Soccer Field Diagram - Learn The 4 Different Positions

There are four different positions in the soccer field diagram. They are usually termed as Forwards, Midfielders, Defenders, and Goalie/goalkeeper. Let me give you a brief insight into the same.

Forwards

Forwards are those players who have to position themselves near the goal of their opponent team. Players at other position pass them the ball and it is their task to convert that passing of the ball into scoring a goal. Their primary task is to score goals, and that is the reason why they need to be strong enough.

They may lack certain other skills, but it is of vital importance that they should have a strong body with power and energy. Again, it is not always that they play near the opponent?s goal post only. Of course, all the players have to keep moving depending upon the circumstances.

Moreover, they may have to spend some time in the middle of the field also. When forwards play in the midst of the field, they are known as ?strikers?. When they have to play near the touchlines, they are known as ?Wings?. Overall, Forwards must be quick runners with powerful kicking skills and accuracy in shooting.

Midfielders

In general, there can be somewhere between three and six midfielders in a soccer team. They play with an objective to get control of the ball and then pass the same to the forwards so that they could score goals for the team. As the name suggests, midfielders play most of the times in the middle of the field.

The coach should work in a way to enhance the tackling abilities of the midfielders because it is this ability that helps them stealing the ball from the opponent players and pass the same to the Forwards. Midfielders must have great accuracy in passing the ball.

Defenders

In general, there can be somewhere between three and five defenders in a soccer team. Their position in the field is just near their own goalpost, as their main task is to save the goals attempted by the opponent players. That is the reason why they are termed as defenders.

What is more, it is also their task to take the ball from the goalie and pass the same to the midfielders. They have to kick the ball very far to the midfielders. Therefore, it is important for the coach to train them accordingly.

Goalie of course saves the goal for your team, and is the only player in the soccer field diagram who is allowed to use his hands.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of soccer field diagram. His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles, resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

World Cup Soccer: Football that unites the world.

In every sporting event one can invariably find a player, a team, a nation, poised to become the next memorable story - a story that will survive the test of time and go down in history. The FIFA World Cup is unique, in that, every country can qualify. It is the only tournament that can unite the world with its common passion for the sport. It is a tournament where everyone celebrates, dances, and rejoices in the streets of their capitals, exulting in the spectacular feats of their players, their teams and their nation. But what makes the World Cup particularly extraordinary is the national pride that it inspires, especially for the first time qualifiers. Since the first tentative World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, World Cup history was not only about the winner or winning the title, but about the stories. World Cup history resonates with the back-stories that echo through time - of players, teams and nations that surprised the world by achieving the unexpected. From the poignant moments of the underdogs and the worlds Cinderella teams, to the birth of legends and the brilliance of the football giants - the World Cup brings joy to every nation. It is about the stories of players, teams and nations taking it to the highest levels; the stories about emotions and pride that unites the world.

At 2006 FIFA World Cup, we welcome the heavy favorites - from the European continent and all the way to the South American continent. For these giants, winning is everything. In their spirit is held the promise of thrilling showdowns, individual feats of brilliance and the majestic harmony in motion of a team united in its quest for the world's most coveted prize in football. Will the European contenders - Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, France, and England have the firepower to overcome the South American power forces from Brazil and Argentina, or will the world be dancing to the samba beat again this year?

What about the other European contenders, the lesser known South American teams, or the North American and Central American zone teams? Or better yet, the Australians? Let's not overlook the African continent! Will the trophy finally make its first trip south of the Mediterranean Sea? For that matter, even the Asian continent and their desire to bring Asian football to new international acclaim should be considered.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, we hope to see these underdogs, long shots, and Cinderella teams. There is always something special about the underdogs for winning is not everything to them. Simply by qualifying to walk onto the world stage, they have realized their goals and sparked the hopes of their nation. Armed with this impossible hope, win or lose, they are there to defend their national pride, and valiantly defend it they will, sometimes to the very chagrin and amazement of disbelieving onlookers.

As football fans across all continents count down to the opening day of 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, BetUS Sportsbook has launched its 2006 World Cup betting portal for soccer betting enthusiasts around the world. What a day it shall be, June 9th 2006! What a month it shall be, until the truth will set us all free on July 9th 2006! The whole world will be looking to Germany from June to July, watching history in the making. There will be sorrow, there will be joy. There will be dreams crushed, there will be dreams made. There will be silence in the streets, there will be rejoicing and dancing in the streets. After all, this is the World Cup, the tournament of tournaments. So may the best national team win!

