Soccer field dimensions, positions - become a star!

Introduction

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It is a wonderful game to play and watch. The ball is passed between running players with great speed and accuracy, and the winning team is the team that has scored the most goals at the end of the game. Plays may end with a spectacular goal or a great save. Above all, soccer is a team game, built on individual skills.

Why is the game called soccer? Well, at first, soccer was a slang term for the proper name ‘Association Football’. The original name was shortened, asSOCiation (football) and added ‘er’, and the name stuck. However in many countries where soccer is a national sport, it is known simply as football. According to the rules of the Football Association, it was founded in England in 1863. It is played in almost every country in the world, where it is simply known as ‘The World game’.

The Field

Soccer is played on a rectangular soccer field, with a goal at each end. A soccer pitch can vary in size.

Soccer field dimensions:
Length: minimum 90m (100yds) maximum 120m (130yds)
Width: minimum 45m (50yds) maximum 90m (100yds)

The average size of a professional soccer field measures about 105m by 65m.
The field of play is marked with lines. The two longer boundary lines are called touch lines, and the two shorter lines are called goal lines. The field of play is divided into two halves by a halfway line, and a centre mark is indicated at the midpoint of the halfway line.

At each end of the field are special markings around the goal. The most important are the markings of the penalty area. A goalkeeper may handle the ball only inside his own penalty area. And, if a player commits a foul in his own penalty area, the other team is awarded a penalty kick.

Positions

Positions can vary depending on team formation. The main team formation that is mostly used by teams is a 4-4-2 formation. This means there are 4 Defenders, 4 midfielders, and 2 strikers.

Goalkeeper: The goalkeeper is the only player that can use his/her hands in his/her penalty area. His/Her job is to stop the other team from scoring a goal by blocking their shots. The goalkeeper rarely ventures outside his/her penalty area.

Defenders: Defenders stop the other team from trying to score, and get the ball down the field. They also man mark the strikers, so they cannot score.

Midfielders: The midfielders can be thought as the engine room for the team. Here they have to help the defenders in stopping the other team from scoring, but also help the strikers in their own team to score goals.

Strikers: Strikers are positioned up front, and their main role is to score goals.