Football For Dummies E-Book

Scott Murray

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 594

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Whether you want to impress friends and colleagues with new-found football wisdom, brush up on details you're unsure about (the offside rule, anyone?) or improve your practical skills, this is the book for you! Covering all the basics of the game, rules and tactics, as well as giving an in-depth history of the sport and how it has evolved to the present day, this indispensable guide will get you up to speed on the most popular game in the world in no time. With dream team formations, tips on football betting and supporting, essential coverage on the World Cup, and stats on current teams, players and managers both at home and abroad, football expert and Guardian journalist Scott Murray keeps it fun, fresh and knowledgeable to get you through the major tournaments and beyond.

Football For Dummies includes:

PART 1: KICK OFF
Chapter 1: The bare essentials
Chapter 2: A rich history
Chapter 3: Get your boots on - the gear you need

PART 2: PLAYING THE GAME
Chapter 4: Laying down the laws
Chapter 5: Positions and tactics
Chapter 6: Honing your skills
Chapter 7: Talented training
Chapter 8: Coaching, managing and leadership
Chapter 9: Putting it all into practice

PART 3: THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL
Chapter 11: The World Cup
Chapter 12: The international scene
Chapter 13: The British club scene
Chapter 14: Taking on the world
Chapter 15: Women's football

PART 4: FANS ENCLOSURE
Chapter 16: Going to the match
Chapter 17: Read all about it...
Chapter 18: Compulsive viewing: Football on TV (and film, and DVD...)
Chapter 19: Joining in (sort of...)

PART 5: THE PART OF TENS
Chapter 20: Great players
Chapter 21: Great managers
Chapter 22: Great matches
Chapter 23: Bad behaviour

PART 6: APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Appendix A: Honour Boards
Appendix 2: Glossary
Appendix 3: Key Football Organisations

Leseprobe

Football for Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organised

Part I: Kicking Off

Part II: Playing the Game

Part III: Exploring The World of Football

Part IV: The Fans’ Enclosure

Part V: The Part of Tens

Appendixes

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Kicking Off

Chapter 1: Welcome to Planet Football

Football: the Simplest Game

The basic aim: it really is that simple!

So why is football so popular?

Where do people play footie?

Explaining a Few Rules

The pitch

The players

General behaviour

Goal!

Keeping score . . .

. . . and keeping time

Playing the Game

Playing solo

Playing with others

Watching Football – and Supporting a Team

Following club and country

Winning trophies: the be-all and end-all?

Chapter 2: The Ball Starts Rolling: a Potted History of Football

The Birth of Football

Anyone for Cuju?

Kemari, Marn Gook and Calcio Fiorentino

England: The Home of Football

The 1850s: time to lay down some rules

Enter the FA

Step aside for the professionals!

The world’s first league

The first international

The World Takes Notice

The game takes over Europe . . .

. . . then South America . . .

. . . and finally the world

Football’s Golden Age

Television switches on

Players become stars

The Modern Game

How TV changed everything

Player power

Chapter 3: Getting Your Boots On: the Gear You Need

Having a Ball

Getting Kitted Out

Shirts

Shorts

Boots

Trainers

Shinpads

Goalkeeping gear

The referee

Additional garments

Approaching Equipment

Goals and nets

First-aid kits

Training aids

Other kit and equipment

Meeting Up with Merchandise

Replica strips

Numbering and lettering

Retro shirts

Scarves

Other official merchandise

Knowing Where to Get It All

Part II: 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 match

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

Other Points to Note

Extra time

Penalty shootouts

Away goals

The technical area

Common sense

Chapter 5: Players, Positions and Tactics

Perusing Positions

The goalkeeper

Defenders

Midfielders

Strikers

Tactics: Linking It All Up

Dribbling: the first tactic

The main styles of play

Formations

Chapter 6: Honing Your Skills

Mastering the Basics

Dribbling

Basic passing skills

Trapping the ball

Heading the ball

Shooting

Keeping It Tight at the Back

Marking

Tackling

Key defensive principles

Sharpening Your Skills Up Front

Shielding the ball

Chip pass

Outside of 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 Fit for Football

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, Managing and Leadership

A Brief History of the Manager

Coach or Manager (or Boss or Gaffer)?

