FJ The Sport ofSoccer

Without quest ion, soccer is the most popularteam game in the world, played and watched bymil l ions of people each year. In a global societydivided by physical and ideological barr iers,soccer 's popular i ty is not l imited by age or sex orby pol i t ical , rel ig ious, cul tural , or ethnic boundar-ies. Known internat ional ly as footbal l , soccer isthe major sport of nearly every country in Asia,Afr ica Fr rrone and South AmeriCa. The oameprovides a common language among people oidiverse backgrounds and heri tages.

Soccer is popular for many reasons. First andforemost is the iact that soccer players come inal l shapes and sizes, so vir tual ly everyone is apotent ial player. Pele, considered by most to bethe greatest soccer player ever, is only averagein height and weight. Whi le physical at tr ibutessuch as speed, strength, and stamina areessential for high-level perFormance, so too area player's technical ability, tactical knowledge,ant ic ipat ion, savvy, and overal l game sense.And whi le team success ul t imately dependson the coordinated efforts ol teammates, eachplayer is aiforded the opportunity to express hisor her individual i ty within [he team structure.Soccer offers something for everyone. The factthat soccer is considered a player 's game as

opposed to a game dominated by coaches isprobably the overriding reason for the sport 'sr rn i r rerqr l :nne: l

The Federat ion Internat ionale de Footbal lAssociat ion (FIFA) is the governing body ofworld soccer. Founded in 1904, FIFA is argu-ably the most prest igious sport organizat ion inthe world with more than 200 member nat ions.In I 913 the United States Soccer Footbal l Asso-ciation (USSFA) was founded and approved as amember of FIFA. The name was later changedto the United States Soccer Federat ion (USSF).The various professional and amateur associa-t ions in the United States are organized underthe auspices of the USSF. In 1974 Lhe UnitedStates Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) wasestabl ished as an aff i l iate of the USSF to admin-ister and promote the sport ior players under I 9years of age.

A soccer oame oeneral lv reFerred ro as theb-" ' " '

match, is played between two teams of 11players each; one of the players on each teamis designated as the goalkeeper. Each teamdeiends a goal and can score by kicking orheading the bal l through the opponent 's goal.The goalkeeper 's pr imary job is to protect theteam's goal, although he or she also plays an

tx

important role in in i t iat ing team attack. Thegoalkeeper is the only player al lowed to conrolthe bal l with the hands and can do so only withinthe penalty area, which is 44 yards wide and 1 8yards out from the end l ine of the f ie ld. Field("ol l f " ) n lavers ma\/ not use their hands or armsto control the bal l . lnstead they must use theirieet. legs. bodies. or heads. Each goal counts asone point, and the team that scores the mostgoals wins the match.

Soccer is played on a f ie ld area, commonlycal led a pi tch. that is both longer and widerthan an American footbal l f ie ld. A regulat iongame consists oI two 45'minute per iods wi tha l5-minute hal i t ime intermission. A coin tossgeneral ly determines which team kicks of i tostart the game. Once play begins, the act ion isvir tual ly cont inuous. The clock stops only af tera goal is scored, on a penalry k ick, or at thediscret ion oi the referee. There are no ofhcialt ime-outs, and subst i tut ions are l imi ted. Fieldplayers often cover more than f ive mi les duringa regulat ion match, much of that d istance atspr int ing pace. I t is not surpr is ing that soccerplayers are among the most highly condit ionedof al l athletes.

TL^ ^-*^^:-^, :^^ nf rhc lO f le l r l n l : ,Ine organrzai lon - . . . - . - r .*y 'ers rsgenerally referred to as a system of play, or for-mation. Formations can vary from one team toanother and even from one game to the next,

The Soort of Soccer

THE SOCCER FIELD

depending on the strengths and weaknesses ofthe individual players, the roles and responsibi l i -t ies assigned to each player. and the personalphi losophy of the coach. Most systems deploythree or four defenders, lour or five midfielders,and two or three forwards. Field players are notrestr icted in their movement, al though each hasspecif ic responsibi l i t ies within the system of playemployed by the team. (See step 12, page 187,for more information on team organizat ion.)

