Soccer is a game played in two halves. The lengths will vary between age groups, but professionals, colleges and high schools play two 45 minute halves. It is a sport played between two teams made up of nine players and a goalie.

The players on each team will play either offense or defense, and they are only allowed to play the soccer ball with their feet. The main goal in soccer is to kick the ball into the other teams’ net, scoring a point, or a goal. The goalie is the only player on the field allowed to use his hands as well as his feet.

Coaches will often ask their players to practice “juggling”, which is a skill that consists of keeping the ball in the air using the feet, knees, thighs, head, or chest. These are all legal areas of the body than can be used for ball contact during a game. The object here is for the players to practice ball control, a very important concept in soccer. If the hands or arms are used during play the opposing team will be given possession of the ball.

When a player on one of the teams kicks or knocks the ball out of bounds along the sidelines of the soccer field, the other team is given possession of the ball by doing a “throw-in”. A “throw-in” is just as it sounds with the one rule being that both of the player’s feet must remain on the ground while he/she throws the soccer ball back into play.

If the soccer ball is kicked out of bounds over the line of a player’s own goal, the referee will call a “corner kick” where the opposite team takes the ball to the appropriate corner and kicks the ball back onto the field to one of their teammates. However, if the the ball goes out of bounds over the goal line of the opposing teams’ goal, the “goal kick” will be taken this time by a defensive player of that team.

“Fouls” are similar to penalties and can be called under a variety of circumstances. These might include 1) when a player touches the ball with his hand or arm, 2) if a player slide tackles another player, 3) too much pushing, tripping or force, 4) unsportsmanlike conduct, or 5) off-sides (when the offensive players from one team are closer to the goal they are trying to score on than that teams’ defense. The exception is unless the ball was there first). In these situations, the referee will commonly call the ball dead in the spot where the foul took place, and give the opposing team a “free kick”.

If regulation time runs out and the game is tied the two teams will usually square off in a “shootout”. A shootout requires the goalie from each team to stop an attempt to score by a player from the competing team. The first team to score is declared the winner.