Learn How to Play Soccer

Are you ready to join billions of players worldwide by taking part in the worlds most popular sport? Learning how to play soccer makes you a member of the globes biggest community - and the best part is, it is easy to do. Playing soccer as a beginner can seem daunting, but in fact it is simple to pick up. The game is played by eleven players on each team on a field that, while varying in size, is generally around 115 yards by 75 yards. The object is to propel the soccer ball across the oppositions goal-line into the back of the net.

All you need to play is a marked field, two teams, a soccer ball, and an idea of the laws of the game. Thankfully these are also very elementary for the beginner, at least in their basic form.

There are some complex rules that only enthusiasts and experienced players fully understand, but the beauty of football is in its simplicity. With this in mind, remember a few core rules: only goalkeepers can touch the ball with their hands; when tackling for the ball, if you miss and hit the player, it's a foul; a foul in the defenders goal area results in a penalty kick; and there are corner kicks, goal kicks, and throw-ins, depending on how and where the ball goes out of play.

To learn how to play soccer, then, involves three steps.

Step 1

The first is to learn soccer rules: read the Laws of the Game, or at least glance through them. At just 50 large-type pages, this isn't a huge task, and you'll be surprised at some of the soccer laws in there.

Step 2.

The second step is much more enjoyable: sit back, relax, and watch a game! Whether it's online, on TV, or - the best option - in the flesh, there is nothing like getting into the thick of things by watching soccer being played. It doesn't matter what level you watch from high school through to the World Cup as long as it's played on a regulation field by eleven players a team with a referee: the basics are the same all throughout the world.

Step 3.Then there is the third step: find a local club, pull on your cleats, and step onto the pitch. Most teams have local beginners' soccer clubs for just this, and you will almost certainly not be the only one who is still learning the game.

If you really want to become good at soccer, then practice a lot. You can practice by yourself, or with a friend, but even just practising kicking a ball against a wall, or learning how to juggle a soccer ball will ensure that you improve your soccer skills, and will be on the way to becoming a good soccer player.

Lastly when learning how to play soccer, always listen to your coach and to your captain - and have fun!

Nigel Reed has been involved in soccer during the 60's, 70's and 80's as a player and has been coaching youth soccer in Australia since 2000.