The straregies of team play have undergonemodif icat ions during the evolut ion of the sport .The goalkeeper is considered the one true spe-cial ist on the soccer team, the f inal barr ierbetween the team's goal and an opponent 'sscore. The keeper is the only player al lowed touse the hands to control the bal l . In the not-so-distant past the held players ful f i l led morespecial ized roles than they do today. Forwardswere expected to stay up front and score goals.Delenders \ /ere eynecred ro "stav home" anddo whatever was necessary to keep the bal l outof their goal. They rarely ventured forward intothe attack. But over the past couple of decadesal l that has changed, ior the bettet I might add.The modern game places greater emphasis onthe complete soccer player, the indiv idual whocan defend as wel l as attack. With the excep-t ion oi the goalkeeper, the days of the soccersoecial ist are historv

The of f ic ia l f ie ld of p lay must be 100 to 130yards long and 50 to 100 yards wide. The lengthmust always exceed the width. For internat ionalmatches, the length must be l l0 to l20 yardsand the width 70 to B0 yards. Dist inct ive l inesno more than 5 inches wide mark thefeld area.As shown in f igure 1, the end boundar ies ofthe field are called the goal lines and the sideboundaries are called the touchlines. The half-way l ine divides the playing area into two equalhalves, and the center spor marks the center ofthe field. A center circle with a radius of 10 yardssurrounds the center spo[.

A goal is posi t ioned at each end of the f ie ldon the center of the goal l ine. The dimensionsof each goal are B feet high and 24 feet- wide.

The goal area is a rectangular box drawn alongeach goal I ine. The goal area is formed by twol ines drawn at r ight angles to the goal l ine, 6yards from each goalpost. These l ines extend 6yards onto the f ie ld oi play and are joined by al ine drawn paral lel to the goal l ine.

The penalty area is a rectangular box drawnalong each goal l ine formed by two l ines drawnat right angles to the goal line 1B yards from eachgoalpost. The l ines extend 1B yards onto the neldof play and are joined by a l ine drawn paral lelwirh rhe doal l ine The poal area is enclosedwithin the penal ty area. Located within thepenalty area is rhe penalty spof. The penaltysnof is marked | ) "^-A- F-^-r -^r -^f tef O[JVVr rJ | | rUr r \uu I L yal uJ I I u l lL dl lu \ . u l

the midpoint of the goal l ine. Penalty kicks are

The Soort of Soccer

100 to 130 yards

1-yard radius T9)_

€

-zTouchline (sideline) ---

12 yards - 10

o"n "lt qo"

o9)

o

o

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ip

Figure I The soccer field.

taken from the penalty spot. The penalty arc,with a radius of l0 yards from the penalty spot,is drawn outside the penaltv area.

A corner area. with a radius of 1 yard, ismarked at each corner of the f ie ld. Corner kicksare taken from within the corner area.

ECIUIPMENT

The soccer bal l is spherical and made of leatheror other approved mater ials. The regulat ion-sizeadult soccer bal l is designated internat ional ly asthe size #5 ball. The oificial FIFA #5 ball is 27 to28 inches in circumlerence and weighs between| 4 and 1 6 ounce s. Smaller balls (size #4 and size#3) are sometimes used for youth games.

The required uniform for f ie ld players con-sists of a jersey or shir t , shorts, and socks thatmatch those of their teammates and contrastwith those of their opponents. Shin guards are

worn underneath rhe socks. The goalkeeperof ten wears a long-sleeve jersey and shortswith padding at the elbows and hips. The colorsshould dist inguish him or her from the f ie ld play,ers and the referee. Al l players must wear sometype of soccer shoes during play. Players are notpermit ted to wear any art ic le of c lothing that thereferee determines to be a potent ial danger toanother player. For example, warches, chains. orother forms oi jewelry are usual ly iorbidden.

RULES OF THE GAMESoccer is a simple game with only 1 7 fundamen-tal rules. The official FIFA Laws ol the Game arestandard throughout the world and pertain to allinternat ional competi t ion. Minor modifrcat ions

oi the FIFA laws are permissible for youth andschoo[-sponsored programs in the United States.These modifications may involve the field size,size and weight of the bal l , s ize of the goals,

xt

The Soort of Soccer

number of subst i tutes al lowed, and durat ionof the game. The fol lowing is an abbreviareddiscussion of rhe rules governing play.

