Basic Beach Soccer Rules

Beach soccer is the hottest adaptation of the world’s most popular sport and it only requires a set of goal posts and a ball. It’s a fun way to promote and teach the sport to kids. Here are the basic rules for the barefoot version of the game.

Field and Equipment Regulations
Beach soccer is played on a sandy beach, free of debris or materials that may cause injury. The rectangular field measures 115 feet long by 90 feet wide. Touchlines and endlines are marked with colored tape that measures 3.5 inches wide. The centerline is marked by red flags on each side. The penalty area is designated with two yellow flagpoles. Goals are portable, but during play, they must be anchored to the ground.
The beach soccer ball should be made of leather or a similar material and needs to be weatherproof. It also must retain its shape. In FIFA sanctioned competitions, the ball should have an official FIFA logo.

By the Numbers
Five players take the field for each team. One of the players is the goalkeeper. Only five substitutions may take place during a match. Subs must hold up a sign indicating which player they are replacing. All substitutions must take place in the substitution zone, which is clearly marked on the field.
The match consists of three 12-minute play periods. Play may go longer if penalty or free kicks need to be taken. The designated timekeeper determines the end of each play period. A three-minute period is observed between each time period. If the match is tied at the end of regulation, a 3-minute-long extra period will be played. If the game is still tied at the end of the extra period, alternate penalty kicks are taken. The team that scores the most goals with an equal number of kicks is the winner.

Let the Beach Soccer Game Begin
Play begins with a kick off. No goal can be scored from the kick off. If the ball goes out of bounds, a drop ball resumes play. To score a goal, the ball must pass over the goal line. It can’t be thrown or assisted by the goal keeper. The team with the most goals at the end of regulation play is declared the winner. If a team only has three players, due to expulsions, they are declared the loser of the match, regardless of the score. If a foul occurs, a direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team. Players may not form a wall. A goal may be scored from a penalty kick. A ball inbound takes place when play needs to be restarted. Goals can’t be scored directly from a ball inbound. The goalie may begin the ball inbound.
Another way to restart play is the goal clearance. Goals cannot be scored directly from this move. The ball is in play once it leaves the goalie’s hands. A third way to restart play is by the corner kick. Goals may be scored from this move, but only against the opposing team. The pass-back rule is in effect in beach soccer. This rule means the goalie can’t touch the ball with his hands or arms when the ball is returned to him from a teammate, twice consecutively, without the ball being touched by the opposition. This includes an inbound pass or a header. The referee signals the first pass to the goalie.
Beach soccer is a fun, fast-paced version of the game. Although the objective of the game is the same, rules differ due to the field and its size.

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History of Futsal

The origins of futsal can be traced back to Uruguay in 1930, where, amid the euphoria that greeted the country's victory at the inaugural FIFA World Cup™ on home soil, there was a football being kicked on every street corner in the capital Montevideo.
Juan Carlos Ceriani, an Argentinian physical education instructor living there at the time observed many youngsters practising football on basketball courts owing to the shortage of football pitches. It was there and then that the idea for a five-a-side variation came about.
Borrowing from the rules of water polo, handball and basketball, Ceriani drew up the original rules of game, which were quickly be adopted across South America. In 1965 the Confederacion Sudamericana de Futbol de Salon (South American Futsal Confederation) was formed, consisting of Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Argentina and Brazil, the latter having quickly developed into a hotbed for the sport.
Futsal crossed the Atlantic to Europe along with the many Spanish and Portuguese immigrants returning from South America at that time. The continued growth in the sport then led to the foundation of FIFUSA, the Federacion Internacional de Futbol de Salon (International Futsal Federation), comprising of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal and Uruguay.
In late 1985, before the sport had the kind of appeal it has today, Joseph S. Blatter, then FIFA General Secretary, and Joao Havelange, FIFA's then President, decided jointly to incorporate futsal into the global football family.
To this end, Blatter entrusted his assistant, the Chilean-Spaniard Miguel Galan Torres, and Havelange's advisor, the Brazilian Jose Bonetti, with the task of bringing their goal to fruition. At their first meeting, the two men came to realise that there was neither uniformity in the rules of the game, nor in the pitches or balls being used.
In January 1986, Galan Torres and Bonetti began work in earnest. Using football's Laws of the Game as a template, they made the necessary modifications for the five-a-side version. Among other decisions taken was one to have the pitch and goal size identical to those of handball. The also incorporated several suggestions from FIFUSA and even borrowed from the sport of ice hockey. Finally, after a long period of preparation, the provisional Laws were completed.
To see how the rules would stand up in practice, it was necessary to road-test them, and in this regard the contribution of Pablo Porta Bussons, the then President of the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) and a member of FIFA's Executive Committee, was vital. It was Porta Bussons who lobbied within the RFEF for the need for a trial championship. After received approval, Porta convinced his colleague, the Hungarian Gyorgy Szepezi, that the Hungarian Football Association should organise the first test tournament. The event, which featured Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA, Spain, Peru, Brazil, Italy and which was won by the host nation, turned out to be a success and proved that the Laws worked in practice.
Shortly afterwards, at a meeting in the old RFEF offices in Madrid attended by representatives from various countries, the Laws were modified further to take into account observations from Hungary. It was then that the RFEF put themselves forward to host the second trial tournament. Their request was approved and the event was held in La Coruna, El Ferrol and Santiago de Compostela in February 1987. The attending nations were Belgium, Brazil, the Netherlands, the USA, Portugal, Hungary and Italy, with the hosts defeating Belgium in the final.
In September 1987, Galan and Bonetti proposed holding a third test tournament, this time in South America, where the sport had begun. Brazil hosted the competition, inviting Chile, Peru, Argentina, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the USA and Paraguay. The host city was Brasilia and it was Paraguay who were eventually crowned champions. The Laws had more than met expectations, and so it only remained for them to be officially approved by FIFA's Executive Committee.
In the wake of Brazil 1987, Galan met with Blatter and reported that his work had been completed and that the final step needed to establish futsal as a fully fledged discipline was to give it its own World Cup. Blatter responded by throwing his weight behind the organisation of the inaugural FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Galan began the search for a host nation. The head of futsal in the Netherlands, Tom van der Hulst, vouched for his association's ability to organise it, and the Dutch FA's formal bid was approved by FIFA's Executive Committee. The tournament took place in January 1989 in the host cities of Amsterdam, s'Hertogenbosch, Arnhem Leeuwarden, Utrecht and Rotterdam, where the final was held. Brazil became the first world champions by defeating the host nation 2-1.
The Seleção also won the next two editions, in Hong Kong in 1992 and Spain in 1996. However, it would be the Spaniards who deservedly relieved the Brazilians of their crown at Guatemala 2000, before successfully defending it four years later in Chinese Taipei. The FIFA Futsal World Cup is know the fourth longest-running FIFA tournament.
Today, futsal is a firmly established part of the footballing firmament and, with over two million registered players (men and women) worldwide, has been one of the fastest growing sports in recent times. With the game's potential popularity truly limitless, it is sure to help football achieve its social goals right across the globe.

