The (mostly) serious guide to soccer
The dummies guide to soccer
Design by Everett Baumann
Everett Baumann, Copy Editor
Welcome to the third edition of the "The Dummies" series! This time, we're going to tackle soccer. With the soccer season starting shortly, it is important that you know the rules and regulations of the game. Without further ado, here is The Mostly Serious Guide to Soccer!
A is for Assist. An assist is when a player from one team passes the ball directly to a player on their team, and the player who receives the ball scores.
B is for Box. The box is an area at both ends of the field where the goalkeepers stand. This area is rectangular, and directly in front of the goal that each team is defending. It is called the 18-yard box as its dimensions are 18 yards by 18 yards. Fouls that occur in the box result in a penalty kick.
C is for Corner Kick. A corner kick occurs when a ball goes out of play behind the goal, due to the defense kicking it out of bounds. Corner kicks are taken from the corner of the field, and kicked into the middle of the box.
D is for Defense. In soccer, the defense's primary job is to prevent the attacking team from scoring goals. There are 3 main positions on defense; left-back, center-back, and right-back. These positions usually play closest to the goalkeeper. Some of the best defenders today are Virgil Van Dijk of Liverpool and Antonio Rudiger of Real Madrid.
E is for Eintracht Frankfurt. Roughly translating to "Union Frankfurt", Eintracht is Everett Baumann's favorite team. They play in the German first division of soccer, the Bundesliga. He grew up going to his grandparents' house and seeing Eintracht on TV. Since then, they have stuck as his favorite team.
F is for free kick. A free kick is the method by which play restarts after a foul. Play resumes when the team of the fouled player kicks the ball from the spot of the foul. Opposing players must stand at least 10 yards away from the ball until play resumes with the kick of the ball.
G is for goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the most important position in soccer. They are responsible for not letting the ball into the net. They are the only player allowed to use their hands on the field. However, they can only use their hands within the 18-yard box. Each team plays one goalkeeper in a lineup. The best goalkeepers in the world are Emi Martinez of Aston Villa, and Alisson Becker of Liverpool.
H is for header. A header is when a player jumps up and hits the ball with their head. Headers score most corner kicks.
I is for Injury time. Injury time is the time added on by the referee at the end of each 45-minute half. This is to account for injuries, goals scored, and the ball going out of bounds. Injury time is used because, in soccer, the clock doesn't stop. Injury time usually ranges anywhere from 1-10 minutes, but it can extend longer.
J is for Juggling. Juggling is the skill of being able to keep the ball in the air without letting it touch the ground.
K is for kickoff. Conducted before the start of each of the two halves, the kickoff is when the ball is placed in the middle of the center circle. The team kicking off passes the ball to a teammate, and the half begins.
L is Lionel Messi. Considered one of the two greatest players of all time, Messi is an Argentine forward who has defined a generation of soccer-watchers. He has spent most of his career at F.C Barcelona, but he also played for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Today, he plays for Inter Miami of the MLS. His greatest achievement was winning a World Cup title with Argentina in 2022.
M is for Midfielder. A midfielder is the most expendable position in soccer. Like the defense, the midfield is organized as so; left-mid, center-mid, and right-mid. Some midfielders can play both offense and defense, so they help on both sides of the field. However, some midfielders are better at offense or defense, so their position would be a center-attacking midfielder (CAM) or a center-defending midfielder (CDM). Midfielders often do the most running out of the position groups. Some of the best Midfielders are Rodri of Manchester City and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid.
N is for Northview soccer. Northview's soccer teams are about to kick off another season under the leadership of coaches Sean Morgan and Jesse Paredes. The teams hope to capitalize off the energy heading into the season, as they embrace their sleeper roles in region 4-A. As for the women’s team, first-year Coach Jesse Paredes hopes to lead the Titans to their 3rd playoff appearance in three years.
