in play and ball out of play. From the beginning of each
playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the
ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the
field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes
out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending
on how it went out of play:
A player takes a free kick, while the opposition form a
"wall" to try to block the ball
-
Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin
each period of play.[11]
-
Throw-in: when the ball has crossed the touchline; awarded to
opposing team to that which last touched the ball.[51]
-
Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line
without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a
player of the attacking team; awarded to defending team.[52]
-
Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line
without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a
player of the defending team; awarded to attacking team.[53]
-
Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following
"non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is
stopped to caution or send-off an opponent without a specific foul
having occurred. A goal may not be scored directly (without the ball
first touching another player) from an indirect free kick.[54]
-
Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain
listed "penal" fouls.[54]
A goal may be scored directly from a direct free kick.
-
Penalty kick: awarded to the fouled team following a foul
usually punishable by a direct free kick but that has occurred
within their opponent's penalty area.[55]
-
Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any
other reason, such as a serious injury to a player, interference by
an external party, or a ball becoming defective.[11]
Misconduct
On-field
 |
|
 |
Players are cautioned with a yellow card, and sent
off with a red card. These colours were first
introduced at the
1970 FIFA World Cup and used consistently since. |
A player scores a penalty kick given after an offence is
committed inside the penalty area
A
foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of
the Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul
are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an
opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls",
punishable by a
direct free kick or
penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls
are punishable by an
indirect free kick.[9]
The referee may punish a player's or substitute's
misconduct by a caution (yellow
card) or sending-off (red
card). A second yellow card at the same game leads to a red card,
and therefore to a sending-off. A player given a yellow card is said to
have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in his
official notebook. If a player has been sent off, no substitute can be
brought on in their place. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while
the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are
broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used
to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if
they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or
red card to a player, substitute or substituted player. Non-players such
as managers and support staff cannot be shown the yellow or red card,
but may be expelled from the technical area if they fail to conduct
themselves in a responsible manner.[9]
Rather than stopping play, the referee may allow play to continue if
doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been
committed. This is known as "playing an advantage".[56]
The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if
the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if
an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender
may still be sanctioned for misconduct at the next stoppage of play.[57]
The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final.[58]
The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later
evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals)
were incorrect.
Off-field
Along with the general administration of the sport, football
associations and competition organisers also enforce good conduct in
wider aspects of the game, dealing with issues such as comments to the
press, clubs' financial management,
doping,
age fraud and
match fixing. Some on-field incidents, if considered very serious
(such as allegations of racial abuse), may result in further action than
that which is in power of an on-field referee.[59]
Some associations allow for appeals against player suspensions incurred
on-field if clubs feel a referee was incorrect or unduly harsh.
Sanctions for such infractions may be levied on individuals or on to
clubs as a whole. Penalties may range from fines, points deductions (in
league competitions) to expulsion from competitions. For example, the
English and Scottish leagues will often deduct 10 points from a team
that enters
financial administration.
Governing bodies
The recognised international governing body of football (and
associated games, such as
futsal
and
beach soccer) is
FIFA. The
FIFA headquarters are located in
Zurich.
Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:[60]
National associations oversee football within individual countries.
These are generally synonymous with sovereign states, (for example: the
Fédération Camerounaise de Football in Cameroon) but also include a
smaller number of associations responsible for sub-national entities or
autonomous regions (for example the
Scottish Football Association in Scotland). 208 national
associations are affiliated both with FIFA and with their respective
continental confederations.[60]
While FIFA is responsible for arranging competitions and most rules
related to international competition, the actual Laws of the Game are
set by the
International Football Association Board, where each of the UK
Associations has one vote, while FIFA collectively has four votes.[25]
International competitions
The major international competition in football is the
World Cup, organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over
every four years. Approximately 190-200 national teams compete in
qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations
for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every
four years, involves 32 national teams competing over a four-week
period.[61]
The most recent tournament, the
2010 FIFA World Cup, was held in South Africa from 11 June to 11
July, the first to be held on the
African
continent.[62]
There has been a
football tournament at every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except
at the 1932 games in
Los Angeles.[63]
Before the inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during
the 1920s) had the same status as the World Cup. Originally, the event
was for amateurs only,[24]
however, since the
1984 Summer Olympics professional players have been permitted,
albeit with certain restrictions which prevent countries from fielding
their strongest sides. Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played
at Under-23 level. In the past the Olympics have allowed a restricted
number of over-age players per team;.[64]
A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event,
full international sides without age restrictions play the women's
Olympic tournament.[65]
After the World Cup, the most important international football
competitions are the continental championships, which are organised by
each continental confederation and contested between national teams.