Start of PlayThe match begins with a placekick from thecenter spot of the f ie ld. Every player on thekicking team must be in his or her own half ofthe f ie ld. Opponents must posi t ion themselvesoutside the center circ le and within their ownhal i oi the f ie ld. The bal l is considered in playwhen i t t ravels into the opponent 's half of thef ield the distance of i ts own circumference. Theini t ia l k icker is not permit ted ro play the bal l asecond t ime unt i l another player touches i t . Asimi lar placekick restarts the game after a goalhas been scored and also begins the second halfoi play. A goal may be scored direct ly from thekickoif .

Elall In and Out of PlayThe bal l is considered out of play when i t com-pletely crosses a touchl ine or goal l ine (whetheron the ground or in the air) or when the refereestops the game. The bal l is in play at al l othert imes, including

o rebounds from a goalpost, crossbar, orcorner f lag onto the f ie ld of p lay:

o rebounds of f the referee or l inesmenwhen they are in rhe freld of pJay; and

. intervals whi le a decis ion is pending ona supposed infr ingement of the laws (forexample, the "play-on" si tuat ion).

When the referee is unsure of who lasttouched a bal l that t raveled out of the held area,or when a temporary stoppage occurs duringthe run of play (because of a severe injury toa player, for example), play is resrarred with adrop bal l at the spor where the bal l was lasr inplay. The referee drops the ball between twoopposing players, who cannot kick the bal l unt i li t contacts the ground.

When the bal l t ravels out of p lay over asidel ine, ei ther on the ground or in the air , i r isreturned into play by a throw-in from the spotwhere i t lefr the playing f ie ld. A player fromthe ream opposire that of the plaver who last

touched the bal l takes the throw-in. The throwermust hold the bal lwith both hands and del iver i tf rom behind and over the head. The player mustiace the freld of p lay wi th each foor rouchingthe sidel ine or the ground outside the s idel ineat the moment the bal l is re leased. The bal l isnnncidorar{ in nle. , immediately afrer i r CfOSSgSy qlrur lL

the touchl ine onto the held of play. The throwermay not touch the bal l a second r ime unt i l i thas been touched by another player. A throw-inis awarded to the opposing team i f the bal l isimproperly released onto the f ie ld of play. A goalcannot be scored direct ly from a throw-in.

A bal l last touched by a member of the attack,ing team that passes over the goal l ine, excludingthe port ion oi the l ine between the goalposts andunder the crossbar, is returned to play by a goalkick awarded to the defending ream. The goalkick is spotted within that hal i oi the goal areanearest to where the bal l crossed the goal l ine.The bal l is considered in play once i t has trav-eled outsrde the penalty area. The kicker cannotplay the bal l a second t ime unt i l a teammateor an opponent touches i t . A goal k ick cannotbe played direct ly to the goalkeeper wirhin rhepenalty area. Al l opposing players must posi t ionthemselves outside the penalty area when a goalk ick is taken. A goal cannot be scored direr-r l r iof f a goal k ick.

A bal l last touched by a member oi thedefending team that passes over rhe goal I ine,excluding the port ion of the l ine between thegoalposts and under the crossbar, is returnedto play by a corner kick awarded to rhe attack-ing team. The corner kick is taken from withinthe quarter circ le of the corner nearest the spotwhere the bal l lef t the playing area. Defendingplayers must posi t ion themselves at least lOyards from the bal l unr i l i r is played. The kickeris not permit ted to play the bal l a second t imeunt i l another player touches i t . A goal may bescored direct ly from a corner kick.

ScoringA goal is scored when the whole bal l passescompletely over the goal l ine, berween the goal,posts, and under the crossbat provided i t has notbeen intent ional ly rhrown, carr ied, or propel ledby an arm or hand of a player of the artacking

xtI

The Soort of Soccer

team. Each goal counts as one point . The teamscor ing rhe mosr goals dur ing a conrest winsthe oame. The dame is termed a draw i f both. ' . " t r* .

teams score an equal number of goals during-^^, , l^ f :^ '^

f : -^l cguldLlur l L l r i lc .

