Football is perhaps the most popular game in the world. Almost all the progressive countries are fond of playing football. The games make the players healthy and disciplined and develop in their mind a team spirit and sense of tolerance. Football game is played for ninety minutes with a break of five minutes in the middle of the game.
It is played between two teams each having eleven players. The games played by kicking the ball, and trying to send it between the two goalposts of the opponent team. There is a goalkeeper on each side to resist the scores of goals shot from the rival team.
The goal-keeper is allowed to touch the ball by hand, while others are not. The team, which scores more goals, is declared the winner.
The referee conducts the game with the help of two linesmen, one on each side of the field. A player is warned for committing fouls or hand-balls, and as a measure, a free kick of the ball is awarded to the suffered team.
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Football is an international game. World Cup tournament of football is played every four years in different countries of the world by turn. Pele of Brazil and Diego Maradona of Argentina are world famous footballers.