Introduction to football/soccer

Association football, soccer, or simply football is a team sport played between two teams each consisting of eleven players. It is a ball game played on a rectangular grass field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by maneuvering the spheroid ball into the opposing goal. Other than the goalkeepers, players may not use their hands or arms to propel the ball in general play. The winner of the match is the team that has scored most goals at the end of the match. The sport is known by many names throughout the English-speaking world, although football is the most common. Other names, such as association football and soccer, are often used to distinguish the game from other codes of football, since the word football may be used to refer to several quite different games. POPULARITY Football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to football stadium to follow their favorite team, whilst billions more avidly watch the game on television. According to a survey conducted by Fdration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's governing body, published in the spring of 2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200 countries in every part of the world.. NATURE OF THE GAME The game is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are summarised below. Two teams of eleven players each compete to get a round ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team which has scored the most goals at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. The primary rule for this objective is that players, other than the goalkeepers, may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play. Although players

mainly use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling ; by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball, however physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when the ball has left the field of play by wholly crossing over a boundary line , or play has been stopped by the referee. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart. GOVERNING BODIES The recognised international governing body of football, such as is the Fdration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The FIFA headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland. MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. Over 190 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals. The 2006 FIFA World Cup takes place in Germany 2006 and then in 2010 it will be held in South Africa. There has been a football tournament at the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Originally this was for amateurs only, however since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides. Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level with a restricted number of over-age players per team; consequently the competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. 2

RULES

By the second meeting on the 8th of December 1863, the soccer constitution decided to draw up the plans for the Laws of the Game, which is a sort of constitution holding all of the rules for soccer up till this date, with some modifications.

The 17 Rules for Soccer from the Laws of the Game

1. The Field of Play - The field of play is the surface on which the game of soccer is played on. This law regulates everything regarding line markings, soccer pitch dimensions and how to use them properly. For example, a soccer pitch must be between 90 and 120 meters long and 45 to 90 meters wide. However, it must also have a rectangular shape, so you can't have a square field with a length and width of 90 at the same time. Other basic rules of soccer and field measurements are specified in this law, such as the dimensions of each goal (7.32 meters long and 2.44 meters high), the diameter of the centre circle (18.30 meters) or the distance between the penalty spot and the goal (11 meters, perpendicularly on the goal). 2. The Ball This rules state that the soccer bull must have a circumference between 68 and 70 centimeters and a weight between 410 and 450 grams but they also state that the ball can be made out of "leather or any similar material". Well that "any similar material" bit constantly improved over time and nowadays soccer balls reached near-perfection. Almost each World Cup brought a new type of soccer ball, with improved characteristics, although all of them stayed inside the official soccer rules stated in the Laws.

3. The Number of Players - According to the official soccer rules, a team can bring in 10 outfield players and one goalkeeper on the pitch and can have several substitutes on the bench. The numbers of benched subs as well as the actual number of substitutions that are allowed in a single match vary with the type of the game played. For example, in official matches only 3 substitutions are allowed, with 5, 7 or 9 players on the bench. 3

In friendlies however, a coach can fit in as many players as he wants on the benched usually he can also make as many substitutions as he needs. In the past, the official soccer rules regarding substitutions were a lot stricter than this.

4. The Player's Equipment - Just like with the soccer ball, soccer equipment maintained most of the original rules in the Laws of the Game, but the way people interpret them today is quite different from how they did back in 1863. Basically the rules of soccer say that a player must wear a shirt or jersey, footwear, shin pads, shorts and socks and the two teams must have different equipment so that they can be differentiated on the pitch. Back then however, a soccer jersey was a largely uncomfortable one and it was very simple, without too many details strapped on it. Today's jerseys are very light and comfortable and on many occasions they have the club's sponsors imprinted on them, they have the number of the player on the back and the club's badge on the chest. These are not enforced by the soccer rules, but they have become common standards in today's game.