RULE VIOLATIONS AND SANCTIONS

An appointedreferee officiates at each game andhas ul t imate authori ty on the f ie ld. The refereeenforces the rules and decides on any disputedpoint. The referee is assisted by two assistantreferees who take posi t ions along opposi tetouchl ines. Assistant referees indicate when thebal l is out of play (subject to the decision ol thereferee) and determine which team is ent i t led tothe throw-in, goal k ick, or corner kick. Assistantreferees also assist the referee in determiningwhen offs ide violat ions have occurred, and theyalert the referee when a subst i tute wishes toenter the game.

Players need to be aware of the potent ial ruleviolat ions and penal t ies that may be cal led. Apenalty at the wrong t ime can be devastat ingfor a team, resul t ing in loss of momentum, aturnover, or even a goal for the other team. Learnthe io l lowing rule v io lat ions and penal t ies, andwork to avoid them during play.

OflsideAll players should be iamil iar with the of is idelaw. A player is in an ofJside pos[tion il he or sheis nearer the opponent 's goal I ine than the bal lis at the moment the bal l is played unless

o the player is in his or her own hal f o i thefreld, or

. the player is not nearer to the opponent 'sgoal l ine than at least two opponents.

Just because a player is in an of is ide posi t iondoes not mean that he or she must be whist ledoi ls ide hv the referee A nl : r ,er ic Aoelarad Offs ide" .y. ' . " . 'y ."-y" '

anrl nenal izcd [nr heino in an otFside nosit iononly i f , at the moment the bal l touches or isplayed by a teammate. the reieree judges thenlarrer rn he inrerfer ind wirh nlav or wi th anr .*-y" , 'Y '"-y" ,

opponent or gaining an advantage by being inan offs ide posit ion. A player is not of fs ide merelybecause he or she is in an offs ide posit ion or i fthe player receives rhe bal l direcr ly from a goalkick. corner kick. or throw-in.

The nrrnishmenr tor in l r inpemenr of the. . . " r - . ' . ' . . .5" . ' , " ' ' .

offs ide law is an indirect f ree k ick awardedto the opposing team at the spot where theoffside occurred. The referee shal l judge oi fs ideat the instant the bal l is played and not at themoment the player receives the bal l (see frgure2). For example, a player who is in an onsideposi t ion at the moment the bal l is p layed doesnot become oifs ide i f he or she moves forwardinto an oi fs ide posit ion to receive the pass whi lethe bal l is in f l ight.

Free KicksThe two classifications of free kicks are direct'6 i i - r ; '^^ ' ^ d^^r can be scored 6l i ;g6r l r r hrrdl ru l l lLr l l gLt . n SLrdr r-c l l l uc JLUrcu Ll l r cLLry uy

the kicker from a direct free kick. To score lroman indirect-free kick. a second player other thanthe kicker (who can be a member of erther team)must play or touch the bal lbefore i t passes overthe goal l ine. Defending players must posi t ionthemselves at least 10 yards from the bal l forboth direct and indirect f ree kicks. The onlv

\. \Dn\

A2\_\\D

AU

A1

Figure 2 Player is not offside.

XII I

instance in which defending players can getin posi t ion c loser than 1O yards to the bal l iswhen the attacking team has been awarded anindirect l ree k ick spotted within lO yards oi thedefending team's goal. In that s i tuat ion, defend-ing players can stand on their goal l ine betweenfL^

^^- l^^- i - :^

^^Lrrc BUdryurLr rL drL at te mpt tO pfevent the bal l

l rom enter ing the ooal .' ' - " "D . , - 5 '

When a player takes a free kick from withinhis or her penalty area, al l opposing players mustremain outside the area and be in posit ion atleast 10 yards from the bal l . The bal l must bestat ionary when the kick is taken and is consid-ered in play once i t has traveled the distance oii ts c ircumference and beyond the penalty area.The goalkeeper may not receive the bal l into hisor her hands and then kick i t into play. I f the bal lis not k icked direct ly into play beyond the pen-al ty area, the kick must be retaken. I f the kickertouches the bal l a second t ime before anotherplayer touches i t , then the opposing team isawarded an indirect f ree kick.

