Soccer, often known as association football and Football, is a team sport where 11 players move the ball about the pitch primarily with their feet. The aim of the game is to beat the other team by advancing the ball past the goal line and into a goal that is defended by them and has a rectangular frame.
The game is often played in two parts, each 45 minutes long for a 90-minute match duration. Around 250 million people play it in more than 200 different countries and territories, making it the most popular sport in the world. The two teams fight to score a goal by getting the ball into the goal of the opposing team.
The origins of Soccer can be traced back to English public school sports and ancient ball games. The Football Association was established in London, England, in 1863 as a result of English football clubs' efforts to integrate the different sets of football regulations in the middle of the nineteenth century, which gave rise to the modern game of Soccer.
The history of association football is not very classical. FIFA has said there is no historical relationship to any game played in history outside of Europe, regardless of any similarity to other ball sports used around the globe.
In 1872, Scotland and England played their first formal international football match in Glasgow, the second time at Alcock's instigation. In addition, England is the location of the world's first football league, established in Birmingham in 1888 by William McGregor, the director of Aston Villa.
For most of the 20th century, association football dominated the world stage in Europe and South America. Now, Football is a highly passionate sport that affects the lives of individual fans, local communities, and even entire countries in many areas of the world.
Each squad can select a maximum of eleven players, one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Goalkeepers are the only players able to play the ball with their hands or arms as long as they stay inside the penalty area in front of their own goal.
As part of their basic gear, players must wear a shirt, shorts, socks, shoes, and appropriate shin protection. It is against the rules for players to use or wear anything that may harm themselves or another player, including watches or jewellery.
The spherical ball has a circumference of about 68–70 cm, a weight of nearly 410–450 g, and a pressure of roughly 0.6–1.1. For international adult matches, the pitch, or field, measures between 100 and 110 meters in length and 64 and 75 meters in width.