What the role involves

Chess – or all-out war?

Player-managers

Building – and Picking – a Team

Building a squad

Choosing a captain

Selecting a first XI

Deciding on tactics

Taking Charge Yourself

Preparing the team

In-game decisions

Dealing with Kids

Chapter 9: Getting the Game On

Joining an Existing Team

Starting Your Own Club

Building the club from scratch

Affiliation: Counties and leagues

Finding players

Finding a manager

Fixtures

Booking a pitch

Match officials

Insurance

Kit and equipment

Results

Disciplinary procedures

Fees and funding

Social events

Volunteer roles

Commercial Leagues

Park Kickabouts

Five-a-side and Futsal

Soccer Schools and Training Camps

Becoming a Referee

Part III: Exploring the World of Football

Chapter 10: The 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 Johannesburg: Eighty Years of Top-class Drama

Uruguay and Italy set the template

They think it’s the World Cup’s golden age . . . it is now!

Germany and Argentina take centre stage

Brazil bounce back

And so to 2010 . . .

Teams to look out for

Players to watch

And when it’s all over . . .

Chapter 11: Surveying the International Scene

Friendlies

The modern friendly international

The European Championships

How it’s organised

The early years

The Euros go large . . . and even larger

The Euros in the new millennium

Copa America

How it’s organised

The oldest – and the best?

An erratic history

The Copa’s revival

Africa Cup of Nations

How it’s organised

The ACN: A slow burner

The cup catches fire

Other tournaments

Asian Cup

Gold Cup

Nations Cup

Olympic Games

Confederations Cup

All Around the World . . .

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Brazil

Italy

Germany

France

Spain

Argentina

Uruguay

Chapter 12: The Club Scene

Clubbing Together

The first clubs

The rise of the super clubs

The ‘smaller’ clubs

Clubs today

The players

The manager

Backroom staff

The chairman, owners and the board

Club Competitions

Seasons

Leagues

Cups

The Big Leagues

England: The FA Premier League

Scotland: The Scottish Premier League

Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

Italy: Serie A

Spain: Primera Division

Germany: Bundesliga

Brazil: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A

Argentina: Primera Division

USA

Domestic Cups

FA Cup

League Cup

Scottish Cup

Other famous cups

International Club Competitions

European Cup/UEFA Champions League

Europa League and UEFA Cup

Copa Libertadores

Other continental tournaments

Intercontinental Cup/FIFA World Club Cup

Chapter 13: Focusing on Famous Clubs

England

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Chelsea

Everton

Leeds United

Liverpool

Manchester City

Manchester United

Nottingham Forest

Tottenham Hotspur

West Ham United

Scotland

Aberdeen

Celtic

Rangers

Europe

Ajax

Barcelona

Bayern Munich

Benfica

Internazionale

Juventus

Marseille

Milan

Porto

Real Madrid

South America

Boca Juniors

Flamengo

Fluminense

Independiente

Millonarios

Nacional

Peñarol

River Plate

Santos

Some Selected Others

Al-Ahly and Zamalek

Raja Casablanca

Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak

LA Galaxy

New York Cosmos

Chapter 14: Women’s Football

From China to Crouch End: How It All Began

Dick, Kerr Ladies get popular . . .

. . . and the FA get sexist

The women fight back

The FA lift the ban – and FIFA get serious

The Game Today

England

Rest of the world

The Women’s World Cup

1991: The first World Cup

The tournament comes of age

The 2011 World Cup

Other Major Tournaments

Major International Teams

United States

Germany

Norway

England

Great Players

Lily Parr (England)

Kristine Lilly (United States)

Mia Hamm (United States)

Michelle Akers (United States)

Sun Wen (China)

Birgit Prinz (Germany)

Kelly Smith (England)

Marta (Brazil)

Part IV: The Fans’ Enclosure: Following the Game

Chapter 15: Going to the Match

Preparing for the Match

Season tickets

Choosing where to sit

Looking into club membership

Buying a single ticket in advance

Buying a single ticket on the day

Away games

Executive boxes

International matches

Making Your Way to the Match

Obtaining your tickets

Making travelling arrangements

Dressing for the occasion

Taking a look round the city

Checking out the ground

The club shop

A pint . . .