Fouls and MisconductFouls are either direct or indirect. A player whointent ional ly commits any of the fo l lowingnFFenses r , l r i l l he nenal ized hrr rhe ar,vard of a

direct i ree kick to the opposing team at the spotwhere the foul occurred:

. Spir t ing at an opponento Kicking or at tempt ing fo k ick an oppo-

nent. Tr ipping an opponento Jumping at an opponento Charging an opponent in a v io lent or

dangerous mannero Charging an opponent from behind unless

the opponent is obstruct ing the playerfrom the bal l

. Str ik ing or attempting to str ike an oppo-nent

o Holding an opponenro Pushing an opponent. Caffv inO qpf ik in.r nr n 'nnol l i - - 'he bal l' * ' ' .y , ' .5 ' " .y,

with a hand or arm (this violat ion doesnot apply to the goalkeeper within his orher penalty area)

When a player on the defending team inten-t ional ly commits an offense of a direct f ree kickwithin his or her own penalty area, he or she ispenalized by the award of a penalty kick to theopposrng team.

Indirect f ree kicks result f rom the fol lowingrule infract ions:

r Playing in a manner the referee consid-ers dangerous ro you or another player.reierred to as "dangerous play"

o Charging an opponent wi th your shoul-der when the bal l is not wi th in playingdistance of the players involved tcharg-ing with the shoulder is legal i f you areattempt ing to play the bal l )

. Intent ional ly impeding the progress of anopponent when you are not at tempt ingto play the bal l . commonly referred to as"obstruct ion"

. Intent ional ly prevent ing the goalkeeperfrom releasing the bal l

. Violat ing the offs ide ruleo Charging the goalkeeper except when he

or she has possession of the bal l or hasmoved ourside of the goal area

An indirect f ree kick is awarded to the attack-ing team i f the goalkeeper engages in any of thefol lowing:

o Violat ing the s ix-second rule, in whichthe goalkeeper. whi le in possession ofthe bal l , fai ls to release i t into play withinsix seconds

. Induloino in fact ics that the referee rules' , ' - " ' .5"

are designed to waste t ime, delay thegame, and give an unfair advantage tothe onalkeencr 'S OWn team

o Violat ing the goalkeeper back-pass rule(see the next sect ion)

Goalkeeper Back-PassRuleThe Laws oJ the Game state that the goalkeeperis not permit ted to receive the bal l in his or herhands after i t has been del iberately kicked tohim or her by a teammate. The kick must bea del iberate pass for this rule to take effect; a

The Sport of Soccer

xtv

The Sport of Soccer

def lect ion, ior example, is not penal ized. Viola-t ion of the back-pass rule results in the awardof an indirect f ree kick to the opposing team atthe spot of the infract ion.

Players may use the head, chest, or knees tointent ional ly pass the bal l ro rheir goalkeeper.However, i f a player del iberately attempts to cir-cumvent the rule (such as using the ieet to f l ipthe bal l in the air to head i t to rhe goalkeeper. l ,then the player wi l l be gui l ry of unsporr ingconduct and wi l l be offrc ial ly caut ioned. In thats i tuat ion, the opposing team is awarded anindirect f ree kick from the place where the foulwas commit ted.

Gautions and EjectionsI t is at the referee's discret ion to repr imand aplayer who cont inual ly commits f lagrant viola,t ions of the laws. The referee issues a yel lowcard to off ic ial ly caut ion a player. A yel low cardviolat ion conveys a warning to the player that heor she wi l l be ejected i rom the game i f s imi larviolat ions cont inue. The referee issues a red cardto signal rhat a player has been ejected fromfha . r rma A nlruar Can be Sent Off the held

and shown the red card i f , in the opinion of thereFeree thp nlrrrpr

. is gui l ty oi v io lent conduct,

. is gui l ty of ser ious foul play,

. spi ts at an opponent or any otherperson,

. uses foul or abusive language,o receives a second caut ion in the same

match,o denies the opposing team a goal or an

obvious goal-scor ing opporruni ty by

Before every pract ice session or game, perlorma warm-up to prepare yoursel i both physical lyand mental ly for the more strenuous training toiol low. Warm-up act iv i t ies elevate muscle tem-perature, st imulate increased blood f low to themuscles, and stretch the major muscle groups.A thorough warm-up will improve muscular con-traction and reflex time, increase muscle supple-

