Passion For The Game

Conversation, vocabulary and reading activity

A. Conversation

Have you ever played soccer? Does it seem easy, hard ..? Why? Do you like watching games on TV? Is there any team you like better or root for? Can you name 10 famous soccer players past or present? What do you like about soccer? What don’t you like about it?

B. Pre-reading Activity : Answer the following questions individually, in pairs or in groups.

Are you a soccer expert? How much do you know about the game? 1) How many players per team are there in the field? 2) How long is a game ? 3) How long is half time ? 4) Which player wears an  armband? 5) How do you win a game? 6) How many referees are there in a game? 7) What part of the body cannot touch the ball? 8) What do the yellow and red cards mean? 9) What happens when a game ends in a draw at the end of a cup or tournament ? 10) What is injury time?

C. Reading: Check the answers to the previous activity. Find information in the text.

The most popular sport in the world Soccer, football or Association football are all valid names for the most popular sport in the world. The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by using any part of the body besides the arms and hands to get the ball into the opposing goal. The goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play and then only in their penalty area. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, it is a draw or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shootout in important championships or at the end of a tournament. The game is played using a spherical ball Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal.  Each team is led by a captain wearing and indentifying armband and who has responsibility in the coin toss prior to kick-off or penalty kicks. In professional matches, football is played in large stadiums, with spectators and fans in the stalls.  A standard match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each, known as halves. There is a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time. Besides this faculty, the referee calls fouls or sanctions a player’s misconduct using a yellow card for warnings and a red card for expulsions. He may also give advantage to the fouled team awarding free kicks, corner kicks, etc. The referee is assited by two linesmen whose job it is to call offsides, throw-ins and help make decisions. Carrying a flag to signal their observations, linesmen must monitor the sidelines and goal lines and flag if the ball goes out of play. Source: Text adapted from FIFA.org and Wikipedia

D. Football in pictures :

1.Look at and discuss the details in the image below.

2.Find in the text the words, sentences or paragraphs that describe what the photo or drawing illustrates.