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History of Women Football

Women's soccer, although having a huge popularity in the last decades of the 20th century and today, was always shadowed by the men's soccer, but the ladies are determined to change this and come to equal standards with the boys.
The way things are moving currently, it's not impossible that this will someday happen as it's already close to happening in other sports such as handball, volleyball and tennis.
But before going into details on what's currently happening in women's soccer and what's going to happen in the near future, let's take a look inside the history of women's soccer and find out where and when it was born as well as meeting some of the legendary ladies.
The first written document related to the history of soccer can be found in a 300 BC Chinese war manual, used by men to familiarize themselves with their ancient version of the sport, which included kicking a ball (made out of pig bladders or stuffed leather) through a hole in a cloth tied up between two poles.
Although there's no proof that women played this sport as well, there is a clear reference to this that is often used as the start-point of the history of women's soccer.
The reference is depicted in a Han Dynasty fresco believed to be created around 200 CE, which clearly shows two female figures playing with what is believed to be a leather ball.
Reports of women playing soccer during the Middle Ages are not as common as those referring to men; however there are a few famous examples in the history of women's soccer: French women of the 12th century are believed to having played kicking games relating to soccer side by side with their husbands and Scottish women even had an annual competition going around in Mid-Lothian, Scotland.
One of the biggest problems in the history of women's soccer was that the sport was often violent, especially when played without a clear set of rules. Even today, with all the rulings and fair-play agreements going around, soccer is still not a sport for the weak.
This often made it difficult for women to play, as men would "protect" them by not allowing them to get involved.
It changed in 1863, when the English Football Association standardized a set of rules that prohibited violence on the pitch, making it easier for women to get into soccer.
With the dust settling after the Football Association's decision, women's soccer became more and more popular and at some point, it was closing in to reaching the same level as men's soccer in England.
One women's soccer match drew a crowd of 53,000, which sparked the hurt egos of the men-driven Football Association, banning women's soccer from their pitches (and since most of the pitches in England were under the FA's watch at that time, this basically meant Hasta la vista to women's soccer).
Shortly after, the Scottish Football Association did the same. It was only in 1971 that the ban was lifted and women could play on the same pitches as men.
Today, most women's soccer teams tend to professionalize and the development is compared to what happened in late 19th century with English men soccer teams.
Many rushed to state that women's soccer is 1 century behind men's soccer; however the recently organized women's soccer World Cups showed a lot of skilled players and drew important crowds.

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History of Beach Soccer

Over the past decade, beach soccer has journeyed from the beaches of Brazil to the hearts of millions of fans all over the globe. The participation of internationally renowned players such as the Brazilian Junior Negao, Portugal's Alan and Madjer and the Spanish star Amarelle has helped to expand television coverage to large audiences in over 170 countries worldwide, making beach soccer one of the fastest growing professional sports in the world and converting it into a major showcase for international commercial opportunity.
Beach soccer had been played recreationally all over the world for many years and in many different formats. However, it wasn't until 1992 that the Laws of the Game were envisioned and a pilot event staged in Los Angeles. The following summer, the first professional beach soccer competition was organized at Miami Beach, with the teams from the USA, Brazil, Argentina and Italy taking part in what would turn out to be an historic event.
In April 1994 the first event to be covered by network television transmissions was held on the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro and the city hosted the inaugural Beach Soccer World Championship one year later. The competition was won by the host nation, making Brazil the first ever World Champions of Beach Soccer. The success of the tournament saw international interest begin to match developments on the pitch and growing demand for the sport around the world gave rise to the Pro Beach Soccer Tour in 1996.
The first Pro Beach Soccer Tour included a total of 60 games in two years across South America, Europe, Asia and the USA, attracting major names both on and off the pitch. Interest generated by the tour in Europe led to the creation of the European Pro Beach Soccer League in 1998, providing a solid infrastructure that would increase the professionalism of the spectacle on all levels. The EPBSL, now known as the Euro BS League, united promoters from across the continent and satisfied the demands of the media, sponsors and fans. Only four years on from its creation, the successful first step in the building of a legitimate Worldwide Competition Structure for the sport of Pro Beach Soccer had been taken.
The euro BS league flourished, with a nail-biting 2000 season decided in the closing match of the final tournament when Spain beat Portugal in an intense encounter.
The next four years would see this growth consolidated by further progress both on and off the pitch, with the Euro BS League emerging as the strongest Pro Beach Soccer competition in the world. By 2004, some 17 nations had entered teams, and by 2005 this had risen to 20, leading to more than seventy countries looking to stage events.
Just over two years ago, beach soccer became a part of the FIFA family, and in May, the first-ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was staged on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. To everyone's surprise, France defeated Portugal in the final, while hot favourites Brazil fell in the semis.
However, the following year, at the first edition of the tournament to feature 16 nations, the Auriverde avenged the previous year's loss. In the final of the competition, they were never in any real trouble against Uruguay as they proceeded to claim their first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Eric Cantona's Blues, meanwhile, triumphed in the third-place play-off, again at the expense of Portugal.
Brazil retained their crown in 2007, beating surprise finalists 8-2 in the final.
 

Roll of honour at the 12 Beach Soccer World Championships
2007
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners: Brazil
Runners-Up: Mexico
Third: Uruguay
Player of the tournament: Buru (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Buru (BRA) - 10 goals
Goals: 261 (average 8.2)

2006
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners: Brazil
Runners-Up: Uruguay
Third: France
Player of the tournament: Madjer (POR)
Top goalscorer: Madjer (POR) - 21 goals
Goals: 286 (average 8.9)

2005
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners: France
Runners-Up: Portugal
Third: Brazil
Player of the tournament: Madjer (POR)
Top goalscorer: Madjer (POR) - 12 goals
Goals: 164 (average 8.2)

2004
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners: Brazil
Runners-up: Spain
Third: Portugal
Player of the tournament: Jorginho (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Madjer (POR) - 12 goals
Best goalkeeper: Roberto (ESP)
Goals : 155 (average: 7.8)

2003
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners: Brazil
Runners-up: Spain
Third: Portugal
Player of the tournament: Amarelle (ESP)
Top goalscorer: Nenem (BRA) - 15 goals
Best goalkeeper: Robertinho (BRA)
Goals: 150 (average: 9.4)

