Football is a sport in which teams of players try to score goals by kicking a ball across a goal line. In a regular match, the team that scores more goals wins.
The game is played on a rectangular field with a net connected to a goal post and a crossbar. The field is usually made of artificial turf, but can be natural grass as well.
Rules for the game are defined in the Laws of the Game. A match is divided into two periods of 45 minutes each, called halves.
There are 11 players on each team, including a goalkeeper. The dimensions of the pitch vary from ground to ground, but must be within 100-130 yards long and 50-100 yards wide. The pitch must also be marked with a 6 yard box, two 18 yard boxes and a centre circle.
Goal: Any player on the field can score a goal, which is worth 1 point. The goal can be scored by catching the ball in the opponent’s end zone and running with it into the end zone, or by kicking the ball through an upright goalpost.
In the modern game, there are a variety of positions other than goalkeeper, with specialisations developing as teams have evolved over time. Among the most common are strikers (or forwards), who specialize in scoring; defenders, who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who help their team by dispossessing the opposition and keeping possession of the ball.