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Halliwell Jones Stadium

Halliwell Jones Stadium

Halliwell Jones Stadium is a state-of-the-art purpose built rugby league stadium in Warrington, England. It is the home ground of Warrington Wolves but has also staged major fixtures such as the Challenge Cup semi-final and the 2004 European Nations Final. It was also a venue for Women's Euro 2005 in football. The stadium was notable for bucking the common trend of modern stadia by including standing areas rather than being an all-seater stadium. It also has enormous pitch dimensions of 120 m x 74 m. The official capacity of the stadium is 14206. After Warrington's success in the 2005 Super League, plans are already under way to extend the new stadium. Details of the plans include new executive seating above the "South Stand" and more seating arrangements. Category:Sport in Cheshire Category:Buildings and structures in Cheshire Category:British rugby league stadia Category:Warrington

Rugby league

Rugby league is a team sport, played by two teams of 13 players. The aim is to carry an oval ball up the field towards the opponents in-goal where the ball is grounded to score a try. The opposing team attempts to prevent the attacking team from carrying out this objective by tackling the player with the ball. It is one of the two codes of rugby, the other being rugby union. Rugby league was initially played by a breakaway faction of the English Rugby Football Union known as the Northern Union. As the Northern Union's rules changed and international expansion took place, its name was changed to the Rugby Football League. Thus, the game became known as rugby league. Rugby Football League

History

Like most forms of football, rugby league's roots can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games which bear little resemblance to modern sports. It is then important to acknowledge the development of the modern codes and two separate schisms in football history. In the nineteenth century football was most prominently played in private schools. Each school had its own rules based on whatever playing field that was available to them. The rules could be categorised as either handling or kicking forms of football. The kicking and handling forms were later codified by the Football Association and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) respectively. In 1895 rugby football was later beset with a schism that resulted in the formation of the rebel Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU). It was this schism, and similar movements in other countries, that lead to a division in rugby football. The NRFU's rules soon changed, and organisations allied to the NRFU changed their names from union to league, hence the names rugby league and rugby union.

Playing rugby league

rugby union Rugby league is played by two teams on a rectangular field with a length generally double the width. The in-goal areas, located at each end of the field, are used to score a try. At the intersection between the field of play and each in-goal area are also a set of goal posts in the shape of the capital letter H, used for point scoring via a field goal, penalty goal or conversion. Rugby league consists of an attacking team who has possession of the ball and a defending team who must attempt to stop the attacking team from scoring. In order to score points the attacking team must move up field. To do this they use a combination of kicking and running head-on into the defensive line to either force back the defence or break the defensive line. The defending team must devise tactics to limit the effectiveness of the attacking team's ball running and kicking. The attacking team has six chances to attempt to score. The defending team tries to stop the attacking team from scoring by tackling the player with the ball. When a player is tackled, the entire defending team, with the exception of two markers, must move back 10 metres towards their in-goal area. The tackled player must then play the ball. After each tackle the attacking team is usually closer to the oppositions in-goal area and hence goal posts. If the attacking team is tackled a sixth time, a change over takes place, where the defending team becomes attacking and visa versa.

Attacking Tactics

- The largest players generally move the ball up field through what is known as a hit up in order push back the defence; in other words gain field position.
- Skilful forwards will attempt pass the ball after drawing in the defence which breaks down the effectiveness of the defensive line; known as an off-load.
- The attacking team may use combinations of plays utilising speed, passing and kicking designed to confuse the defence, breaking down the effectiveness of the defensive line.
- Kicking is most commonly attempted as a last ditch attempt to score, when a team has used all of its 'chances'. Kicks are used to break the defensive line or to gain field position.

Defensive Tactics

- A defending team must effectively defend against ball runners. The sliding defence and the umbrella defence are effective in stopping line breaks.
- Players in the defence usually drop out of the defensive line to cover the back half of the field in order to defend against line breaks and kicks.
- A defensive team may force the attacking team in to touch or force errors which gives possession to the defending team.
- Late during the tackle count an attacking team uses an array of tactics to put themselves in the better defensive position on the opposite side of the 'change over'.

Players

Players on field are divided into forwards and backs. Each position has a designated number, 1 through to 13. Numbers 14 and higher are given to players on the bench, who only come on to the field to replace a starting player who is either injured or tired.