2002
Vitoria (Espirito Santos) and Guaruja (Sao Paulo) (BRA)
Winners : Brazil
Runners-up: Portugal
Third: Uruguay
Player of the tournament: Nenem (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Nenem (BRA) , Madjer (POR) and Nico (URU) - 9 goals
Best goalkeeper: Nomcharoen (THA)
Goals: 145 (average: 9.1)

2001
Costa do Sauipe, Bahia (BRA)
Winners : Portugal
Runners-up: France
Third: Argentina
Player of the tournament: Hernani (POR)
Top goalscorer: Alan (POR) - 10 goals
Best goalkeeper: Olmeta (FRA)
Goals: 144 (average: 7.2)

2000
Marina da Gloria, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners : Brazil
Runners-up: Peru
Third: Spain
Player of the tournament: Junior (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Junior (BRA) - 13 goals
Best goalkeeper: Kato (JPN)
Goals: 172 (average: 8.6)

1999
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners : Brazil
Runners-up: Portugal
Third: Uruguay
Player of the tournament: Jorginho (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Junior (BRA) and Matosas (URU) - 10 goals
Best goalkeeper: Pedro Crespo (POR)
Goals: 186 (average: 9.3)

1998
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners : Brazil
Runners-up: France
Third: Uruguay
Player of the tournament: Junior (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Junior (BRA) - 14 goals
Best goalkeeper: Paulo Sergio (BRA)
Goals: 219 (average: 9.1)

1997
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners : Brazil
Runners-up: Uruguay
Third: USA
Player of the tournament: Junior (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Junior (BRA) and Venâncio Ramos (URU) - 11 goals
Best goalkeeper: Paulo Sergio (BRA)
Goals: 144 (average: 9.0)

1996
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners : Brazil
Runners-up: Uruguay
Third: Italy
Player of the tournament: Edinho (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Altobelli (ITA) - 14 goals
Best goalkeeper: Paulo Sergio (BRA)
Goals: 131 (average: 8.2)

1995
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
Winners : Brazil
Runners-up: USA
Third: England
Player of the tournament: Zico (BRA) and Junior (BRA)
Top goalscorer: Zico (BRA) and Altobelli (ITA) - 12 goals
Best goalkeeper: Paulo Sergio (BRA)
Goals: 149 (average: 9.3)

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History of CONMEBOL

CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol)
CONMEBOL is the South American Football Confederation (officially known as the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) which covers the majority of the continent of South America. It is the oldest of FIFA’s confederations, originally forming in 1916, almost a century ago. The federation’s formation was begun by Héctor Rivadavia Gómez who had a grand plan for a federation for South American football. His idea was put to a committee including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay and was greeted unanimously with approval. The date marked 100 years of Argnentinian independence and now also the formation of what would go on to become known as CONMEBOL.
Despite being the grandfather of the federations, CONMEBOL has the least member associations with just 10; Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. But even with just 10 members, CONMEBOL is not a small federation geographically, including 2 of the 10 largest nations in the world (Brazil 5th and Argentina 8th).
Whilst UEFA rules the roost club-wise, CONMEBOL are the record holders for international football. They are the only federation to have won the FIFA World Cup outside their own continent, having won it at least once in every continent it’s been held. This is primarily down to Brazil (5 World Cup wins), but Argentina and Uruguay both have got 2 World Cup wins each under their belts. This record is on the line at World Cup 2010 as it is the first one to take place in the continent of Africa.
The headquarters are in Luque, near Asunción, the capital of Paraguay and the current president, Nicolás Léoz, has headed the organisation since 1986. Léoz made his name as a businessman and history teacher as well as presiding over a number of football and basketball organisations, before becoming part of CONMEBOL.

Competitions
Nations :
The national sides of CONMEBOL compete in the Copa América, the oldest international football competition in existence. The 10 members are joined by 2 invited teams, to date these have been USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Japan and Honduras. The competition is primarily dominated by Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, winning 36 of the 42 tournaments between them.
The competition began in 1916, organised by Argentina as part of the celebrations of 100 years of Argentinian independence, and it was during this competition that the original meetings to create CONMEBOL took place. Just 4 nations took part in the first edition (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay), with Uruguay winning the round robin tournament, and both Chile and Brazil failed to win a single game.
Between then and 1967 the competition was slightly sporadic, with 29 editions taking place and a round robin format being used. As the tournament grew, more nations began to take part, making it necessary to have qualification rounds. The tournament then took a hiatus till 1975 when it returned as a ‘group stage then knockout’ format and took place every 4 years until 1987 when it became every 2 years. In 2001 it went to every 3 years and then in 2007 it changed yet again to a 4 year gap.
The ‘invited teams’ system began in 1993 to make it into a 12 team tournament. To date, no invited team has won the competition, though Mexico have twice reached the final. Brazil have won 4 of the last 5 tournaments, doubling their tally of titles.

Clubs :
At club level, CONMEBOL’s top competition is the Copa Libertadores, which is an annual cup that sees the best teams in CONMEBOL’s leagues (plus Mexican teams are invited) compete in a group-stage-and-then-knockout-rounds style competition.
The competition began in 1960 and has taken place every year since without exception. Qualification to the competition is via winning the respective domestic league and also teams down to 5th placed in the strongest leagues such as Argentina and Brazil.
The first tournament featured just 7 teams, national champions from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, but now it has grown to feature 38 teams, which includes 3 teams invited from Mexico. To date, the competition has not been won by any of the invited teams and is mainly dominated by teams from Argentina and Brazil.
For 10 years it was sponsored by motor company Toyota and is now sponsored by the global bank Santander.
A secondary competition began in 2002 which also takes place annually; the Copa Sudamericana. This tournament includes teams from CONMEBOL and recently also from CONCACAF.
In 1992, CONMEBOL began to run the secondary cup competition, alongside the Copa Libertadores, calling it the Copa CONMEBOL. This cup ran for 8 seasons and was only won by Brazilian and Argentinian teams. Overlapping this in the last year were 2 competitions; the Copa Merconorte and the Copa Mercosur.
The Copa Merconorte featured teams from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, as well as United States, Costa Rica and Mexico. The 4 instances were thoroughly dominated by Colombian teams, with all 4 won by them and 3 of the 4 losing finalists also being Colombian.
The Copa Mercosur featured teams from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile and was dominated by Brazilian teams with 3 Brazilian winners and 4 Brazilian runners-up.
The current incarnation as Copa Sudamericana then came into existence and since the first edition in 2002 it has seen more Argentinian finalists than any other nation but has also seen teams from Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Colombia in the final during it’s 7 editions. The design of the competition means that there is a team from either Argentina or Brazil in every game of the second round, which has encouraged much criticism and attacks of it being manufactured purely to reap TV revenues. Further discredits to the competition have come from so many teams fielding weakened teams for this competition.
Women’s football
CONMEBOL run a competition for the women’s national sides called Sudamericano Femenino, taking place a little sporadically but roughly every 3-4 years. It began in 1991 and a Brazillian dominance is evident, having won 4 of the 5 titles and being runners up in the other one. The current format is 2 groups of 5 from which the top 2 in each qualify for a final group of 4. All single fixture ties, held at neutral venues in the host nation.

