Beginning guide to soccer?

May 13, 2009 1:32 PM

I'm looking for a beginners guide to watching soccer.

I'm watching the Seattle Sounders games and have really been enjoying them. But, I'd like to learn more about the rules. Anyone know a good guide specifically for beginners - essentially starting from zero knowledge about the game? Thanks!

posted by Craig to sports, hobbies, & recreation (15 comments total)

Here.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:36 PM on May 13

Try this: Laws of the Game

There's a 2 MB PDF from FIFA that simply and clearly explains most of what's going in.
posted by IanMorr at 1:41 PM on May 13

YouTube is really good for things like this. I learned (sort of) Cricket that way!

Try this search query.
posted by nitsuj at 1:43 PM on May 13

Beyond just the rules - which you'll pick up quickly, there really aren't very many - you need to be able to understand the team strategy and recognize the tactical choices by players to "fully comprehend" the beauty of the game. Obviously, its not just running down the field with the ball and scoring. That doesn't happen much. Its more fun to watch if you can see runs from the defense, switching fields, team alignments, etc.

There are some really great books out there that give a great feel for the game, as a fan, good sense of the atmosphere of different soccer cultures.

I liked
- Brillant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football, David Winner
- Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby
- The Thinking Fan's Guide to the World Cup
* there are a bunch more, obviously

I am no expert - but I have played for a long time, watched a good amount of soccer, and I think I can "see" a few more things than someone with no soccer knowledge, and that make the game more enjoyable as a fan.
posted by RajahKing at 1:54 PM on May 13 [1 favorite has favorites]

The BBC has some good, short introductory material.
posted by idb at 2:13 PM on May 13

The BBC's "Laws and Equipment" section is good on formations, positions, tactics and set plays, which is exactly the kind of basic knowledge (in the context of the Laws of the Game) that helps a newcomer.

And here's the Wikipedia illustration of the offside rule (not "offsides", please) which is probably the most complicated thing a newbie needs to understand, since it underpins elements of both attacking and defensive strategy. That pass out to the winger who'll tear down towards the corner before putting in a cross? Designed in part to allow strikers to make runs into the box while staying onside. The defenders push out after defending a corner? Designed to catch strikers offside if the ball goes back into the box.

This isn't a "rules and tactics" thing, but given Drew Carey's involvement in the Sounders, you might want to look at the vlogs that accompanied his Travel Channel series on travelling to the World Cup in 2006, and visiting Real and Barca beforehand.
posted by holgate at 2:25 PM on May 13

I would also watch as much soccer as you can on TV and listen to the commentary. It may seem pretty opaque at first, but after a while you'll amaze yourself when you start to see patterns and predict what the announcers are going to say. When your brain starts going "oh that late tackle would have been a yellow, but he was the last defender, so it's straight red," you'll know you're getting the hang of it.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:43 PM on May 13

Try to watch some European games whenever possible. American announcers tend to talk about things other than what's actually happening. I gained a sudden interest in soccer a few years ago, and it seems like I learned about all I needed to know pretty quickly, but I don't live anywhere near an MLS team, and I attribute my fast learning to British announcers.

It doesn't concern the rules so much as the culture of the game, but a book I enjoyed (aside from the ones already mentioned) is How Soccer Explains the World, which is written for an American reader.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 3:31 PM on May 13

The most important thing you'll have to know is that football is a juror's sport. Because it is so difficult to score a goal, it is rewarding for the teams to cheat; as only one man will judge them on their fouls and tricks, and this so called referee can thus be the most important man on the pitch by far.

Put me off the game, that.
posted by ijsbrand at 3:53 PM on May 13

Because it is so difficult to score a goal, it is rewarding for the teams to cheat; as only one man will judge them on their fouls and tricks, and this so called referee can thus be the most important man on the pitch by far.

Well, it's not so simple as that. First, there are four officials, so it's not just one ref's eyes on the play; he does consult with his assistants. Second, there can be rewards for simulation or egregious fouls, but these tactics can also backfire (as for example, yellow and red cards). Also, perceived persistent simulation gains players a reputation with the referees, and can reduce the chances of actual fouls being called. Third, it is not so incredibly difficult to score, as you say; witness the many high scoring games in the EPL and Primera this season alone. But that isn't the only reason to watch a game for many fans. YMMV.
posted by JenMarie at 4:04 PM on May 13

I don't know soccer, but I imagine that reading the rules wouldn't work so well. I know baseball, and I've tried reading the rules, but they're not worded in a way that's particularly useful for the newcomer. I left more confused.
posted by madcaptenor at 4:14 PM on May 13

Just to clarify, I mean that I read the rules of baseball and they made me more confused about baseball. The point I was trying to make is that the "official rules" of a sport can be difficult to understand even for somebody who already understands it, let alone for a newcomer.
posted by madcaptenor at 4:23 PM on May 13

Also, not rules so much, but watch stuff like this to see how amazing the game can be.
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:46 PM on May 13

Once you understand the basic rules, I recommend Inverting The Pyramid for a guide to tactics and formations and how they have evolved through the history of the game.
posted by Electric Dragon at 5:31 AM on May 14

Thank you for all the replies! I've got some studying to do.
posted by Craig at 9:01 AM on May 14