Football Compendium

*FOOTBALL:

Football is a game of 11 players in each team where both teams play with a ball, with the main purpose of putting the ball post your opposition's posts into the net. Once the ball is in the net, your team scores a goal. The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins.

*FORMATIONS:

In football, there are multiple formations in which teams play depending on the favored tactic of a team's coach. Formations can either be attacking, balanced, or defense-oriented formations.

*PLAYER POSITIONS:

There are 4 main player positions in football, goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and attackers.

The role of a goalkeeper is to stand between the post to stop balls from going into the net. He is the only player allowed to handle the football with his hands, but this is restricted to only inside the 18-yard box.

The role of a defender is to defend against opposition attackers and prevent them from scoring goals.

The role of a midfielder is to control a game and orchestrate play. They are the creators balancing and connecting the whole game.

The role of an attacker is to score a goal using any means possible, either pace, dribbling ability, or direct shooting power.

*18-YARD BOX AND 6-YARD BOX:

A goalkeeper's area is the 6-yard box extending from the goal line, while the penalty area is the 18-yard box outside the goal area. Put simply, the goal box is the smaller of the two boxes and the goalkeeper's box is located inside the penalty area.

*GOALLINE AND TOUCHLINE

Goal line is the straight line between the two posts of a goalkeeper that also extends through that whole side of a football pitch. It is the line the ball must cross before a goal is acknowledged as scored.

In a football pitch, the shorter straight line sides are called the goal line where the goalkeeper's post is, while the longer sides are called touchlines.

When the ball goes outside the touchline, the referee calls for a throw in. If it goes outside the goal line, it can either be called for a corner kick or a goal kick.

*CELEBRATIONS:

After scoring a goal, footballers are known to celebrate their goals in unique ways. There are multitude of goal celebrations, some iconic to specific football players like the Suii celebration synonymous with the Portugal legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, made famous during his time at Real Madrid.