. . . and a pie

Matchday programmes

The Game Itself

Kick-off

Shouting, screaming and other matters of general etiquette

Wireless communication

Half-time

Stewards, police and PA announcements

Keeping out of trouble

Chapter 16: Compulsive Viewing: Football on Screen

Television

Terrestrial

Satellite and cable

Official club channels

Essential shows and channels

The Internet

Live streaming

Recent action

Classic clips

Exploring Radio

Live commentaries

Round-ups

Listener phone-ins

Podcasts

Focusing on Football Films

Escape to Victory

Zidane: A 21st-Century Portrait

The Damned United

The Firm (1988 TV movie)

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery

Gregory’s Girl

Looking for Eric

Discovering DVDs

Season reviews

Club histories

Other club titles

Country histories

Player histories

Tournament histories

Classic matches

Novelty titles

Classic television programmes

Chapter 17: Read All About It!

Knowing the Newspapers

What newspapers offer

The nationals

The locals

Employing the Internet

What the Internet can do for you

The mainstream media

Blogs and other websites

Making the Most of Magazines

FourFourTwo

Champions

When Saturday Comes

World Soccer

France Football

The Official Club View

Matchday programmes

Official club magazines

Official websites

The Fans’ View

Fanzines

Internet sites

Forums and message boards

Branching Out into Books

Autobiographies

Biographies

Club-specific books

Country specific books

General history

Reference

Literature

Chapter 18: Other Football-based Pastimes

Betting

The pools

Fixed-odds betting

In-game betting

Spread betting

The bookies or punter exchanges?

Taking Control with Fantasy Football

The rules

How to choose your players

Scoring points

Collecting memorabilia

Cigarette cards

Stickers

Programmes

Newspapers

Old shirts

Autographs

Visiting Grounds

The 92 club

Playing Computer Games

PES and FIFA

Championship Manager and Football Manager

Joining Supporters’ Clubs

Regional clubs

Supporters’ federations

Owning Your Own Club

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 19: Ten Great Players

Pelé

Diego Maradona

Franz Beckenbauer

Johan Cruyff

Garrincha

Zinedine Zidane

Alfredo di Stéfano

Ferenc Puskás

George Best

Gerd Müller

Chapter 20: 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)

Celtic (1967)

Brazil (1970)

Netherlands (1974–1978)

Milan (1987–1994)

Barcelona (2009)

Chapter 21: Ten Great Matches

Arbroath 36, Bon Accord 0 (Scottish Cup, 1885)

Brazil 1, Uruguay 2 (World Cup, 1950)

England 3, Hungary 6 (Friendly, 1953)

Charlton Athletic 7, Huddersfield Town 6 (English Second Division, 1957)

Real Madrid 7, Eintracht Frankfurt 3 (European Cup, 1960)

England 4, West Germany 2 (World Cup, 1966)

Manchester United 4, Benfica 1 (European Cup, 1968)

Brazil 4, Italy 1 (World Cup, 1970)

Nigeria 3, Argentina 2 (Olympics, 1996)

Liverpool 3, Milan 3 (Champions League, 2005)

Part VI: Appendixes

Appendix A: Roll of Honour

Appendix B: Glossary

by Scott Murray

Football For Dummies®

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd The Atrium Southern Gate Chichester West Sussex PO19 8SQ England

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ISBN: 978-0-470-77022-1

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd., Glasgow

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About the Author

Scott Murray is a freelance writer and former sports editor of guardian.co.uk. He writes regularly for guardian.co.uk, the Guardian, the Fiver, and FourFourTwo. He also has written for the Observer, GQ, Men’s Health, GQ Sport, Shortlist, the Evening Standard, and Arena. He is co-author of the football miscellany Day Of The Match: A History Of Football In 365 Days, and an upcoming biography of Maurice Flitcroft, the world’s worst golfer: Phantom Of The Open. The club he supports has won quite a lot of trophies, but then he also has to follow Scotland, so it all balances out.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank everyone at Wiley, especially Simon Bell for his help and never-ending patience, especially upon being quizzed about the managerial merits of Frankie Gray. I would also like to thank Annabel Merullo and Tom Williams at PFD.

