SOCCER FOR DUMMIES

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Kicking Off
	Chapter 1 Introducing Planet Soccer
		Nothing as Simple as Soccer
			The basic aim: It really is that simple!
			So why is soccer so popular around the world?
			Where do people play soccer?
		Explaining a Few Rules
			The field
			The players
			General behavior
			Goal!
			Keeping score . . .
			. . . and keeping time
		Playing the Game
			Playing solo
			Playing with others
		Watching Soccer and Supporting a Team
			Following club and country
			Winning trophies: The be-all and end-all?
	Chapter 2 Getting the Ball Rolling: A Brief History of Soccer
		Discovering the Ancestors of Modern Soccer
			Anyone for Cuju?
			Kemari, Marn Gook, and Calcio Fiorentino
		Inventing Modern Soccer: How It All Began in Britain
			The 1850s: Time to lay down some rules
			Enter the FA
			Step aside for the professionals!
		Exporting Soccer Around The World
			The game makes it in Europe
			. . . then South America
			. . . and finally the world
		Becoming the World’s Biggest Game
			Television switches on
			Players become stars
			Television changed everything
		Establishing Soccer in America
			An immigrant game
			Shooting stars, the NASL-era
			From indoor soccer to the 1994 World Cup
			A future built to last: MLS and the NWSL
	Chapter 3 Getting Your Game On: The Gear You Need
		Having a Ball
		Getting The Right Look
			Jerseys
			Shorts
			Cleats
			Shin guards
			Goalkeeping gear
			The referee
			Additional garments
		Approaching Equipment
			Goals and nets
			First-aid kits
			Practice aids
			Other gear and equipment
		Meeting Up with Merchandise
			Replica jerseys
			Numbering and lettering
			Retro jerseys
			Scarves
			Other official merchandise
		Knowing Where to Get It All
Part 2 Playing the Game
	Chapter 4 Laying Down the Laws
		Living by the Laws
			Law 1: The field of play
			Law 2: The ball
			Law 3: The number of players
			Law 4: The players’ equipment
			Law 5: The referee
			Law 6: The assistant referees
			Law 7: The duration of the game
			Law 8: The start and restart of play
			Law 9: The ball in and out of play
			Law 10: The method of scoring
			Law 11: Offside
			Law 13: Free kicks
			Law 12: Fouls and misconduct
			Law 14: The penalty kick
			Law 15: The throw in
			Law 16: The goal kick
			Law 17: The corner kick
		Noting Other Points
			Extra time
			Penalty shootouts
			Away goals
			The technical area
			Common sense
	Chapter 5 Players, Positions, and Tactics
		Positioning Players
			The goalkeeper
			Defenders
			Midfielders
			Forwards
		Getting Tactical
			Dribbling: The first tactic
			The main styles of play
			Formations
		Deploying data
			Measuring performance
			Expected Goals (xG)
			Tracking players
	Chapter 6 Honing Your Skills
		Mastering the Basics
			Dribbling
			Basic passing skills
			Receiving the ball
			Heading the ball
			Shooting
			Volleying
		Keeping It Tight at the Back
			Marking
			Tackling
			Key defensive principles
		Sharpening Your Skills Up Front
			Shielding the ball
			Chip pass
			Outside of the foot pass
			Back heel
			Bending the ball
			Feinting
			Free kicks
			Taking penalties
		Goalkeeping
			Catching
			Diving
			One-on-one
			Going for crosses
			Punching
			Parrying and tipping
			Positioning
			Distribution
			Saving penalties
	Chapter 7 Keeping in Shape for Soccer
		Keeping Fit
			Stretching those muscles
			Running
			Exercising aerobically
			Training with weights
			Sorting out your stomach
			Cooling down
		Balancing Your Diet
		Investigating Injuries
			Preventing injuries
			Treating injuries
	Chapter 8 Coaching For Success
		A Brief History of Coaching
		Coach or Manager or Boss?
			What the role involves
			Chess — or all-out war?