WARM.TJP AND COOL DOWN

del iberately handl ing rhe bal l (rhis doesnot apply to the goalkeeper within his orher own penalty area), or

o denies an obvious goal 'scor ing opportu-ni ty to an opponent moving toward theplayer 's goal by an offense punishable bya free kick or penalty kick.

The player who receives a red card cannotreturn to the game and may not be replaced bya subst i tute.

Penalty KickThe most severe sanct ion for a direct foul , otherthan eject ion f rom the game, is the penal tykick. A penal ty k ick resul ts when a playercommits a direct foul of fense within his or herteam's penal ty area. (Note: A penal ty k ick canbe awarded i r respect ive of the posi t ion of thebal l . ) The kick is taken i rom the penal ty spot12 yards l ront and center of the goal. Al l play-ers except rhe kicker and the goalkeeper mustposi t ion themselves outside the penal ty area atleast l0 yards f rom the penal ty spor. The goal-keeper must stand between the goalposts wi thfeet touching rhe goal l ine. The keeper is per-mit ted to move sideways along the l ine beforethe kick but may not move forward off the I ineunt i l the bal l has been played. The player rakinga penal ty k ick must k ick the bal l forward andcannot touch i t a second t ime unt i l i t has beenplayed by another player ( the second player canbe the goalkeeper) . The bal l is in play once i thas traveled the distance of i ts c ircumference.A goal can be scored direct ly from a penaltykick. Time should be extended at hal f t ime orthe end of regulat ion t ime to al low a penalrykick to be taken.

ness. prevent next-day soreness, and reduce thel ikel ihood of muscle and joint in jur ies.

The intensity and durat ion of the warm-upcan vary from one situation to another and fromone person to the next. Environmental condi-t ions, such as ambient temperature and humid-ity, should be taken into account. For example,you probably wi l l not have to warm up as long

The Soort of Soccer

or as hard on a hot, humid afternoon inJune asyou would on a cold, blustery day in November.As a general rule, you should warm up for l5to 20 minures at suff lc ient intensi ty to break asweat. Sweating indicates an elevat ion in muscletemperature.

Before stretching, begin your warm-up byincreasing the blood f low to the muscles. Anyiorm of aerobic act iv i ty that involves the largemuscle groups wi l l suf f ice, a l though from apract ical srandpoint i r is to your advantageto use soccer-speci f ic movements and act iv i -t ies whenever possible. Ski l l - related dr i l ls thatinvolve dr ibbl ing maneuvers combined withsudden changes of speed and direct ion, or pass-ing the bal l among teammates who are movingthroughout the f ie ld area, are a great means ofgett ing the blood moving. For example, many ofthe dr ibbl ing dr i l ls descr ibed in step I are appro-pr iate as soccer-specif ic warm-up act iv i t ies.

Once your muscles are suff ic ient ly warmed,perform a ser ies of stretching exercises that

The fol lowing organizat ions are under the aus-pices of FIFA and administer soccer compet i t ionin the United States. The United States SoccerFederat ion (US Soccer) directs amateur and pro-fessional soccer compet i t ion. The Nat ional Col-legiate Athlet ic Associat ion (NCAA), the Nat ionalAssociat ion for Intercol legiate Athletes (NAIA),and the Nat ionalJunior Col lege Athlet ic Associa-t ion (NJCAA) administrate col legiate competi t ionlor both men and women. Quest ions or requestsfor information should be directed to the aoDro'pr iate organizat ion.

