How to Play European Football

Football, often called "The Beautiful Game" or "The People's Game," was the name Europeans gave to the sport they invented and Americans call soccer. Created in the 19th century as a team sport in England, football has grown to become the most popular spectator and participant sport across Europe and the globe. This is partially because European football is easy to learn, uncomplicated to play and requires very little equipment or expense.

Things You'll Need

  • Rectangular playing surface, 100 to 130 yards long and approximately half as wide
  • Football/soccer ball
  • Two goals (two posts and a net for each)
  • 22 players
  • One referee
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Instructions

    • 1
      European foootball fields are often larger than U.S. soccer fields.

      Set up a flat playing field on a grass or artificial turf surface. Place a goal in the center of each long end of the field. The full-sized European field of 100-130 yards should include goals 24 feet wide and 8 feet high. Build them with two sturdy posts and an attached net. Set up a simpler field in the street or a small school yard, with a couple of sticks or chalk marks to delineate the goal mouth.

    • 2
      Kicking is the main action in football.

      Set up two teams, each with 11 players. Establish one player on each team as the goal tender. He is the only player who can use his hands to block the football from entering his team's goal.

    • 3
      Soccer ball

      Move the ball in any direction using the feet and any part of the body, except the arms and hands. Over 90 percent of the game's passing, dribbling and shooting is done with the feet.

    • 4

      Score as many goals as possible by putting the football into the other team's goal. At the same time, each player battles to defend his team's goal by blocking shots and stealing away the ball from the other team. Play two 45-minute halves. In European football, never stop the clock, even during delays or injuries.

      Add an estimate (usually one to six minutes) at the end of each half to compensate for injury or delay-of-game time lost.

    • 5

      Ask someone to referee the game to watch who last touched a ball before it goes out of bounds and to call fouls (flagrant pushing, shoving, tripping).