Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-17
SOCCER ENTHUSIASTS
GATHER MONDAY NIGHT
NContinuc'i From First i'uge.)

GATHER MONDAY NIGHT
"Continued From First ruge.)
ed indoors and with the hands only.
soccer is essentially AN outdoor sport
ano is Played by foot only. But one
prayer Inc g"alkeepcr. is permitted
/" use his hands. Keeping the above
differences In mimi Soccer is funda-
mehtali! BASKETBALL on n large scale.
instead OF small room or gymnu-
SUM. large field Of maxi mum length
OF 100 yards and maximum width OF
100 yards is used. aud Instead Of ten
men. twenty-five play in the game,
eleven on each side.
The purpose OF the same. mode OF
piaFinS and scoring are very similar
10 tnosc OF basketball. In the latter
game. the bali is passed from man to
man. and IN that manner worked nm 10
me opposing teams basket Then one
OF the I'VE players tries for a point
oE shooting the ball at the basket
In soccer. the ball is passed from
me ,"n 10 man not by throwing. but
oE Kicking II through the air or roll
ing II on the ground In this man
her the bail is carried UP to the en-
emE's goal posts
These posts are built just as tho
ones in Rugby football ana placed in
me same position relative 10 the field ::
.hat Is, AT each end OF the field Once
l.
."tNiis team can score a point for his
sue ny Kicking the ball through these
posts.
'uHl RS ~ basketball. tho ball mus,
60 through the BASKET. so in soccer
INC paii must pass through the goal
poa,s 10 ne counted as a point
"erc arc eleven players on each side
ar" 'ie games arc usually ninety min
utes In duration. composed or I've
heNes OF forty-nve minutes each. tho
.sN'S pia!'nS one-half in one dire.-
'ion' ana in the second crossing over.
RULES OF Game simple.
I"ci, one or the twenty-five playcrs
Is assigned certain position and ,s
name" accordingly, forward. full back
etc. WI '"'N
me eleven men on each team are
lhed up as follows: Five men. called
UPWARDS. in the center Of the field
IheH hrc stationed on a line acros,
the ho!d at definite intervals. Th,i,
."he'on Is 10 score the points for the
cam. Inght behind them on a line
across the field are placed three men
haif backs They assiat the five for.
wards and also hcip tho Two run
hacks. Who stay neBr the goal 10 pro
toct til" teams own goal The Gle
enth man has his berth RICH, in the
goal lie, being The last man on tho
cei"ns". is permitted 10 use ho,h
hands and feet
Tn" team with tic greater number
of goals wins thn match only In.
Soal-kccper IL allowed 10 use his
hands c%ccptinS when tho ball COOS
into touch. when the ball is throvu
into play agnn by player using
TWO hands. Tripping, handling the
bail foul play Of amy kind and off
Si"' arc punished by "a free Kick" TO
tho opposing side.
IA.
properly understand. aud like 50 many
other supposedly dini"ui, things. il
becomes abSnrdly simple IL a few def
nit" points are r"mcnhrrnd.
Firs'--h man cannot ho onsidc if
there arc three opposing players near
or their own goal thau ne at the time
tho ball Is last played.
:Sccond--lf the ball is plavcd TO
HIM 10y an opponent nau cannot
Il" offsido. Although hr may ho IN an
ohstd" position 0esS than three mon
nearer their own goah. IL the ball is
last played by au orrcnrut hc is safe
Third-Tf tho ball Is pin!cd to = man
10y ono Of his own side who a; the time
II" pla!s tho ball is nearer to tho op-
posing goal than he, the nrst- mention
cd player Is Hsfc In other words if
player keeps behind tho ball. Judging
by an imaginary limo parallel to the
goal-linc he cannot he omside.
1'ourth---h player cannot be onsidc
in his own half OF the field. unless he
has run back from an offaide position
in his opponents half.
These rules may sound involved. out
n litrl" rejection will show their real
simplicity.
For an ofcnsc committed by tho de-
tenders in their own penalty area Gin
dicatcd by lines on the field 1T eigh-
teen yards distance from tho goals
such as handling tho ball. tripping or
foulina an opponent. etc. penalty
kick 18th" punishment. This is a free
shot at goal. defended only by the
Soalk c"pcr. from the twclvc-yard
mark. and is usually certain goal
although by u" means always.
Gnmr Only In Infancy Hero.
soccer football at the present time
is only in its infancy in this country,
though in the writer's estimation il
VIII never become the national win
ter game on account OF tho many
dra " backs that the game has 10 CON
tend with. Ono OF the main reasons
why the game is not taken up more
by tho masses is on account of the
inferior acco,nm odn ions offered TO the
spectators. for on the few grounds in
this city there is not even a grand
stand where the spectators can take
10 cover during the extreme weather.
In England and Scotland. where the
sport draws in:o the five iigurcs, even
i'll loasue matches, the accomfnoda
tons are on % par with what We see
hero at tn" big baseball parks. where
the spectators can view tho game from
every angle Of the field. Another draw
back ~ the extreme winters that VIC
have here compared TO the mild win
tcrs across the pond.
There is this much to he said. how.
ever. tha the sport is on more sound
basis than IL WAS even four years ago
with the Organization OF the United
states Football Association. tho ma
t'onal governing; body. which has in its
I!n.s al the present time most OF the
associations in the various cities where
tho game has gained - stronghold
while with the State associations TO
take care Of their different districts IL
can plainly be seen that those fostering
and developing the ga:nc have taken
TIC right course, Tor. without a nation
Al body there would not he tic same
Uniform rules ia vogue rs there is Al