Int er n ati onal Or g aniz ati on s

Federation Internationale de FootballAssociation (FIFA)

FIFA House, Hitz igweg 11

8O3O Zurich. Switzer land

Phone 41- l -384-9595

Fax 41-1-384-9696

www.f l fa.com

target al l the major muscle groups used insoccer. Don't bounce or jerkl Slowly extend themuscle or group of muscles to i ts greatest pos-sible length without discomfort . A slow steadyextension of the muscle wi l l inhibi t f i r ing oithe stretch ref lex, the body's bui l t - in safeguardagainst overstretching. Hold the stretch lor 30seconds, relax, and then move gent ly into adeeper stretch for another 3O seconds. Stretcheach muscle group twice, focusing on the ham-- r - i^R- ^, , - . .1- :^^^^ L^ ^ l *-^ i^ ^- t . :S and5t"r r r r55, 9udur lLUP5, udLn. 5rui l r . Ldrv(

Achi l les tendons, and neck.At the end of every pract ice and game, take

a few minutes to al low your heart rate and bodyfunct ions to gradual ly refurn to their normal rest-ing state. The coobdown can include light aerobicexercise, such as a slow jog with or without thebal l , combined with stretching exercises thattarger the most-used muscle groups. Stretchingafter a hard t rarning session may actual ly bemore benef ic ia l than prepract ice stretching inprevent ing next-day soreness.

Confederation of North, Central Ameri-can and Caribbean Association Football(coNcAcAF)725 Fif th Avenue, I 7th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Phone 212-308-0044

Fax 212-3OB-1851

www. iootbal lconfederat ion. com

National Orgmizations

American Youth Soccer Or$anization(AYSO)

12501 S. Is is Avenue

Hawthorne, CA 90250

Phone 310-643-6455

Fax 310-643-5310

TNTERNATIONAL AND NATTONALORGANTZATIONS

xvl

National Soccer Coaches Association ofAmerica (NSCAA)

6770 Squlbb Road, Suite 215

Mission, RS 66202

Phone 800-458-0678

Fax 913-362-3439

www.nscaa.com

National Soccer Hall of Fame

1B Stadium Circ le

oneonra, NY 13820

Phone 607-432-3351

Fax 607-432-8429

Soccer Association for Youth (SAY)

4050 Execut ive Park Drive, Suite 100

Cincinnat i , OH 45241

Phone BO0-233-7291

Fax 513-769-0500

www.saysoccer.org

United States Soccer Federation (US Soccer)

U.S. Soccer House

lB0l South Prair ie Avenue

Chicago. lL 60616

Phone 312-8OB-1300

Fax 3t2-B0B-9535

www.ussoccer.com

US Youth Soccer

1717 Firman Drive, Sui te 900

Richardson, TX 75081

Phone 972-235-4499

Fax 972-235-4480

www.youthsoccer.org

S c holas ti c Or g anization s

National Association of IntercollegiateAthletics (NAIA)

23500 W 105th Street

P.O. Box 1325

Olathe, KS 66061

Phone 913-791-0044

Fax 913-791-9555

National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA)

P.O. Box 6222r^J:--^-^r : - rN1 / 6206-6222l l rL. i ldr ldPUl l ) , r l \ a

Phone 317-917-6222

Fax 317-917-6800

National Intercollegiate Soccer OfficialsAssociation (NISOA)

541 Woodview Drive

Longwood, FL32779

Phone 407-862-3305

Fax 407-862-8545

National Junior College Athletic Asso-ciation (NJCAA)

I 825 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Suite lO0

Colorado Spr ings, CO 80918

Phone 719-590-9788

Fax 719-590-7324

www.nJCaa.org

U.S. Profe ssional Leagae s

Major League Soccer (MLS)

110 E. 42ndSteet, 1Oth Floor

New York, NY 1001 7

Phone 212-450-1200

Fax 212-450-t300

www.MLSnet.com

United Soccer Leagues

14497 North Dale Mabry Highway, Suite201

Tampa, FL 33618

Phone 813-963-3909

Fax 813-963-3807

www.USLsoccer.com

Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)

11 75 Post Road East

Westport , CT 06880

Phone 203-222-4900

Fax 203-221-7300

www.misl .net

The Soort of Soccer

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FJ Key to Diagrarns

GK

D

A

X

*

Goalkeeper

Defender

Attacker

Player

Soccer ball

Dribble

Run

Pass

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