Soccer is a popular sport that goes back in time. Soccer is also a unique sport that is loved by a great amount of people in this generation. However, “Dating back to about 3000 years ago, soccer was more popular than baseball, basketball, and American Football together. Soccer is enjoyed in every continent by a total of eight million people worldwide. ” (Simkin) Therefore, soccer has always been an adored sport. Soccer which is also known as Football; is played with two teams that consists of eleven players. Soccer is played with a spherical ball that can only dribbled with your feet.
Soccer only allows the goalie to have access to use his hands during the game if he is in the goalie box. Failure to use his hands only in the goalie box, will result in being signaled a yellow card. The opponents will also be given a free kick. The main purpose of being a soccer forward is to score as many goals as possible into the opponents net using your head, body and feet. Soccer has many rules which might sound like a pain in the butt to many. But every sport in our generation has rules. Soccer rules are created only to keep players safe and to avoid players from getting hurt.
The only way soccer referees signal a foul is by using yellow cards and red cards. The yellow card brighter than the sun, symbolizes that the player is given a warning. On the other hand, the red card as bright as Dracula’s favorite drink, symbolizes that the player is out of the game. If a player is displayed a red card; the possibility of being disqualified from participating in the upcoming games is very high. It is important for a soccer forward to control his/her anger at all times during a game. Because the soccer forwards are the ones the teammates are depending on to score the goals.
A soccer forward wouldn’t want to lose their temper in a game of soccer and disappoint the whole team. Soccer is played with a round ball that can be found in a variety of colors. Soccer balls can also be found in many sizes ranging from one to five, depending on the players age group. If you don’t have a spherical ball or can’t get a hold of one, you can use animal bladders and inflate them with air. Simkin mentions in his online article that back then they used animal bladders to play a beautiful game of soccer. It’s sad to know that people from decades ago would kill animals just to use the animal bladders as soccer balls.
Soccer is a very popular sport because any gender can participate; which is great. Unlike football that is most common to be played by men. It also doesn’t matter whether you are the age of five or fifty-five, you can still participate in this sport. It’s funny to say, but even my dad plays at the age of 45 years old. The game of soccer is 90 minutes in total of play time broken down into two 45 minute half’s. In between those two 45 minute half’s, players are given a 15 minute water break to restore their energy. The time you play really just depends on the age group of the league.
If you play with your friends, most likely you will play less. Soccer is played on a rectangular field that has two soccer nets set up the opposite of each side. It’s normal if you don’t have a net to set up. When I was small we used chairs and trees to mark our soccer goal space. I also remember using the street curb as well. Simkin also mentions in his online article that many years back they also didn’t have cross bars or nets. They would build their own using sticks and strings to make their own net and crossbars. There should be no excuse to not participate in soccer because you can really use any object as a ball.
You can also use random objects to mark the goal space. But keep in mind, try to avoid using animal bladders as soccer balls. Each player has a different job on the field, to play defense, midfield or forward. Defense players are the ones who defend the opponents from scoring a goal. Midfield players are those who help the defense defend. Players who play midfield also help the forwards create chances to score goals. Nonetheless, playing as a soccer forward is the one I will specifically describe; teach you the proper way to play as one and what is expected as a forward in a game of soccer.
In a game of soccer the forwards are the extremely important players on the field. To become a forward you must have; speed, good footwork and great aim. Forwards also have to know how to deal with pressure and most importantly know how to use your head to score a goal. First of all, speed is very important when it comes to being a soccer forward. As a soccer forward you are expected to run back and forth on the field continuously. Running back and forth may not sound fun. However, it’s a great feeling when you outrun your opponents and they get furious.
The key thing to always remember is that soccer speed is not only running straight ahead. It consists of running next to your opponents to react to their next moves. Or using your speed to leave behind the rivals. As a soccer forward, I boost my speed by sprinting forward and backward regularly. In soccer you run everywhere not just straight. It’s important to sprint forward, side to side and backwards. Another thing I recommend from my personal experience is to swing your arms while running. Your arms can’t be used in a game of soccer, but swinging your arms as you run can help you run faster.
Good footwork is expected from a soccer forward; it is like the cheese to a cheeseburger. It’s important to know how to dribble the ball with your feet while running. A successful dribble from a soccer forward will take the ball past defenders legally and create chances to score. The technique that I recommend as a soccer forward is to set up cones just a few feet away. Run side to side dodging the cones while passing the ball back and forth within the feet. This helps you have control of the ball at all times. It also teaches you how to dodge the opponents.
Dribbling the ball with the feet might sound complicated. If you don’t practice you won’t get any better; hard training is the only way to success. Passing the ball successfully is also expected from a soccer forward. Passing is most common in the offense because they are the ones expected to score. As a soccer forward, you are expected to pass the ball to your teammates continuously. Until there’s a chance to send a rocket into the net. Passing the ball to your teammate also avoids getting the ball taken away by the defense opponents.
A good way to practice passing is by kicking the ball at a wall back and forth. I also recommend passing the ball with a relative or friend. It’s really not a complicated factor to learn you just have to practice. Another important factor expected from a soccer forward is knowing how to shoot a ball into the net. When to shoot a ball into the net really just depends on the player. However, it is very important to study where the defense opponents and the goalie is at. First it is important to know how to kick a soccer ball. In soccer it is important to avoid kicking the ball with the tip of your soccer cleats.
Kicking the ball with the tip of your cleat will only send the soccer ball to the moon. In soccer you are expected to kick the ball with the side of your cleat. Before actually getting to shoot a ball into a net it is important to practice first. I always enjoy shooting soccer balls at parks that have actual soccer nets. It makes it easier to learn how to shoot. For a soccer forward there will be times that you are in a good area to shoot the ball. However, there may be defenders in your way. This is when your dribbling skills will come in handy. It is important to not be scared of your defenders as a soccer forward.
Yes it is annoying to have someone blocking the ball from going in. However, most of the times when a big crowd of defenders are in front of you, there’s a chance that it may hit a defender and go into the net. You can’t be afraid to shoot or you will never score. Heading the ball into the net is also an important factor for a soccer forward. There are going to be many times that a teammate is going to send a ball in the air during a corner kick. Corner kicks are known to be finished off by using your head. A great tip to remember is that it is important to always use your forehead for