5. The Referee - Well the man in black is probably the biggest "invention" that came with the initialsoccer rules constitution and his role is to enforce these official rules of soccer "in connection to the match he has been appointed to". The center referee is accompanied and helped by two assistant referees (one on each side of the pitch) and a fourth one that handles small issues like showing injury time duration, checking a substitute player's equipment and replacing one of the three main referees if they can't continue the game. 6. The Assistant Referees -The assistant referees are placed on the sides of the pitch (one each) and their main role is to help the main referee with some decisions. Actually, the assistant referee has no decision power, he can only signal a game issue (an offside, a foul, handball and so forth) but it's up to the central ref if he's or she is going to take up the assistant's advice. 7. The Duration of the Match - Standard adult games are limited by the official soccer rules to two halves of 45 minutes each, separated by a 10 minutes break. This is not the actual time of play, since this 90 minute clock ticks even when the ball is out of play, during substitutions and so forth. In order to try to balance this timing a bit, the end of each half also brings a few minutes of "injury time" on the table. In some cases, when the match must have a winner (a knockout match for ex.), two extra mini-periods of 15 minutes each, with no break between them are added. If the match is

tied at the end of extra time as well, the players go on for a penalty-shootout that will eventually decide the winner. 8. The Start and Restart of Play - There are 8 reasons for which the game can be stopped and similarly, 8 ways to restart it. Each period of time starts with a kick-off and the game is also restarted with a kick-off if a team scores a goal. If the ball goes out on the side lines, the player who last touched the ball conceded a throw-in. The game is restarted with the other team throwing the ball back into play. The goal kick is awarded to the defending team, if the attacking team took the ball out of play on the defending team's goal line. The game is restarted with the goalkeeper kicking it from within the safety box. If the defending team touches the ball last and it goes over their own goal line, outside of the goal itself, then the opposing team earns a corner kick and they will be required to restart the game from the corner nearest to where the ball went out. An indirect free kick is awarded when a team produces a non-penal foul and the game is restarted with a ground kick that cannot be taken towards goal. A direct free kick is caused by a foul or handball and unlike the indirect free kick it can be struck directly towards the goal. A penalty kick is similar to a direct free kick in that it is caused by a foul or handball, but the offence occurs inside the defending team's penalty area. The game is restarted with one of the attacking team's players shooting for goal from the penalty spot, with nothing but a goalkeeper to beat. The dropped ball occurs when the referee stops the game for a special reason and the game is restarted with him dropping the ball from shoulder height in front of two players who will battle for possession . 9. Ball In and Out of Play - According to the official soccer rules, the ball is in play all throughout the match duration, except when it passes a bounding line (goal lines and touch lines), when an offence occurs or when play is stopped by the referee. In these particular cases, the ball is out of play and the soccer players cannot score goals or interact with the ball. In addition, substitutions can only occur when the ball is out of play according to the rules for the game of soccer. 10. The Methods of Scoring - As long as the ball is in play and no infringements of any soccer rules are being made, the players can score goals. A goal is considered when the ball crosses one of the goal areas with its entire circumference. Goals can be scored from action, from penalty spots and direct free kicks. 11. The Offside - Since this is one of the trickiest rules of soccer today. A player is in an 5

offside position if he is nearer to his opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent. This does not apply if the players is is on their half of the field. An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team at the place where the offside occurred. 12. Fouls and Misconduct - There's a difference between fouls and misconduct that many people fail to understand. A foul can occur when a player tries to get the ball from his opponent and kicks him or pushes him away accidentally, whereas misconduct means that a player willfully targets his opponent and punches, kicks or pushes him away. Fouls can only occur when the ball is in play, but misconduct can occur when it's out of play as well. Depending on the seriousness of the foul or misconduct, the referee can penalize it with a yellow or red card in addition to a free kick or penalty kick. 13. Free Kicks As we discuss in "Soccer Rule Number 8 The Start and Restart of Play. One additional soccer rule worth mentioning is that players from the opposing team must be at least 9.15 meters away from the position where the free kick will be struck. Also, the player that kicks the ball initially on a free kick cannot touch it again until a teammate or opposing player touches it. 14. Penalty Kicks - Penalty kicks are conceded when a defended player fouls or commits handball inside the 18 yard box or the penalty box. It's important to know that not all offences inside the penalty box are punished with a penalty kick. When the penalty kick is taken, the only two players in the 18 yard box are the penalty taker and the defending team's goalkeeper. Everyone else must sit outside the box and can only move towards the ball once it is kicked. So if the penalty is saved by the goalkeeper or strikes the bar, a player could run from the edge of the box and gain possession.