Publisher’s Acknowledgements

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

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Commissioning, Editorial, and Media Development

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Indexer: Slivoskey Indexing Services

Introduction

Congratulations! You’ve got a copy of Football For Dummies in your hands. This book has been written specially for people who want to know all they can about the greatest and most popular sport on the planet: association football. Football For Dummies aims to satisfy your curiosity, help you to understand the basics of how to play the game, arm you with knowledge so you can enjoy watching it to the full and show you that you have a whole world of football to be explore. There’s a reason football has taken off all around the globe, after all!

Millions are passionate about the sport, from fans of the ‘beautiful game’ in Brazil to lovers of ‘soccer’ in the US. And none more so than fans in the British Isles, where the game as you know it today took off back in the mid 1800s. It’s the simplest of sports in principle – in the final analysis, all you need to know is that one team has to score more goals than the other to win. Nevertheless, a plethora of laws, tactics and skills exist that can easily flummox the beginner.

That’s where this book comes in. I wrote it so that anyone who wants to enjoy football – whether by playing it or watching it – can get to grips with the sport quickly and easily, without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. And I promise it won’t be long before you’ve become something of an expert on the most talked-about sporting pastime in the world. You’ll never look back!

About This Book

The simple aim of Football For Dummies is to provide you with all the basic skills and help you remember every scrap of crucial knowledge that you need to become a football fan. All the information you need is between the covers of this book. But although it’s all crammed in here, don’t feel daunted: you certainly don’t have to read every word, from start to finish, to get the most from the book.

Each chapter covers a separate topic about football, so you can easily dip into the chapters to find out about something you don’t quite understand. Say you’re watching a Champions League game on television, but don’t really know much about the history of the competition; just turn to the chapter that talks about important football competitions and Football For Dummies will fill the gaps in your knowledge.

If you fancy getting up off the sofa and turning out for a team yourself, Football For Dummies explains how you can set about getting involved as a player. The book offers plenty of handy hints and practical skills you can develop. Maybe you’d even like to become a referee. Well, that’s no problem. I even help you find a whistle.

And even if you’re not an absolute beginner, I’m confident that Football For Dummies can still help you discover plenty that’s new and fascinating from the long history of association football.

Foolish Assumptions

Assumptions are indeed foolish, so I’m not making any of them. Don’t worry if you feel you know absolutely nothing about football. Chances are you already know more than you think, and this book helps you gain confidence in your knowledge.

But even if you don’t have a scrap of understanding about the game to start off with, never mind! Football For Dummies soon gets you up to speed. And remember: even folk who think they know everything about the game have some gaps in their knowledge. Soon enough, I’m confident Football For Dummies will make an expert of you.

At the moment you might ask:

Why do some teams kick the ball up in the air but others pass it around the floor?

What on earth are the crowd singing?

Why are there two people dressed in black running up and down the side of the pitch waving flags?

What on earth is the offside rule?

Who was the greatest footballer who ever played the game?

This book answers those questions – and many, many more. My only assumption – and this one isn’t so foolish! – is that you know nothing about the game to start with. I take it from there, and it won’t be long before you understand all there is to know about football.

How This Book Is Organised

This book is organised into six distinct parts. Each section focuses on a different – but important – part of the world of association football.

Part I: Kicking Off

If you’re a complete beginner, this part gives you a basic grounding in what football is all about. This part describes what football is and why people love playing and watching the game so much. It tells the history of the sport, from its early days in China to the modern game that’s showcased in stadiums and on televisions all across the globe. And I show you how to get ready to join in, whether you’ll be getting your boots dirty or just watching from the stands!

Part II: Playing the Game

I don’t waste any time getting to the nitty-gritty here. The first chapter in this part explains the rules of the game – which are the same whether you’re having a kickaround in the local park or playing in the World Cup final! The part goes on to explain what each player on the pitch is expected to do, the tactics they’re told to employ and the skills they need to play the game. This part also includes tips on coaching and management, how to keep fit and where you can put it all into practice – on the pitch.

