If Pele, Maridona, and Beckham don't sound at all familiar to
you, or if you think Freddy Adou is a guy you may have gone to high
school with, keep reading... please. This article covers all the
equipment and skills you'll need to join the rest of the world in
playing the wonderful game of soccer.
Actually, the rest of the
world plays football - they call the sport that Steve Young used to play
American football. The term 'soccer' came into being in the later part
of the 19th century when people began abbreviating the French variation
of 'association football' to soccer. Whatever name you use (I'll call it
soccer for the purposes of this article), it refers to the fast-paced,
exciting game that has captured the interest of more and more Americans
in recent years. If you've found that you've been left behind when it
comes to the sport, here's a few equipment tips and skills you'll need
to have to start playing.
As the name 'football' suggests, you'll
need a ball. Soccer balls come in many different sizes, materials, and
styles; and league specifications vary depending on the age and level of
the players. If you just want to buy a 'normal' ball, double check with
the store clerks to make sure you've chosen the right one; or if you're
buying online, you can check the ball size against the standards found
at http://www.fifa.com/.
The best material for your ball depends on the type of surface you're
going to play on. If you'll spend any time at all kicking the ball
around on the street or playground, I would shy away from buying a nice
leather ball - the asphalt will tear it up. Synthetic materials will
usually hold up better on those surfaces, and typically cost less.
Once
you've got your ball, you're going to need at least one pair of feet;
however, if you want to do more than just kick the ball against your
garage you're going to need at least two sets. There are a number of
different techniques when it comes to kicking the soccer ball - I'll
just summarize them all by saying that the goal of kicking the ball is
to hit it with some part of you're foot and make it go in the direction
you want it to. In fact, in soccer matches you may use any part of
you're body to move the ball except your hands and arms. If you grew up
playing catch in the back yard, the first couple of times you try to
kick the ball you'll probably look even more awkward than you feel, and
it's very likely your kids are going to laugh at you. Practice makes
near perfect, and you'll get better over time. Kicking the ball back and
forth between two or more people helps. Once you feel like you might be
able to kick the ball and jog/run at the same time, you're ready to
graduate to playing a game.
Goals (pronounced
'gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!!' in actual soccer
matches) in soccer are scored by kicking the ball through a rectangle
shape appropriately called the goal. Though the rectangle is standard,
goals can be made by placing any two objects a few steps apart. I have
personally played in neighborhood games where the goal posts were
chairs, barrels, younger siblings, and shoes (if you're playing
barefoot, make sure no one is wearing cleats). Kicking the ball below
head height and more or less between the makeshift goal posts
constitutes a goal, though you will find each goal will be heavily
debated.
Competitive leagues almost always require shin guards,
and you can usually pick up a decent pair for pretty cheap. Even in a
friendly park setting, players can get pretty passionate, and it
wouldn't be a bad idea to wear them during the game.
The rules are
simple and easy to learn. The basics you need to know are that you
should try to avoid kicking people, you can't tackle people like in
American football, and you can't use your hands. In that sense, except
for the hands restriction, soccer is a lot like life. Other rules apply
more in competition, but it wouldn't hurt to read up on them at http://www.fifa.com/.
As
with any sport, the most important thing is to look good, so go out and
buy yourself some silky soccer shorts and jerseys. Long hair and an
Italian accent certainly won't hurt your chances of going pro - but if
neither of those is an option for you, just remember to have fun and
play fair.
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