Soccer and Basketball Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Soccer and Basketball - Essay Example The paper will examine the use of the ball in the two sports, the number of players and their positions, the roles of the sports and their durations. Soccer and basketball are among the two most popular sports in the world. While basketball had always been a favorite American game, it was only recently that soccer became a favorite American pastime. This is probably due to the fact that basketball originated from the US while soccer has its origins in Europe. The present craze over football can be attributed to the influence of the World Cup. Although both games have the same objective of getting the ball into the goal post in soccer and the net in basketball, there are many other similarities and differences between the two sports. Although leather balls are used in both soccer and basketball, there are several differences between them. The two sports are different in the type of balls they use and the ways they use the balls. The soccer ball’s circumference is 27-28 inches while the basketball’s circumference in the NBA is 29.5 inches. The ball used in soccer is a thickly-padded and smooth with black and white pen tagonal sections. However, basketballs are orange with thin symmetrical lines. The primary rule in soccer is that players are not allowed to use their hands. Only the goalkeepers are allowed to use their hands. In addition, soccer players can use their heads and their trunks of their bodies. They must try to kick the ball into the opposing team’s goal post by moving the ball without touching it with their hands. If a player touches the ball with his hands, then the other team gets a free kick. On the other hand, basketball is a game where â€Å"two teams of players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground† (Basketball Basics, 2011). Basketball players dribble with their hands. If basketball players touch the ball with other parts SOCCER AND BASKETBALL – A COMPARISON 3 of their bodies, then it is considered a foul. Basketballs can be advanced by bouncing it while running, walking or passing it to a teammate. If a playe r kicks the ball in basketball, the referee blows the whistle and the other team gets the ball. Therefore, each game uses different parts of the body and the objective in both sports is to outscore the opponents. The only way to score a goal in soccer is by hitting the ball across the goal line and every goal is worth a point. Conversely, in basketball, each goal is worth two points. Points are scored by shooting the ball into the opponent team’s net. In both soccer and basketball, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Both soccer and basketball are considered team sports as there are several people playing the games at once. While soccer has eleven players in a team, basketball has five who are allowed to play at one time. However, a soccer team can have 50 players on the roster but a basketball team can only have about 12 and 15 players. In soccer, the players are divided between four positions: defenders, forwards, midfielders and goal keepers. Usually each team has 2-3 defenders or fullbacks who try to block the opposing team’s players from scoring. They play closest to their goal post that their goalkeeper defends. Conversely, forwards play closest to the opponent’s goal post which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. There are normally three forwards who play in front of the rest of the team and are responsible for a team’s scoring. Their primary function is to score goals for their team. The 2 –