Soccer (English spelling)

Japanese: サッカー（英語表記）soccer

A ball game in which two teams of 11 players use their feet or heads, but not their hands or arms, to shoot the ball into the opponent's goal and compete for points. Although records of kicking the ball have been found all over the world since before Christ, the prototype of the modern game was "football," which was played in England from around the 12th century. In 1863, the Football Association was formed in London, and unified rules were established, and the game was called association football. Soccer is a simplified name for association, and is used mainly in Japan, North America, and Oceania, but worldwide it is called football or a variant of it (such as the German word fusbal). In the late 19th century, it spread to European countries and North and South America, and the International Football Association was founded in 1904. It was introduced to Japan in 1873 by British Major AL Douglas, and gradually spread to schools, and in 1921 the Dai-Nippon Shukyu Kyokai (now the Japan Football Association) was founded. The Japan Soccer League was founded in 1965, and the Japan Professional Soccer League (commonly known as the J-League) began in 1993. The field used in international matches is a rectangle measuring 110-100m by 75-64m, with goals at both ends. One member of each team is the goalkeeper, and only the goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball with his hands. The regular match time is 45 minutes for each half, with a halftime break in between. There is one referee and two assistant referees. As of 2004, there are 205 member associations of FIFA (one association per country/region), and it is said to be the world's largest sport in terms of both the number of players and the total number of supporters (fans).

soccer

A fabric made by shrinking the warp threads into stripes through weaving techniques and chemicals, resulting in a wavy, uneven texture. In the UK and the US, it is called seersucker. The fibers are cotton, silk, and synthetic fibers, and it is woven in a plain weave. It is used for summer women's and children's clothing, pajamas, bedding, curtain material, etc.

soccer

Please see the "Soccer Department" page.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

11名編成の2チームがボールを手や腕以外の足や頭などで扱い，相手ゴールにシュートして点数を競う球技。ボールを足で蹴るなどの遊技は紀元前から世界各地に記録が残っているが，12世紀頃からイギリスで行なわれた「フットボール」が現在の競技の原型となった。 1863年ロンドンでフットボール・アソシエーションが結成されて統一ルールができ，アソシエーションフットボールと称した。サッカーとはアソシエーション associationの簡略化した呼び方で，日本のほか北アメリカやオセアニアでおもに使われているが，世界的にはフットボールまたはその変形 (ドイツ語のフスバルなど) で呼ばれる。 19世紀後半ヨーロッパ各国や南北アメリカに広まり，1904年国際サッカー連盟が設立された。日本へは 1873年イギリス人 A.L.ダグラス少佐が海軍兵学寮に伝え，しだいに学校を中心に広がり，1921年大日本蹴球協会 (現日本サッカー協会 ) が設立された。 1965年日本サッカーリーグ発足。 1993年には日本プロサッカーリーグ (通称Jリーグ ) が開幕した。国際試合におけるフィールドは 110～100m× 75～64mの長方形で，両端にゴールを設ける。1チームのうち1名をゴールキーパーとし，キーパーのみがボールを手で扱うことを許される。正規の試合時間は前・後半各 45分で，間にハーフタイムをおく。審判員は主審1名，副審2名。 2004年現在の国際サッカー連盟加盟協会は 205 (1ヵ国・地域につき1協会) で，競技人口，サポーター (ファン) 総数ともに世界一のスポーツといわれる。