O is for Offside: Considered soccer's most scrutinized rule, offside is when an offensive player is in the attacking half of the field, and the ball is passed to them. At the time of the pass, if the player is closer to the goal than the ball and the second to last opponent (including the goalkeeper), the play is offside. The play restarts with a free kick from the spot where the offensive player was standing offside.
P is for the Premier League. The Premier League is the top soccer league in the world. Based in England, it attracts the world's top soccer players, such as Mo Salah of Liverpool and Rodri of Manchester City. The league boasts the likes of teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and others.
Q is for Quadruple. A quadruple is when one team wins four major trophies in one season. This has only happened once before, as Celtic F.C. of Ireland won a quadruple in the 1966-67 season. More common is a treble, which is when one team wins three major trophies in one season. Nine teams have accomplished this feat.
R is for Ronaldo. Ronaldo Refers to Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese soccer player who, alongside Lionel Messi, is one of the two greatest players of all time. He has played for teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He has made appearances in 217 Portuguese national team games, an all-time record for any player of any country. He currently plays for Al-Nassr FC of the Saudi Arabian League.
S is for Striker. The striker (or attacker) is the position that often scores the most goals. They are at the top of any team's formation and are usually the best offensive players on a team. The best strikers in the world are Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush of Manchester City, and Harry Kane of Bayern Munich.
T is for Throw-in. A throw-in is how play restarts when the ball goes out of bounds. This applies to anywhere that is not behind either goal. The correct form for a throw-in occurs when a player holds the ball with two hands, and throws it over their head while keeping at least one foot on the ground.
U is for UEFA: The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is the governing body of all European countries' national teams.
V is for Volley. A volley is a type of kick in soccer when a player makes contact with the ball well before it touches the ground. Volleys come off of passes.
W is for World Cup. The World Cup is the most prestigious title in soccer. Originally 32, players from 48 nations vie for the title of World Cup Champion. The tournament is held once every four years, and the location varies from tournament to tournament. The next edition will take place in 2026 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Atlanta will be hosting a semifinal matchup.
X is for xG. Expected goals( xG) is a statistic that determines how likely a shot is to go into the net. This helps to determine player performance. The best players usually have the highest xG.
Y is for Yellow card. A referee will show a yellow card to a player that has committed an unnecessary foul, but not unnecessary enough to disqualify the player. Not all fouls are yellow cards, but enough fouls can accumulate to result in a yellow card. If a player receives two yellow cards in one game, they will receive a red card, which means disqualification from the game.
Z is for Zlatan. Zlatan refers to Zlatan Ibrahimović. Ibrahimović is a Swedish soccer player who is famous for scoring some of the most incredible goals in soccer history. He played for many teams across Europe from 1999-2023 and is the greatest Swedish player of all time.
And that's all! I hope you consider yourself a soccer expert after reading this. Put your knowledge to the test and come cheer on our Titans at a game this season!
2/11: Northview vs South Forsyth (Home)
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
2/13: Northview vs Walton (Creek Cup) ((Home))
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
2/14 Northview vs LaGrange (Creek Cup) ((Home))
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
2/25: Northview vs Marist (Home)
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
2/28: Lithonia vs Northview (Away)
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
3/4: Northview vs Cross keys (Home) ((Teacher Appreciation Night))
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
3/11: Northview vs Clarkston (Home)
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys 8 p.m.
3/14: Northview vs Roswell (Home) (( Exceptional Children's Night))
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
3/18: St Pius X Catholic vs Northview (Away)
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
3/20: Druid Hills vs Northview (Away)
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
3/25 Northview vs Tucker (Home) ((Senior Night))
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
3/28: Southwest Dekalb vs Northview (Away)
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity boys: 8 p.m.
4/1: North Springs vs Northview (Away)
Varsity girls: 6 p.m.
Varsity bots: 8 p.m.
4/15: Peachtree Ridge vs Northview (Away)
Varsity girls: 5:30 p.m.
Varsity boys: 7:30 p.m.
4/18: Northview vs Denmark (Home)
Varsity girls: 5:30 p.m.
Varsity boys: 7:30 p.m.