Part III: Exploring The World of Football

Football is the biggest sport in the world, and this part explains everything about the professional game. I explain all about the biggest show on earth – the FIFA World Cup – and other international tournaments such as the European Championships, Copa America and the African Cup of Nations. The part also details how club football is organised across the world, from the English Premier League to Major League Soccer in the US. I run down all the important international and club sides, so you know your Brazils from your Barcelonas and your Argentinas from your Arsenals. Plus there’s an in-depth look at women’s football – a fast-growing sport in its own right.

Part IV: The Fans’ Enclosure

If you love watching the game, this is the part for you. Chapters go through the routine of going to the match, as well as pointing you in the right direction of the best television programmes, Internet sites, newspapers, magazines, books, films and DVDs. I even explain what to do if you fancy a flutter, or just enjoy controlling a virtual match on your video-game console.

Part V: The Part of Tens

The part without which no For Dummies book would be complete. This part is packed full of nuggets of information you can squirrel away for use later, when you need to impress someone with your football knowledge. Was there really someone more talented than Pelé in the famous Brazil team of the 1950s and 1960s? The answer’s here – along with many other facts that are in turns funny, illuminating, tragic and interesting.

Appendixes

This part contains two really useful collections of information: a roll of honour of the greatest tournaments in football history and a glossary of useful phrases.

Icons Used in This Book

To help you navigate through this book with the ease of Diego Maradona slinking past Terry Fenwick, keep an eye out for these icons, the little pictures that sit in the margin. They help you spot particular snippets of information. This list tells you what the icons mean.

This highlights small pieces of advice that can help you become a better player or a more knowledgeable football expert.

This information is especially useful to remember. If you only remember one thing from each page, make sure it’s this bit!

Hopefully, this won’t come up too much – but when it does, take heed, because the information accompanying it ensures you don’t come a cropper.

The great thing about football is the amount of random trivia it generates. There’s lots of trivia in FootballFor Dummies, and you’ll quickly become an expert if you commit all these facts to memory!

Where to Go from Here

So here you are, ready for kick off. Exactly what you get out of Football For Dummies depends on your needs. If you’re a complete beginner the book gets you up and running. If you already know a bit about the game the book soon fills in the gaps in your knowledge. And even if you fancy yourself as a bit of an expert, well, everyone’s still learning, so hopefully you’ll find something new and fascinating in here too.

But although I’d advise beginners to start at the beginning, even they don’t have to. This book is designed for you to dip in and out of – so if you want to find out about the world’s most famous clubs first, turn to that chapter. You can always turn to a different chapter to bone up on the laws of the game. Or its history. Or its most famous stadiums. Or the hardest tricks to pull off down the five-a-side court. Or . . .

Part I

Kicking Off

In this part . . .

To break you in gently to the great game of association football, this part provides an introduction to the game, covering how it began, and what it is all about. Those of you who are new to football receive a comprehensive rundown of the whys and wherefores of the game right here.

In this part of the book, I describe how football has become the most widely played and watched team sport on the globe. I explain the basic aims of football, the pitch on which the game is played, and, last but not least, what gear you need to have to play it.

Chapter 1

Welcome to Planet Football

In This Chapter

Football: a simple game enjoyed the world over

The basic aims and rules

Playing and watching

Some reasons why people love football so much

Association Football is the most popular sport in the world. Depending on where you hail from, you may know it as football, footy, soccer, fitba, fÚtbol, calcio, futebol, voetbol, le foot, foci, sakka or bong da, but the game remains the same: two teams of 11 players, each one trying to kick a spherical ball into a goal more times than the other.

Football is fiendishly addictive, whether you watch or compete. Across the planet more supporters and spectators follow the professional game than any other sport, and at grass-roots level more amateur participants enjoy the game than any other athletic pastime.

Football arouses passion in spectators and players like no other game in the world – and perhaps like nothing else known to humankind. It has done so ever since some English rule-makers formalised the pastime of kicking a ball around into a sport during the late 1850s and early 1860s. (That’s 150 years and counting