CONMEBOL Member Nations :
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela

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History of OFC

Oceania Football Conference (OFC)
Homepage: http://www.oceaniafootball.com/

History :
OFC has been representing the soccer region of Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific island nations since it was founded in 1966. Discussions leading to the creation of OFC started during the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and resulted from the Asian Football Confederation's refusal to accept either Australia or New Zealand for membership.
It took 24 years for FIFA to upgrade Oceania's status to that of a 'geographical entity', in preparation for a six-year trial period to determine whether the body merited confirmation as a full confederation. Finally, in 1996, FIFA put forward a motion to accept OFC as a full confederation at the FIFA Congress in Zurich.
To date, OFC’s membership includes American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, and Vanuatu. OFC is based in Auckland, New Zealand and is headed by New Zealander president Charles Dembsey and New Zealander general secretary Josephine King.

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History of AFC

Founded             : 1954
Presiden            : Mohamed bin Hammam
Country             : Asia
Official website : www.the-afc.com

The AFC
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) was founded in 1954, and regulates all off the football leagues in Asia. It is composed of four federations: East, West, Central and South, and ASEAN. The main competitions which they support are the Asian Cup and Asian Champions League. Over the years, the Confederation has evolved into one of the leading organizers of professional football.

About the Football Federation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Asia. The confederation was founded in 1954 in Manila, Philippines. It is one of FIFA’s six Continental Confederations. It is divided into four federations: East, West, Central and South, and ASEAN. The most prestigious tournament which is run by the AFC is the AFC Champions League, which is based on the UEFA Champions league.

Federation History
The Asian Football Confederation was founded in 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The first Asian Cup to ever take place was in 1956 in Hong Kong, with the winner being Korea. A year later, The Merdeka Cup was established, and became one of the most prestigious competitions in Asia. Soon Asian players stated to gain recognition, as the North Korean National Football Team defeated European giants Italy.
In 1967 the Asian Football Confederation extended its influence to club teams, and created the Asian Club Championship. Clubs from Israel became the dominant teams in the competition, wining thee championships in four years. The tournament was canceled in 1972, due to lack of interest, but was reinstated after 14 years. In 1994 Thai Farmers bank made history by becoming the first club to successfully defend its Asian Club Championship by defeating Al Arabi in the final.
The Asian Champions Cup, Asian Cup Winners Cup, and Asian Super Cup merged into one competition the Asian Champions League, which is named after the UEFA Competition. On May 8th 2005, the Asian Football Confederation celebrated its 50th anniversary.

National Teams
ASEAN Football Federation
* Australia
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* East Timor
* Indonesia
* Laos
* Malaysia
* Myanmar
* Philippines
* Singapore
* Thailand
* Vietnam
East Asian Football Federation
* China
* Chinese Taipei
* Guam
* Hong Kong
* Japan
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Macau
* Mongolia
* Northern Mariana Islands
West Asian Football Federation
* Bahrain
* Iran
* Iraq
* Jordan
* Kuwait
* Lebanon
* Oman
* Palestine
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Syria
* Emirates United Arab Emirates
* Yemen
Central and South Asian Football Federation
* Afghanistan
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan*
* India*
* Kyrgyzstan
* Maldives*
* Nepal*
* Pakistan*
* Sri Lanka
* Tajikistan
* Turkmenistan
* Uzbekistan

Federation Management
Mohamed bin Hammam – Confederation President
Mr Zhang Jilong—Vice President

AFC Competitions
Asian Cup
The Asian Cup is a football tournament held once every four years. It was founded in 1956 and hosts a total of 28 teams. The winner of the tournament goes on to the FIFA Confederations Cup. Saudi Arabia has won three championships, the most awards about of any country.

AFC Champions Leauge
The AFC Champions league tournament is the current club competition hosted by the AFC. 28 top club teams from fourteen Asian countries along with the defending champions compete each year for the title. The club that wins first place in the championship receives $600,000, and second place gets $400,000. The nation with the highest amount of winning club teams is South Korea.

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History of CAF

Founded            : 1957
President           : Issa Hayatou
Country             : Africa
Official website : www.cafonline.com

The CAF
The Confederation of African Football was formed in 1957, and received birth into FIFA World Cup in 1970. Abdel Aziz Abdallah was the first president of the confederation. It represents 53 countries from all over Africa. The Confederation of African Football has a close relationship with the Union Arab de Football Association as 10 of its countries participate in the UAFA Cup, and with all the federations which are inside each African country. In 2007 the federation teamed up with UEFA in order to put on the Meridian Cup.

Federation History
The Confederation of African Football was founded in 1957, in Egypt. They received a berth into the World Cup for the first time in 1970. Over the years they the federation has had a total of 27 meetings.

National Teams
Ghana. Cameroon Ivory Coast Egypt. Nigeria Guinea Mali Senegal Morocco Tunisia Angola Zambia South Africa Ecuatorial Guinea. Gambia DR Congo Libya Uganda . Congo Gabon Zimbabwe Algeria Benin Sudan. Cape Verde Burkina Faso Rwanda Botswana Kenya Namibia Eritrea Mala Liberia Tchad Madagascar Swaziland Sierra Leone Lesotho Mauritius

Federation Management
President: Issa Hayatou

Secretary General : Mustapha Fahmy

Past CAF Presidents
Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem (Egypt) : 1957 - 1958.
Gen. Abdel Aziz Mostafa (Egypt) : 1958 - 1968.
Dr. Abdel Halim Mohamed (Sudan) 1968 - 1972.
Ydnekatchew Tessema (Ethiopia) : 1972 - 1987.
Dr. Abdel Halim Mohamed (Sudan) : 1987 - 1988.

Competitions
Africa Cup of Nations—The Africa Cup of Nations tournament is the main football competition in Africa and is held every two year. In order for a team to be able to play in this tournament they have to win during the qualifying tournament. Egypt is the most successful team in the cup’s history winning a record of six championships.

CAF Champions League—The CAF Champions League is an annual competition run by the Confederation of Africa Football. The top club teams from all of Africa are invited to participate in this tournament. The winner of the competition gets millions of dollars in price money.