Backs

The backs are generally smaller and more athletic. Backs are likely the most creative and evasive players on the field, preferring fine skills, tactics and/or set plays to break the defensive line in favour of brute force.
- The title of full-back comes from the fullbacks defensive position where the player drops out of the defense line to cover the back half of the field. In attack the fullback will typically inject themselves into the line out wide at second or third receiver or run close in support of their forwards in anticipation of a short pass or offload. Fullbacks can play a role in attack similar to a halfback or 5-8th and the fact that the fullback doesn't have to defend in the (first) defensive line means that a coach can hide a playmaker from the tackling responsibilities of the first line whilst allowing them to retain their attacking role, e.g. Brent Webb.
- The wings or wing three quarters may be the fastest players in a team and are responsible the far left and right fringes of the field.
- The centres or centre three-quarters are positioned one in from the wings and together complete what is known as the three-quarter line.
- The half-back or scrum-half in recent times have taken on a leadership role which has lead them to be considered the player that gives a team direction in attack. The term half-back comes from the position of the player relative to the team line and the scrum. A halfback will typically be first receiver in attack and be responsible for the teams kicking game, although these duties are usually shared and interchanged with the 5-8th in a 'halves combination'.
- The stand off or 5-8th typically plays second receiver in attack and hence is responsible for ball distribution out wide to the teams centres and wingers. In the modern game however the difference between halfback and 5/8 has become blurred and almost enitrely dependent upon the coaches strategy and the respective players ability. Players such as Preston Campbell, who went from 2001 'Dally M Halfback' at Cronulla to 2003 NRL Premiership winning 5-8th at Penrith, and the classical ball-running 5/8th Trent Barrett regularly filling in at halfback at both club and State of Origin level, exemplify the similarity and shared nature of the positions in the game today. The half-back position mentioned above is named after the role or location of the player with respect to the scrum during 'scrum play' or scrummage. To understand the half back or any other players role in the scrum, see rugby league positions.

Forwards

The forwards two responsibilities can be broken into 'normal play' and 'scrum play'. For information on a forwards role in the scrum see rugby league scrummage. Forward positions are traditionally named after the players position in the scrum yet are equal with respect to 'normal play' with the exception of the hooker. Forward positions are traditionally broken into:
- front row forwards (two prop forwards and a hooker).
- Props are normally the largest players on field and usually weigh over 100 kilograms or 15 stones. Defend in the middle of the line where their lack of mobility is often targeted by the oppositions quicker players. Apt at running one out in attack and crashing straight into the defensive line early in the tackle count. Set the platform in attack and create the space for the 'halves' to work in.
- the 'hooker' is most likely to play the role of dummy-half. In defense the hooker usually defends in the middle of the line against the oppositions props and second-rowers. He is also typically responsible for keeping the defence around the ruck tight. In attack as dummy-half the hooker is responsible for setting the play from every play-the-ball by deciding which of his teammates he will pass to. The heavy workload in both attack and defense of the hooker has lead to the rise of two separate starting and interchange hookers being commonly used, with the role being shared more or less evenly between the two players over the course of a game.
- second row forwards, of which there are two. Fitter, faster, more mobile and skillfull than Props, though typically at a size disadvantage. Usually better suited to running wider than one out (e.g. off a halfback at first receiver) and later in the tackle count.
- the lock or loose forward is the only forward in the 3rd and last row of the scrum. Usually the fittest player on field and the one responsible for cover defence should the attacking team break through the defensive line. Typically big ball-runners who can ocassionaly slot in as a passing link or kick option, it is not uncommon for Locks to have the skills of a 5-8th and to play a similar role in the team. For further information on a player role in the scrum see rugby league positions.

Competitions

Representative

The premier international competition is the Rugby League World Cup, first held in 1954. The format has changed over the years, but it is currently held every 5 years. Australia has dominated the competition, winning for the fourth time in 1975, and has defended it 5 times since then. At the beginning of each season the reigning champions of the National Rugby League of Australia and the Super League of Great Britain contest the World Club Challenge to determine the best club side in the world. The British club Leeds Rhinos currently hold this title having beaten the Canterbury Bulldogs. The ARL, partners of the NRL, also conducts the fiercely contested and well-attended State of Origin matches between New South Wales and Queensland which arguably overshadow international matches in terms of public interest within those states. Other international competitions include the Ashes (a test match series between Great Britain and Australia), the ANZAC tests between Australia and New Zealand and the Tri-Nations to name the largest. There are also many international competitions aimed at developing rugby league in Europe and the Pacific involving what are known as "Developing Nations".

