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What Is Futsal? (+5 Superstars Who Grew Up Playing It)

16 Sep, 2023

Football is played by millions of people all over the world, in various different formats. There's the classic 11-a-side set-up favoured by the professional game, the 7v7 formations you often see being played at football centres on midweek evenings, as well as more informal kickabouts down a local park or playing field. However, there's one form of football that rarely gets the attention it deserves, despite being hugely popular amongst...

What Are Assists In Soccer? (And When Are Assists Not Counted)

03 Sep, 2023

In professional football, statistics play more of a role now than they ever have before. The growth of data and analytics in football has meant that most big soccer fans are well versed in some of the more technical terms and metrics banded about by pundits, coaches and journalists. However, assists are hardly a niche aspect of the football vocabulary; they've been a commonly-seen part of the game for a while now. But despite that, many...

Offsides From Goal Kicks, Throw-Ins & Corners: What Are The Rules?

27 Jun, 2023

The offside rule can be one of the more confusing Laws of the Game, not least because its exact parameters have been shifted and changed several times over the course of world football history. However, any keen football player or fan needs to be well versed in what the offside rule is and how it impacts each game, whether at professional, semi-pro or amateur standard. For that reason, in this article we'll be diving into a very specific...

Yellow Card in Soccer: A Complete Guide

25 Jun, 2023

What is it about football that makes it the most popular game in the world? Some would argue it's all about accessibility; while most other sports require a few items of specialist gear, all you need for a soccer game is a ball and a couple of bags or jumpers thrown on the ground to act as posts. Others might say that it's the comparative lack of goals or points compared to say, hockey, basketball, or rugby, that makes those net-busting...

Soccer Skills: The Throw-In (and How To Perform Them Effectively)

25 Jun, 2023

Modern football is all about marginal gains. From the increasingly detailed planning of corner and free kick routines at the top end of the game, to the decisive technical improvements brought about by pioneering coaches like ball striking expert Bartek Sylwestrzak , footballing minds are always looking for ways to gain an advantage. One key area of the sport that has received more attention in recent years, as the benefits of specialist...

The Red Card in Soccer: What Does It Mean and Why Is It Important?

24 Jun, 2023

A football player's disciplinary record can sometimes offer a good insight into the type of character they are on the pitch. For example, legendary English striker Gary Lineker — whose status as England's all-time top goalscorer was recently broken by Harry Kane — is famous for having never been shown a red card or a yellow card in his entire career. Other players — the likes of Roy Keane and Vinnie Jones —...

The Club World Cup: What is it and Why is it Important?

16 Apr, 2023

Sometimes, the ongoing cycle of club and international football can seem endless. In the last few seasons, fixtures across the world's top competitions have become increasingly congested, an issue that's only been heightened since global sport was disrupted by the Covid pandemic. The game-to-game grind for elite managers is relentless, with Premier League on the weekend, Champions League or domestic cup games on weekday evenings, plus for...

What is a Farmer's League?

01 Apr, 2023

Football coverage has changed dramatically in recent years. Back in the day, Saturday night's Match of the Day was pretty much the only opportunity British fans had to watch football on TV, while any conversations, debates and arguments had between fans would take place face-to-face, at work, at home, or at the pub. But nowadays, football is available to watch non-stop, with numerous streaming services and terrestrial channels showing sport...

What is Relegation in Soccer?

07 Mar, 2023

There are many ways in which European soccer differs structurally from the most popular American sports, such as baseball, basketball, and American football. Sports are influenced greatly by the cultures in which they are developed, and as a result it can be sometimes be difficult to wrap your head around how sports are played in different countries around the world. One example of this is the concept of relegation, a big part of European...

Soccer Skills: Shielding

07 Feb, 2023

Of all the soccer skills that help professional players operate at the highest level, shielding is certainly one of the less glamorous ones. Unlike an overhead kick, a rabona or a rainbow kick, it doesn't grab the headlines with a super visible display of inventiveness or individual brilliance. However, when compared with these kinds of standout skillful moments, shielding is without doubt of greater importance. Shielding is a crucial...

Soccer Positions Explained - Complete Guide (2023)

30 Dec, 2022

Sport never stands still for long. The game of soccer is constantly evolving, as coaches, tacticians, and players seek to find new ways to gain an edge over their rivals. One of the key areas in which soccer teams look to gain advantages is by trying out new formations and tactical systems. Soccer formations can vary massively; shapes such as 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 are built on a strong, compact back line, while other formations like...

Soccer Skills: The Slide Tackle (And How To Do It Effectively)

26 Dec, 2022

It might often be the attackers who get all the glory, but defenders play an absolutely crucial role in top-level association football. In fact, sometimes there's nothing more entertaining than watching a combative center-back relish the task of stopping the opposition from scoring. Think of Italy and Juventus' Euro 2020-winning captain Giorgio Chiellini, or Portugal and Real Madrid legend Pepe, for example. There are a number of skills...

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