Have a Shot at This Soccer History Quiz

Forms of soccer were played long, long before it was codified as a sport, but the first official rules were written at the Freemasons’ Tavern in Blackheath, England, 1863. Some of these rules still exist but many have been heavily modified or removed over the years.

A penalty kick is when an attacking side is awarded a free shot at goal from a marked distance (these days 12 yards) if a foul is committed by the defending team in the penalty area. They were originally called ‘kicks of death’. It’s shame that name didn’t catch on!

These days the World Cup is one of the world’s great sporting occasions. Every national team enters and plays through a system of qualifying rounds to reach the final tournament, held every four years in a different host nation. Uruguay hosted, and won, the first. 

Players can be sent from the field for committing a variety of offences, such as dangerous play, preventing a goal-scoring opportunity, or accumulating two yellow cards for less serious offences. The ref will show a Red Card to the offending player.