These are the
European Championship (UEFA), the
Copa América (CONMEBOL),
African Cup of Nations (CAF), the
Asian Cup (AFC), the
CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF) and the
OFC Nations Cup (OFC). The
FIFA Confederations Cup is contested by the winners of all 6
continental championships, the current
FIFA World Cup champions and the country which is hosting the
Confederations Cup. This is generally regarded as a warm-up tournament
for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and does not carry the same prestige as
the World Cup itself. The most prestigious competitions in club football
are the respective continental championships, which are generally
contested between national champions, for example the
UEFA Champions League in Europe and the
Copa Libertadores de América in South America. The winners of each
continental competition contest the
FIFA Club World Cup.[66]
Domestic
competitions
The governing bodies in each country operate
league systems in a
domestic season, normally comprising several
divisions, in which the teams gain points throughout the season
depending on results. Teams are placed into
tables, placing them in order according to points accrued. Most
commonly, each team plays every other team in its league at home and
away in each season, in a
round-robin tournament. At the end of a season, the top team is
declared the champion. The top few teams may be
promoted to a higher division, and one or more of the teams
finishing at the bottom are
relegated to a lower division.[67]
The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may be eligible
also to play in international club competitions in the following season.
The main exceptions to this system occur in some Latin American leagues,
which divide football championships into two sections named
Apertura and Clausura (Spanish for Opening and Closing),
awarding a champion for each.[68]
The majority of countries supplement the league system with one or more
"cup" competitions organised on a
knock-out basis.
Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star players; in
smaller countries and lower divisions, players may be part-timers with a
second job, or amateurs. The five top European leagues – the
Premier League (England),[69]
La Liga
(Spain),
Serie A (Italy), the
Bundesliga (Germany) and
Ligue 1
(France) – attract most of the world's best players and each of the
leagues has a total wage cost in excess of £600 million/€763
million/US$1.185 billion.[70]
Two players trying to gain control of the ball
Women have been playing association football since the first recorded
women's game in 1895 in North London. It has traditionally been
associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the
United Kingdom.[71]
This perception began to change in the 1970s with the breakthrough of
organised women's association football. Association football is the most
prominent
team sport for women in several countries, and one of the few
women's team sports with
professional leagues.
The growth in women's football has seen major competitions being
launched at both
national and
international level mirroring the male competitions. Women's
football faced many struggles throughout its fight for right. It had a
"golden age" in the United Kingdom in the early 1920s when crowds
reached 50,000 at some matches;[72]
this was stopped on 5 December 1921 when England's Football Association
voted to ban the game from grounds used by its member clubs. The FA's
ban was rescinded in December 1969 with UEFA voting to officially
recognise women's football in 1971.[71]
The
FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991 and has been held
every four years since.[73]
Variants and
casual play
Variants of football have been codified for reduced-sized teams (i.e.
Five-a-side football) play in non-field environments (i.e.
Beach soccer,
Indoor soccer, and
Futsal)
and for teams with disabilities (i.e.
Paralympic association football).
One of the attractions of association football is that a
casual game can be played with only minimal equipment – a basic game
can be played on almost any open area of reasonable size with just a
ball and items to mark the positions of two sets of goalposts. Such
games can often have team sizes that vary considerably from 11-a-side,
use a limited and/or modified subset of the official rules, and are
likely to be self-officiated by the players.