Origin of Football

The contemporary history of the world's favourite game spans more than 100 years. It all
began in 1863 in England, when rugby football and association football branched off on their
different courses and the Football Association in England was formed - becoming the sport's
first governing body.

Both codes stemmed from a common root and both have a long and intricately branched
ancestral tree. A search down the centuries reveals at least half a dozen different games,
varying to different degrees, and to which the historical development of football has been
traced back. Whether this can be justified in some instances is disputable. Nevertheless, the
fact remains that people have enjoyed kicking a ball about for thousands of years and there is
absolutely no reason to consider it an aberration of the more 'natural' form of playing a ball
with the hands.

On the contrary, apart from the need to employ the legs and feet in tough tussles for the ball,
often without any laws for protection, it was recognised right at the outset that the art of
controlling the ball with the feet was not easy and, as such, required no small measure of
skill. The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an
exercise from a military manual dating back to the second and third centuries BC in China.

This Han Dynasty forebear of football was called Tsu' Chu and it consisted of kicking a
leather ball filled with feathers and hair through an opening, measuring only 30-40cm in
width, into a small net fixed onto long bamboo canes. According to one variation of this
exercise, the player was not permitted to aim at his target unimpeded, but had to use his feet,
chest, back and shoulders while trying to withstand the attacks of his opponents. Use of the
hands was not permitted.
 You should draw the Field with measurement

The Rules of Football

The rules of football are officially referred to as the "Laws of the Game". The Laws of the
Game are described very precisely (approximately 150 pages) on the FIFA website here.

There are 17 laws in total, each one briefly summarised below.

Field of Play. The game can be played on either natural or artificial surfaces, the surface
must be green and rectangular in shape. The two long sides of the rectangle are called touch
lines and the two shorter sides are called goal lines. The field is divided in half by the
halfway line.

Ball. Must be spherical, made of leather (or similar) 68-70 cm in circumference and of a
certain pressure.

Number of Players. Two teams of no more than 11 players (one of which is the
goalkeeper). A game cannot start if either team has less than 7 players.

Equipment. Players must wear a jersey, shorts, stockings, shinguards and footwear.

Referee. The referee ensures the Laws of the Game are respected and upheld.

Assistant Referees. There may be at most 2 assistant referees.

Duration of the Match. The game is played in 2 halves consisting of 45 minutes each. The
half time interval must not exceed more than 15 minutes. At the discretion of the referee
more time is allowed to compensate for any stoppage during play e.g. Due to substitutions or
care and attention of injured players.

Start and Restart of Play. A kick-off starts play at the start of the match or after a goal. A
kick-off involves one player kicking the ball, from stationary, forward from the centre spot.
All players must be in their own half prior to kick-off. A coin is tossed pre-game, the team
which loses the toss are awarded the kick-off to start the game whilst the team that win the
toss are allowed to choose which direction they want to play. After half time the teams
switch direction and the other team will kick-off. After a goal is scored, the team which
conceded the goal will kick-off to restart play.

Ball in and Out of Play. The ball is out of play once a goal has been scored or when the
referee has stopped the game. The ball is in play at all other times.

Method of Scoring. The ball crosses the goal line inside the goal mouth.

Offside. It is an offence for a player to be in contact with the ball when they are closer to the
opponents' goal than both the ball and the second-last opponent. The offside rule exists to
ensure there are always opponents (generally the goal keeper and a defender) between a
player receiving the ball and the goal. Without the offside rule, play can become boring with
repeated long balls being kicked to a player stood next to the goalkeeper for an easy goal.

Fouls/Misconduct. These are many and varied, broadly speaking it is an offence to use
excessive force whilst playing the game either deliberately or undeliberately or to handle the
ball (unless you are a goal keeper). The referee may show the yellow card to caution players
for less serious offences and the red card for more serious offences resulting in the player
being sent off. Two yellow cards are equivalent to one red card.

Free Kicks. Are given by the referee for fouls and misconduct. A free kick can either be
direct or indirect. A goal can be scored directly from a direct free kick. A goal can only be
scored from an indirect free kick if it touches at least one other player first. The free kick
must be taken from a stationary position with that position varying depending on whether the
free kick was given inside or outside the goal area and whether it's direct or indirect. The
opposing team must be a minimum of 9.15 m from the ball when the free kick is taken.