15. The Throw In - When the ball goes out of play on the side lines, the opponent of the player who last touched the ball will take a throw in. The throwing method has to follow some rather strict rules; otherwise the referee might dictate a throw in for the other team. The player taking the throw must keep his feet outside the side line, with the sole on the ground and the actual throw must be executed with the ball over the thrower's head. 16. The Goal Kick - The goal kick is a means of restarting play after the attacking team took the ball over the defending team's byline. The goal kick acts as a direct free kick, so if a player would kick the ball so hard that it would reach the opposing team's goal and score, the goal would count.

One extra soccer rule regarding the goal kick states that the kick must be powerful enough to pass the penalty area. So in case the goalkeeper executes the goal kick and passes the ball to a teammate in his own penalty box, the goal kick is re-taken.

17. The Corner Kick - The last of the 17 rules of soccer refers to the corner kick, which occurs when the ball passes over the defending player's goal line, with a defender having touched the ball last. The corner kick acts as a direct free kick taken from the corner of the pitch. The same rules as for a direct free kick apply, in that opposing players must be at least 9.15 meters away from the corner, the corner taker may score directly from the corner kick and the kicker can't play the ball a second time until it's touched by another player. The only additional rule is that the ball be placed in the corner arc.

IMPORTANT TOURNAMENTS UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League known simply as the Champions League, and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual continental club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football. The final of the competition is the most watched annual sporting event worldwide, drawing over 300 million television viewers. Prior to 1992, the tournament was officially called the "European Champion Clubs' Cup," but was usually referred to simply as the "European Cup." The competition was initially a straight knockout competition open only to the champion club of each country. During the 1990s, the tournament began to be expanded, incorporating a round-robin group phase and more teams.[1] Europe's strongest national leagues now provide up to four teams each for the competition. The UEFA Champions League should not be confused with the UEFA Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA Cup. The tournament consists of several stages. In the present format, it begins in mid-July with three knockout qualifying rounds and a play-off round. The 10 surviving teams join 22 seeded teams in the group stage, in which there are eight groups of four teams each. The eight group winners and eight runners-up enter the final knockout phase, which culminates with the final match in May. The winner of the UEFA Champions League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. 7

Real Madrid is the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the tournament nine times, including the first five seasons it was contested.[8] Spanish clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories, with 13 wins.[8] The title has been won by 22 different clubs, 12 of which have won the title more than once.[8] Since the tournament changed name and structure in 1992, no club has managed consecutive wins, with Milan being the last club to successfully defend their title, in 1990.[9] The reigning champions of the competition are English club Chelsea, after beating Bayern Munich 43 on penalties, following a 11 draw after extra time.[10]

UEFA European Football Championship The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship fornational football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament was hosted for the first time by Poland and Ukraine, between 8 June and 1 July 2012, after their bid was chosen by UEFA's Executive Committee in 2007.[1] Euro 2012 set the record for both the highest aggregate attendance (1,440,896) and the highest average attendance per game (46,481) under the 16-team format (since 1996). The final tournament featured 16 nations, the last European Championship to do so; from Euro 2016 onward, there will be 24 finalists. Qualification was contested by 51 nations between August 2010 and November 2011 to determine the remaining 14 finalists. The tournament was played across eight venues, four in each host country, five of which were newly built for the tournament. Aside from venues, the host nations have also invested heavily in improving infrastructure, such as railways and roads, at UEFA's request. The tournament opened with a 11 draw between Poland and Greece at the National Stadium in Warsaw on 8 June 2012. The final matchtook place 23 days later on 1 July 2012 at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, where Spain defended their title with a 40 win over Italy.[2] Spain became the first team to win two consecutive European Championships, and the first international team to win three straight major tournament titles (Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012).[3] Since Spain had already gained entry to the 2013 Confederations Cup by winning the 2010 World Cup, the runners-up Italy qualified.[4]

Euro 2012 was the second consecutive European Championship (after Euro 2008 held in Austria and Switzerland) in which neither of the hosts emerged from the group stage,[a] as both Poland and Ukraine were eliminated.

