Wednesday, September 9, 2009

How to Play Indoor Soccer

By Pauline Go


Indoor Soccer is quite interesting. Though rules of play differ from one administrating sport body to another, there are certain common arenas which apply everywhere and which determine how the game is to be played.

In indoor soccer, the field is a 200-foot by 85-foot sized one, covered by artificial turf that is rectangular in shape, surrounded by six feet high walls. Minimum team size must be six players. The general game duration is a period of one hour, spread over four quarter of fifteen minutes each. After the first and third quarter, there is usually a three-minute break.

Contact rules as seen in outdoor soccer are applicable here in the same way. The are three lines used in the indoor soccer arena, which consists of a line in the centre and then one line in each half part of the court. While playing, players are not allowed to pass the ball directly over all three line of the court at the same time it has to touch either a player or the floor. The reason why this rule is implemented is to curb the use of long balls and to encourage more the use of short passes.

In Indoor Soccer, since the turf is artificial, players have to be prepared to deal with a ball that's bouncier and tougher to deal with. There is no offside rule applicable here. This form of soccer enables players to be substituted as many time as possible, but on the condition that the substitute leaves when a new player steps into the field.

About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in sports. She also offers top quality articles like :
Boxing Day Origin,
Martial Art Violence

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Soccer at the Beach?

By Brenda Simard

"Is it different to enjoy a game of soccer on a field than to play it on the beach?" That is a good question. "You bet it's different," he answered.

Beach soccer, as the name implies, is a game played on the beach, usually in the spring or summer. Although soccer on the beach has been played in an unorganized fashion for years, it was given its official name and rules only recently, specifically in 1992. Since that time beach soccer has managed to become a rather popular game and I believe that if you definitely want to educate yourself about soccer you should begin to play soccer on the beach in the sand.

Playing soccer in the sand is thought by many to be the best place for a newbie. Learning on a soft sandy beach can correct some usual errors for a beginner, because the soccer ball often doesn't roll well on the sand. Actually, the element of sand doesn't only facilitate the efforts of new players, but it can actually be thought of as a large barrier even for the long time players that want to demonstrate their proficiencies. In addition, the smaller field - measuring 28 x 37 meters if you can find an official beach soccer complex- is by far smaller than a normal grass pitch and therefore scoring is easier, even for athletes who want to give it a go for the first time.

A great advantage of beach soccer is the fact that the athlete doesn't have to have any unique equipment to join in. An adequate size soccer ball and the sand of the beach are just what you need to start learning the nature of this unique game's play. Even when no organized facility on the beach exists, those interested in enjoying a game of beach soccer need only two canes to symbolize the area of a goalpost. Sticks or maybe a pile of clothes are preferable in comparison to especially huge blocks of rocks, which are a hazard for stubbed toes, because footwear is not permitted in this game.

My son's soccer coach has his team out in the sand during the summer off-season building up their leg muscles and their basic skills on the sand. They start out running on the soft sand, head to the harder sand near the ocean's edge and then back to the soft areas. The fact that they are not wearing shoes acts as an incentive to learn to kick the ball using the insides of their feet, not their toes. The team does some skill drills and then they enjoy a short game of five-on-five to get them motivated and happy to be at practice. By the time the fall playing season rolls around they will all be in the best shape of their lives.

When practice is over the boys head, on the run, for the ocean to cool off and play in the waves. They go to practice in their swimsuits so there is no delay getting into the cold water. Soccer at the beach is a great way for kids and adults to play and build up their stamina, strength and endurance. It is after all, much easier to play on a grass field right?

Go Red Bulls!

The author has a young son playing on a traveling soccer team. She attends all the practices and games and has watched as the coaches put these kids through a grueling workout before they even get to their basic skills training. Her son has picked up some new moves just by watching soccer videos.

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Scoring Soccer Goals

By Joshua Baker

In countries other than the United States, soccer is called football, and it is played with a soccer ball in a field. In this game, two different teams are in place on a field, and metal frames with woven soccer nets, or soccer goals, are behind each team's members. The object of the game is to kick the ball into the other team's goal, and the team with the most soccer goals, or points, is the winner.

Players cannot use their hands, so what seems easy is in fact quite challenging, with only the use of their head, bodies, and feet to get the ball into the other team's goal. However, each team has a goalkeeper who is allowed to use any part of his body, including his hands, to keep the ball out of the soccer net.

The referee will issue you a severe penalty if the ball is touched with your hands while playing. Even if a soccer ball that is airborne collides with another player's hand, it is known as a hand ball, and the opposing team is given a penalty kick for punishment. Elbowing, holding, or tripping other players, as well as kicking, can also result in penalties while playing the game of soccer.

Soccer has 11 players of each team, although in youth soccer games, they can have as few as 6 players on either side. Soccer players have uniforms that match the other players on their team, and include: jerseys, socks, shorts, cleats or soccer shoes, and shin guards. Oftentimes, a goal keeper will be dressed unlike the other team members, so that he is easily distinguishable, and he may also wear gloves that allow him to grab the ball easier. There are two linesmen that stay on the sidelines, to ascertain who is responsible for balls that are kicked over the line, and a referee presides over the game as well.

When the game starts, the teams get on either side of the field, with one team making a kickoff from the spot in the center that has been designated for this purpose. After that, the soccer ball is always in play, that is until a penalty whistle goes off by a referee. The advancement of the ball down the field in an attempt to make a soccer goal, is known as dribbling and passing. However, it is hard to keep possession of the ball while getting it down the field, so often times, possession changes are occurring.

Unless there is a tie, the team that is able to score the most soccer goals by the end of the game is the winner. Depending on the format of the competition, if a tie happens, then they either have a penalty shootout, or the game goes into overtime. Soccer is now one of the world's premier sports, perhaps because it takes a lot of skill and determination to play the game.

Joshua is a sports enthusiast who enjoys writing about the various types of soccer practice equipment, including soccer goals as well as soccer nets.

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