Practice Makes Perfect. Mark Kee tries to dribble the ball around a teammate in practice. -photo by Public Relations Of/ice. Quick. Andy Nicholson tries to dribble by a teammate, Kent Dauidson , in practice. -photo by Public Relations Office . The Universal Game Soccer was the start of something new in England during the fifteenth century. It has a history period of about five hundred years. Some feel that Roman legions of 2,000 years ago introduced a type of soccer to Britain . The game became more formal after the founding of the Football Association of London in 1863. Soccer has also brought about many national heroes such as Pele of Brazil , Eusibio of Portugal and di Stefano of Spain. The honorable title "universal game" belongs to soccer. People play in over 130 nations, with approximately 250 million players and 650 million spectators. It has continued to gain noteriety in the sports world since its beginning. People began to realize it was not a game for wimps but those who had stamina. It has been played in the United States since World War II , and is more extensive in the Eastern states than the Midwest and Far West. Soccer has become the world's most popular team game, with more youth participation than in any other sport. It has also been the fastest growing of all collegiate games. One aspect of soccer which appeals to players is the adaptability of the game which can be played on almost any size or shape field. There are a couple of stipulations that must be followed: the width of the field can be no less that 60 yards or more than 75 yards; its length can be no less than 100 yards or more than 120 yards. In an average game one can plan on running about two miles. There are no set formal plays, it is a team effort which takes the creativity of each member. Soccer shares similar characteristics with football , but at the same time holds to be completely different. The game starts with a place-kick at the halfway line in the center circle. The players then proceed to move the ball down the field for a goal. It is a game of the feet. No hands are allowed. The use of the head, shoulders and knees are more than welcome. The goalkeeper is the only one who maintains the right to handle the ball. Each team consists of eleven members , who must work together to be successful. A game consists of four periods of twenty-two minutes each. The game of soccer is both very enjoyable and beneficial. Physically, it builds stamina, increases strength and power and improves coordination. It also makes the player become intellectually alert because one must always know what is going on. Soccer is a fast paced game which also requires the ability of a player to adjust to different situations. Although soccer is seemingly new to the Harding scene, it has great possibilities of growth. More and more students are playing on the Searcy Steel. It is very encouraging to soccer lovers everywhere. So, if you want a fast paced , action packed afternoon drop in on a soccer game. t!~ Soccer 155
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