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fdration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. The current champions are Spain, who won the 2010 tournament. The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about a month; this phase is often called the World Cup Finals. A qualification phase, which currently takes place over the preceding three years, is used to determine which teams qualify for the tournament together with the host nation(s). The 19 World Cup tournaments have been won by eight different national teams. Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Italy, with four titles; Germany, with three titles; Argentina and inaugural winners Uruguay, with two titles each; and England, France, and Spain, with one title each. The World Cup is the world's most widely viewed sporting event; an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany.[1] The next three World Cups will be hosted by Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, and Qatar in 2022. I-League The I-League is an Indian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's top football competition. Contested by 14 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the I-League 2nd Division. Seasons run from October to May, with teams playing 26 matches each, totaling 182 matches in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekdays. 9

The competition formed as the ONGC I-League in 2007 following the decision to fold the old National Football League and make a new professional league.[1] The league also started by signing Zee Sports as the official broadcaster of the I-League.[2]The aim of the league was to have 16 clubs by the third season in which teams would be spread from all over India.[2] Since 2007, a total of three clubs have been crowned champions. Of the sixteen to have played in the league since the inception of the I-League in 2006, three have won the title: Dempo (3 titles), Churchill Brothers (1), and Salgaocar (1). The current champions are Dempo, who won the title during the 201112 seasons. AFC Asian Cup The AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa Amrica. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA Confederations Cup. The Asian Cup was held once every four years from 1956 in Hong Kong until 2004 in China. However, since the Summer Olympic Gamesand the European Football Championship were also scheduled in the same year as the Asian Cup (2004, 2008, 2012 etc.), the AFC decided to move their championship to a less crowded cycle. After 2004, the tournament was held in 2007 co-hosted by four nations: (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam), and thereafter will be held every four years. The Asian Cup has generally been dominated by the top teams from East or West Asia. Initially successful teams were South Korea andIran. Recently Japan and Saudi Arabia are the successful teams and often earned a spot for themselves in the final matches. Other teams which have achieved success at times include Israel (no longer a member of the AFC), Iraq, and Kuwait. Australia is the most recent nation to join the Asian confederation in 2007.[1]

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Sports Personalities-

Sunil Chetri Profile Sunil Chetri is an Indian Football Player and considered to be one of the brightest members in the Indian Football squad at the moment. Primarily playing from the Forward Position, Sunil is famous for his control upon the ball apart from his excellent work rate. Early Life & Club Career He was born on the 3rd of August 1984 at Darjeeling, West Bengal. At the age of 17 years he began his Club Football career with the Delhi based City Club in the year 2001. Chetri played for the club for one year, and moved to Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, Kolkata in June 2002. For almost 3 years he played for Mohun Bagan, and left the club in June 2005 to join JCT Mills Phagwara. He delivered his best club performance for JCT Mills in a Football match against Sao Pulo Football Club during the Super Soccer Series 2007. Sunil left JCT Mills in August 2008, and joined East Bengal Club, Kolkata and has still been playing for them. National&International Career Apart from Club Football, the 57 tall Sunil weighing 62 kg has played for Delhi Football team in 8 tournaments, and has also been a part of the Indian Railway squad that played in Col. Murray Cup. Chetri has represented the Indian National Football team both at Junior and Senior levels. In the year 2007, Sunil was named the Best Player of the 11th National Football League. He managed to score a total number of 12 goals in the League. Sunil Chetri has delivered promising performance at the International Level too, in a number of tournaments and trophies. He scored 2 goals in a match against Cambodia in the year 2007, and scored a hat trick in a match against Tajikistan in the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 which is said to be one of his best performances. The victory guaranteed India a direct entry to the Final Rounds of the tournament to be held in Doha, Qatar. He has been a part of the Indian Football team that won the ONGC Nehru Gold Cup tournament in the year 2007, and the AFC Challenge Cup tournament in the year 2008. Overseas Clubs Sunils outstanding performance has generated interest in various foreign Football clubs such as Estoril Praia of Portugues Second Division, Liga de Honra and Leeds United belonging to the English League One. Chetri went to England on 26th of January 2009 to begin a trial with the Coventry City Football Club, also known as Sky Blues, situated in Coventry, England. Coventry City plays in the Football League Championship and had won the FA Cup 1987 beating Tottenham Totspur by 3-2.

