Footbal
The game in its modern form was created in England after the foundation of The Football Association in 1863. They lay down the laws of the game, which were the blueprints for the way in which football is played in the modern day. The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football, or FIFA). The FIFA World Cup is the most important football competition and is held every 4 years, garnering an audience twice the size of the Summer Olympic Games.
Football (known widely as Soccer in the United States) is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world. The game is played on a rectangular grass with a goal at each end of the short sides. Two teams play against each other and the object of the game is to score by manoeuvring the ball into the other team's goal. Players must no use their hands during play, the only player being able to do this is the goalkeeper who can use his hands/arms to throw the ball or catch it. The rest of the team must kick the ball into the desired position, on occasion using their head or torso to their advantage. At the end of the game, the team with the most goals wins. In the case of a tie, the game either goes into extra time, or a penalty shoot out is played.
Along with rules such as no hand balls and the penalties given to players who foul (such as Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent), the most famous rule in football is the offside rule, made more famous because of the general lack of understanding most people have for it. According to the BBC, a player is in an offside position if they are nearer to the opposition's goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent. This does not count if you receive the ball from a goal kick, a throw in or a corner, it does not count if you are in your own half of the pitch or if you are level with the second last or last two opponents. The general consensus, however, is that it is all down to interpretation.
Football will remain a popular sport in years to come and its players will remain the celebrities they are today (such as David Beckham) and the off-side will no doubt continue to confuse.