Club

There are two fully professional club level competitions: Super League (Europe) and the National Rugby League of Australia and New Zealand. The Super League is a 12 team competition; currently all teams are from England. In 2006 a French team, Union Treiziste Catalane of Perpignan, will enter, though the number of teams will stay at 12, with two English teams being relegated to the National Leagues at the end of the 2005 season. The National Rugby League consists of 15 teams; it will expand to 16 in 2007 with the introduction of the Gold Coast Titans. The Challenge Cup is a knock-out competition for all British clubs, amateur and professional, held since 1896. In recent years the entry has been expanded to allow French and Russian teams to take part. Please refer to individual rugby league playing nations, for information on national, state or local level club competitions.

Glossary

‘ball-runner’ vs ‘ball-player’ (also ‘ball-running’ vs ‘ball-playing’) : A descriptive categorization of a players technique based upon their favoured ‘action’ (play) when receiving the ball. A ‘ball-runner’ prefers to run at the defensive line and will look to pass/offload to his supporting teammates upon reaching, breaking or busting through the defensive line but not before. Alternatively a ‘ball-player’ prefers to pass before the defensive line rather than at or after meeting it, and can imply they possess a degree of creativity in their ‘passing game’. Although not mutually exclusive (players can combine both ‘ball-running’ and ‘ball-playing’ in their overall ‘game’) it is an important distinction in playing styles that requires a different approach from coaches & players and different sets of skills to employ and counter in attack and defense. calls : Plays across the Rugby League field often originate not from set plays but from the spontaneous ‘calls’ of players on field. Players will call for passes, kicks etc… when they sense an opportunity and playmakers will often respond. Teams sometimes have a high priority call meant to override other calls, e.g. the NSW in State of Origin have for many years used an “Arko” call in reference to the nickname of the former head of the Australian Rugby League – Ken Arthurson, because he always got his way… The Dummy-half must decide between many competing pass calls (and his own play options) which he will choose to service at every play-the-ball change over or handover : Change over refers to the attacking team relinquishing possession of the ball and the defending team gaining possession of the ball. This means the previous defending team becomes the current attacking team and visa versa. dummy-half : In attack the player who stands behind the tackled player at the ruck and receives the ball from the 'play-the-ball' which he can then pass or run with. Any player who receives the play-the-ball is called the dummy-half for that play, although it is common for the hooker to be referred to as the teams "dummy-half" independent of individual plays. chip kick : A chip kick is simply a punt kick that is very short and very low. It is usually performed so that the kicker or another member of the team can quickly recover the ball; thus the ball must not go out of reach of the receiving player. first receiver, second receiver etc... : The order a player receives the ball starting with a pass from the dummy-half, hence being the 'first receiver' and so on, of a pass in that play. (The dummy-half is excluded from this numbering scheme i.e. he is the 'zero receiver', as although he is the first ball handler he does not receive a pass) game : ‘Game’ is a catch phrase that can be used to describe the total sum of an individual players or teams collective talents, skills, limitations, playing style, on-field playing actions etc… in Rugby League. Often it is limited to describe a particular group of skills e.g. a “players passing game” or a “teams kicking game”, but it can be used generally e.g. “they were off their game tonight” or “the fullback still has mistakes in his game”. Alternatively ‘game’ can refer to an individual match or the game of Rugby League itself. goal line : The goal line is the line between the 'field of play' and the in goal area, thus there is a goal line for both in goal areas. The goal posts are also situated on the goal line. The goal line represents the goal of the attacking team. A try can be scored by 'touching down' on the goal line. head and feed : A team is said to have the head and feed of a scrum. The feed refers to the action of placing the ball into the scrum. in goal area : The in-goal area is a special area where points are scored in the form of a try. There are two in-goal areas on the field, one for each team. A defensive team must defend the in-goal area behind them from the attacking team. The attacking team must defeat the oppositions defences to score a try in their in-goal area. left/right arm carry: : When running with the ball a player can employ a one-arm (hand) carry by tucking the football into their shoulder/arm-pit. This allows a more secure hold when