Football | History, rules and important players

Football | History, rules and important players. If you are fanatic about this popular sport you need to check out the complete material I prepared in this post!

Without a doubt, football is more than a sport, it is a passion that unites different cultures and generations. It is considered the most popular ball game worldwide, not only in terms of number of participants but also spectators. Regarding the rules of football, at first glance they may seem simple, but they are responsible for giving life to the game.

Many people are unaware, but football is also called association football. Therefore, during each match two teams enter the field, each with 11 members. In the match, players can use any part of their body, except their arms and hands. Of course, the goalkeeper is the only one authorized to handle the ball, but this can only be done within the penalty area around the goal.

In today’s post we will embark on a journey through time, exploring the historical origins and better understanding the rules of football. Come check!

History of football

Football | History, rules and important players

The history of football dates back to ancient civilizations, such as Greece, China, Egypt and Rome. These civilizations already had games that involved kicking a ball, but in a very rudimentary way. It was only in the 19th century that the modern form of football began to take shape in England. Therefore, in 1863 theThe Football Association and the first rules were established, which included the prohibition of the use of hands, except for the goalkeeper.

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th, the sport spread rapidly around the world and the Association’s rules were also adopted in other countries. Football became very popular mainly in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Germany.

Therefore, in 1904, FIFA, the International Football Federation, was founded in Paris, with the aim of supervising everything related to sport at a global level. The first FIFA World Cup took place in 1930 in Uruguay, making it the most prestigious international tournament.

Since then, football has continued to evolve with changes in tactics, rules and regulations. Nowadays, sport has followed technological and social advances. Also, the growing popularity of social networks and live broadcasts has increased the global audience even further.

Rules

Football | History, rules and important players

In football, there are specific rules and many details that govern the sport at more competitive and advanced levels. Therefore, below we will only look at the main rules:

Objective of the game: Score goals by placing the ball into the opponent’s goal.
Teams: Each team has 11 players on the field.
Duration: In general, the game has two halves of 45 minutes each.
Main rules:

• Players cannot use their hands or arms, except goalkeepers and to do so they must be within their area.
• Fouls, such as pushing or making dangerous tackles, are penalized with fouls or yellow or red cards.
• The ball is considered out when it completely crosses the field line.
• Goals are scored when the ball completely crosses the opponent’s goal line.
• A player cannot be closer to the opponent’s goal line than the ball and the second-to-last defender when the ball is passed to him.
• Each goal is worth 1 point. The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins.

Players who made history in football

Football | History, rules and important players

Throughout the history of football, some players have left their mark thanks to their notable participation in the sport. Here are some of them:

• Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento): He is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He won three World Cups and scored more than 1,000 goals throughout his career.
• Diego Maradona: “El pibe”, as he was known by his countrymen, became famous for his genius and technical skills. To this day, he is remembered for his famous “Goal of the Century” and the “Hand of God” in the 1986 World Cup.
• Johan Cruyff: One of the pioneers of “Total Football”, Cruyff influenced tactics and style of play.
• Franz Beckenbauer: The “Kaiser”, as he was popularly known, was an exceptional defender, winning the World Cup as a player and coach.
• Zinedine Zidane: His elegance and vision of the game was unique. Zidane led France to victory in the 1998 World Cup and enjoyed success at Real Madrid.
• Ferenc Puskás: Known for his incredible goals, Puskás is a Hungarian football legend and played a key role at Real Madrid.
• Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi: Two of the greatest contemporary players, both accumulated numerous awards, records and goals in their careers, with successful spells at Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​respectively. And to this day they continue to achieve victories.

Football facts

Football | History, rules and important players

As we can see, football is a sport with a very long history, and throughout this time hundreds of interesting facts have been recorded. Discover some of them:

• The first football match was played in 1863, in London, England. The match was played between two public school teams, Eton College and Harrow School
• The player with the most goals in the history of the World Cup is Pelé, with 12 goals scored.
• The player with the most goals in a single World Cup game is German Gerd Müller, with 10 goals scored.
• The match with the highest number of goals in the history of the World Cup was played between Hungary and El Salvador in 1982. Hungary won 10-1.
• The youngest player to score a goal in the World Cup was Uruguayan José Leandro Andrade, aged 17 years and 249 days.
• The oldest player to play in a World Cup match was Egyptian Essam El-Hadary, aged 45 years and 161 days.

Football is a simple sport in its essence, but complex in its execution. Loved by billions of people around the world, it’s also a great way to have fun and make friends. If you’ve never played football, you should give it a try!