4.5 Misconduct 4.5.1 On-field 4.5.2 Off-field 5 Governing bod

"Soccer" redirects here. For other uses, see Soccer (disambiguation).
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Association football Football iu 1996.jpg
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
First played    19 December 1863
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 (also known as "football ground", "soccer field", "soccer pitch", or simply "pitch")
Olympic     Yes, since the 1900 Olympics
Paralympic  Yes, 5-a-side since 2004 and 7-a-side since 1984
Country or region   Worldwide

Association football, commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 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 with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by using any part of the body besides the arms and hands to get the football into the opposing goal.

The goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play and then only in their penalty area. Outfield players mostly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may use their head or torso to strike the ball instead. 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. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association) which organises a World Cup every four years.[5]
Contents

    1 History
    2 Etymology and names
    3 Gameplay
    4 Laws
        4.1 Players, equipment, and officials
        4.2 Pitch
        4.3 Duration and tie-breaking methods
        4.4 Ball in and out of play
        4.5 Misconduct
            4.5.1 On-field
            4.5.2 Off-field
    5 Governing bodies
    6 International competitions
    7 Domestic competitions
    8 Women's association football
    9 Variants and casual play
    10 See also
    11 References
    12 External links

History
Main article: History of association football

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