impacting in the tackle, it frees one hand to fend off tacklers, and allows one-arm offloads. Often players secure the ball exclusively with either their left or right arm. Being predictable, this becomes an important consideration for defenders trying to avoid the fend of the empty arm whilst targeting the ball-carrying arm to try and wrap the ball up and shut down the possibility of an offload, or to attempt to strip the ball from the attackers possession (Strips are only legal in a one-on-one tackle). offload : A pass, usually short & one-handed, made by an attacking player to his supporting teammates after he has reached the defensive line, i.e. while the defenders are attempting to tackle him. The advantageous opportunity for the attackers created by the offload is called second-phase play. place kick : The place kick is a kick from a tee. This act of kicking the ball from the tee is similar to hitting a goal ball from the tee. The tees in both sports provide the same support, to lift the ball off the ground. In rugby league higher tees are used to kick the ball higher. playmaker : A player who provides the organizational structure and creative impetus in a team via his passing game, (and usually though not always) his kicking and running game. A playmaker will organize his team by talking and structure attacking sets with his plays. From first receiver halfbacks are usually the teams primary playmaker, although 5-8ths often play a similar role in the modern game. play-the-ball : After a player has been tackled, and provided the team has not completed the number of tackles allocated to it under the six tackle rule, the player stands facing the opposition try-line, places the ball on the ground, and projects it backwards with one foot to the waiting dummy-half. rushing up : Rushing up is the act of a defender coming out of the defensive line in a hurry in anticipation of a pass. The aim is either to intercept the pass or tackle the player upon receiving the ball from a pass. It is somewhat risky to leave the defensive line but is very effective in stopping the attacking play. Also called a 'shooter'. 'Rushing up' can also refer to the entire defensive line (or sections of it) moving up quickly together, not just a single player coming out of the line. the halves : Narrowly defined they are the halfback and 5-8th. They form a ‘halves combination’ and are usually the teams organizers and creative playmakers. The definition can sometimes be extended to others who play a traditional halfback 5/8th role in a team from another position, most commonly fullback, lock or hooker. Sometimes the hooker, as ‘dummy-half’ is automatically included when ‘the halves’ are referred too. the ruck : In Rugby League the structure formed at the play-the-ball after a player has been tackled. It is often cited as a reference point in describing play, e.g. "they passed two-wide of the ruck and scored". In compromises of the tackled player who 'plays the ball', the dummy-half who receives the play-the-ball, two optional defensive markers who ignore the 10m offside rule and stand face to face with the player playing the ball, although they must stand directly in line with that player, and the A and B Defenders who stand either side of the gap in the defensive line that is left behind the play-the-ball ('A' usually refers to the defender on the left of the gap, and 'B' to the defender on the right as viewed from the attacking team). second-phase play : The play generated by an offload, which is effectively a second play under the same tackle, hence the name. The defensive line is typically standing still or retreating after an offload and is often disorientated and disjointed, presenting an excellent opportunity for the attacking team to capitalize on. short-side & open-side : From a play-the-ball (ruck), tap or scrum the ‘short side’ is the segment of the field to either the left or right that is shortest, and the ‘open side’ is the segment of the field to the left or right that is longest. The defensive line on the short-side doesn't usually push up as quickly as the open side prsenting oppurtuinites for the attack against defenders who think that the lack of space means the attack will ignore them go to the open side. Often teams ‘switch the point of attack’ by passing to one side from dummy-half only to have the 1st receiver throw a long pass (or run) behind the ruck to attack the other side in an attempt to catch out lazy defenders who have ‘switched off’ once the ball initially moved away from them. slide defense: : A defensive technique where each defender in the line will mark up against an opponent and (on the open-side) ‘show them the outside’ by standing several metres inside their opposite, encouraging them to try and beat them out wide. The defensive line will then ‘slide’ sideways with their opposite attackers as they attempt run wide and tackle them side on. The weakness of slide defense is the inside pass & run that cuts back towards the centre of the field, catching the defenders wrong-footed. See ‘Up & In Defense’ (to be added).

