Football

(Soccer)

        Most of the world calls it football, but the United States refers to it as soccer.  A player cannot touch the ball with his/her hands.  The goalkeeper can use his hands in a box right outside of the goal area.  The 11 players try to keep the ball away from their goal and get the ball into the other teams goal.  

    Soccer was the first team sport to be played in the Modern Olympics.  It is the most played sport in the world.  In the 1900 Games the first tournament was played.   In 1904 the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) was formed, The Soccer Games became more organized.  In many countries outside of the United States, professional players are only in their teenage years.  It is very hard to form a national Olympic team of unpaid players, because soccer players are highly paid in the World Cup. FIFA has formed a rule that players who have played in the World Cup may not play in the Olympic Games.

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