soccer
/ˈsɒkə
/noun [mass noun]
A form of football played by two teams of eleven players with a round ball which may not be handled during play except by the goalkeepers. Also called football and Association football.Major team sports include rugby, soccer and cricket for boys and hockey and netball for girls....
- There is rough play, even dirty play, in football, basketball and soccer, but it is rare.
- Youngsters learned new experiences such as blind soccer using audible footballs.
Synonyms
Association football;
British football, the beautiful game
The object of the game is to score goals, by kicking or heading the ball into the opponents' goal. The game originated in England, and is played according to rules established by the Football Association, which has organized the major English knockout competition, the FA Cup, since 1872. The international game is administered by the International Football Federation (FIFA), which is responsible for the World Cup.
Origin
Late 19th century: shortening of Assoc. + -er4.
This is a shortening of Association football, the official name given in the late 19th century to the game, to distinguish it from rugby football. The word was formed by the same process that gave us rugger for rugby.