There are 2 teams of 11 players in a soccer match.

It is played on a pitch about 80 metres long and 35 wide.

Goals (guarded by goalkeepers) are situated, centrally, at each end of the pitch.

The aim is to kick or head a ball into the opponent's goal, and prevent him doing the same to you.

The team with the most goals at the end of 90 minutes - wins.

From that description, you'd expect a lot of action around goals??

Wrong!! This is what actually happens in a game of soccer:

	The ball bobs to and fro in the central 50 metres of the pitch - rarely getting into the last 15 metres where the goals are. This bobbing about - occupies about 75 of the 90 minutes and is boring.
	Most of the bobbing is passes (of the ball from 1 team member to another) of less than 10 metres
	The only excitement is a pass of more than 10 metres - invariably passes of more than 25 metres transfer control of the ball from one team to the other (they don't go where the passer intended).

Next time you watch a game - check these out:

	Proportion of the 90 minutes played in the last 15 metres of each end
	Proportion of passes over 25 metres that go to the "correct" team.

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Last update - May 20, 2009 - email to djmikecurley@gmail.com