Background

The United States Soccer Federation, also known as U.S. Soccer, was founded in 1913 and was one of the world’s first organizations to be affiliated with FIFA. Major League Soccer (MLS) was created in 1993, as part of the United States’ bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and is a U.S. professional league, under the sanction of U.S. Soccer. The league currently includes 18 teams, two of which are in Canada, but had its first official season in 1996 with 10 teams.

The NLS season typically runs from March to November, with each team scheduled to play 34 games in the 2011 regular season. Ten teams will compete in the 2011 postseason MLS Cup Playoffs culminating in the championship game, MLS Cup.

Fun Facts

Did you know Ohio has its very own professional soccer team? The Columbus Crew is based in Columbus, Ohio and competes in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt took over his sports properties.

The Crew currently plays their home games at Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium ever built by an MLS franchise, with a seating capacity of 20,455. As of the 2008 Season, The Crew has won five major trophies: MLS Cup 2008, the 2004, 2008 and 2009 Supporters’ Shields, and the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Basic Rules

Each team consists of 11 players who can score a goal by moving a ball into the opponents’ net

with the use of any part of their body except their arms and hands.

Each game lasts 90 minutes, divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. Technically, the clock

does not run when the ball is out of play–when it is kicked off the field or picked up by the

referee for a substitution or injury–so each half typically runs for more than just 45 minutes

If the game is tied at the end of the 90 minutes, it is usually simply scored as a tie (a la hockey).

But what happens in a competition when it is necessary to determine a winner? The tie gets

broken by using special rules about extra time and penalty kicks.

Goalkeeper

The goalkeeper (also called goalie, keeper or goal tender) is the only player allowed to touch the ball with his/her hands while the ball is in play. S/he stays near the goal and may use his/her hands within the penalty box, which is the larger of the two boxes drawn on the field that extend from the goal. His/her main duty is to stop every shot from entering the goal.

Defenders

The defenders play in front of the goalie and defend the goal. They usually pass the ball to players farther up the field rather than dribble the ball toward the opponent’s goal themselves.

Midfielders

The midfielders (also called half-backs) usually run more than the other players. They move the ball between the defensive and offensive ends of the field with a combination of dribbling and passing. While they play the entire length of the field, they often position themselves between the defenders and the forwards.

Forwards

The forwards are the players who score the most goals. They usually play between the midfielders and the other team’s goal. Most of the forwards’ game is to dribble briefly and shoot the ball to try to score.