Soccer Rules: Positions, Tactics and Gear Selection Guide

Soccer player numbers often correlate to specific positions and tactical roles on the field. Learn the official Fifa handball rules and how to choose the best soccer shoes from Nike, Puma, or Adidas.

Football

5 Types of Soccer Passes

Soccer is a fast-paced game requiring speed, good footwork skills and accurate passing. The kind of pass you choose to execute depends on the defense and positioning of your opponents.

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soccer ball and shoes

Regulations for Soccer Cleats

Soccer cleats are worn by players to help them gain traction on various playing surfaces, including grass, sand and clay. Like most soccer equipment, the cleats must conform to several regulations. These regulations are instituted to maintain a safe playing environment for all players.

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Women's soccer

The Average Height of a Female Soccer Forward

Height can be an important aspect in all forms of athletics. A women's soccer forward is at times required to win aerial challenges and head ball toward the goal. Height can also help a soccer forward win battles with defenders for loose balls.

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Soccer Player Kicking Ball into Goal

Soccer Striker Training Tips

The soccer striker is the goal-scorer on a soccer team, and the player who plays the closest to the opposition goal during a game. Soccer striker training should incorporate shooting technique, movement and decision-making.

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Difference Between Soccer Cleats & Football Cleats

Think you can just put those soccer cleats on for a game of football, or vice-versa? You might want to think twice. Although both types of shoes are made with cleats, the nubs or raised patters on the outsole of the shoe, soccer and football shoes are made as differently as the sports themselves.

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Young, male man playing soccer on a beach

How to Do Cool Soccer Tricks

Soccer tricks are fun and can also develop your control of a soccer ball. Soccer freestyle is a growing trend, with skillful freestylers who put on exhibitions of juggling and inventive tricks. The best way to learn is through practice and repetition.

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10 Best Soccer Moves to Beat a Defender

Certain soccer moves act as tools for an attacker to beat defenders, or create space during a soccer game to perform a successful pass or shot. Soccer moves can help a soccer offense get in behind the opposition defense to score or create goals.

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Girls Soccer Captains

How to Tape Soccer Shin Guards

One of the frustrating things about shin guards is the way they're constantly slipping down your leg while you're playing soccer. Unless you have a very expensive pair of shin guards, you're going to struggle with keeping these pads in place.

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How to Clean Shin Guards

Shin guards are an important part of your soccer equipment, and they need regular cleaning in order to prevent odors and mold and to keep them in top condition. While there is no exact science behind cleaning shin guards, there are a few methods that work better than others.

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Low angle view of a goalie catching a ball

Rules for Goalkeeper in Soccer

As a soccer goalie, you must adhere to most of the same fundamental rules as the rest of the players. There are certain rules that apply only to goalkeepers, most of which relate to the fact that you are able to handle the ball with your hands inside the penalty box, whereas field players are not.

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Goalie making save in soccer

The Penalty for Passing the Ball to Your Soccer Goalie

In soccer, goalkeepers are the only players allowed to deliberately use their hands to play the ball while it is in bounds. To help ensure that such privileges are not used unfairly, a number of penalties limit the keeper's ability to handle the ball.

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Soccer player sitting on field

Physical Description & Traits of a Soccer Player

With 265 million participants worldwide, soccer attracts players of almost any size and shape. It’s no coincidence that the sport has such high participation rates given that it requires neither height like basketball nor brawn like American football.

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Two kids playing soccer

Soccer Drills for 9- & 10-year-olds

Children should play soccer solely for exercise and fun at young ages. Once they reach about 9 or 10 years old, they can begin to focus on the technical aspects of the game. Soccer drills help children improve their soccer skills and can help catapult players into higher levels of play as they mature.

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little boy running dribbling

How to Improve My Football Dribbling Skills

Skillful dribbling enables you to control a soccer ball’s movement so as to maintain the advantage over an opponent. The skill is used to do several things in a game, including outmaneuvering a defender, handling a ball in a tight space or moving forward at top speed on an open field.

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Children ( 8-11)  playing football in ground

How to Dress for Cold Weather When Playing Soccer

You might think of soccer as a summertime sport, but leagues can extend into the colder months. To play your best game, you need to stay warm, keeping your muscles loose and reducing the possibility of injury. The key to keeping warm is dressing for the cold weather.

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Portrait of boys (7-11) football team with coach

Soccer Drills for 6- and 7-Year-Olds

Soccer drills for 6- and 7-year-olds help to improve their dribbling, scoring and passing skills. Drills also help develop teamwork and communication skills for each of your young players, which can improve team chemistry and their ability to win games.

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Workout Routines for Soccer Players

Soccer players who compete one day a week in a game need to devote five other days a week to their workout routines, notes Greg Gatz, conditioning coach for the University of North Carolina’s soccer teams. This allows one rest day.

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Boys playing soccer

Does Soccer Give You Thicker Thighs?

Playing soccer can give your body an intense workout, especially your legs. Soccer involves a lot of running -- much of it sprinting. This, combined with the repetitive kicking of the ball, can put your leg muscles -- particularly the quadriceps and hamstrings -- through a rigorous endurance and strength-training test.

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