Although safe compared to many sports, soccer carries risks. Athletes run the chance of sustaining a minor, major, or even debilitating long-term injury. It's the price we pay for having the confidence and courage to go for the goal, while enjoying the exercise the sport provides. Simple awareness and prevention can help you balance soccer's benefits with its risks.

Soccer goalies are a team's last defense, and the final score can literally rest in their hands. Every soccer player has an important role on the field, but teams ultimately depend on their soccer goalies to be on their game at all times.

Heading the ball is unique to soccer. Since soccer players cannot pass the ball with their hands and arms, they often play the ball off their heads, and it's kind of flashy and fun to watch! Ultimately, a good header begins with your mental frame of mind, and being willing to go for it. However, done incorrectly may not only cause you to foul the ball, it can lead to serious head or neck injury.

Kicking a soccer ball isn't as easy as it looks! A powerful, accurate kick can mean the difference between winning and losing a soccer match. This information provides you with some basics for 'kicking' your season off to a great start.

Indoor, or 'arena' soccer, inspired by association football, is a type of soccer played on a smaller, indoor arena-style field covered by artificial turf. And because so, the sport is a little faster-paced and presents its own unique set of challenges. Indoor soccer partly came about as a way for outdoor soccer athletes to train during the cold winter months. Unlike outdoor soccer, indoor soccer is a winter sport.

In the earliest days of soccer, it seems that all a team needed was a ball to kick around and shoes that protected. That's changed. Soccer equipment today includes much more: shin guards, goalie equipment, soccer referee equipment, football kit bag, and soccer training equipment, such as flags, cones, agility ladders, and slalom poles. All this equipment used for soccer can be found at discount prices at Epic Sports.

Soccer is an outdoor ball game played on a rectangular playing field between two goals, and two teams comprised of 11 players each. The ball can be contacted by any part of the body except the hands and arms while the ball is in play. Goalies are allowed to use their hands to block the ball. Teams score points by passing the ball into the opponent's goal.

An alphabetical list of terms used in soccer

Modern soccer's roots are older than most people think. Dating back about 3,000 years, soccer is more popular than baseball, basketball, and American football combined, and is enjoyed in every continent by a total eight million people worldwide.

To soccer legend Diego Maradona of Argentina, giving everything for the shirt is a player's motto. In other words, the soccer jersey is everything a team stands for.

Soccer is a fun and fairly safe outdoor sport for all ages. As with any competitive team sport, it does carry risks and wearing soccer protective gear helps minimize those risks. When players are protected, their confidence improves. If you're new to soccer, or have a child just starting out, knowing what protective soccer gear he or she will be expected to wear can help make preparing for the upcoming season a little less daunting and a lot more enjoyable.

The following are general summaries of the 17, FIFA-published Laws of the Game. For official details and further information, including Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees, please visit www.fifa.com.

The soccer shoe has come a long way to say the least. Work boots are now high performance footwear that allows a soccer athlete to push his or her skills to limit. Designs today are not so much to protect players from injury as it is about maximizing their strategy. And as playing surfaces changed, in came soccer turf shoes. Makers designed lightweight shoes that allowed an athlete to kick with the side of the foot and lift the ball with the toe. And as long as designers throw in a little color and pizzazz, a player's look is complete. From cleats to lacing technology, makers accommodate the changing industry for the success of soccer athletes around the world, male and female alike.

The two most important goals of a soccer training program are improving performance, and protecting players against injury. A good soccer training routine will develop individual and team techniques and tactics, beginning with the basics of soccer. The player should learn how to kick, pass, shoot and control the ball, while developing speed, agility, strength and overall fitness.

Goalkeeper glove selection guide for cut, grip, fit, and match conditions.

How to choose soccer balls by age size, level, construction, and surface.

Selecting soccer goals by environment, portability, durability, and safety setup.

The soccer uniform says a lot about your team; unity, team spirit, and a desire to win the game. But before you design or decorate your soccer uniform this season, make sure you know the rules. And rules may vary from one organization to another, so be sure you know what the rules are for your team.