What is Football?

Football

Soccer is a team sport played by two teams of eleven to 18 players. Some versions have fewer players. The goal of the game is to move the ball from one team’s end of the field to the opposite team’s end, over the goal line, and between the goalposts. Players use their feet to move the ball, but may also use other parts of their bodies. Generally, the player who scores the winning goal is deemed the winner.

In football, teams have four downs in which to move the ball from one place to another. They must gain 10 yards or more within these downs, or face a turnover. The plays themselves are made up by teams, and involve running players all over the field. The attacking team’s head coach calls the on-field plays. The defense’s captain calls the defensive plays. A touchdown is scored when the team crosses the opposition’s goal line, or catches the ball in the end zone.

In some parts of the world, football evokes great passions, with the game having important cultural significance. It serves as an important part of local communities and nations, as ESPN has claimed. The game is widely considered the final proximate cause of the 1969 Football War. In the former Yugoslavia, football heightened tensions during the Yugoslav wars, especially after the Red Star Belgrade match against Dinamo Zagreb devolved into riots.