Soccer

Soccer, also known as football in most countries outside North America, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. The game is played on a rectangular field, typically grass or turf, with a goal at each end. The objective of the game is to score goals by getting a spherical ball into the opposing team’s net using any part of the body except the hands and arms, with the exception of the goalkeepers who may use their hands within the penalty area.

Soccer is governed by a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, established by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). A match is typically divided into two halves of 45 minutes each, with a 15-minute halftime. The team with the most goals at the end of the match wins. If the match ends in a tie in certain competitions, extra time or a penalty shootout may be used to determine the winner.

Soccer is played at both amateur and professional levels across the globe, making it one of the most popular and widely followed sports in the world. Various international competitions, such as the FIFA World Cup, highlight the sport’s global appeal and competitive nature.