CECAFA Cup—The CECAFA Cup is the oldest football soccer tournament in Africa. It is a tournament that is overseen both by FIFA and the CAF. Uganda has the most wins of any country in Africa.

CEMAC Cup—The CEMAC Cup is an amateur football tournament that, which features local league players from parts of Central Africa. Even tough it is not a professional tournament, a lot of European recruits attend the game in order to scout talent for their team.

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History of CONCACAF

Founded            : 1961
President           : Jack Warner
Country             : North, Central America and Caribbean region
Official website : http://www.concacaf.com

About CONCACAF
The CONCACAF’s principal task is to oversee and organize club league and national teams competitions in the region. It is also in charge of administrating the FIFA men and women Qualifiers for the World Cup, as well as youth football, beach football, and indoor football competitions. The Golden Cup is the most important competition that the CONCACAF organizes and administers. The CONCACAF Champions Cup is the most important club level competition in the region.

Confederation History
The CONCACAF was founded in 1961 with the fusion of the Football Confederation of Central America and the Caribbean (CCF) and the North America Football Confederation (NAFC), it is currently headquartered in New York City. The United States national squad as the first team to win the first edition of the Golden Cup in 1991 against Honduras, but then the Mexican national football team won the next three editions.
In 1994 the CONCACAF had the fortune to join the UEFA and the CONMEBOL in being the only football federations to have hosted the FIFA World Cup in three occasions: Mexico 1978, 1986 and the United States 1994.
The CONCACAF’s Champions Cup has been the most important competition club level since the creation of the CONCAFAC. The national champion and runner up of each country’s league tournament participate in the competition. The club team that wins the Champion’s Cup automatically qualifies to the FIFA Club World Cup. Pachuca from Mexico’s Primera Division was the last team to win the Champion’s Cup.

Confederation Management
CONCACAF President: Jack Warner
CONCACAF Vice President: Guillermo Canedo (Mexico)

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History of UEFA

Founded            : 1954
President           : Michel Platini
Country             : Europe
Official website : http://www.uefa.com

UEFA Overview
UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, is one of the six continental football federations that are part of FIFA. It acts as the governing body for all countries in the region; but there are several football federations that geographically are located in Asia but are part of the UEFA. These nations are Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Israel, Cyprus, Russia and Azerbaijan. Of the six continental football federations in the world, the UEFA is the wealthiest and has the strongest influence on football. The world’s top players play for European power houses that belong to the UEFA.

About the Union of European Football Associations
UEFA’s principal task is to oversee and organize league and national team competitions in the region. For the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the UEFA was awarded 14 spots out of the 32 available. In addition, currently 14 of the top 20 teams in the FIFA World Rankings are members of the UEFA. The UEFA is also in charge of administrating the FIFA men and women Qualifiers for the World Cup, as well as youth football, baech football, and indoor football competitions. The most important competition on the national side leave that the Union of European Football Associations organizes is the men’s UEFA European Football Championship. Club wise, the UEFA Champion’s League is the most known and important tournament for football clubs.

Confederation History
The UEFA was founded on June 15 1954 in Basel, Switzerland after talks between the French, Italian and Belgian football federations to create a governing body to oversee the region. Henri Delaunay was the first General Secretary and Ebbe Schwartz the president. The UEFA started with 25 national member associations, but now there are 53 that make it up. The UEFA’s headquarters were located in Paris, France until 1959 when it was moved to Berne and then finally to Nyon, Switzerland in 1995. The UEFA European Football Championship started in 1958, it was known as the European Nations Cup until 1964. The first champion was the Soviet Union who beat Yugoslavia 2-1 in an exciting final in Paris. The UEFA European Football Championship is held every four years just like the FIFA World Cup. The UEFA also organizes two club team competitions in Europe. The UEFA Champion’s League that was first crated in 1955, formerly known was the European Champion Clubs Cup until 1991; and the UEFA Cup that began in 197 substituting the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Juventus is the only club team in Europe to have won all of the UEFA’s championships and cups. The UEFA Super Cup is played by the winner of the Champion’s League and the UEFA Cup. With 9 titles, Real Madrid is the most successful club team in Champion’s League history.

UEFA Member Nations
UEFA is comprised of 53 member nations, including all of Europe but also some nations that are technically part of Asia and the Middle East.

UEFA Competitions
Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is the premier football competition in Europe. 76 club teams from all over Europe, some of which have high fan appeal, compete for this prestigious trophy. The annual competition is held in various venues all over Europe, with the final taking place in a neutral location. The most successful club to participate in the competition is Real Madrid, and the current champions are Manchester United. For the 2009 Champions League, the final will be held in Rome's Stadio Olimpico.
In order to win for the UEFA Champions League clubs must go through a rigorous elimination process. First teams must participate in three qualifying rounds by playing two matches against each other on both home and away basis, with the club scoring the greater aggregate of goals qualifying for the next round. During the group stages, 32 teams are spilt into eight groups of four teams who play both home and away against each of their pool of opponents. Two teams out of the four in the group advance to the next stage of the competition, the knockout phase, the step before the quarter and semi-finals of the competition. After the quarter and semi-finals a neutral location is used to determine who will be the final champion and best club team in Europe.
The competition was created by the French newspaper L'Equipe A just two months after the creation UEFA. Real Madrid dominated the competition, during its first 5 years of existence. Liverpool FC became the next team to be a powerhouse in tournament winning four times between 1977 and 1984. In 1992 the group stages were added tournament, making it even harder for a team to become the champion. Currently the UEFA Champions League is considered the Super Bowl of European football, due to its popularity and competitiveness.

UEFA Cup
The UEFA Cup is one of the biggest club football competitions in Europe. A total of 157 club teams compete in the annual tournament. Ever since its creation in 1971 the competition has been one of the most prestigious tournaments in Europe. Club teams must go through qualifying rounds and a knockout stage in order to make it into the final of the competition. Each team plays both home and away matches, with the final being held in a neutral location. Italian club teams have been most successful in the tournament. However, the most recent champion of the competition is the Russian club Zenit. St. Petersburg, as they defeated the Rangers, in City of Manchester Stadium by a score 2-0.
The competition was formed in 1971-1972 by the Swiss man Ernst Thommen and future FIFA vice presidents Sir Stanley Rous and Ottorino Barrasi for representative sides from European cities that regularly held trade fairs. The first club that won the competition was Tottenham Hotspur F.C. The competition was first dominated by English club teams such as Liverpool in the early years of the competition. Kevin Keegan and Jimmy Case showcased their talents with Liverpool during these years. During the 1980s West German clubs such as Bayern Munchen became dominant in the competition. However during the 1990s the Italians were most successful, with teams such as Juventes and Parma winning the competition. Most recently Russian teams have began to showcase their talent in the UEFA Cup.