		Kicking It with Kids
		Picking a Team
			Assessing your roster
			Choosing a captain
			Selecting a first XI
			Deciding on tactics
		Being Prepared
			Practicing for success
			Making in-game decisions
	Chapter 9 Getting the Game On
		Playing Pickup Soccer
		Finding Out about Teams and Leagues
		Running a Team
			Choosing a league
			Finding players
			Paying for it
			Keeping to a schedule
			Game officials
			Getting serious
		Taking the Game Indoors
		Getting Your Kid Playing
			Levels of play
			Starting out with a team
			Camping out
			High school soccer
			Making it in the academy
			Challenging the gifted player
		Playing in College
			The elite level
			Lower-level NCAA play
			Other competitive levels
		Taking Up Coaching
			First steps
			Getting qualified
			Moving up the ladder
			The top level
		Becoming a Referee
		Volunteering
Part 3 Exploring the World of Soccer
	Chapter 10 The Men’s World Cup
		The Biggest Show on Earth
			The long and winding road begins
			The shape of things to come
			The finals countdown
		From Montevideo to Moscow: Eighty-Eight Years of Top-Class Drama
			Uruguay and Italy set the template
			Brazilian brilliance
			Germany and Argentina take center stage
			European dominance
		America on the World Stage
		And so to 2022 . . .
			Teams to look out for
			Players to watch
		And On to 2026
	Chapter 11 Surveying the International Scene
		Understanding the Point of Exhibition Games
		Playing for North American Pride
			The CONCACAF Championship years
			Onto the Gold Cup
		Winning European Prestige
			The early years
			The Euros go large . . . and even larger
			The Euros in the new millennium
		Ruling the Roost in South America
			How it’s organized
			The oldest — and the best?
			An erratic history
			The Copa’s revival
		Taking the African Title
			The ACN: A slow burner
			The cup catches fire
		Winning Elsewhere
			Asian Cup
			OFC Nations Cup
			Olympic Games
		Looking at the Game All Over the World
			United States
			Canada
			Mexico
			Brazil
			England
			Italy
			Germany
			France
			Spain
			Argentina
			Uruguay
	Chapter 12 Playing Together: Clubs and Leagues Around The World
		Clubbing Together
			The very first clubs
			The rise of the super clubs
			The smaller clubs
		Organizing Clubs Today
			The players
			The head coach
			Technical staff
			Ownership
		Competing in Club Competitions
			Seasons
			Leagues
			Cups
		Playing in the Big Leagues
			USA and Canada: Major League Soccer
			Canada: The Canadian Premier League
			Mexico: Liga MX
			England: The Premier League
			Italy: Serie A
			Spain: La Liga
			Germany: Bundesliga
			Brazil: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A
		Knocking Out a Winner
			FA Cup
			The U.S. Open Cup
			Other famous cups
		Competing on the International Stage
			European Cup/UEFA Champions League
			CONCACAF Champions League
			Copa Libertadores
			Intercontinental Cup/FIFA Club World Cup
	Chapter 13 Focusing on Famous Clubs
		Shooting Stars in North America
			Chivas de Guadalajara
			Club América
			DC United
			LA Galaxy
			New York Cosmos
			Seattle Sounders
		Banding Together In Europe
			AC Milan
			Ajax Amsterdam
			Arsenal
			Barcelona
			Bayern Munich
			Benfica
			Borussia Dortmund
			Chelsea
			Internazionale
			Juventus
			Liverpool
			Manchester City
			Manchester United
			Marseille
			Paris Saint-Germain
			Real Madrid
			Tottenham Hotspur
		Making It in South America
			Boca Juniors
			Flamengo
			Fluminense
			Independiente
			Millonarios
			Nacional
			Peñarol
			River Plate
			Santos
		Looking at Some of the Best of the Rest
			Al-Ahly and Zamalek
			Al Hilal
			Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak
			Raja Casablanca
			Urawa Red Diamonds
	Chapter 14 Exploring Women’s Soccer
		From Beijing to London: How It All Began
			Dick, Kerr Ladies get popular . . .