Penalty Kicks. Are given against a team when they commit an offence which would
normally be awarded a direct free kick inside their goal area. The ball is kicked from
stationary from the penalty spot. The opposing team must be outside of the penalty area and
at least 9.15 m from the ball.

Throw-in. Used to restart play after the whole of the ball has crossed the touch line.

Goal kick. Used to restart play after a goal has been scored.

Corner Kick. Is given when the whole of the ball crosses the goal line and was last touched
by a member of the defending team (and no goal was scored). A corner kick is taken from
inside the corner arc closest to the point where the ball crosses the goal line. The defending
team must be at least 9.15 m from the ball when the corner kick is taken.

1. Controlling the ball

Controlling

To control the ball is to master it. Properly controlling the ball means that a move will be
successful. The control movements to focus on are: directed control and gathering the ball
while moving – these introduce speed into the play.

Juggling

If repeated regularly, juggling develops the skills of dexterity, coordination and balance in
young footballers. These skills favour the more rapid acquisition of other techniques.

2. Running with the ball

Running with the ball

This is how an individual moves in free space with the ball. When a player is running well
with the ball, he/she is in control of it at all times: this requires good balance and excellent
stability. Running with the ball while keeping the head up allows a continuous flow of
information to be received and allows movement to be adapted to play.

Dribbling

This is how an individual moves with the ball when faced by opponents/obstacles. Dribbling
allows the player in possession of the ball to eliminate one or more opponents by:

 making a manoeuvre and taking individual risks;

 setting up a team move;
 gaining time to allow support from team-mates;
  deceiving an opponent (the concept of the feint).

3. Passing the ball

This is the action of giving the ball to a team-mate. It is an essential part of team play. As the
core of the game, passing allows a team to:

 keep possession of the ball;

 set up attacks;
 change the direction of play;
 counter-attack;
 provide a decisive or final pass.

Crosses are a type of short or long pass, usually leading to a shot. They serve as the last pass.

4. Shooting
4. Shooting

This is an action with the objective of dispatching the ball into the opponent’s goal. It is the
logical conclusion, the culmination of an attack. It is what football is all about. Shooting
requires technical qualities (striking the ball well, accuracy), physical qualities (power,
coordination, balance) and mental qualities (determination, audacity, self-confidence).

5. Special techniques
 Headers
 Volleys
 Defensive techniques
 Feints
 Goalkeeping techniques

Headers

Headers can be associated with mastery of the ball (juggling and control) and
passing/shooting the ball. Heading is an essential skill for defending and marking.

Volleys

This involves directly striking an aerial ball, without any prior control:

 before it touches the ground (volley);

 just as it touches the ground (half-volley).
Defensive techniques

 Dispossessing an individual opponent of the ball

 Winning the ball when it is in the possession of the opposing team (interception)
 Challenging an opponent for the ball within the limits allowed by the Laws of the Game
(defensive duel)

It is essential for a player to learn not to throw him/herself into a tackle and to defend
standing up.

Feints

A feint can be performed with or without the ball, depending on the situation of play. When a
player is facing an opponent during a dribble, a feint is a useful skill to bypass the opponent
with the ball. When a player is not in possession of the ball, a feint is useful to gain an
advantage in a position, and to lose the mark of an opponent as w

Goalkeeping techniques
The goalkeeper

The goalkeeper’s role is to prevent the ball from entering his/ her goal. The goalkeeper is the
only player in the team who is allowed to handle the ball, but only in the area around the goal
known as the penalty area. The goalkeeper’s special training is a long-term process which
starts in childhood and only ends when the goalkeeper finally retires. This training goes
through certain stages:

 first steps in goalkeeping

 learning the goalkeeper’s techniques
 developing the goalkeeper’s essential physical qualities
 acquiring mental strength

Technical preparation for goalkeepers

Positioning

 initial positioning
 movement
 regaining position

The goalkeeper’s interventions

 catching the ball (on the ground, medium height, high, from a rebound, etc.)
 the various dives
 high balls
 one-on-ones
 reflex stops (reaction speed)
Returning the ball to play

 clearances with the feet (along the ground, volley, half-volley)

 throw-outs
 returning the ball to play after a back-pass from a team-mate

Free kicks

 positioning the wall

 knowing the goalkeeper’s position
 using communication

Individual tactical principles

Basic tactics begin to take shape as soon as a child is able to understand how to take up a
position in open space. In the child’s mind, the game is all-important and all of his/her
decisions will be based on attacking play to score goals.

