Football player

A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football.

The main types of football that are played are association football (soccer), American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, Rugby league, and Rugby union.

It has been estimated that there are 250 million soccer players in the world,[1] and many play the other forms of football.

Contents

Career

Football players generally begin as amateurs and the best players progress to become professional players. Normally they start at a youth team (any local team) and from there, based on skill and talent, scouts offer contracts. Once signed, they learn to play better football and some advance to the senior or professional teams.

Psychological aspects of performance

Research shows that association football players that take less than 200ms after the referee blows their whistle for a penalty kick are significantly more likely to miss scoring than those that take over a second.[2]

Common injuries

Head

American football players are prone to head injuries. This may make them prone to Alzheimers.[3]

Knee

Anterior cruciate ligaments are particularly vulnerable in most types of football due to injuries that can be sustained during tackles.

Lists of players

References

  1. ^ football (soccer) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Britannica.com (1970-04-21). Retrieved on 2011-11-05.
  2. ^ ResearchBlogging.orgJordet, G., Hartman, E., & Sigmundstad, E. (2009). Temporal links to performing under pressure in international soccer penalty shootouts Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10 (6), 621–627 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2009.03.004. Bps-research-digest.blogspot.com (2009-09-10). Retrieved on 2011-11-05.
  3. ^ Ritter, Jim. (2011-07-18) Research: Football players may be more vulnerable to Alzheimer's | Loyola University Health System. Loyolahealth.org. Retrieved on 2011-11-05.

See also