Football
Look at the 6 photos and answer the following questions:
a. What do you think is happening in each one?
b. Are the photographs of outdoor or indoor events?
c. What do you think connects all the photographs?
d. Describe one of the pictures
Useful language:
I think Picture A is a/an … because …
Picture A could be a/an … because …
In my opinion Picture A is used for … because…
I don’t think Picture A could be a a/an … because …
It looks like a/an …
It resembles a/an …
From your own knowledge, make a list of:
a. Soccer/football teams
b. Compare it with your partner’s
c. Talk about your favourite football stars
Read the following text:
Soccer or football is probably the most popular sport in the world. Two teams of 11 players attempt to guide an inflated ball into goal cages at opposite ends of a playing field. Soccer is unique because of its restriction on the use of the hands; only the goalkeeper may handle the ball, and then only within a limited area. The other 10 players must advance the ball using primarily their feet, although a proficient soccer player can use almost every part of the body -including the head - to control the ball.
The continuous action and fast pace of soccer have made it a major spectator sport throughout the world, and for the same reasons it has attracted millions of players. In countries other than United States soccer is called football. The word soccer is a shortening and altering of association football.
The rules of soccer/football are relatively simple, and little equipment is required. A soccer game begins when one team kicks off, the kicking team usually retaining possession because the ball must move only the length of its circumference with the kickoff. Play is continuous, stopping only when a goal is scored, the ball is out of bounds. Each goal scored is worth one point, and the team with the most goals at the end of play wins. A soccer game is 90 minutes long, played in halves. Almost all levels of competition have provisions for some kind of overtime play to produce a winner if regulation time ends with the teams tied.
In international play substitution is generally limited to one or two players per game; players removed from a game for any reason (injury, ejection, substitution) cannot return.
The game is controlled by a referee on the field who is assisted by two linesmen, one on each sideline. Intentional contact with the ball from the shoulders to the hands is forbidden, and the following constitute offenses against the opponent: intentional kicking, charging from behind or in a dangerous manner, striking, holding, pushing, tripping. For these the referee will stop play and award a direct free kick, from the point of the infraction, against the offending team. It is possible to score a goal directly with such a kick. If one of the offenses is committed by a player inside the team's own penalty area, then the other team gets a penalty kick; the ball is placed on the penalty spot, 12 yd (11 m) from the goal, and only the goalkeeper may defend.
Other, lesser offenses include obstruction and dangerous play, for which an indirect free kick is awarded; in this case one pass must be made before a goal can be scored. An indirect free kick is also awarded for offside violations. A player is offside if the following conditions exist: the player is in the opponent's defensive half of the field, the player's team - but not that player - has possession of the ball, there are less than two defenders between that player and the goal, and that player is in a position to affect the play.
The linesmen have two main functions: (1) to spot offside infractions; and (2) whenever the ball goes out of play, to indicate which team has possession and where. When a ball goes beyond the sidelines, it is returned to play with an overhead, two-handed throw, with the player's feet touching the ground. When the ball goes over the goal line but not into the goal, it is either a corner kick for the attacking team (in which case the ball is kicked toward the goal) or a free kick for the defending team.
Soccer like games undoubtedly backdate recorded history. The earliest evidence of soccer dates from about 200 in China, where a form of the game was played that emphasized the ability of players to dribble a leather ball. The Greeks and Romans also participated in a variation of soccer that permitted ball carrying.
The modern-day outgrowth of soccer is known to have started in England, and the first ball reportedly was the head of a dead Danish brigand. Although King Edward III prohibited soccer in 1365 because of its excessive violence and for military reasons playing took time away from archery practice the game had become too popular to be curtailed.
In 1904 a world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), was created to coordinate all of the national soccer associations in the world. The result has been the development of spectacular international competitions such as the World Cup, instituted in 1930, which have sparked soccer's growth into the world's most popular sport. Professionalism arrived in continental Europe in the 1920s and in South America less than a decade later.
Questions:
Is soccer/football the most popular game worldwide?
Where did the earliest evidence of soccer/football appear?
What is necessary for the soccer game to begin?
By whom the game is controlled on the field?
Where the first soccer/football club was formed?
What is FIFA?
Is soccer/football an Olympic game?
Look at the list of words taken from the text:
1
Soccer
Kickoff
Free kick
Penalty kick
Corner Kick
Overtime play
Referee
Linesmen
Sideline
Striking
Holding
Pushing
Tripping
1
1
a. Translate the words into Romanian
b. Choose any five words and write a definition or explanation of each one.
Study the list of definitions you have been given and decide which words are being defined. If you are not sure, look back at the text and try to work out the word from context.
Soccer/Football Glossary
1
Attacker – any player on the team that has possession of the ball.
Attacking Midfielder – the most forward-playing midfielder, playing right behind the forwards; they support the offense by providing passes to forwards to set up goals.
