Football is played on a field 105m long and 68m wide. Olympic matches must be played on natural turf. There are 11 players on each team, including a goalie. Only two substitutions are allowed per match or three is the goalie is one of the players replaced. Substituted players may not return. The object of football is o move the ball down the field by dribbling and passing and to kick or head the ball into the goal. Except for the thrown ins, after the ball goes out of bounds, only the goalie may touch the ball with his hands or arms and event the goalie may use his hands only within the penalty area, which extends 16.47m in font of the goal and is 40m wide.

A player is considered offside is he is in the opponent's half of the field with less than two opposing players between him and the goal at the time the ball is kicked or headed. This infraction leads to an indirect kick for the opposing team. A goal may not be scored on an indirect kick. A direct kick, which can result in a goal, is awarded for such fouls as tripping, holding or kicking an opponent, charging an opponent form behind in a dangerous manner, or touching the ball the hand or arm. When direct kick fouls occur within the penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded. The ball is placed 11 m in front of the net and a player is given a free shot against the goalie, who may not move feet until the ball is kicked. When the ball crosses the end line after being touched last by a defending player the attacking team is awarded a corner kick.

Football matches consist of two 45minute halves. If play is suspended because of injury, the time lost is added to the end of each half. In the qualifying round of pool play, ties are allowed to stand. In the elimination rounds, if the score is tied after 90minutes, a 30 minute overtime period, divided into two halves is played. However, Olympic rules actually provide for sudden death overtime. The first team to score in overtime is declared the winner. If the score is still tied after 120 minutes of play, the match is decided by a penalty shoot out, five against five. If the shoot out is tied, each team shoots once until the tie is broken.

Soccer is the most widely played sport in the world and Olympic soccer has had trouble with the immense popularity of the professional leagues. The growth of professional soccer after World War II meant that the best players were not eligible to compete in the Olympic-unless they lived in Communist countries. Beginning in 1952, Olympic tournaments featured the best players from the communist nations defeating amateurs from the real soccer powers of Western Europe and South America. In 1984 some professional players were allowed to take part in the Olympics, but for European and South American teams, it was only those professionals who had not yet played in the World Cup. In 1992, all professionals were considered eligible, provided they ere less than 23 years old. This rule is still in force for the regional qualifying tournaments that determined the 16 teams to take part in the 1996 Olympics. For the Olympic tournament itself, each qualifying team may add to its squad three professionals regardless of age.

The rules for women's football are the same as those for men's except that only 8 teams will qualify for the Olympics and players must turn 16 years old in the year of the Olympics.

Soccer has been an Olympic sport since 1896. It will be held in the Olympic Stadium, Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park; Melbourne Cricket Grounds, Melbourne Victoria; Bruce Stadium, Canberra, ACT; Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide SA and the Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane QLD. The Olympic Stadium can be located in Sydney Olympic Park and the Sydney football stadium can be located in Sydney's East. The other venues are located interstate.

Football(Soccer):Top 5 Countries

	G	S	B	Total
Hungary	3	1	1	5
Soviet Union	2	-	3	5
Denmark	1	3	1	5
Yugoslavia	1	3	1	5
Great Britain	3	-	-	3