11

Unfortunately, Sunil couldnt get through the Coventry Citys strict yardsticks and wasnt able to impress the club to offer him a contract. Chris Coleman, the boss of Coventry City made an announcement on the 29th of January of 2009 that the Sunil was not selected in the trials, although Chetri said he was not disheartened by the rejection as he might keep looking for other options as well. As a honor of his excellent performance and contribution to the game of Football, NDTV named him the Indian Player of the year 2007.

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, born 5 February 1985 is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger for EnglishPremier League club Manchester United and the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo began his career as a youth player at C.D. Nacional and his successes with the team led to a move to Sporting two seasons afterwards. Ronaldo's precocious talent caught the attention of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and he signed the 18-year-old for 12.24 million in 2003. He earned his first cap for the Portuguese national team around the same time. He won his first club honour, the FA Cup, the following season and reached the final of the UEFA Euro 2004 with Portugal, scoring his first international goal in the process. The next three years saw Ronaldo rising to global prominence, scoring frequently at both club and international level and receiving various awards for his accomplishments. The 200607200708, was his best yet as he retained the Premier League and won his first UEFA Champions League, the highest European club honour. Additionally, he was the Premier League's top scorer, won theEuropean Golden Shoe, and was named the FIFPro World Player of the Year 2008.[2]Ballon d'Or.[3] season brought him his first Premier League title. The following season at Manchester United, On 2 December, Ronaldo was awarded the 2008 EARLY LIFE Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on 5 February 1985 in Funchal,Madeira, the youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and Jos Dinis Aveiro. His second given 12

name, "Ronaldo," was chosen after then-U.S. presidentRonald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor at the time.[5] He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Ctia.[1] CLUB CAREER Early career Ronaldo's favourite boyhood team was S.L. Benfica. At the age of eight, he played for amateur team C.F. Andorinha, where his father was the kit man. In 1995, Ronaldo signed with local club CD Nacional, and after a title-winning campaign, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP, who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.[6] Manchester United Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for 12.24 million after the 200203 season.[11] He requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by team legends like Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. "After I joined, the manager asked me what

number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'No, you're going to have No. 7,' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour."[12]
INTERNATIONAL CAREER Ronaldo earned his first cap for Portugal in a 1-0 victory against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He was called up for Euro 2004, scoring in a 2-1 group stage loss to eventual champions Greece and in a 2-1 semifinal win over the Netherlands. He was named in the team of the tournament despite finishing with only two goals.[43] That same year, he also represented Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. 2006 World Cup He was the second-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with seven goals,[43] and scored his first and only World Cup goal againstIran with a penalty kick.[44]

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During a quarter-final match against England on 8 July 2006, Ronaldo's United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off for stomping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. The English media speculated that Ronaldo had influenced refereeHoracio Elizondo's decision by aggressively complaining, after which he was seen in replays winking at the Portuguese bench following Rooney's dismissal. After the match, Ronaldo insisted that Rooney was a friend and that he was not pushing for Rooney to be sent off.[45] On 4 July, Elizondo clarified that the red card was due to Rooney's infraction and not the fracas between Rooney and Ronaldo that followed. Post-World Cup One day after his twenty-second birthday, Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly against Brazil on 6 February 2007. This move was in honour of Portuguese Football Federation president Carlos Silva, who had died two days earlier. Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari explained, "Mr. Silva asked me to make [Ronaldo] captain as a

gesture...[he] is too young to be captain, but Mr. Silva asked me, and now he is no longer with us."[54]
Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign,[55]but finished with only one goal in the tournament as Portugal were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Lionel Messi Lionel Andrs Messi (born 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina) is an Argentine international football player, who currently plays for FC Barcelona in the Primera Divisin. Often touted in the media as New Maradona, Messi has been publicly named as his "successor" by Diego Maradona. Career Beginnings Lionel Messi was born in Santa Fe Province on June 24, 1987. At the age of five, he started playing football for Grandoli, a club coached by his father. In 1995, Messi switched to Newells Old Boys.[2] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[3] River Plate showed interest in Messis progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness, which cost over 500 a month. As 14

