Soccer Rules and Positions In A Day For Dummies, USA Edition (eBook)

The United States Soccer Federation, Inc., is the national governing body for soccer in the U.S. Michael Lewis is an award-winning journalist who has covered soccer for more than 20 years.

Introduction 1

What You Can Do In A Day 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 2

Chapter 1: Getting Started with Soccer 3

Soccer: The Basics 4

Checking out fouls and kicks 4

Keeping an eye on the game clock 5

Surveying the Field 6

That's the Way the Ball Bounces 8

Size does matter 9

The cost and quality factor 9

Dressing the Part: Uniforms 10

The must-have clothing 10

Why shoes can make or break your game 11

How soccer uniforms are numbered 12

Why goalkeepers don't match the team 13

The World Cup: The Greatest Show on Earth 13

Chapter 2: Taking Up Positions 15

Saving Grace: The Goalie 16

Providing Support: The Sweeper 18

Defending the Turf: Fullbacks 18

Linking the Team: Halfbacks 19

Filling the Net: Forwards 20

Chapter 3: Rules of the Game 21

Following the Rules 21

Keeping time 22

Starting the game 22

Keeping the ball in play 23

Throw-ins 23

Corner kicks 24

Goal kicks 25

Staying onside 25

Penalty Calls and Their Results 28

Outlining the major fouls 28

Detailing minor fouls and violations 29

Paying the price for fouls 30

Seeing what's in the cards 31

Interpreting the Ref's Hand Signals 32

Chapter 4: Performing Amazing Foot Feats: Dribbling and
Shooting 35

Dribbling: Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master 35

Knowing when to dribble 36

Dribbling do's and don'ts 36

Changing directions 38

Deciphering dribbling problems 39

Shooting Your Way to a Goal 39

Knowing when to shoot 39

Ready, aim, shoot 40

Shooting the ball with the instep 40

Chapter 5: Sharing the Ball: Passing, Receiving, and Heading
45

You Take the Ball: Passing 45

Delivering two types of passes 46

Diagnosing what went wrong 48

Gimme the Ball: Receiving 49

Cushioning at impact 49

Foot 49

Thigh 50

Chest 51

Troubleshooting receiving 52

Thinking on Your Feet: Heading 53

Using your noggin 53

Correcting heading errors 55

Chapter 6: Protecting the Goal 57

Stopping the Opposition 58

Catching the ball 58

Punching the ball 61

Parrying the ball 62

Saving penalty kicks 62

Correcting goaltending errors 64

Positioning: Being in the Right Place at the Right Time 64

Distributing the Ball 65

Chapter 7: Where to Go from Here 67

Taking Your First Steps 67

Visiting dummies.com 68