This is an old revision of the document!
Table of Contents
Soccer
Soccer (or football) is a sport in which two teams of 11 players take part and try to score as many points as possible by knocking the ball into the opponent's goal within a specified time. 1)
Players and referees
Soccer is played by more than 265 million players, and 5 million referees.2)
History
A game with similar rules was played in China already 2,300 years ago. The first reports of the game can be found in writings dating back to around 476 BC. Soccer in its current form originated in Great Britain. The oldest club in the world is FC Sheffield, founded by two British officers in 1857. 3)
First Black Soccer Player
Andrew Wats, born in British Guiana, was the first professional black soccer player. 4)
First Penalty Kick
The first penalty kick was taken in March 1891 by Joseph Frederick Heath. 5)
Bubble Soccer
Players are strapped into large bubbles that surround their head and upper body, which are inflatable. Usually, each team consists of five players, and the game is played using many of the same rules as soccer has. 6)