Soccer For Dummies

Tom Dunmore is the author of a Historical Dictionary of Soccer and a sports executive who has helped launch multiple professional soccer clubs in the United States.Scott Murray is a soccer writer for Guardian, Fiver, GQ and Men’s Health. He is author of two soccer books, And Gazza Misses The Final, and The Title: The Story of the First Division.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 2Beyond the Book 3Where to Go from Here 3Part 1: Kicking Off 5Chapter 1: Introducing Planet Soccer 7Nothing as Simple as Soccer 8The basic aim: It really is that simple! 8So why is soccer so popular around the world? 8Where do people play soccer? 9Explaining a Few Rules 10The field 10The players 11General behavior 12Goal! 12Keeping score 13and keeping time 13Playing the Game 13Playing solo 13Playing with others 14Watching Soccer and Supporting a Team 14Following club and country 14Winning trophies: The be-all and end-all? 15Chapter 2: Getting the Ball Rolling: A Brief History of Soccer 17Discovering the Ancestors of Modern Soccer 18Anyone for Cuju? 18Kemari, Marn Gook, and Calcio Fiorentino 19Inventing Modern Soccer: How It All Began in Britain 19The 1850s: Time to lay down some rules 20Enter the FA 21Step aside for the professionals! 21Exporting Soccer Around The World 23The game makes it in Europe 23then South America 24and finally the world 25Becoming the World’s Biggest Game 26Television switches on 26Players become stars 26Television changed everything 27Establishing Soccer in America 28An immigrant game 28Shooting stars, the NASL-era 29From indoor soccer to the 1994 World Cup 29A future built to last: MLS and the NWSL 29Chapter 3: Getting Your Game On: The Gear You Need 31Having a Ball 31Getting The Right Look 34Jerseys 34Shorts 35Cleats 35Shin guards 37Goalkeeping gear 37The referee 38Additional garments 38Approaching Equipment 39Goals and nets 39First-aid kits 40Practice aids 40Other gear and equipment 40Meeting Up with Merchandise 41Replica jerseys 41Numbering and lettering 42Retro jerseys 42Scarves 42Other official merchandise 43Knowing Where to Get It All 43Part 2: Playing the Game 45Chapter 4: Laying Down the Laws 47Living by the Laws 47Law 1: The field of play 49Law 2: The ball 50Law 3: The number of players 51Law 4: The players’ equipment 52Law 5: The referee 53Law 6: The assistant referees 54Law 7: The duration of the game 55Law 8: The start and restart of play 55Law 9: The ball in and out of play 56Law 10: The method of scoring 57Law 11: Offside 57Law 13: Free kicks 59Law 12: Fouls and misconduct 61Law 14: The penalty kick 63Law 15: The throw in 64Law 16: The goal kick 65Law 17: The corner kick 65Noting Other Points 65Extra time 65Penalty shootouts 66Away goals 66The technical area 67Common sense 67Chapter 5: Players, Positions, and Tactics 69Positioning Players 69The goalkeeper 70Defenders 73Midfielders 76Forwards 78Getting Tactical 80Dribbling: The first tactic 80The main styles of play 81Formations 83Deploying data 95Measuring performance 95Expected Goals (xG) 95Tracking players 96Chapter 6: Honing Your Skills 99Mastering the Basics 99Dribbling 100Basic passing skills 101Receiving the ball 102Heading the ball 106Shooting 107Volleying 108Keeping It Tight at the Back 109Marking 109Tackling 109Key defensive principles 113Sharpening Your Skills Up Front 113Shielding the ball 113Chip pass 114Outside of the foot pass 114Back heel 115Bending the ball 115Feinting 116Free kicks 116Taking penalties 117Goalkeeping 117Catching 118Diving 118One-on-one 119Going for crosses 119Punching 120Parrying and tipping 120Positioning 121Distribution 121Saving penalties 122Chapter 7: Keeping in Shape for Soccer 125Keeping Fit 126Stretching those muscles 126Running 129Exercising aerobically 130Training with weights 131Sorting out your stomach 131Cooling down 131Balancing Your Diet 132Investigating Injuries 133Preventing injuries 133Treating injuries 135Chapter 8: Coaching For Success 141A Brief History of Coaching 141Coach or Manager or Boss? 142What the role involves 142Chess — or all-out war? 143Kicking It