ABOUT THE GAME OF FOOTBALL

The game is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game.

With the exception of goalkeeper, the players are not allowed to handle the ball, (although in certain circumstances they can use their hands to throw in the ball when it is kicked out of play), and although they primarily use their feet to manoeuvre the ball, they may also use any part of their body, excluding hands and arms.

Football teams are broadly divided into three types of players: strikers or forwards, whose main function is to score goals; midfielders, who try to keep possession of the ball or dispossess the opposition of the ball in order to pass the ball to the strikers; and defenders, whose main role is to prevent the opposition from scoring. The positioning and the number of players playing in the three different types of position can vary according to the strategy of the team, and all players can move to any position on the field of play, as the situation demands.

In a typical game, players will attempt to score goals by individual players keeping the ball under control and passing it from team mate to team mate, until one of them, (usually a striker), is in a position to take a shot at the goal, which is defended by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players will attempt to intercept the ball by tackling the player in possession, but physical contact is restricted, and the game is fast and free flowing, and only stops when the ball goes out of play or when there is a ‘foul’ or a player is injured.