EURO
The UEFA EURO, also known as the European Championship, is the most European prestigious competition for national teams. The tournament is held every four years, two years after the World Cup. Teams must qualify over a 9 month period and are drawn into Groups. The top 2 teams from each group then make it to the final Group stage. The top two teams from each group of 4 teams (16 teams total in 4 groups) then progress to the quarterfinals, and losers are immediately eliminated. Spain are the current champions, having won EURO 2008 final against Germany in Austria on June 29, 2008.

InterToto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (UI Cup) is a summer competition for football club teams which did not qualify for the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. Founded in 1961 and taken over by UEFA in 1995, it is considered as an alternative qualifying route for the UEFA Cup. The tournament lets clubs that do not qualify for other major European championships get a taste of European Football. 50 club teams compete in three rounds of the elimination style tournament. The most recent champion of the competition is Hamburger SV. French clubs teams have had the most success in the tournament, winning a total of 15 competitions.

FIFA World Cup Qualifying
UEFA manages the region's qualification matches of the FIFA World Cup for all member nations.

Confederation Management
President: Michel Platini (2006-present)

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FIFA Tournament

Men's Tournaments

• FIFA World Cup™
• FIFA U-20 World Cup
• FIFA U-17 World Cup
• FIFA Confederations Cup
• FIFA Club World Cup
• FIFA Futsal World Cup
• FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
• Men's Olympic Football Tournament
• FIFA Interactive World Cup
• Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup

Women's Tournaments

• FIFA Women's World Cup™
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
• FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
• Women's Olympic Football Tournament

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World Cup Histories

No other sporting event captures the world's imagination like the FIFA World Cup™. Ever since the first tentative competition in Uruguay in 1930, FIFA's flagship has constantly grown in popularity and prestige.

A group of visionary French football administrators, led in the 1920s by the innovative Jules Rimet, are credited with the original idea of bringing the world's strongest national football teams together to compete for the title of World Champions. The original gold trophy bore Jules Rimet's name and was contested three times in the 1930s, before the Second World War put a 12-year stop to the competition.

When it resumed, the FIFA World Cup rapidly advanced to its undisputed status as the greatest single sporting event of the modern world. Held since 1958 alternately in Europe and the Americas, the World Cup broke new ground with the Executive Committee's decision in May 1996 to select Korea and Japan as co-hosts for the 2002 edition.

Since 1930, the 16 tournaments have seen only seven different winners. However, the FIFA World Cup has also been punctuated by dramatic upsets that have helped create footballing history - the United States defeating England in 1950, North Korea's defeat of Italy in 1966, Cameroon's emergence in the 1980s and their opening match defeat of the Argentinean cup-holders in 1990....

Today, the FIFA World Cup holds the entire global public under its spell. An accumulated audience of over 37 billion people watched the France 98 tournament, including approximately 1.3 billion for the final alone, while over 2.7 million people flocked to watch the 64 matches in the French stadia.

After all these years and so many changes, however, the main focus of the FIFA World Cup remains the same - the glistening golden trophy, which is the embodiment of every footballer's ambition.

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FIFA Chairman

FIFA has been served by eight Presidents since its foundation in 1904. From Frenchman Robert Guerin to the current incumbent Joseph S. Blatter via Jules Rimet, the father of the FIFA World Cup™, each President has played his part in the growth and development of the world's favourite game.

Robert Guerin, France - 1904-06
Born 1876, Died 1952
Frenchman Robert Guerin was the dynamic figure behind the founding of FIFA in 1904. A journalist with Le Matin newspaper, Guerin was actively involved in football through his role as secretary of the Football Department of the Union des Societes Françaises de Sports Athletiques. He brought together representatives of the first seven member countries in Paris for the signing of FIFA's foundation act and agreement of the first FIFA statutes. On 22 May 1904, Guerin - then just 28 - was elected president at the inaugural FIFA Congress and remained in his post for two years, during which time another eight associations came on board, including the English Football Association.

Daniel Burley Woolfall, England - 1906-18
Born 1852, Died 1918
An English FA administrator from Blackburn, Daniel Burley Woolfall was elected as President on 4 June 1906. A key aim during his presidency was to achieve uniform football rules on an international level and he played a prominent role in the drafting of FIFA's new constitution. Under Woolfall, the application of the Laws of the Game, established under the English model, became compulsory and a clear definition was made of international matches. Two years after assuming the presidency, he helped organise the first noteworthy international football competition, the 1908 Olympic Games in London. His reign as president brought the arrival of FIFA's first non-European members in South Africa, Argentina, Chile and the United States but was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War. Woolfall's presidency ended with his death in August 1918.

Jules Rimet, France- 1921-54
Born 1873, Died 1956
(named Honorary FIFA President on 21 June 1954)
When the FIFA World Cup trophy was renamed in honour of Jules Rimet in 1946, it was rightful recognition of the role played by the Frenchman, then celebrating his 25 ^th anniversary as President, in establishing what fast became the sport's foremost competition. Rimet, inspired by the success of the Olympic Football Tournament, was the driving force behind the FIFA World Cup's inception in 1930. His overriding aim was a rapprochement of nations through sport and the First World War only reinforced his determination. He oversaw the first five tournaments before handing 'his' trophy over for the final time to West Germany captain Fritz Walter in June 1954. That same month, the then 80-year-old ended his long reign - during which FIFA membership grew from 20 to 85 countries - and became the federation's first Honorary President.

Rodolphe William Seeldrayers, Belgium - 1954-55
Born 1876, Died 1955
A lawyer from Brussels, Rodolphe William Seeldrayers was an accomplished sportsman in his youth, winning a Belgian championship with Racing Club Brussels - a club he later served as president. As a sports administrator, he helped found the Belgian Football Association and served on the International Olympic Committee. At FIFA he performed the duties of Vice-President for 27 years prior to succeeding Jules Rimet, his great comrade-in-arms. Seeldrayers was President for the 1954 FIFA World Cup and also oversaw the world governing body's 50 ^th anniversary celebrations that same year. He died in office on 7 October 1955.

Arthur Drewry, England - 1955-61
Born 1891, Died 1961
Arthur Drewry served as interim head of FIFA for six months following the death of Rodolphe William Seeldrayers and then became President in his own right in June 1956. Together with Stanley Rous, he had keenly supported Jules Rimet's efforts to bring the British associations back into FIFA in 1946 and he also served as president of the Football League and chairman of the Football Association in England. The near five years that Drewry spent as President - from his election in 1956 to his passing aged 70 on 25 March 1961 - included the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden.