Natalie Aranda writes about sports and entertainment.

Selecting Soccer Cleats - Nightmare or Lack of Knowledge?

What kind of soccer cleats should you buy? There are so many choices. And all this marketing nonsense out there. Exactly. There is no simple answer to this question. Selecting the proper soccer cleats could be very challenging but it does not have to become a nightmare. With the adequate knowledge you can easily choose the right soccer shoes for yourself or your child, if that's the case.

So, let's see what should you look for while buying soccer cleats? Besides the price, you want to make sure they are comfortable. But how would you know if they give you enough comfort, before you play in them at least few times? You won't. But you can increase your chances of buying comfortable soccer cleats by considering the following factors:
1. Manufacturer. 2. True Leather or Synthetic. 3. Studs Type. 4. Size.

Let's talk about these factors a little bit more.

Manufacturer
Adidas and Nike are the 2 most popular. For a good reason. They are probably the best on the market. While Adidas has manufactured soccer shoes "forever", Nike has made great strides over the last few years. Both companies make equally good quality soccer shoes. I personally never played in Nike's shoes, so I can't tell you about this brand from my experience. My sons played soccer using both brands. After trying them for a while, the younger son sticks to Nike while Pat (older) uses Adidas shoes only. They both are very happy with their selections. Do you know why? Their feet are build differently. Pat has a much wider foot than his brother. Adidas makes its cleats bigger in width than Nike. Basically if you have:
? Wide foot - look for a pair of Adidas Soccer Cleats.
? Skinny foot - look for a pair of Nike Soccer Cleats.

It wouldn't be fair not to mention 2 other brands, almost as good as the above two: Diadora and Puma. Other brands like: Umbro, Kelme, Mitre, Lotto - only if you really can't afford the brands mentioned above or if you just simply like these brands.

True Leather or Synthetic
Upper portion of every soccer shoe is made out of either true leather or synthetic material.

What is better? True leather...in my opinion. And I recommend it to everybody who is serious about playing soccer.

True leather gives you an uncompromising feel of the ball. It molds to your feet producing great comfort. It also lasts longer than synthetic materials. And it is healthier for your feet. Synthetic materials don't let the feet "breathe" building up of sweat, potential blisters and feet problem in the near future.

But...(of course there is a "but") ...True leather cleats cost more. There are few different types of leather used to manufacture soccer cleats. The least expensive is full grain. Sometimes full grain leather soccer shoes could cost only slightly more than "artificial". Spending $10-20 more on much better shoes would be really worth it. The best leather out on the market is K-Leather (Kangaroo). Though more expensive but it is softer, lighter and still durable. If your feet are not growing like the speed of sound and your budget is not too tight, definitely consider buying soccer cleats made from K-Leather.

There is another "but" or an exception to my "non-synthetic soccer shoes" rule: soccer cleats made of high quality synthetic material. These soccer shoes are manufactured with special microfiber technology that upgrades synthetic material, usually a PU (polyurethane). It makes the PU very soft, and strong, giving it similar feel to a natural material. Top Super-Microfiber material can be just as expensive as some leather!

Nowadays almost all-leading sport's footwear manufacturers use microfiber materials. For example, Nike makes their top quality cleats from super lightweight synthetic material called KNG-100 (Air Zoom Total 90) and Nike-Skin (Mercurial Vapor). Even Adidas, for the first time, used microfiber for its newest creation Adidas Predator Absolute (there is a Kangaroo leather model as well). So, my "non-synthetic cleats rule" applies only to a regular (cheap) synthetic material like PU or PVC (polyvinylchloride).

Studs Type
Molded Studs There are practically two different molded soccer cleats on the market.
The traditional - contains a sole that has round studs (usually between ten to fifteen).
The X-Grip (or Bladed shape) - slimmer than round studs, strategically placed in different angles to offer a player a better footing.

