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Soccer or association football is one of the world's most popular
sports.
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The formal game is
normally outdoors, between two teams of eleven people using a large ball
which they aim to kick into the opposition's goal.
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There are also variants
of the game for small numbers (seven or five a side), both of
which are also played indoors.
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Competitions are an important part of
local as well as national football. But informal football games may
take place with variable numbers and little in the way of
equipment.
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Football Association www.the-fa.org/
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FC
Team Talk
The Football Referee |
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Find a local football group
or club (see organisations above).
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See if there are
introductory sessions at your local club or sports
centre.
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Consult books or magazines
on different aspects of football.
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Check in your local library/paper
or sports centre for more information.
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Skills and people
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Soccer is played by people of all ages and abilities, as well as by
both sexes (though teams are usually single sex).
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You can practice footballing skills on your own, but you need a
group
of people with whom to play.
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Most players join a local group or club which
organises fixtures;
the social aspect of a football group can be important.
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It is better if the people you play with are of roughly
the same standard as yourself. They will usually be of the same sex
and approximately the same age .
Equipment or clothing
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For anything other than the very informal games, sports shorts and top
and special football boots are usually required.
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Even in local
competitions, teams will usually wear special strip of some kind.
These shirts are generally provided by the group or club.
A place or facilities
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There are facilities attached to many schools and village
and community halls, as well as most sports centres.
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The bigger
clubs may have their own pitches.
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Sports centres generally have
areas for indoor football marked out in their main hall.
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