Evening journal., 1908-12-18
HOW THE POPULAR OUTDOOR
GAME OF SOCCER is PLAYED

Now that soccer has become one Of the
most popular out door sport an explana-
tion Of the method OF play will. no doubt.
be interesting to those persons VINO have
never seen the game.
The hcld of play is marked by a halt-
way line, the centre Of the field being also
marked. with circle with "a ten-yaru
radius made around 1t. Lines are mafNed
six yards from each goal post, at right
ANGLES to the goal lines, for a distance
Of six yards, these being connected WIN
each other by a line parallel to the goal
lines. the space between these lines be-
ing known as the goal area. Lines arc
also marked IS yards, these being con-
nectod with each other 10y line paial-
lel to the goal lines, the space between
these being the penalty area \ mark is
made opposite the centre at each goal, -
yards from the goal line. this being the
penalty kick mark.
Association football is played upon "a
field twice as long as it is broad, the
maximum length being about 100 yards,
the minimum being 100 yards The goal
posts are "a feet apart. with a bar across
them eight feet high, the corners of the
ground and the touch lines being marked
with flags The ball is round and mea-
sures p inches IN circumference. Two
halves of i5 minutes each constitutes a
game, with an interval OF five minutes
with eleven players on each side. as
follows: one goal keeper. two fullbacSs,
three halfbacks and five forwards
fnf L.
the two outside players always being in
advance OF the inside players The cenue
forward, being the pivot of the attack
ing line. must be a sure kicker, as he is
the one who is most depended upon to
shoot the ball through his opponents
goal.
Upon the three halfbacks falls tho
greater part of the play. as they are sup
posed TO attack and defend I'm turn, II
being their duty to break up all passing
movements Of the opposing forwards anC
also TO feed" their forwards The cen
tire halfback is the pivot OF the team
He must always be ready TO fan bach
/ 10 the defense this being where a half
/ back is Indispensable.
/ The two fullbacks bear the brunt OF th,
defense. as the responsibility of keep
ing the goal intact falls on them The,
are. as a rule, heavy and swift of foot
and must be sure. strong lxickers. It Il
their place TO protect the goal-keeper
who is the last hope when the backs ar
beaten. and oftentimes a good goal keepe
has saved a team from defeat by hi
clever handling Of the ball.
II the bali Is kicked out Of bounds /
is thrown back into play by one Of III
halfbacks Of the opposing side of III
player who kicked Il out The hall must h
thrown with two hands from over IN
head. the thrower standing with his toe
to the line his feet nat on the ground
The player IS allowed 10 throw it I'm an,
direction. but must not touch II unit
some one else has placed IL. n the hall /
kicked over the end lines II Is ont O
plaV. which results IN n goal kick. IN
hall being kicked into play from the six
ward llne hv tho goai-keeper II. how
ever. the ball crosses tho line being play
ed over by one Of tho team dcfndine tina
end It IS a corner kick
The game Is fasting and exciting As n
ono PLAYER can keep the ball IN himsel
more than a few seconds the bah usuali
travels from one goal 10 the other wit
hEhtninE-lke rapiditv In many IN
stances the ball does not touch the groun
for quite a while being kept IN the Al
from one player's head 10 tho other
Every player Is kept in action durin
the Same and a man needs 20 bo in per
feet condition 10 70 through game q
eo minutes duration. rs there are No sub
stitutes allowed except in case NJ an sc
cident. which rarely occurs and then
is AZ the discretion Of the opposing cap
/ tain.
~ this time There are two soccer team
IN the city. the Wilmington Soccer tear
and tho Wilmington Athletic Club. Com
7 menciug New Years Day games win D
played here every Saturday.