Soccer for Dummies

Learn to:

• Get a handle on soccer rules and regulations
• Grasp the basic moves and plays
• Improve dribbling, passing, and other skills
• Appreciate this popular pastime

Learn the basics, improve your game knowledge, and reach your soccer playing goals

Do you get a kick out of soccer? Whether you're a youth league player, a soccer parent, or a World Cup fan, here at last is the book you've been waiting for. Now updated with the latest history, stats, and rules of this popular sport, Soccer For Dummies is the ultimate guide to the greatest and most popular sport on the planet.

• Kick off — get a beginner's history of soccer, from its early days in China to the modern game that's showcased in stadiums and played on soccer fields all across the globe
• Get to the nitty-gritty — discover the rules of the game, what each player on the field is expected to do, the tactics they employ, and the skills they need to play
• The biggest sport in the world — explore everything about the professional game of soccer, from the biggest show on earth — the FIFA World Cup — to other international tournaments such as the European Championships, Copa America, and the CONCACAF Gold Cup
• For fans — find out what you can expect at a professional soccer game, as well as the lowdown on where you can find soccer on television, online, in newspapers, magazines, books, movies, and on DVDs

Open the book and find:

• How soccer is played (and scored)
• Tips on coaching, how to keep fit, and how to play "the beautiful game"
• An in-depth look at women's soccer
• How club soccer is organized across the world
• Important international and club teams
• Fun soccer facts and interesting tidbits
• A look at the game's most fascinating players

Tom Dunmore is the author of Historical Dictionary of Soccer, and the editor of several soccer websites and blogs including XI Quarterly. He is an avid Chicago Fire fan. Scott Murray is a soccer writer for The Guardian and FourFourTwo.