Argentinas economy was collapsing, Carles Rexach, then sporting director of FC Barcelona, was made aware of Messis talent, and Barcelona signed him after watching him play,[4]offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain.[2] His family moved with the young player to Europe and he starred in the clubs youth teams.[4] He soon found himself starting for the Barcelona B team, averaging more than a goal per game, by scoring 37 goals in 30 matches. Barcelona debut In October 2004 Messi made his official debut for the first team against RCD Espanyol, becoming the third-youngest player to ever play for FC Barcelona. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompi on May 1, 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for FC Barcelona. Argentina U-20 Messi was offered the chance to play for the Spanish national side, but he declined, preferring to wait for the opportunity to play for the country of his birth. In June 2004 he got his chance, playing in an under-20 friendly match againstParaguay. In June 2005 Messi played in the U-20 team that won theFootball World Youth Championship in Netherlands, picking up the Golden Boot as top scorer with 6 goals, and the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament. Despite his youth, Lionel was already being compared to Diego Maradona, one of the greatest football players of all time. On June 27, FC Barcelona renewed his contract until 2010, establishing a selling clause of 150 million (which happens to be 30 million more than his teammate in Barcelona, Ronaldinho).[2][5 International debut On August 4, Jos Pekerman called him up to the seniorArgentine national team. He made his debut against Hungarybeing put in in the 63rd minute, but was sent off after just 40 seconds, because the referee Markus Merk found he had elbowed the defender Vilmos Vanczk who was tugging Messis shirt, and left the pitch in tears. The decision was heavily contested as Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated.[6][7] Messi then had 15

his first real international debut on September 3 in Argentinas 0-1 World Cup qualifieraway loss against Paraguay playing the last eight minutes of the match.[8] Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-debut. The first one was a bit short"[9]

Ricardo Kaka Ricardo Izecson do Santos Leite, commonly known as Kak, is an attacking midfielder of AC Milan in Serie A, and of the Brazilian National Team. Kaka is considered one of the three best current players worldwide, and in 2007 he was voted by journalists and coaches as the best (he won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World player). Though people sometimes think he is a striker because he scores so much, Kaka is an attacking midfielder and he likes to start his action far from the goal, using his lightning sprint and his technical skills to shoot or give great passes to the strikers. Club Football AC Milan 2003/2004: Kak joined AC Milan, while the fans where dubious: We already have Rivaldo and Rui Costa, maybe we needed a defender, they said. It didn't take much for Kak to become an idol: two assists to Shevchenko in hid debut in Serie A, and his first goal in a derby won 2-0 over FC Internazionale. At the end of the season, AC Milan won the Serie A title, and Kak was awarded with the Oscar del Calcio as Serie A footballer of the year. 2005/06: during his third season at AC Milan, Ricardo Kak played at his highest levels, though the club didn't win anything. He scored his first Hat-trick in Serie A in AC Milan win over Chievo. Despite no wins in season, he got the award as Serie A Foreign Player of the Year, ex-aequo with David Suazo of Cagliari. 2006/07: this was not a normal season, this was Kak's season. The Brazilian did not play a great Serie A championship, but he did the contrary Sao Paulo FC fans though at the beginning of his career: he was decisive in the most important games, especially in UEFA Champions League. We can say that 90% of AC Milan wins over Bayern and Manchester United were due to Kak's great plays. Though he did not score during the final, he won his first Champions League. Everybody endorsed him as World's best player, so the awards started getting into his hands.

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Kaka recently completed his move to the Los Blancos for a thumping transfer fee of 68.5 on 3 June, 2009 which is currently the third highest transfer in football history ever. He is the first of the mojor signings of club president Florentino Perez who is looking to reestablish the Galacticos era. International Football Brazil Kak made his debut with Brazil National Team on January 31st, 2002, in a 6-0 win over Bolivia. At that time, the 20 year old Midfielder was considered a substitute by coach Felipe Scolari. He scored his first goal in Cuiab, in his second appearance, in Brazil win to Iceland. World Cup 2006: Brazil was a favourite, and not only because they were title holders. They had the Fab Four in attack, Kak, Adriano, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Unfortunately, Brazil had a big disappointment, as they were knocked-out by France in quarter-finals. The Fab Four failed, just Kak played well. He also scored a goal to Croatia, during the Group Stage. 2007: Kak wrote a letter to the Brazilian Football Associations, where he wrote he needed some rest after three endless seasons. He did not play the Copa America that Brazil won, but he was capped for some friendlies in the US and then he played first four games for the South-American qualifying round for 2010 World Cup. He scored two goals in Brazil win 5-0 over Ecuador, and a goal to Peru. Kak is the present and the future of the National Team, though he is not captain, he is considered a leader by his teammates. 2009: Was named the most valuable player in brazil's successfull Confederations Cup campaign. He was also the Man of the Match in the final against USA.

