Why Is Association Football Played By 11-Player Teams?

[sigesige00]

Rugby Union has positions whose roles are clear.

But, there is no such thing in Association Football. One team is 4-4-2, the other is 4-5-1, etc etc.

I am not a historian of sports. But I suppose that the reason Association Football is played by 11-player teams is Cricket. In the beginning of Association Football, many clubs were "cricket and football clubs". I think that that is the reason Association Football is played by 11-player teams.

I think that 11 should be reduced to 10, and the offside rule should be abolished. Reducing the number of players and abolishing the offside rule, there will be much attacking space and much more goals.

And, the substitution number is too small. In the World Cup, 23 players are enlisted. So, 23 players should be allowed to play, like Futsal or Ice Hockey.

 

And, I want to see a 5-player football (10 min half), like 7-player Rugby.

Edited August 9, 2010 by sigesige00

[arnus68]

Can you readily get strong ganja in Japan ?

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Why Is Association Football Played By 11-Player Teams?

 

So as you can get your centre back sent off and still have 10 players on the park.

[McKennan]

Why Is Association Football Played By 11-Player Teams?

 

So as you can get your centre back sent off and still have 10 players on the park.

 

 

We should start campaigning for nine-a-side, that'll save a few bob.

[Hot Shot]

I don't have a clue why it's 11-A-side , but with the phrase 'Association Football' being used so often in such a short space of time it has reminded me of another useless fact.

 

Many people ask why we call it football and it's called soccer elsewhere in the world.

 

The fact is that it was called soccer long before it was ever refered to as just football, the reason being that Rugby was known as Rugby football, and when football as we know it was becoming more and more organised, it was called Association Football.The nickname soccer was taken from the word Association

 

Rugby Football and Association Football were both popular, however it's still beyond me why,through time, we dropped the Football from Rugby Football to just have Rugby, and the Association from Association Football to just have Football.Whereas other parts of the world continued to use the nickname soccer.

 

Anyone know why?

[Norman]

Rugby Union has positions whose roles are clear.

But, there is no such thing in Association Football. One team is 4-4-2, the other is 4-5-1, etc etc.

 

How about restricting the players' movements by inserting a poll through their torsos from wing to wing in groups of 3 or 4 thus preventing them from making any movement other than sideways and a rotation around the poll?

The game could be started by rolling the ball in at the halfway line through a large hole in the main stand.

Boards could then be places around the pitch to prevent the ball leaving play and large, expensive electronic scoreboards could be replaced by an abacus style bead counter at each end.

And none of this 90 minute nonsense - best of 11 wins.

[crazy davie]

Historically, it had to be 11 players because fans recited their teams in the order....

 

Goalkeeper

Left Back, Right Back

Right Half, Centre Half, Left Half

Outside Right, Inside Right, Centre Forward, Inside Left, and Outside Lfet

 

as in....

 

Rough

Hansen, Forsyth

Glavin, Campbell, Strachan

McQuade, Coulston, Bone, Rae, and Lawrie

 

Clearly, anything other than 11 players would have made a mockery of that whole process. Would have turned it into a complete and utter shambles and a catastrophy of Biblical proportion.

 

 

Nowadays of course, because nobody recites their team like that any more, it doesn't matter a shit how many players are in the team.

 

And the jersey numbers are meaningless now as well.

[Blackpool Jags]

Historically, it had to be 11 players because fans recited their teams in the order....

 

Goalkeeper

Left Back, Right Back

Right Half, Centre Half, Left Half

Outside Right, Inside Right, Centre Forward, Inside Left, and Outside Lfet

 

as in....

 

Rough

Hansen, Forsyth

Glavin, Campbell, Strachan

McQuade, Coulston, Bone, Rae, and Lawrie

Clearly, anything other than 11 players would have made a mockery of that whole process. Would have turned it into a complete and utter shambles and a catastrophy of Biblical proportion.

 

 

Nowadays of course, because nobody recites their team like that any more, it doesn't matter a shit how many players are in the team.

 

And the jersey numbers are meaningless now as well.

 

Yes, but we still intone lyrically that most sacred of sacred elevens, don't we? But, generally you're point is spot on, particularly if the reciting individual is not someone of our 'faith' and belongs to the underbelly of football society, eg a midden from either of the Axis of Evil.

[jags365]

Because you touch yourself at night.

[sigesige00]

I seriously want to see a 5-Players football. The 7-Players Rugby Union is fascinating. What will a 5-player football look like?