Soccer shoes with molded round studs (traditional) are more universal. What I mean is that, this type of soccer cleats are good for hard and firm surfaces as well as for soft grounds. However, they are not really reliable for extreme circumstances like: very hard and dry fields (turf shoes will be the ultimate choice here) or very soft and wet surface (screw-ins). The X-Grip design is manufactured for specific field conditions. In this case, with different length and angles of studs, we have to choose between soccer cleats made specifically for either hard (HG), firm (FG) or soft (SG) ground. Your choice then should be based on the type of fields you play soccer on the most. If you play on all kinds of surfaces, I would recommend-traditional round studs. But if you really want to stick to new style, then buy X-Grip for firm pitch (FG). Of course, the best scenario would be to have two pairs of soccer cleats for different field conditions. But who can afford it? Not to many of us.

Replaceable (screw-ins) cleats are very optional. Most young soccer players do not need them. With the poor quality of most youth fields, screw-ins just wouldn't get enough use to warrant purchase. Unless, you play a lot on great, soft fields and have extra cash (screw-ins can not be the only soccer cleats you have). Also some leagues do not allow this type of equipment.

Size
It is very important that the soccer cleats you buy must fit perfectly. This means as snug as possible, tight to the foot (sorry parents, you can't have growing room in soccer cleats). Close-fitting shoes facilitate the best touch (the feel for the ball). Soccer shoes I usually get, for my older son (16 years old) and myself, are ? size smaller. This is, because leather expands after a while and then molds to the foot. For my 10 year old, since synthetic does not stretch and cleats in junior size are not that expensive, I buy his exact shoe size.

Soccer Cleats - More Tips and Recommendations

Adrian Gumowski has been involved in soccer for thirty years. As a former player and now as a parent of two youth soccer players Adrian shares his knowledge on Youth Soccer Equipment and other soccer related topics at my-youth-soccer-guide.com

Soccer - The World's Most Popular Sport

Soccer is perhaps the world's favorite spectator sport, popularly known as "Football" in Britain and other European countries. This game can be as frustrating as golf, as physical as football and hockey, as erratic as baseball, and as exciting as basketball. No simple word can describe the popularity of the game, with a global television audience of 49 billion people for the 2002 World Cup alone. The game is exciting and highly addictive to watch and play.

Professional game rules require 11 players per team, 10 playing the field and one goalkeeper. With the use of a round ball, the matched is player with the two teams wearing shirts of different colors with distinctive soccer patches. The game is divided into two sets, each for 45 minutes long with the referee adding "extra time" based on time being wasted or play being stopped during the original 45 minutes. Usually, the extra time will be about one-to-three minutes.

A maximum of three substitutes may be used in any match played in an official competition organized under the auspices of the World Governing body Federation International Football Association (FIFA), the confederations or the national associations. However, in other competitions the rules must state how many substitutes may be nominated, from three up to a maximum of seven.

The decision regarding a match ending with a tie score usually depends on the actual type of game being player. There are times when the just simply ends in a tie score after the regular 90 minutes game plus any added time. On the other hand, a game ending with a tie score may lead into an overtime with an allotted time of extra play leading to penalty kicks, this usually occurs during a deciding game of a tournament. Each team is given five attempts to score on the opposing goalkeeper, the team with the highest score wins the game.

During a game, players are only allowed to wear soccer equipment and are prohibited to wear anything that may harm him as well as the other. This includes any kind of jewelry and other accessories. The basic soccer equipment of a player include a jersey or shirt with their distinctive soccer patches; shorts, if thermal under shorts are worn, it has to be the same main color as the shorts; stockings; and footwear, soccer shoes, boots, cleats.

There are instances that players may use extra equipments such as shin guards and headgears. The shin guards protect the leg below the knee and are completely covered by the stockings. These are either made of rubber, plastic, or similar substances. While the head gear are available to protect younger players when heading the ball.

For goalkeepers, they must wear a color that separates him from the other goalkeeper, players, the referee and the assistant referees.

There are four important details that one should know about the game before he is ready to play soccer. The first is that only the goalkeeper is allowed to use his hands, and this is only within the confines of the marked-off area surrounding the goal. When a player uses their hands on a ball, the opposing team gets a free kick from the spot of the violation.

The second vital information that you should remember about the game is that players are generally penalized for rough or unfair play with the use of cards. A yellow card is considered a stern warning, while a red card signifies a serious violation. Once a player receives a red card it means that he had been ejected from the game and cannot be replaced and that leaves the player's team with less players. Meanwhile receiving two yellow cards will equal to a red card, meaning the player will receive the same penalty.

Peter Valentines's article on Soccer is one of a collection of topics and interests that he explores and researches carefully. Soccer Equipment.