Baichung Bhutia Profile FullName: Baichung Bhutia Born: December 15, 1976, Tinkitam, Sikkim MajorTeams: East Bengal Club, JCT Mills, Mohun Bagan AC, Bury FC, India PlayingPosition: Striker Achievements:

First Indian to play professional football in England Led the national football team to title triumph at the LG Cup in Vietnam in 2002 17

Led East Bengal club to LG Asean Club Cup football championship victory in Jakarta in 2003

Baichung Bhutia is probably the most famous and popular Football player India has ever produced. Also known as the First Poster Boy of Indian Football, Bhutia has contributed a lot to make the game popular among the young crowds of the nation even in the places where the game of Football has not been much popular. EarlyLife Primarily hailing from the North-Eastern state of Sikkim, Baichung was born on the 15th of December 1976 at Tinkitam, Sikkim. He got his basic education at St. Xaviers School, Pakyong, East Sikkim. Since the very beginning he showed his serious interested towards the game of Football, and encouragement from his uncle Karma Bhutia helped him move forward towards his destiny. Due to his extra-ordinary capabilities in the game of Football, Bhutia got a scholarship from Tashi Namgyal Academy, a well known school in Gangtok at the age of9. FootballCareer Bhutia caught the attention of everybody for the first time at the Subroto Cup 1992 held at Delhi, wherein he was bestowed upon the Best Player award. Bhaskar Ganguly, the former goalkeeper of the Indian Football team was specially impressed by Baichungs talent and supported him to move ahead to professional Football. At the age of 16 years, Bhutia joined East Bengal, a reputed Football club from Calcutta (now Kolkata), and further went ahead to join a yet another well known Football club, JCT Mills, Phagwara in the year 1995. The same year, JCT was able to win the National Football League after Bhutia joined them, and scored the maximum number of goals in the League for JCT. Baichung was bestowed upon the Indian Player of the Year 1996 award. In the year 1999, Bhutia began playing for an English Football club named Bury F.C., and played over there till the year 2002. Upon his return to India in the year 2002, he played for Mohun Bagan AC for 1 year and then again moved back to his initial club, East Bengal and played for them until he reverted back to Mohun Bagan in the year 2006. In the meantime, he also played for Perak, a Malaysian Football club. Currently he is in a contract with Mohun Bagan, and will playe with them till the year 2010. OtherAchievements Bhutia has been honored with Indian Player of the Year award twice in the years 1995 and 2008. In the year 1999 he was bestowed upon the Sikkim State Award, and Arjuna Award. In the year 2008, he has been conferred upon the Padmashree Award.

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Terminology
1. Attacker: A player whose job is to play the ball forward towards the opponent's goal area to create a scoring opportunity. 2. Back Heel: A ball kicked using the back (heel) of the foot. 3. Back Pass: A pass that a player makes back toward their own goal, usually made back to the goalkeeper. This is often a defensive move to restart a new phase of play. 4. Ball Carrier: The player in possession of the ball. 5. Bending the Ball: Striking the ball off-center so that it travels in a curved path, ideally for shots at goal. 6. Bicycle Kick: A spectacular move in which a player jumps in the air in a backflip motion, kicking the ball backward over their head. The name comes from action which mimics their legs moving as if pedaling a bicycle. 7. Center Spot: The spot marked at the center of the field from which the kickoff is made. 8. Confederation: Organization responsible for football in their region. 9. Corner Flag: The flag marking each of the four corners of the field. 10. Corner Kick: A free kick taken from the corner of the field by an attacker. The corner kick is awarded when the ball has passed over the goal line after last touching a defensive player. The shot is taken from the corner nearest to where the ball went out. 11. 12. Cross: A pass played across the face of a goal. 13. Defender: A player whose job is to stop the opposition attacking players from goal scoring. 14. Direct Free Kick: A free kick in which a goal may be scored by the player taking the free kick. 15. Dribble: Keeping control of the ball while running. 16. Dummy Run: A run by a player without the ball, to lure defenders away from the ball carrier. 17. Far Post: The goalpost farthest from the ball. 18. FIFA: The acronym used for the Federation Internationale de Football Association, the world governing body for the game of association football, which is based in Switzerland. 19. Football: The term used for soccer in Europe and other countries outside of North America and Australia. 20. Foul: Any illegal play. 21. Free Kick: A kick awarded to an opposition player when an player has committed a foul. Free kicks can be either direct or indirect. 19

