Introduction
Since time memorial, soccer has always been one of the most common games in the world. It will sound very abnormal for any individuals to say that they have never had anything about soccer, primarily because; in any surrounding, and at any time, there is some form of soccer activity going on. That is, soccer is very common in all media channels, schools, colleges, and most home surroundings. In this regard, soccer is one of the least discriminative games in that, participation in soccer follows no social class, age group, body size, height, or race, hence a universal game for all (Kozela p.1).
Why I Chose Soccer
Personally, I can attest that soccer to me is an addiction, which to some extent I cannot live without watching. This is because I have grown to like soccer primarily because it is an influential game in many youths’ lives. Considering the economic conditions of not only many developing countries but also youths from many poor backgrounds, soccer has been a great inspiration, because of its enormous contributions to the well-being of such societies and individuals. In addition, because soccer has no discriminations in terms of who should participate and who should not, soccer is a major contributor to the nurturing of the unseen talent in many youths who are not academically talented, but talented when it comes to playing games. Soccer is a game with so many fans globally; something that clearly shows soccer’s influence on societal practices. On the other hand, my preference for soccer is because; soccer as a game has no attachments to any political, religious, historical, or social groups or ideologies, hence a free and likable field to discuss. This is to say, primarily, soccer is all about the way of life that one chooses, likes, respect, and above all satisfied with what one appreciates most. It is a game of all times, whether one is in bad moods or jovial, old or young. Soccer involves no grudges or pain, primarily because it is a game that elicits different moods in individuals that are short-lived. Soccer fans are individuals of different affiliations, who come together for a common purpose; see their favorite teams win championships, with little consideration of their backgrounds, hence a game for all the world inhabitants.
Historical Development of Soccer
Soccer has undergone very many transformations historically, ranging from the mode in which individuals played it, to the rules that they used in the field. The game traces its foundation back to the 2nd century whereby, its first appearance was in china primarily among the members of the Chinese forces. It had so specific rules but rather, it was a simple game of dribbling pieces of round leather objects in no specific demarcated fields. Later on, the practice expanded to Japan; Kyoto, where the first form of a distinguished field appeared. As time advanced, the game received new changes as it spread to more civilized societies comprising of Romans and Greeks (James and Thorpe pp. 555-557). To make the game more orderly, the Romans introduced the concept of teams, whereby their teams had twenty-seven members. At that time, the game was not that common because of its little significance to the communities. At this point, it is important to note that, development of modern soccer owes little to these nations because the ordered form of the present game began in England. Although, due to the bad reputation that soccer had; because of the nature Romans and Greeks played it, it received much antagonism from England’s rulers for example King Edward, Henry, and Queen Elizabeth. Although this was the scenario, the game kept on spreading because most people with time liked the game (Murray, and Murray, pp. 21-87).
Oppositions from rulers never prevented the game from spreading, because in 1815, England’s colleges introduced the game in their extra-curricular activities. To make the game more official, colleges introduced a set of policies that were to govern the game, which they gave the name Cambridge. The introduction of the rules gave the game a good reputation, hence causing it’s rapid spreading to other regions of the world within a very short time span. Previously playing the game involved the moving, kicking, and use of a lot of energy by players; almost the same as present rugby, however, this never lasted for long due to the formation of a body that managed soccer which clubs named the Football Association. This is because such practices were inflicting many injuries to players, something that this association sought to eliminate. The formation of this body encouraged many competitions, some of which include the FA cup and many other league championships. To manage their soccer teams, other counties copied what England had done, hence forming their own football organizations, for example, the Scotland Soccer Association and the Irish Soccer Association (Leous p.1). This was the onset of the currently existing football associations globally. The game has undergone many transformations because currently, each country manages its soccer teams, and when it comes to international games, the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) manages the game.
Components of Soccer
For a game to qualify as soccer it has to have two “opposing” teams whose main aim is to outweigh one another in terms of skills, whereby goals act as the main determining factor of thewinningr team. Soccer like any other game must have a specific number of players; eleven on each opposing side (ten middle players and one goalkeeper), who must follow specific field rules as set by the world federation of football. It is important to note here that, although countries have set specific rules that govern soccer games, in general, those rules must conform to standards set by FIFA. Failure to adhere to such rules is punishable under FIFA rules; hence, the importance is laid on proper practice within the field by players, referees, anfansns. In the majority of countries, soccer is an outdoor game, however; the case is different when it comes to more developed countries. This is because, most countries have open fields for soccer games; whereas more developed countries technologically, use covered fields and carpet grounds.
Although the playing of soccer may seem an easy undertaking, sometimes the whole scenario can be complicated when plafans or funs go against the set rules and standards. At this point, it is important to note that, during playtime referees and linesmen (assistant referees) control the game following set rules. These two groups of individuals guide players on what they are supposed to do, just in case disagreements occur, which in most cases results from unruly players. From the time a soccer game commences to the final whistle, referees have to be in constant communication with linesmen, for it helps in decision making in situations where team penalties occur; for example, free kicks and penalties, incase specific team members “overplay” the game or exhibit some form of unruly behavior. To achieve this, referees work with help of two cards; one a yellow card and the other a red card. As red symbolizes danger, once the referee has shown a player a red card, such a payer has to quit the game, whereby depending on the prevailing rules, football organizations can make such a player miss some subsequent matches. The case is different when it comes to a yellow card; mostly they act as warning signs whereby, in case such players whom the referee has shown a yellow card commits another mistake is shown a red card. It is important to note here that, two yellow cards presented to a player represent a red card. Other soccer game rules that are important include the size of the ball, wearing of specific uniforms, game time duration; varies depending on tournament type due to overtimes, and game management rules (Federation of International Football Association: FIFA p.1).
Management of Soccer
For plan years the o able to participate in national and international tournaments, they must be registered members of specific clubs or teams. This is to say, although FIFA is the overall body that directs practice that bound the soccer game, in most cases, soccer’s management is a duty of clubs and nations where soccer players are affiliate members. In this regard, it is necessary for individuals to note tat, the management of soccer can be either a national or a private entity. Globally, there exist many private clubs, which participate in both national and international tournaments, regardless of their national affiliations. The case is the same when it comes to national teams. It is important to note also that, the management of national teams is a duty of the government where that team belongs. This is because national soccer teams represent countries in international competitions, for example, the world cup; hence, acting as a country’s ambassadors.
Conclusion
In conclusion, surely soccer is a game of the people because it not only encourages the spirit of completion, but also it collects together people of all affiliations and characters. This in many ways makes the game a peace initiator, for it spreads love and togetherness.
References
Federation of International Football Association: FIFA. Laws of the Game. FIFA. 2010. Web.
James, Peter, and Thorpe, Nick. Wonders of the Past Ancient Inventions. New York:Ballantine Books, 1995. Print.
Kozela, Alex. Why soccer is the best sport ever: soccer cis onsidered worldwide phenomenon, Favorite of over 207 countries. The Collegian Online, 2009. Web.
Lee, Gus. A brief History of Soccer. Newsfinder, 2002. Web.
Murray, William, and Murray, Bill. The world’s game: a history of soccer. Illinois: University Of Illinois press, 1998. Web.