This article is about the sport of association football. For other codes of football, see
.
Association football The attacking player (No. 10) attempts to kick the ball beyond the opposing team's goalkeeper, between the goalposts, and beneath the crossbar to score a goal. |
| Highest governing body | FIFA |
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| Nicknames | Football, soccer, the Beautiful Game, the World Game[1] |
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| First played | 19 December 1863, Limes Field, Mortlake, London, England[2] |
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| Characteristics |
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| Contact | Permitted (limited) |
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| Team members | 11 per side (including goalkeeper) |
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| Mixed gender | Yes, separate competitions |
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| Type | Team sport, ball sport |
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| Equipment | (or soccer ball) |
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| Venue | (also known as football field, football ground, soccer field, soccer pitch or simply "pitch") |
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| Glossary | |
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| Presence |
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| Country or region | Worldwide |
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| Olympic | Yes, men's since the 1900 Olympics and women's since the 1996 Olympics |
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| Paralympic | Yes, since 2004 and since 1984 |
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Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer,[a] is a team sport played between two teams of eleven with a spherical . It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies, making it the world's most popular sport.[3][4][5][6] The game is played on a rectangular with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to by moving the ball beyond the goal line into the opposing goal.
Players are not allowed to touch the ball with outstretched hands or arms while it is in play, unless they are within their penalty area. Other players mainly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may also use any other part of their body except the hands and the arms. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into or a depending on the format of the competition. The were originally codified in England by in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association), which organises World Cups for both men and women every four years.[7]
