What I Call Football, And You Probably Call Soccer

I want to tell you a little about the game I call football. You may know it as soccer. To me football is played on grass, not Astroturf or other synthetic surfaces. It'ss played by two teams each of eleven players, with one referee controlling the game, or match. The ref, as he is referred to, is assisted by two other officials that watch out for any infringements in play during the course of the game, or whenever the ball goes out of play they raise a flag to attract the attention of the referee. They used to be called linesmen, now they are referred to as assistant referees. In many top level matches the three officials are connected to each other through mouthpieces and hearing devices; such is the modern age in the higher echelons of the sport.

Players kick the ball, only the goalkeeper can catch or handle the ball. Most importantly the ball is round. The ball is kicked into the goal to score, beneath the bar and between the uprights, or posts. There are no field goals, touchdowns or yards to gain on each play.

Many of the so called top players in the world are paid ridiculously high wages, many more play at lower levels for a much lower wage. Further down the scale and the amateur game is played just for the fun of playing.