[Jaggernaut]

I seriously want to see a 5-Players football. The 7-Players Rugby Union is fascinating. What will a 5-player football look like?

Five-a-side football is very common among amateur players. Thistle even won the famout Tennent's Sixes (6-a-side) tournament in the 1990s. But these are not played on full-size pitches.

 

On a related topic, I think that instead of "normal" extra time after 90 mins, the extra-time should start with 9 players on each side, to create more space. If it's still goal-less or a draw at half-time, then another 2 players should be withdrawn. More interesting than watching two full-size teams who are maybe already settling for a penalty shoot-out, and more interesting (and humane) than said penalties. I still have nightmares about the shoot-out at Parkhead a few years back.

[B.C.G. JAG]

In the 1920's, Association Football was played with 11 players, but the less popular Franchise Football was played with 7. A club would normally field it's players in both competitions. Most small communities would have a club, usually - prominently positioned on a corner of it's main street, the clubhouses known as 7/11's. Whilst Franchise Football (also known as Convenience Football) was to be entirely overtaken by the 11's game by the 30's, many areas still fondly retain their former 7/11's, which still provide an important and pivotal role in the community.

[Grim Reaper]

What a load of shite,the teams a joke, attendences are falling faster than a whores drawers and the board of criminals (directors) are selling of the family silver from under us and we spend time with this nonsense!! We are DOOMED.

[B.C.G. JAG]

What a load of shite,the teams a joke, attendences are falling faster than a whores drawers and the board of criminals (directors) are selling of the family silver from under us and we spend time with this nonsense!! We are DOOMED.

 

Please feel free to lead the way to the Promised Land. Will sniggering be allowed in the ranks during the exodus?

[Robert Dunn's Potential]

Please feel free to lead the way to the Promised Land. Will sniggering be allowed in the ranks during the exodus?

Moses raised his season ticket to the sky and parted the Red Balance Sheet...

[Fearchar]

I don't have a clue why it's 11-A-side , but with the phrase 'Association Football' being used so often in such a short space of time it has reminded me of another useless fact.

 

Many people ask why we call it football and it's called soccer elsewhere in the world.

 

However, "elsewhere" is a small and diminishing part of the globe - probably only North America, the odd outpost of US sporting culture and Australasia by now. Most of the Americas, almost the whole of Europe, Africa and Asia use "football" or variants of it to describe association football. The various forms of egg-chaser just don't get it, but that's their problem.

[arnus68]

What a load of shite,the teams a joke, attendences are falling faster than a whores drawers and the board of criminals (directors) are selling of the family silver from under us and we spend time with this nonsense!! We are DOOMED.

 

"off", surely, happy chap.

[AlwaysOutnumbered...]

I seriously want to see a 5-Players football. The 7-Players Rugby Union is fascinating. What will a 5-player football look like?

 

 

You are boring and have serious mental problems.

 

[Jack Osbourne snr]

However, "elsewhere" is a small and diminishing part of the globe - probably only North America, the odd outpost of US sporting culture and Australasia by now. Most of the Americas, almost the whole of Europe, Africa and Asia use "football" or variants of it to describe association football. The various forms of egg-chaser just don't get it, but that's their problem.

 

How come the italians call it Calcio?

 

Is "football" a naughty word in italiano?

[Fearchar]

How come the italians call it Calcio?

 

Is "football" a naughty word in italiano?

In a word - Fascism. (There's your naughty word.) The Fascists wanted to claim a connection with the earlier game "calcio". That way the Fascists could envelope football in their national myth-making. (Even the Fascists had to give up their idea of replacing football with an Italian alternative.)

 

In another take on myth-making, the Chinese film "Red Cliff", a film based on events in the early 3rd century, portrays football (with no handling, and with two goals) as beginning between teams there - long before anything like that was codified, of course.

[gianlucatoni]

 

In another take on myth-making, the Chinese film "Red Cliff", a film based on events in the early 3rd century, portrays football (with no handling, and with two goals) as beginning between teams there - long before anything like that was codified, of course.

 

 

doesn't sound like much fun if you couldn't handle yer baws!

[Jack Osbourne snr]

In a word - Fascism. (There's your naughty word.) The Fascists wanted to claim a connection with the earlier game "calcio". That way the Fascists could envelope football in their national myth-making. (Even the Fascists had to give up their idea of replacing football with an Italian alternative.)

 

In another take on myth-making, the Chinese film "Red Cliff", a film based on events in the early 3rd century, portrays football (with no handling, and with two goals) as beginning between teams there - long before anything like that was codified, of course.

 

Nonsense. You're taking the myth.