Football - Best Basic Guide

Did you know that football is played by approximately 250 million people in more than 200 countries?

Football (Soccer in America) is a sport that is played between two teams of at least 11 players. This sport is quite famous and is played in many countries.

The teams have many varieties of players with different powers. Some attune in offense, defense, midfield, or goalkeeping.

The referee decides which team gets the ball with a coin toss. The reason why it became so popular is because of its unique blend of skill and strategy.

A game that is lost can be won with the right strategy. Better skills are bound to give you the upper hand in any match.

There are 211 official members of FIFA (International Federation of Association Football). Of course, its founding members were fewer in number, only seven.

They are Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Table of Contents

Common abbreviations in Football

Positional Abbreviations

AM – Attacking Midfielder
SW – sweeper
CB – Center Back
CF – Center Forward
LB – Left Back
RB – Right Back
FB – Fullback
LWB – left wing-back
RWB – right wing-back
D – defender
DM – defensive midfielder
CM – center midfielder
F – forward
GK – goalkeeper
LW – left wing
RW – right wing
M – midfielder
WF – wing forward
ST – Striker
IF – Inside forward
OL – Outside left
OR – Outside right

Match Report Abbreviations

A – Away
A.E.T. – After extra time.
AW/HW – Away win/Home win
D – Draw
E.T. – Extra time
F.T. – Full time
Gls. – Goals
GD – Goal difference.
H – Home
H.T. – Half time
HW – Home win
L – Loss
P – Played
Pts – Points
QF – Quarter-final
Vs/V – Versus
W – Win
w/o – Walkover

Miscellaneous Abbreviations

AFC – Association Football Club
Apps – appearances
FC – Football Club
SC – Soccer Club

Football Association

AFC – Asian Football Confederation
CAF – Confederation Africaine de Football
FA – Football Association
FIFA – Fédération Internationale de Football Association
UEFA – Union des Associations Européennes de Football

Football Rules

Players & Equipment: Each team has 11 players, one goalkeeper and ten outfield players. Players can wear studded football boots, shin pads and matching strips. The goalkeeper is the only one allowed to wear padded gloves.

Scoring: To score a goal, a player needs to get the ball to pass the goal line. A player can score a goal with any part of his body except his hand or arm up to the shoulder.

Winning the Game: To win the game a team needs more score than the opposing team. Normally a game would last 90 minutes and the team with the most goals would be declared the winner.

Draw: If both teams have scored the same amount of goals, extra time is allotted to score one last goal. If the players are unable to score a goal till then, both teams will be given the chance to score 5 penalty goals. If the draw remains, the match is given a draw or is decided by a coin toss.

Halves: A match consists of two 45-minute halves.

Substitute: Each team is allowed to have 7 substitute players. A substitution can be made at any point of the game but is limited to only three times.

Ball Size: The ball should be around 60 cm in circumference and should be circular.

Fouls: Fouls are punished by showing yellow or red cards to the player who committed the foul. A yellow card prohibits the player from playing in the next three games whereas a red card gets him/her immediately off the playing ground.

Out of Play: If the ball goes beyond the boundaries of the ground, it is out of play. The foul is given to the player with the last contact with the ball. The opposition is given the ball to throw it back into the ground with their hands from above their heads.

Off-side: If the player takes a pass from their teammate after crossing the last player of the opposition team, it is considered off-side. It is a foul and the opposition is given a free kick at the exact position the pass is taken from.

World Records

There are many astounding world records set in the football world. Some of these are said to be so insane, that they are predicted to not be broken for a long time. Looking at the records we can find a ton of records but below are some of the most remarkable achievements:

Most Goals in a Calendar Year

Lionel Messi holds the record for scoring the most goals in a calendar year, scoring 91 goals in 2012 while playing for Barcelona and the Argentine national team. Leonel Messi is regarded as one of the most renowned strikers of all time.

He is the ideal to many around the world as his fans can be met throughout the world.

Most FIFA World Cup Wins

Brazilian national teams have won the World Cup five times (in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002), making them the most successful national teams in history. They were nicknamed ‘La Selecao’.

Brazil’s team is also the most successful men’s team in the World Cup in terms of matches won (73), matches played (109) and goals scored (229).

Longest Unbeaten Run in Football

As unbelievable as it may sound, Arsenal cleared the whole season without losing a single match, a 38-0. They demolished their competitors and made an impossible record.

Such a feat which was thought to be impossible to achieve was accomplished by them, telling the viewers about their unprecedented potential.

The premier league then gave Arsène Wenger a unique gold trophy as a parting trophy.

Most Goals in a Single World Cup Tournament

This record was set in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which lasted from 20 November to 18 December. This tournament had the most goals in a single World Cup Tournament, 172, shattering the previous record at 121 which was achieved in 1988 and 2014.

The intensity and competition in the 2022 World Cup were on another level, yet its play had many spectacular moments and records that shocked the viewers.

Conclusion

Thus concludes my post on Football. The intensity and entertainment this sport provides are really on another level. If you are interested in any other sports area then do consider checking them out here.

Football – Best Basic Guide