Photo Courtesy: Brand X Pictures/Jupiterimages

Talk to a variety of soccer fans and you’re bound to get a slew of answers to the question, “Who’s your favorite player?” But, ask a random group of people on the street to name three famous soccer players, and chances are there are only a few names that will immediately come to mind. Three names that have most assuredly crossed into the mainstream vernacular are Pelé, Mia Hamm and David Beckham.

Probably the most well known soccer player today, David Beckham has played for both Manchester United and Real Madrid. Now, this former captain and midfielder is calling LA home, as he’s joined Major League Soccer here in the states, playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Beckham isn’t the first high profile player to hit the pitch stateside. In fact, some would contend that Beckham is here now to repeat what someone else did many years ago – boost the popularity of soccer in the states. Most would agree that Pelé is the true original in this arena. The Brazilian star played for club team Santos, but truly made his mark in international competition. Hitting his peak in the 1970 World Cup tournament, Pelé led Brazil to victory in what is considered by many one of the greatest displays of soccer in history. He finished his international career with 96 goals, and ended his career in the North American Soccer League, playing for the New York Cosmos. His skill and fame single-handedly elevated the popularity of the sport in the United States.

Mia Hamm is, without a doubt, not only the most readily recognized female soccer player to date, but she is also one of the most famous female athletes worldwide, period. The single most dominant player in women’s soccer, Hamm’s legacy includes not just a record for most international goals that may never fall (158 of them in 275 games), but a legion of American girls who discovered a love for soccer and a role model for strength and perseverance.

So, now that we’ve considered the stars of the sport, let’s have a look at the game that pushed these three athletes to such worldwide acclaim.

ON THE PITCH Matches are played on a field (often called a pitch) marked off on all four sides with white boundary lines. A typical field is 100 yards long and at least 50 yards wide, although some fields are larger. If the ball goes across the line on the sides of the field, it is returned to play via a two-handed overhead throw-in, the only situation where a non-goalie player can use his hands. If it goes out of play across an end line, it's returned to play by the goalie kicking it (if the offensive team played it out) or by a corner kick by the attacking team (if the defenders played it out). The goal is eight yards long and eight feet high. The ball must completely cross the end line between the goal posts to be counted as a goal.

Soccer Basics
In a nutshell, soccer is two teams, each with 11 players (including the goalie), working to push a ball into the opposing team's goal. To do this, players can use any part of their body other than their hands or arms – well, except for the goalies. A goalie can freely use his hands to catch, block and throw the ball within a rectangular area (the goal area) immediately surrounding the goal. He can move beyond this area, but must use his feet to move the ball. At the end of two 45-minute periods, whichever team has scored the most goals wins the game. Direct physical contact (like pushing and grabbing) is not allowed.

Aside from the goalie, the other ten players are divided up as forwards, midfielders and defenders (fullbacks). Fullbacks generally stay behind their teammates, making sure the opponents are unable to generate scoring opportunities. When their goal is under attack, they will 'mark' an opposing player and stay close to him to keep him from receiving a pass. Midfielders have a difficult job, as they must support the fullbacks in their defensive duties, but also control the center of the field and set up scoring chances for the forwards. Forwards tend to play in the opponent's half of the field, always working to bring the ball closer to the net for a shot at the goal.

There are no rules dictating how many fullbacks, midfielders or forwards must be present. The coach decides how to arrange the players on the pitch. A team's positioning is described by three numbers, which tell how many of each kind of player is on the field, starting with the fullbacks. So a team playing a 4-4-2 formation would have four fullbacks, four midfielders and two forwards.

Photo Courtesy: Brand X Pictures/Jupiterimages

Soccer players wear minimal equipment. Shin pads and cleated shoes for traction on natural grass make up the gear needed by most players. Many goalies wear gloves for padding and grip, and goalie pants and shirts may have padded panels sewn in for protection when diving onto hard ground to make saves.

The clock in a soccer game is continuous. If play stops due to an injury or other delay, the referee keeps track of the lost time. At the end of each half, the referee will add on this extra time, known as injury time, after the clock has run out.

If a game ends in a tie, the decision will depend on where and why the game is being played. In friendly matches and regular league games, the game simply ends and each team is credited with a tie, worth one point in league standings. In some tournaments, teams play two games against each other (several days apart) and the winner is determined by total goals scored. That can make a tie as bad as a loss for a team already behind on goals. In some tournaments, a tie is resolved with a shootout. This is a series of five penalty kicks, with teams alternating kicks. The team that scores the most goals with their five kicks wins.

Foul Play
Directly in front of the goal area is a larger rectangle called the penalty area. If a defending player commits a foul within this area, the attacking team receives a penalty kick. This is a free shot at the goal with only the goalie to defend it, from a distance of ten yards. Fouls committed elsewhere on the pitch can result in a variety of penalties. Minor offenses, such as inadvertently touching the ball with the hands, tripping or holding an opponent, result in a free kick for the other team. This change of possession usually happens quickly and keeps the game moving along.

Photo Courtesy: Image Source Pink/Getty

Fouls that are more flagrant can result in cards. For example, fighting, disrespecting the officials and intentional fouls will earn the offending player a yellow card. This is like a warning - the ref takes an actual yellow card out of his pocket and holds it in the air to let everyone know it's being issued. He then writes down the player's number in a notebook. A yellow card has no immediate effect, but if the same player receives another yellow card in the same game (and sometimes within the same tournament), he gets an automatic red card. When a player gets a red card, he’s ejected from the game. That player's team can't replace him. The must play short-handed for the remainder of the match. Extreme offenses can result in an immediate red card, whether or not a prior yellow card was issued.

WAR STOPS FOR SOCCER! In mid-December of 1914, troops had been fighting for several months. Along the front, men from both sides were digging trenches for cover. On Christmas Eve, a true miracle occurred – a temporary cease-fire took place; in the land between the trenches – known as “no man’s land” – the opposition came together to celebrate what is now known as the World War I Christmas Truce. Along the fighting line, the truce lasted as little as one day or all the way through to New Year’s Day. Soldiers of differing nations exchanged “gifts” – food rations like chocolate and other candy. And they played games – including soccer!