Attacking Team – the team that has possession of the ball. Also see Offensive Team and On Offense.
Back – a defender.
Call – a decision made by the referee.
Cards – soccer is often played between players and fans who may not speak each other's language, so the card system was devised as the universal symbol of fouls.
Center Circle – a circular marking with a 10-yard radius in the center of the field from which kickoffs are taken to start or restart the game.
Center Line – a line that divides the field in half along its width. It is parallel to the goals. See also Midfield Line.
Center Spot – a small circular mark inside the center circle that denotes the center of the field from which kickoffs are taken to start or restart the game.
Central Defender – a player who guards the area directly in front of their own goal in a zone defense; does not exist in a man-to-man defense.
Clear – to kick the ball away from one's goal.
Clearing – the act of moving the ball out of the vicinity of one’s own goal area by throwing (goalkeeper only) or kicking it (generally up the sideline or out of play).
Club – a team that plays in a league. Not to be confused with a team. In soccer a National team is generally referred to as a team.
Corner – direct free kick taken by an attacking player from the corner of the defending team's end of the field in an attempt to score; awarded to an attacking team when the ball crosses the goal line last touched by the defending team.
Corner Arc – a quarter-circle with a radius of 1 yard located at each of the 4 corners of the field; on a corner kick, the ball must be kicked from inside this arc. See also Corner Area.
Corner Area – a quarter-circle with a radius of 1 yard located at each of the 4 corners of the field; on a corner kick, the ball must be kicked from inside this area.
Corner Flag – the flag located at each of the 4 corners of the field, inside the corner area.
Corner Kick – direct free kick taken by an attacking player from the corner of the defending team's end of the field in an attempt to score; awarded to an attacking team when the ball crosses the goal line last touched by the defending team.
Counterattack – an attack launched by a defending team soon after it regains possession of the ball.
Cut Down the Angle – when the goalie comes out of the goal several feet to make themself closer and larger to an attacker, leaving the attacker less open net to shoot at.
Cut Off – when a defensive player keeps their body between an attacker and the defender's goal, forcing the attacker out towards the sidelines and thus making them less dangerous to score a goal.
Cut Off the Line – a defensive tactic against teams that throw "down the line" on throw-ins.
Dangerous Play – when a player attempts a play that the referee considers dangerous to that player or others. Play that is likely to cause injury. Examples are high kicking, playing while lying on the ground, or playing the ball while it is in the possession of the goalkeeper.
Defending Team – the team that does not have possession of the ball.
Dribbler – a player who advances the ball while controlling it with their feet.
EPL (English Premier League) – the 1st division (top) English professional football league.
European Champions League – a club competition; in addition to the UEFA Cup, which matches clubs which won their national leagues the previous year in a head-to-head, home-and-away tournament. The league is an elimination tournament and is played in addition to the regular league schedule. It is one of the most prestigious club competitions in the world.
European Cup UEFA – sanctioned competition which occurs every four years between World Cup finals. The field includes national teams from throughout Europe that have passed a qualifying tournament. The tournament was started in 1960 and is thought to be the most competitive national tournament outside of the World Cup.
European Cup Winner's Cup – a recently ended club competition pitting the winners of league cups in the prior year in head-to-head competition. Cup tournaments were opened to all divisions of national leagues, meaning that quite a few surprise teams found their way into the European Cup Winners Cup tournament. This tournament was an elimination, home-and-away tournament.
Extra Time – time added to the end of any period according to the referee's judgment of time lost due to player injuries or intentional stalling by a team. Generally between 1-3 minutes but it is up to the discretion of the referee to add as much as they see fit.
Fake a move – by a player meant to deceive an opposing player.
Field Players – any of the 11 players on the field except a goalkeeper.
FIFA – (Federation Internationale de Football Association) world governing body of soccer that was founded in 1904 and based in Zurich, Switzerland. The president is Joseph "Sepp" Blatter of Switzerland and the current membership stands at 203 nations.
FIFA World Cup – the international soccer competition held by FIFA every 4 years between the top professional teams in the world, pitting nation against nation; the most watched event in the world, attracting a television audience of over 3 billion viewers. Held in a host country with national teams representing 32 countries (increased from 24 following the 1994 World Cup); 30 teams qualify in competitions with automatic bids going to the past champion and host nation; the tournament has been played every four years since 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 due to World War II; only seven countries have won the World Cup: Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994); Germany (1954, 1974, 1990); Italy (1934, 1938, 1982); Uruguay (1930, 1950); Argentina (1978, 1986); England (1966); and France (1998). The 2002 World Cupis to be the first co-hosted tournament in Japan and South Korea. FIFA President Sepp Blatter has stated the desire to make the World Cup every two years after the international uniformed soccer calendar is in place.
Football – name for soccer everywhere except in the USA.