What is football?

Football first appeared in England in the middle of the 19th century.

The private schools at the time needed some team activities to occupy the boys after lessons. Despite the famous boy at Rugby School who preferred to play the ball with his hands, the other schools preferred their feet and their own set of rules. It was at Cambridge University that a move to draft a uniform set of rules was adopted thus creating 'the most simple of games', very close to what the world now uses.

And it worked! The simple principles and the fact you can play it almost anywhere are the main reasons why football has become the most widely practised team game in the world. Maybe you have already created a playing field with your rucksacks to mark out the goals. Or perhaps you just get a ball and pass it around between friends, occasionally showing how clever you are with the ball. Well it's the same all over the world! The fact is simple - football is universal and, without doubt, it is by far the most popular game throughout Europe, Africa and South America.

Would you like to know more about the famous Laws of Football? They are very simple:

Football is a team game where you need to score more goals than your opponents. To play the ball, which is spherical, you must use your feet. Or your head. Or your legs. Or your chest. And you must never use your hands or your arms. Unless you're the goalkeeper. It's easy, isn't it?

As well as being played everywhere in the world and in all weathers, football has been adapted to be played indoors, with 5 players in each team: Indoor football is played on a hard surface, where the pitch is roughly the size of a handball court. Five-a-side football is played on a smaller, synthetic, surface but you can also use the side panels that delimit the playing surface to bounce and ricochet the ball.

 

The rules of football

If you want to play a match rather than just having a kick-around, here are the basic rules of the game.

A match is played with 11 people on each side, 10 of whom are outfield players and play without using their hands, while the 11th player is the goalkeeper, who is allowed also to use their hands as long as this is done in a defined area called the 'penalty area'.

To defend, you must attack the ball and not the opponent.

To win a match, you have two halves of 45 minutes in which to score more goals than the opposition. And to score, you need to get the ball into the opponent's goal.

Finally, the off-side rule is part of football's fascination: you can't receive the ball from a team-mate if you're behind the last opposition player at the time the ball is passed by your team-mate.

 

What are the benefits of football?

Football is more than just a sport that's easy to take up. The benefits of football for you and your health are many and varied.

It's a sport where you run a lot, including many successive explosive sprints. So you exercise both your endurance and your heart.

It's also a ball game where you're carrying out very varied movements that stimulate coordination, balance and muscle tone.

Finally, as you can imagine, it's 'play' and enables you to open up and display all your talent. Football also instils a sense of team spirit because you learn that solidarity and team effort will triumph over individual brilliance.

 

And just to be sure that you don't have any medical conditions that might prevent you from playing, don't forget to see your doctor!

 

Is football right for you?

Yes! Football is a sport that can be played at any age and without requiring any specific abilities. Football is so popular that you can always find a playing structure that suits your age and ability level.

Football teams need players with various skills for the different positions in the team. So you're bound to find the perfect role for you according to your physique, your ball skills and your ability to read the game.

So, if you like running and the idea of being in a team, your place in a football team is assured!

 

What kit do you need for playing football?

In addition to a ball to play with and to practise your skills, you'll need a shirt plus shorts that allow ample movement, knee-length socks, and boots suited to the surface you'll be playing on: if your boots have soles designed for indoor football and you're playing on grass, you'll spend all your time slipping and sliding.

You'll also need to protect your shins from your opponents' studs by using appropriate shinpads. As well as having a different colour for their shorts and shirt, goalkeepers are advised to have a pair of suitable gloves to minimise the risk of conceding a stupid goal!