At grassroots level, the importance of this part of the game cannot be over-estimated as
young children often cannot visualise what happens next in a given situation. Playing the
game helps a child to get used to imaginary situations and develop boundless creativity,
which of course includes creating spaces.

The type of game played enables the child to develop his/ her capacities of perception, which
will enhance his/her psychomotor skills. Consequently, movement with and without the ball
creates the idea of tactics. This culture begins to develop as soon as a child learns how to read
a game, which leads him/her to team play solutions. The movement of players creates fl uid,
attacking play with the objective of a team demonstrating its superiority by scoring goals.

Therefore, if a player has any shortcomings in his/her perception skills, some of his/her
stimulations will be incorrect and this will be the difference between an average player and a
very good player.

How to teach tactics

 Allow the children to play (small-sided games etc.)

 Provide content (tactical culture)
 Set up relevant situations (themed games)
 Set up situations/problems (attack/defence with instructions to opponents)
 Free or directed play with review and dialogue with the players

Behaviour in matches

There are two situations in a match that require different behaviour:

Team in possession of the ball

 Move forward
 Lose markers
 Support/backup
  Passes, dribbling, shots

Team does not have possession of the ball

 Fall back while facing the ball

 Covering (slow down the opponents’ progress)
 Marking
 Interceptions
 Duels

General principles

1. All players must help their team-mates.

2. Everyone participates in attack.
3. Everyone participates in defence.
4. Defence starts as soon as the ball is lost.

The main individual tactics are simple principles that a player learns in order to make the best
decisions during a particular passage of play.

Main individual tactics for attacking

 Play the ball immediately, don’t let your team-mates lose their markers for nothing.
Lose your marker immediately after passing the ball.
 Always try to be in an unmarked position.
 Pass and get into position to:
o help a team-mate,
o call for the ball,
o support a team-mate.
 Avoid unnecessary confrontations. It is better to eliminate an opponent quickly than
take the longer option of dribbling around them.

When faced by an opponent

 take the ball to the opposite side of your opponent;

 get away from your opponent by using quick bursts, feints and sudden changes of direction;
 take the ball to the left and then pass to the right and vice versa;
 do not carry the ball too far, progress should be made by short touches with the ball close to
the body;
 use cross-pitch balls to a team-mate in a good position;
 avoid playing down the centre in your own half, if the ball is lost it could be dangerous;
 don’t pass the ball into crowded areas, play it to a teammate who is in free space;
 play the ball between two opponents to a team-mate who calls for it;
 always support a team-mate who has the ball;
 run to meet the ball, don’t wait for it to come to you;
 don’t let the ball go past without controlling it, otherwise an opponent may get there first;
 be encouraged to dribble against an opponent (depending on the situation);
 play in a sensible, simple, useful manner. This is the most difficult thing to achieve. This is
how a good player can be recognised
Main individual tactics for defending
1. Always keep yourself between your opponent and your own goal.
2. Always watch your opponent and the ball.
3. Try to counter the opponents’ attacking build-up as soon as possible by marking.
4. Don’t give your opponent space, slow your opponent down when he/she runs with the
ball (shutting down).
5. Slow an attack down (shutting down).
6. Try to get to the ball before your opponent, or otherwise hinder him/her when he/she
receives the ball.
7. Contest all balls.
8. Mark your opponent on the side of the ball, in other words the side where he/she will
make the pass.
9. When a high ball comes in, jump a moment earlier than your opponent.
10. Do not dribble in your own penalty area.
11. Avoid cross-pitch passes from the outside to the inside.
12. Play on the outside along the touchline.
13. Don’t hit the ball randomly, build an attack from the back.
14. If you lose the ball, strive to recover it.
15. Avoid ineffective tackles, don’t throw yourself at an opponent who has the ball. Wait
until your opponent changes the weight on his/her feet before challenging him/her.
16. Never turn your back on an attacker.
17. Push your opponents towards the touchline.
18. Carefully follow play, even if the ball is far away.
19. A good defender never gives up.
20. The goalkeeper must command his/her area.