Sir Stanley Rous, England - 1961-74
Born 1895, Died 1986
(named Honorary FIFA President on 11 June 1974)
Sir Stanley Rous had already made an impressive contribution to football on and off the field before becoming President of FIFA. As a top-class referee, he took charge of the FA Cup final in England and 36 international matches. Then, having becoming secretary of the English FA in 1934, he helped rewrite the Laws of the Game in 1938 while his patient diplomacy helped pave the way for the British nations rejoining FIFA in 1946. Rous was knighted in 1949 for his contribution to the London Olympics the previous year and to sport in general. He became the third English President of FIFA when he took the reins in September 1961 and during his term of office, the FIFA World Cup became a worldwide television spectacle - particularly with the Mexico 1970 finals, which were the first to be broadcast around the globe in colour. Four years earlier he had been witness to England's FIFA World Cup triumph on home soil.

João Havelange, Brazil - 1974-98
Born 1916
(named Honorary FIFA President on 8 June 1998)
Dr João Havelange's 24 years as FIFA President were a period of significant change which featured, most notably, the expansion of the FIFA World Cup from a 16-team tournament to one twice as large by the time the Brazilian left his post in 1998. An Olympic swimmer and water polo player in his younger days, Havelange's greatest achievement as a football administrator was arguably to ensure increased involvement on the world stage for teams from Asia, Africa, CONCACAF and Oceania, who had had just three FIFA World Cup finalists between them in 1974. FIFA's Zurich headquarters housed just 12 staff members when he took office yet that figure would increase almost tenfold as FIFA's organisational responsibilities and commercial interests grew, not least with a wave of new tournaments introduced, notably the world championships at Under-17 and U20 level in the late 1980s and the FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA Women's World Cup at the start of the 1990s.

Joseph S. Blatter, Switzerland - 1998-present
Born 1936
Joseph S. Blatter had already served FIFA for 23 years when he was elected President of world football's governing body on 8 June 1998. A former keen amateur footballer, he joined FIFA as Director of Technical Programmes in 1975 where he helped lay the foundations for future under-age and women's competitions. He worked closely under his predecessor, Dr João Havelange, serving as General Secretary for nine years from 1981 and subsequently CEO, and playing a key role in organising five FIFA World Cups from Spain 1982 onwards. The Swiss was also the driving force behind FIFA's ongoing partnership with SOS Children's Villages, which started in 1994, and since his election he has extended the federation's humanitarian remit by forming an alliance with UNICEF. Re-elected for a second term as President on 29 May 2002, Mr Blatter has expanded FIFA's competition portfolio, developing the FIFA Club World Cup as well as introducing world championships for Beach Soccer and Futsal.

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FIFA Histories

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in the rear of the headquarters of the Union Française de Sports Athlétiques at the Rue Saint Honoré 229 in Paris on 21 May 1904. The foundation act was signed by the authorised representatives of the following associations:

• France - Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA)
• Belgium - Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports (UBSSA)
• Denmark - Dansk Boldspil Union (DBU)
• Netherlands - Nederlandsche Voetbal Bond (NVB)
• Spain - Madrid Football Club
• Sweden - Svenska Bollspells Förbundet (SBF)
• Switzerland - Association Suisse de Football (ASF)

Present at that historic meeting were: Robert Guérin and André Espir (France); Louis Muhlinghaus and Max Kahn (Belgium); Ludvig Sylow (Denmark); Carl Anton Wilhelm Hirschman (Netherlands); Victor E Schneider (Switzerland). Sylow also represented the SBF while Spir performed the same function for the Madrid Football Club.

When the idea of founding an international football federation began taking shape in Europe, the intention of those involved was to recognise the role of the English who had founded their Football Association back in 1863. Hirschman, secretary of the Netherlands Football Association, turned to the Football Association. Its secretary, FJ Wall, did accept the proposal but progress stalled while waiting for the Executive Committee of the Football Association, the International FA Board and the associations of Scotland, Wales and Ireland to give their opinion about the matter.

Guérin, secretary of the football department of the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques and a journalist with Le Matin newspaper, did not want to wait any longer. He contacted the national associations on the continent in writing and asked them to consider the possibility of founding an umbrella organisation.

When Belgium and France met in the first official international match in Brussels on 1 May 1904, Guérin discussed the subject with his Belgian counterpart Louis Muhlinghaus. It was now definite that the English FA, under its president Lord Kinnaird, would not be participating in the foundation of an international federation. So Guérin took the opportunity and sent out invitations to the founding assembly. The process of organising the international game had begun.

The first FIFA Statutes were laid down and the following points determined: the reciprocal and exclusive recognition of the national associations represented and attending; clubs and players were forbidden to play simultaneously for different national associations; recognition by the other associations of a player's suspension announced by an association; and the playing of matches according to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association Ltd.

Each national association had to pay an annual fee of FF50. Already then there were thoughts of staging an international competition and Article 9 stipulated that FIFA alone was entitled to take over the organisation of such an event. It was decided that these regulations would only come into force as of 1 September 1904. Moreover, the first Statutes of FIFA were only of a provisional nature, in order to simplify the acceptance of additional members. On the day of foundation, the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (German FA) sent a telegram confirming that it would adhere to these Statutes in principle.

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Rules of The Games Development

Football has come a long way since its first laws were drawn up in London in 1863. That historic meeting at the Freemasons' Tavern led not only to the foundation of the Football Association but, moreover, to the game's inaugural set of common rules.

Although undergraduates at Cambridge had made an earlier attempt to achieve a uniform standard in the late 1840s - albeit still allowing the ball to be caught - it was not until 1863 that football, a sport played down the centuries in often-violent village contests and then embraced in the early 1800s by the English public schools, had a fixed rulebook.

One club represented at the Freemasons' Tavern, Blackheath, refused to accept the non-inclusion of hacking (kicking below the knee) and subsequently became a founder of the Rugby Football Union. However, the 11 others reached an agreement and, under the charge of one Ebenezer Cobb Morley, 14 laws were soon penned for a game that would, in the following century, become the most played, watched and talked about activity on the planet.

Original offside rule
The offside rule formed part of the original rules in 1863 but it was a far remove from the law as we know it today. Any attacking player ahead of the ball was deemed to be offside - meaning early tactical systems featured as many as eight forwards, as the only means of advancing the ball was by dribbling or scrimmaging as in rugby. In the late 1860s, the FA made the momentous decision to adopt the three-player rule, where an attacker would be called offside if positioned in front of the third-last defender. Now the passing game could develop.

Despite the unification of the rules and the creation of the FA in 1863, disputes, largely involving Sheffield clubs who had announced their own set of ideas in 1857, persisted into the late 1870s. However, the creation of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) finally put an end to all arguments. Made up of two representatives from each of the four associations of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland), the IFAB met for the first time on 2 June 1886 to guard the Laws of the Game. Then, as today, a three-quarters majority was needed for a proposal to be passed.