with Kids 144Picking a Team 145Assessing your roster 145Choosing a captain 147Selecting a first XI 147Deciding on tactics 148Being Prepared 148Practicing for success 149Making in-game decisions 150Chapter 9: Getting the Game On 153Playing Pickup Soccer 153Finding Out about Teams and Leagues 154Running a Team 156Choosing a league 156Finding players 157Paying for it 157Keeping to a schedule 157Game officials 158Getting serious 158Taking the Game Indoors 158Getting Your Kid Playing 159Levels of play 159Starting out with a team 159Camping out 160High school soccer 160Making it in the academy 160Challenging the gifted player 161Playing in College 161The elite level 161Lower-level NCAA play 162Other competitive levels 162Taking Up Coaching 162First steps 162Getting qualified 163Moving up the ladder 163The top level 164Becoming a Referee 164Volunteering 165Part 3: Exploring the World of Soccer 167Chapter 10: The Men’s World Cup 169The Biggest Show on Earth 170The long and winding road begins 170The shape of things to come 171The finals countdown 171From Montevideo to Moscow: Eighty-Eight Years of Top-Class Drama 172Uruguay and Italy set the template 173Brazilian brilliance 174Germany and Argentina take center stage 175European dominance 177America on the World Stage 180And so to 2022 181Teams to look out for 181Players to watch 182And On to 2026 183Chapter 11: Surveying the International Scene 185Understanding the Point of Exhibition Games 186Playing for North American Pride 186The CONCACAF Championship years 187Onto the Gold Cup 187Winning European Prestige 188The early years 188The Euros go large and even larger 189The Euros in the new millennium 190Ruling the Roost in South America 192How it’s organized 192The oldest — and the best? 192An erratic history 193The Copa’s revival 194Taking the African Title 194The ACN: A slow burner 195The cup catches fire 195Winning Elsewhere 196Asian Cup 196OFC Nations Cup 196Olympic Games 197Looking at the Game All Over the World 198United States 199Canada 199Mexico 200Brazil 200England 200Italy 201Germany 201France 201Spain 201Argentina 202Uruguay 202Chapter 12: Playing Together: Clubs and Leagues Around The World 203Clubbing Together 203The very first clubs 204The rise of the super clubs 204The smaller clubs 205Organizing Clubs Today 207The players 207The head coach 207Technical staff 208Ownership 209Competing in Club Competitions 211Seasons 211Leagues 211Cups 214Playing in the Big Leagues 215USA and Canada: Major League Soccer 215Canada: The Canadian Premier League 217Mexico: Liga MX 217England: The Premier League 217Italy: Serie A 218Spain: La Liga 219Germany: Bundesliga 220Brazil: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A 220Knocking Out a Winner 220FA Cup 221The U.S Open Cup 221Other famous cups 222Competing on the International Stage 222European Cup/UEFA Champions League 222CONCACAF Champions League 225Copa Libertadores 225Intercontinental Cup/FIFA Club World Cup 226Chapter 13: Focusing on Famous Clubs 227Shooting Stars in North America 228Chivas de Guadalajara 228Club América 228DC United 229LA Galaxy 229New York Cosmos 229Seattle Sounders 230Banding Together In Europe 230AC Milan 231Ajax Amsterdam 231Arsenal 232Barcelona 233Bayern Munich 234Benfica 234Borussia Dortmund 235Chelsea 235Internazionale 236Juventus 236Liverpool 237Manchester City 238Manchester United 239Marseille 239Paris Saint-Germain 240Real Madrid 241Tottenham Hotspur 242Making It in South America 243Boca Juniors 243Flamengo 244Fluminense 244Independiente 244Millonarios 245Nacional 245Peñarol 246River Plate 246Santos 246Looking at Some of the Best of the Rest 247Al-Ahly and Zamalek 247Al Hilal 248Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak 249Raja Casablanca 249Urawa Red Diamonds 249Chapter 14: Exploring Women’s Soccer 251From Beijing to London: How It All Began 251Dick, Kerr Ladies get popular 252and the Establishment gets sexist 253The women fight back 254America raises the game — and FIFA gets serious 255The Game Today 255The United States 255Rest of the world 256The Women’s World Cup 