			. . . and the Establishment gets sexist
			The women fight back
			America raises the game — and FIFA gets serious
		The Game Today
			The United States
			Rest of the world
		The Women’s World Cup
			1991: The First World Cup
			The tournament comes of age
			Germany and Japan take control
			America dominates again
		Other International Tournaments
			Olympic Games
			Continental competitions
		Top International Teams
			United States
			Germany
			Japan
			Sweden
			Canada
			Netherlands
			Brazil
			Norway
Part 4 The Fans’ Enclosure: Following the Game
	Chapter 15 Going to the Game
		Gearing Up for the Game
			Season tickets
			Choosing where to sit
			Buying a single ticket in advance
			Going on the road
			Sitting pretty
			Attending international games
		Making Your Way to the Game
			Obtaining your tickets
			Making travel arrangements
			Dressing for the occasion
			Taking a look round the city
			Checking out the stadium
			Spending (time or money) in the club store
			Tailgating
			Refreshing yourself inside the stadium
		Watching the Game
			Kickoff
			Shouting, screaming, and other matters of general etiquette
			Supporter groups
			Half-time
			Full-time
	Chapter 16 Diving Into Global Soccer
		Watching Live on Screen
			Mainstream platforms
			24/7 soccer streams
			En Español
			Quick hits
		Listening to Audio
			Live commentary
			Podcasts
		Focusing on Movies and Shows
			Bend It Like Beckham
			Next Goal Wins
			Once In a Lifetime
			Pelada
			Ted Lasso
			The Two Escobars
			Victory
		Exploring the Video Vault
			General history
			Club documentaries
			International competition
			Player stories
		Branching Out into Books
			General history
			Books about players
			Club-specific books
			Country-specific books
			Reference
			Literature
		Making the Most of Magazines
			The Blizzard
			FourFourTwo
			France Football
			Soccer America
			When Saturday Comes
			World Soccer
	Chapter 17 Following Online
		Keeping Up with the Game
			What you’ll find in media coverage
			Finding live scores and the latest news
			Following soccer news
			Analyzing the game
		Finding the Official View
			Club websites and apps
			Governing body websites and apps
			Social media
		Hearing from Fans
			YouTube and podcasts
			Fan Blogs
			Discussing the game
	Chapter 18 Finding Other Soccer-Based Pastimes
		Taking Control with Fantasy Soccer
			The rules
			How to choose your players
			Scoring points
		Collecting Memorabilia
			Trading cards
			Stickers
			Programs
			Retro jerseys
			Autographs
			Scarves
		Visiting Stadiums
		Playing Video Games
			FIFA
			Football Manager and other strategy games
		Joining Supporters’ Groups
			National groups
			Local club groups
			Displays of support
			Supporter group memorabilia
		Owning Your Own Club
Part 5 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 19 Ten Great Male Players
		Pelé
		Diego Maradona
		Franz Beckenbauer
		Johan Cruyff
		Zinedine Zidane
		Alfredo di Stéfano
		Ferenc Puskás
		George Best
		Cristiano Ronaldo
		Lionel Messi
	Chapter 20 Ten Great Female Players
		Lily Parr (England)
		Mia Hamm (United States)
		Michelle Akers (United States)
		Hege Riise (Norway)
		Sun Wen (China)
		Homare Sawa (Japan)
		Birgit Prinz (Germany)
		Marta (Brazil)
		Christine Sinclair (Canada)
		Abby Wombach (United States)
	Chapter 21 The Ten Greatest Teams of All Time
		Preston North End (1881–1890)
		Austria (1931–1934)
		Torino (1943–1949)
		Hungary (1950–1954)
		Real Madrid (1955–1960)
		Brazil (1970)
		Netherlands (1974–1978)
		Barcelona (2009)
		Lyon (2011–2020)
		United States Women’s National Team (2015–2019)
	Chapter 22 Ten Great Games
		Dick, Kerr Ladies 4, St Helens Ladies 0 (Friendly, 1920)
		United States 1, England 0 (Men’s World Cup, 1950)
		Brazil 1, Uruguay 2 (Men’s World Cup, 1950)
		England 3, Hungary 6 (Friendly, 1953)
		Real Madrid 7, Eintracht Frankfurt 3 (European Cup, 1960)
		Manchester United 4, Benfica 1 (European Cup, 1968)
		Brazil 4, Italy 1 (Men’s World Cup, 1970)
		Nigeria 3, Argentina 2 (Olympics, 1996)
		United States 0, China 0 (Women’s World Cup, 1999)
		Japan 2, United States 2 (Women’s World Cup, 2011)
Appendix A Roll of Honor
Appendix B Glossary
Index
EULA