Football is a universally loved game; there's no one I know that doesn't enjoy a game of 5-a-side football in the evening with all their friends and football buddies. That said, many people out there don't quite understand the appeal, or maybe they don't really understand how the game works, which is perfectly okay! This article will explain exactly how football works and everything we believe everyone should know about ‘the beautiful game.’
How Does it Work?
Despite being the most popular sport in the world, most popular are usually unfamiliar with how the sport works, especially in a professional setting with standard football rules. With that said, let's dive into how the game works:
Football is played with 11 players in each team, and there are two teams on the pitch. All 22 players play simultaneously, so the pitch or field needs to be considerably big. Accordingly, the average football pitch size is 112 yards long and 70 yards wide, so there's lots of running to be done!
Both teams have one goalkeeper who typically does not leave their post/position and is responsible for being the last line of defence against a goal being scored on them. The remaining ten players are called 'outfield players,' which are typically split into three sections; defenders, midfielders, and attackers. The structure of these three sections combines to create the formation of the team, which can be defender, attacker-focused, or neutral. While the roles and positions are assigned, there is no restriction on any player (including the goalkeeper) from moving to any point on the pitch, so there tends to be a lot of temporary shuffling of positions during the match.
All you need to get started with football, though, is a pair of shoes (ideally football shoes) and a football! Finding a proper pitch and people to play with is always a bonus and will offer the best experience, but you'll quickly find that you don't need anyone but yourself to enjoy it! Practising by yourself, trying new dribbles and shots, passing and playing keep-up against a wall, the sky is the limit with how creative you can be! This is one of the most beautiful parts of the sport for me.
While you can play alone, it's always more fun with friends and more players! In my experience, whenever I play by myself in a park or on a pitch, I'm almost always joined by nearby people that are looking to play with someone. With enough people joining like this, before you know it, you’re playing with more people on each team than the pitch allows!
That wraps up our guide on everything you need to know about football and why it’s such a magical game for everyone who plays it. It truly is one of the most fun sports to play and has been the best way for me to socialize with like-minded people. We hope this has been helpful and wish you good luck with all your future sports endeavours!