Association of Ireland (FAI) was formed to represent the Republic of Ireland, due to bitter disputes between Dublin-area teams and Belfast teams.
Quickies
Did you know …
• it was not until 1952 that a team from outside Belfast was crowned champions of the Irish League, formed in 1890?
How did soccer become American football?
In 1884, the American Amateur Football Association was formed, the first such soccer organization outside Britain. Ten years later, the United States became the second country in the world to introduce professional soccer. However, in the 1870s, Harvard University opted for a rugby-style “handling game” over the “kicking game.” As other universities followed Harvard’s example, the handling game developed into the American form of football.
Quickies
Did you know …
• England played their first game on foreign soil when they beat Austria 6–1 in Vienna on June 6, 1908?
What was the largest crowd to ever attend a soccer match?
Quickies
Did you know …
• in 1930 the American national soccer team reached the semifinals of the inaugural soccer World Cup?
The largest crowd ever to attend a soccer match was 199,854 spectators at the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 16, 1950. The game pitted Brazil against Uruguay. Uruguay won the match, 2–1.
What were the longest shootouts in soccer history?
Two stand out. On November 20, 1988, during the 1988–89 Argentine Championship, Argentinos Juniors defeated Racing Club 20–19 on penalties after a 2–2 draw. The shootout required 44 kicks. Then on Jan 23, 2005, during the 2004–05 Tafel Lager Namibian FA Cup, KK Palace defeated Civics 17–16 on penalties after a 2–2 draw. The shootout required 48 kicks.
Quickies
Did you know …
• the first professional soccer league in America was formed in 1894 but disbanded within months amid controversy over the importation of British players?
Who sets the official rules for soccer?
The official rules of soccer are called the Laws of the Game and they are maintained by two governing bodies: the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
What is FIFA?
FIFA is an acronym for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. It is the international governing body of association football, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA is responsible for the organization and governance of soccer’s major international tournaments, most notably the FIFA World Cup, held since 1930. The Laws of the Game are not solely the responsibility of FIFA; they are maintained by a body called the International Football Association Board (IFAB). FIFA has members on its board (four representatives); the other four are provided by the football associations of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, in recognition of their contribution to the creation and history of the game. Changes to the Laws of the Game must be agreed upon by at least six of the eight delegates.
The Eight FIFA Presidents Since Its Founding in 1904
• Robert Guerin, France — 1904–06
• Daniel Burley Woolfall, England — 1906–18
• Jules Rimet, France — 1921–54
• Rodolphe William Seeldrayers, Belgium — 1954–55
• Arthur Drewry, England — 1955–61
• Sir Stanley Rous, England — 1961–74
• João Havelange, Brazil — 1974–98
• Joseph S. Blatter, Switzerland — 1998–present
What is IFAB?
IFAB is an acronym for the International Football Association Board. Established in England in 1886, the board was originally made up of the United Kingdom’s four pioneering football associations: England’s Football Association (The FA), the Scottish Football Association (SFA), the Football Association of Wales (FAW), and Northern Ireland’s Irish Football Association (IFA). Its aim was to create a unified set of rules for the game in Great Britain and function as a governing body. Each of the four founding FAs had equal voting rights on the board. Beginning in 1913, voting rights on the board. Beginning in 1913, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which governs world association soccer, became a voting board member. Today, each UK association has one vote on the board and FIFA has four. IFAB deliberations must be approved by at least six votes. Thus, FIFA’s approval is necessary for any IFAB decision, but FIFA alone cannot change the Laws of the Game; they need to be agreed by at least two of the UK members.
Quickies
Did you know …
• FIFA has 208 football association members?
How many referees are there in a regulation soccer match?
There are three. One referee (sometimes called the centre referee), and two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen) who patrol the perimeter of the field and carry flags to signal to the referee. The referee, who is the only one of the three who conducts his duties in bounds on the pitch, is the ruling authority for any given soccer match. His word is law on the pitch.
What is the technical area?
The technical area is a marked-off zone at pitch-side where a team manager, other coaching personnel, and player substitutes are required to confine themselves during matches. According to the Laws of the Game, the technical area is marked by a white line, “1 metre (1 yard) on either side of the designated seated area and extend[ing] forward up to a distance of 1 metre (1 yard) from the touch line.” Substitutes are allowed to leave the technical area to warm up prior to entering a match. Managers and coaching staff may not cross the line during play, except in special cases, such as medical personnel attending to an injured player. The technical area falls under the supervision of the fourth official.
What is the fourth official?
The fourth official is essentially a support person to the referee who can, when needed, step in as a backup
