Now You Know Big Book of Sports. Doug Lennox

if the crossbar of the goal becomes dislodged or damaged during a match?

      FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, makes special mention of this in the Laws of the Game. “If the crossbar becomes displaced or broken, play is stopped until it has been repaired or replaced in position. If a repair is not possible, the match is abandoned. The use of a rope to replace the crossbar is not permitted. If the crossbar is repaired, the match is restarted with a dropped ball at the place where the ball was located when the play was stopped.”

       Quickies

       Did you know …

      that there is no law on the books requiring the use of goal nets?

       What is a striker?

      A striker is a scoring forward, usually a centre-forward who is highly skilled at putting the ball in the net. The striker often plays “pushed up” into a offensive position leading the formation, while much of the rest of the team works the wings, feeding the striker or defence. Many great strikers have poor defensive skills, and are called “pure strikers.” The striker traditionally wears the number 10 jersey.

       Quickies

       Did you know …

      that the first wooden crossbars did not appear until 1875? Prior to that, tape was used between the tops of goalposts.

       What is a “sweeper”?

      “Sweeper” is the name for a versatile fullback player who “sweeps up” the ball if the opponent manages to breach the defensive line. Unlike other defenders, the sweeper does not mark, or cover, one particular opponent, but covers the centre of defence. The verrou system in Switzerland and the catenaccio system in Italy were both notable for employing sweepers.

       What does verrou mean?

      The verrou, or “chain,” is a system of play invented by Karl Rappan while coach of Switzerland in the 1930s and 1940s. It was the first system to use four players on defence, employing a sweeper called the verrouilleur — a highly defensive fullback who patrolled the centre of defence ahead of the goalkeeper. The verrou system also required players to switch positions and duties depending on the game’s pattern. It was used by the Swiss national team in the 1938 World Cup to knock out Nazi Germany in the first round. The catenaccio system of Italy evolved out of the verrou system.

       What does catenaccio mean?

      Catenaccio is Italian for “bolt,” as in a door bolt, and in soccer it refers to a tactical formation made famous in Italy during the 1960s by coach Helenio Herrera and FC Internazionale Milano (Inter Milan). It uses a strong defensive formation, such as 1-3-3-3 or 1-4-4-1, which implements a fullback called a “sweeper,” who stands in front of the goalkeeper and patrols the centre of defence. From the 1970s to the 1990s, catenaccio became a trademark playing style of the Italian national team. The system, often criticized for its lack of offensive creativity, was nonetheless effective, employing sudden strikes to score early in a game and then relying on defence to protect the lead.

       What is the WM system?

      The WM system was created in the mid-1920s by manager Herbert Chapman (of Arsenal) to counter a change in the offside law in 1925. The change had reduced the number of opposition players that attackers needed between themselves and the goal line from three to two. This led to the introduction of a centre-back to stop the opposing centre-forward, and tried to balance defensive and offensive playing. The WM system employs three backs, four midfielders, and three forwards, and is so called because in a formation diagram the groupings look like an M under a W, with one player at each point of each letter.

       What is Total Football?

      Total Football is the term used to describe an influential theory of tactical soccer in which any of a team’s players on the field can take over the role of any teammate. The foundations for Total Football were laid by Jack Reynolds, who was the manager of Ajax Amsterdam from 1915–25, 1928–40, and 1945–47. Rinus Michels, who played under Reynolds, later went on to become manager of Ajax himself and refined the concept into what is known today as “Total Football” (Totaalvoetbal in Dutch). In Total Football, a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus retaining the team’s intended organizational structure. In this fluid system, no player is fixed in his nominal role; anyone can be successively an attacker, a midfielder, and a defender.

       Specifications For Soccer Balls

      An International Football Association–approved ball must be:

      • spherical;

      • made of leather or other suitable material;

      • of a circumference of not more than 28 inches (70 centimetres) and not less than 27 inches (68 centimetres);

      • not more than 16 ounces (450 grams) in weight and not less than 14 ounces (410 grams) at the start of the match; and

      • of a pressure equal to 0.6–1.1 atmospheres (8.5–5.6 pounds per square inch or 600–1100 grams per centimetres square) at sea level.

       What was the Jules Rimet trophy?

      The original World Cup trophy was called “Victory.” Designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur, it stood 13.7 inches (35 centimetres) high and weighed approximately 8.4 pounds (3.8 kilograms). The statuette depicted Nike of Samothrace and was made of sterling silver and gold plate, with a blue base made of lapis lazuli. There was a gold plate on each of the four sides of the base, on which were engraved the name of the trophy as well as the names of the nine winners between 1930 and 1970. In 1946, it was renamed the Jules Rimet trophy in honour of the founder of the World Cup tournament.

       World Cup Firsts

      • First goal: Lucien Laurent (France) against Mexico, July 13, 1930.

      • First penalty goal: Manuel Rocquetas Rosas (Mexico) against Argentina, July 19, 1930.

      • First hat trick: Guillermo Stabile (Argentina) against Mexico, July 19, 1930.

      • First player sent off: Mario de Las Casas (Peru) against Romania, July 14, 1930.

      • First own goal: Ernst Loertscher (Switzerland) against West Germany, June 9, 1938.

       Who was Pickles?

      In 1966, the Jules Rimet Cup disappeared while on display at London’s Westminster while on display at London’s Westminster Central Hall, just a few months before the World Cup was due to take place in England. It was later found by a dog named Pickles, owned by a Thames river-barge worker named David Corbett, wrapped in newspaper under a garden hedge in south London. Pickles and Corbett received £3,000 reward and England went on to win the cup.

       What was the first tied match in World Cup history?

      That was when Italy and Spain came out 1–1 during the quarter-finals in Florence, Italy on May 31, 1934. The game was replayed on June 1 to a score of 1-0 for Italy, who eventually won the cup that year.

       What was the first World Cup match with extra time?

      The first World Cup match with extra time was played in Turin between Austria and France on May 27, 1934, to settle a 2–2 tie. Austria advanced to the quarter-finals.

       What was the first World Cup final with extra time?

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