22. Futsal: version of Fottball played indoors 23. Give and Go: (also known as a 1-2) When a player passes the ball to a teammate, who immediately one-touch passes the ball back to the first player. 24. Goal Area: The rectangular area in front of the goal in which the goalkeeper may handle the ball. It is also known as the 18-yard box because of its dimensions. 25. Goal Kick: A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball is played over the goal line by the attacking team. It can taken by any player though it is normally taken by the goalkeeper. 26. Goal Line: The two boundary lines located at each end of the field. 27. Goal Mouth: The area in front of the goal. 28. Goalkeeper: The specialized player who is the last line of defense, who is allowed to control the ball with his hands when in the goal area. 29. Header: Using of the head to pass or control the ball. 30. Indirect Free Kick: A free kick awarded to a player from which a goal may not be scored directly. 31. Inswinger: A kick that curves in toward the goal. 32. Kickoff: The kickoff is taken from the center spot at the start of play at the beginning of each half and after a goal has been scored. 33. Man to Man Marking: A defensive system where defenders are designated one attacking player to track continuously. 34. Midfielder: The playing position for players that are responsible for linking play between attackers and defenders. 35. Nearpost: The goalpost nearest the ball. 36. Obstruction: Causing obstruction, which is blocking an opponent with the body, is penalized by awarding an indirect free kick to the opposition. 37. Offside Trap: A technique used by defenders to put attacking players in an offside position, by moving quickly away from their own goal to leave attackers offside. 38. Offside: A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent. This does not apply if the players is is on their half of the field. An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team at the place where the offside occurred. 39. One-Touch Pass: A pass in which the ball is played on with a player's first touch. 40. Out Swinger: A kick that swerves away from the goal. 41. Penalty Spot: The marked spot 12 yards from the goal line from which a penalty kick is taken. 42. Penalty: A penalty kick is awarded when a foul has been committed inside the penalty area in front of the goal. A penalty is taken by one player opposed only by the goal keeper. 43. Pitch: The soccer field of play. 44. Red Card: A red card is issued to a player when that player has committed a serious infraction or has been issued with two yellow cards within the same game.

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The red card held up by the referee to signal that a player is being sent off. The player sent off cannot be replaced. 45. Referee: The official who is in charge of the game. 46. Shot: A kick, header, or any intended deflection of the ball toward a goal by a player attempting to score a goal. 47. Sliding Tackle: A tackle in which the defender slides along the surface of the field of play before making one-footed contact with the ball. 48. Striker: An attacking player whose job is to finish attacking plays by scoring a goal. 49. Sweeper: A defensive player whose job is to roam behind the other defenders. A sweeper has no specific marking duties and is the last line of defense before the goalkeeper. 50. Tackle: To take the ball away from the opponent using the feet. 51. Through Pass: A pass played past defenders into free space to allow a teammate to run onto the ball. 52. Throw-In: The ball is thrown in after the ball has crossed the touch line. A player taking a throw in must have both feet on or behind the touch line, must maintain contact with the ground, and must use a two-handed throw made from behind the head. A goal cannot be score directly from a throw-in. 53. Toe Poke: Use of the toe to strike the ball. 54. Touch Line: The line that defines the outer edge of the longer sides of the field of play. 55. Trapping the Ball: Controlling the ball with the sole of the foot. 56. Volley: Striking the ball in mid-air with either foot. 57. Wingers: Attackers who play on the wings/flanks of the field. 58. Yellow Card: A yellow card is held up by a referee to signal a caution for a minor infringement. 59. Zone Defense: A defensive system where defenders mark a designated area of the field of play instead of tracking players across the field.

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