2571991: The First World Cup 258The tournament comes of age 258Germany and Japan take control 258America dominates again 259Other International Tournaments 259Olympic Games 260Continental competitions 260Top International Teams 261United States 261Germany 261Japan 262Sweden 262Canada 262Netherlands 263Brazil 263Norway 263Part 4: The Fans’ Enclosure: Following the Game 265Chapter 15: Going to the Game 267Gearing Up for the Game 267Season tickets 268Choosing where to sit 268Buying a single ticket in advance 268Going on the road 269Sitting pretty 269Attending international games 269Making Your Way to the Game 270Obtaining your tickets 270Making travel arrangements 270Dressing for the occasion 271Taking a look round the city 272Checking out the stadium 272Spending (time or money) in the club store 272Tailgating 272Refreshing yourself inside the stadium 273Watching the Game 274Kickoff 274Shouting, screaming, and other matters of general etiquette 275Supporter groups 275Half-time 275Full-time 276Chapter 16: Diving Into Global Soccer 277Watching Live on Screen 277Mainstream platforms 27824/7 soccer streams 279En Español 280Quick hits 280Listening to Audio 281Live commentary 281Podcasts 282Focusing on Movies and Shows 283Bend It Like Beckham 283Next Goal Wins 283Once In a Lifetime 283Pelada 284Ted Lasso 284The Two Escobars 284Victory 284Exploring the Video Vault 285General history 285Club documentaries 285International competition 286Player stories 286Branching Out into Books 287General history 287Books about players 289Club-specific books 290Country-specific books 291Reference 292Literature 294Making the Most of Magazines 294The Blizzard 295FourFourTwo 295France Football 295Soccer America 295When Saturday Comes 296World Soccer 296Chapter 17: Following Online 297Keeping Up with the Game 297What you’ll find in media coverage 297Finding live scores and the latest news 299Following soccer news 299Analyzing the game 301Finding the Official View 303Club websites and apps 303Governing body websites and apps 303Social media 304Hearing from Fans 304YouTube and podcasts 305Fan Blogs 305Discussing the game 306Chapter 18: Finding Other Soccer-Based Pastimes 307Taking Control with Fantasy Soccer 307The rules 308How to choose your players 308Scoring points 309Collecting Memorabilia 309Trading cards 310Stickers 310Programs 310Retro jerseys 310Autographs 311Scarves 311Visiting Stadiums 311Playing Video Games 312FIFA 312Football Manager and other strategy games 312Joining Supporters’ Groups 313National groups 313Local club groups 314Displays of support 314Supporter group memorabilia 315Owning Your Own Club 315Part 5: The Part of Tens 317Chapter 19: Ten Great Male Players 319Pelé 319Diego Maradona 320Franz Beckenbauer 322Johan Cruyff 323Zinedine Zidane 324Alfredo di Stéfano 325Ferenc Puskás 326George Best 327Cristiano Ronaldo 328Lionel Messi 328Chapter 20: Ten Great Female Players 331Lily Parr (England) 331Mia Hamm (United States) 332Michelle Akers (United States) 333Hege Riise (Norway) 334Sun Wen (China) 334Homare Sawa (Japan) 335Birgit Prinz (Germany) 336Marta (Brazil) 336Christine Sinclair (Canada) 337Abby Wombach (United States) 338Chapter 21: The Ten Greatest Teams of All Time 339Preston North End (1881–1890) 339Austria (1931–1934) 340Torino (1943–1949) 341Hungary (1950–1954) 342Real Madrid (1955–1960) 343Brazil (1970) 343Netherlands (1974–1978) 344Barcelona (2009) 345Lyon (2011–2020) 346United States Women’s National Team (2015–2019) 346Chapter 22: Ten Great Games 349Dick, Kerr Ladies 4, St Helens Ladies 0 (Friendly, 1920) 349United States 1, England 0 (Men’s World Cup, 1950) 350Brazil 1, Uruguay 2 (Men’s World Cup, 1950) 351England 3, Hungary 6 (Friendly, 1953) 352Real Madrid 7, Eintracht Frankfurt 3 (European Cup, 1960) 352Manchester United 4, Benfica 1 (European Cup, 1968) 353Brazil 4, Italy 1 (Men’s World Cup, 1970) 354Nigeria 3, Argentina 2 (Olympics, 1996) 355United States 0, China 0 (Women’s World Cup, 1999) 355Japan 2, United States 2 (Women’s World Cup, 2011) 356Appendix A: Roll of Honor 357Appendix B: Glossary 379Index 387