Soccer Practice Games PDF
Soccer! The game evokes an outpouring of passion and emotion rarely equaled within the realm of competitive sport.
Known internationally as football, soccer provides a common language for peoples of diverse backgrounds and heritages, creating a bond that transcends political, ethnic, religious, and economic barriers.
The national game of nearly every country in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America, soccer is played daily by more than one billion men, women, and children.
More than 150 million registered athletes, including more than 10 million women, play the sport on an official basis.
Countless more kick the ball around on an unofficial basis, on sandlots, in playgrounds, and on the back streets of small towns and large cities.
These impressive participant numbers are dwarfed by the number of avid fans worldwide who follow the sport on television.
In 2006, the average viewership for each match of the month-long (64 matches) World Cup was 93 million.
More than three times that number tuned in for the final between Italy and France.
To illustrate the magnitude of soccer’s following, an estimated 97.5 million people watched the 2008 NFL Super Bowl, generally considered to be America’s biggest game. Soccer’s universal appeal does not rest on it being an easy game to play. In fact, soccer may demand more of athletes than any other sport.
The game is played on a larger field than any sport except polo (where horses do the bulk of the work!).
Players must perform a variety of foot skills under the match pressures of restricted space, limited time, physical fatigue, and determined opponents challenging for the ball.
There are no official time-outs during a typical 90-minute match, and substitution is limited.
Knowledge of tactics and strategies is essential for successful performance.
Decision-making skills are constantly tested as players must respond instantly to changing situations during play.
With the exception of the goalkeeper, there are no specialists on the soccer field.
Each player must be able to play a role in both defense and attack.
And although soccer players don’t have to be any particular size or shape, all must have a high level of fitness and athleticism.
Field players may run several miles during the course of a match, much of that distance at sprintlike speed.
The physical and mental challenges confronting players are many and great.
Individual and team performance ultimately depends on each player’s ability to meet these challenges.
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