Gradual changes
In those early years, the game gradually assumed the features we take for granted today. Goal-kicks were introduced in 1869 and corner-kicks in 1872. In 1878 a referee used a whistle for the first time. Yet there was no such thing as a penalty up until 1891. In the public schools where modern football originated, there was an assumption that a gentleman would never deliberately commit a foul. Amid the increased competitiveness, however, the penalty, or as it was originally called 'the kick of death', was introduced as one of a number of dramatic changes to the Laws of the Game in 1891.

Penalties, of course, had to be awarded by someone and following a proposal from the Irish Association, the referee was allowed on to the field of play. True to its gentlemanly beginnings, disputes were originally settled by the two team captains, but, as the stakes grew, so did the number of complaints.

By the time the first FA Cup and international fixture took place, two umpires, one per team, were being employed to whom each side could appeal. But it was not the ideal solution as decisions were often only reached following lengthy delays. The referee, at first, stood on the touchline keeping time and was 'referred' to if the umpires could not agree but that all changed in 1891.

Referees introduced
From that date a single person with powers to send players off as well as give penalties and free-kicks without listening to appeals became a permanent fixture in the game. The two umpires became linesmen, or 'assistant referees' as they are called today. Also during that meeting in Scotland, the goal net was accepted into the laws, completing the make-up of the goal after the introduction of the crossbar to replace tape 16 years previously.

With the introduction of rules, the features of the football pitch as we know it slowly began to appear. The kick-off required a centre spot; keeping players ten yards from the ball at kick-off, brought the centre circle. It is interesting to note that when the penalty came in 1891, it was not taken from a spot but anywhere along a 12-yard line before 1902.

The 1902 decision to award penalties for fouls committed in an area 18 yards from the goal line and 44 yards wide, created both the penalty box and penalty spot. Another box 'goal area', commonly called the 'six-yard-box', six yards long and 20 wide, replaced a semi circle in the goalmouth. However it was not for another 35 years that the final piece of the jigsaw, the 'D' shape at the edge of the penalty area,

FIFA joins IFAB
Football fast became as popular elsewhere as it had been in Britain and in May 1904, FIFA was founded in Paris with seven original members: France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain (represented by Madrid FC), Sweden and Switzerland. There was some initial disquiet in the United Kingdom to the idea of a world body governing the sport it had created rules for, but this uncertainty was soon brushed aside. Former FA board member Daniel Burley Woolfall replaced Frenchman Robert Guérin as FIFA President in 1906 - the year the FA joined - and in 1913 FIFA became a member of the IFAB.

In the restructured decision-making body, FIFA was given the same voting powers as the four British associations put together. There remained eight votes and the same 75 per cent majority needed for a proposal to be passed, but instead of two each, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland now had one, while FIFA was given four.

On the field of play, the number of goals increased aided by the 1912 rule preventing goalkeepers from handling the ball outside the penalty area and another in 1920 banning offsides from throw-ins. In 1925, the three-player offside rule became a two-player one, representing another radical change that propelled the game further forward.

Rous rewrites the Laws
By the late 1930s it was felt that the Laws of the Game, now totalling 17, required a makeover. The original Laws had been penned in the language of Victorian England and since then, there had been more than half a century of changes and amendments. Hence the task given to Stanley Rous, a member of the IFAB and the official who first employed the diagonal system of refereeing, to clean the cobwebs and draft the Laws in a rational order. The Englishman, who would become FIFA President in 1961, did such a good job that not until 1997 were the Laws revised for as second time.

Despite football's phenomenal popularity, there was a general agreement in the late 1980s that the Laws of the Game should be fine-tuned in the face of defensive tactics. If fan violence was a serious off-the-pitch problem during that period, then on it the increasingly high stakes meant a real risk of defensive tactics gaining the upper hand.

Hence a series of amendments, often referred to as for the 'Good of the Game', which were designed to help promote attacking football. They began with the offside law in 1990. The advantage was now given to the attacking team. If the attacker was in line with the penultimate defender, he was now onside. In the same year, the 'professional foul' - denying an opponent a clear goal-scoring opportunity - became a sending-off offence.

Back-pass rule changed
Despite these changes, tactics during the 1990 FIFA World Cup ™ suggested something more needed to be done. The IFAB responded in 1992 by banning goalkeepers from handling deliberate back-passes. Although the new rule was greeted with scepticism by some at first, in the fullness of time it would become widely appreciated.

The game's Law-makers then struck another blow against cynicism in 1998 when the fierce tackle from behind became a red-card offence. With a new century approaching, the commitment to forward-thinking football could not have been clearer.

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Histories of Football

The contemporary history of the world's favourite game spans more than 100 years. It all began in 1863 in England, when rugby football and association football branched off on their different courses and the Football Association in England was formed - becoming the sport's first governing body.
Both codes stemmed from a common root and both have a long and intricately branched ancestral tree. A search down the centuries reveals at least half a dozen different games, varying to different degrees, and to which the historical development of football has been traced back. Whether this can be justified in some instances is disputable. Nevertheless, the fact remains that people have enjoyed kicking a ball about for thousands of years and there is absolutely no reason to consider it an aberration of the more 'natural' form of playing a ball with the hands.
On the contrary, apart from the need to employ the legs and feet in tough tussles for the ball, often without any laws for protection, it was recognised right at the outset that the art of controlling the ball with the feet was not easy and, as such, required no small measure of skill. The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise from a military manual dating back to the second and third centuries BC in China.
This Han Dynasty forebear of football was called Tsu' Chu and it consisted of kicking a leather ball filled with feathers and hair through an opening, measuring only 30-40cm in width, into a small net fixed onto long bamboo canes. According to one variation of this exercise, the player was not permitted to aim at his target unimpeded, but had to use his feet, chest, back and shoulders while trying to withstand the attacks of his opponents. Use of the hands was not permitted.
Another form of the game, also originating from the Far East, was the Japanese Kemari, which began some 500-600 years later and is still played today. This is a sport lacking the competitive element of Tsu' Chu with no struggle for possession involved. Standing in a circle, the players had to pass the ball to each other, in a relatively small space, trying not to let it touch the ground.
The Greek 'Episkyros' - of which few concrete details survive - was much livelier, as was the Roman 'Harpastum'. The latter was played out with a smaller ball by two teams on a rectangular field marked by boundary lines and a centre line. The objective was to get the ball over the opposition's boundary lines and as players passed it between themselves, trickery was the order of the day. The game remained popular for 700-800 years, but, although the Romans took it to Britain with them, the use of feet was so small as to scarcely be of consequence.

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