External links

- [http://www.rfl.uk.com/Templates/RFLDefault.asp?modeID=Content&uID=13 Laws of rugby league] - Rugby Football League
- [http://www.nrl.com.au/ Official site of premier Australasian league] - National Rugby League
- [http://www.superleague.co.uk/ Official site of premier European league] - European Super League
- [http://www.skysports.com/skysports/rugbyleague/ Sky Sports] - SkySports.com Rugby League Section
- [http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/ Sportinglife.com] - SportingLife.com Rugby League Section
- [http://www.totalrl.com/home/index.shtml Leader in World Rugby League Journalism] - Total Rugby League
- [http://www.rleague.com/ Leading fan site; International news, opinion pieces & forums] - World of Rugby League
- ja:ラグビーリーグ

Challenge Cup

This article is about the Rugby League Challenge Cup. For other "Challenge Cups" see Challenge Cup (disambiguation) Challenge Cup (disambiguation) The Challenge Cup is a knockout competition for rugby league clubs in Europe. Originally it was contested only by British teams, but in recent years the entry has been expanded to allow French and Russian teams to take part. It has been held annually since 1896, with the exception of the duration of the First World War.

History

The clubs that formed the Northern Union had long been playing in local knockout cup competitions under the auspices of the Rugby Football Union. However, the rugby union authorities refused to sanction a nationwide tournament, fearing that this would inevitably lead to professionalism. After the schism of 1895, the northern clubs were free to go-ahead, and they instigated the Northern Rugby Football Union Challenge Cup. The first competition was held during the 1896-95 season (the second season of the new game), and 56 clubs entered to compete for the £60 trophy. The first final was held at Headingley in Leeds, on the 24th April 1897. Batley defeated St Helens 10-3 in front of a crowd of 13,492 (see picture). It is interesting to note that the St Helens side did not play in a standardised team jersey. Initially, the final tie was held at one of the larger club grounds in the north, however, in 1927 the decision was made to relocate to the new Wembley Stadium in London. In 1946, the Lance Todd Trophy was introduced and awarded to the man of the match. In itself, it is a prestigous trophy presented only at the Challenge Cup Final. The winner is selected by the members of the Rugby League Writers' Association present at the game and the trophy is presented at a celebratory dinner at The Willows, home of the Salford City Reds. In recent years the redevelopment of Wembley has led to the Cup Final utilising a variety of venues. The final is one of the biggest rugby league events of the year in Britain, along with the Super League Grand Final. The Challenge Cup final traditionally formed the end to the season, being played in late April or early May. The move to a summer season for rugby league in 1996 did not see the Challenge Cup moved, and it became instead essentially a pre-season tournament, with the final taking place early in the season. Many people felt that this led to a decline in the prestige of the cup. It was changed to a Summer competition in 2005, with the first Summer Cup Final held on Saturday August 27 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

Structure

The modern Challenge Cup has 7 rounds prior to the final. Teams are seeded, entering at different stages. The precise format has altered slightly from year to year, however the basic format is as follows:
- First round: Amateur teams from all the nations of the British Isles. Most of the teams are English and affiliated to BARLA.
- Second round: No new teams enter the competition at this stage
- Third round: Two Russian teams, four French sides, and semi-professional British clubs from the Rugby League National Leagues enter the draw.
- Fourth round: The twelve Super League teams join the competition
- Fifth round: Last 16
- Quarter Finals: Last eight
- Semi Finals: (played at neutral venues)
- Final

List of finals

Note that in the years immediately following the Second World War the final was played over two legs, with the aggregate score being used.

Year	Winners	Score	Runner-up	Venue	Attendance
1896-97	Batley	10 - 3	St Helens	Leeds	13,492
1897-98	Bately	7 - 0	Bradford	Leeds	27,941
1898-99	Oldham	19 - 9	Hunslet	Manchester	15,763
1899-00	Swinton	16 - 8	Salford	Manchester	17,864
1900-01	Batley	6 - 0	Warrington	Leeds	29,563
1901-02	Broughton Rangers	25 - 0	Salford	Rochdale	15,006
1902-03	Halifax	7 - 0	Salford	Leeds	32,507
1903-04	Halifax	8 - 3	Warrington	Salford	17,041
1904-05	Warrington	6 - 0	Hull Kingston Rovers	Leeds	19,638
1905-06	Bradford	5 - 0	Salford	Leeds	15,834
1906-07	Warrington	17 - 3	Oldham	Broughton	18,500
1907-08	Hunslet	14 - 0	Hull	Huddersfield	18,000
1908-09	Wakefield Trinity	17 - 0	Hull	Leeds	23,587
1909-10	Leeds	7 - 7	Hull	Huddersfield	11,608
(replay)	Leeds	26 - 12	Hull	Huddersfield	19,413
1910-11	Broughton Rangers	4 - 0	Wigan	Salford	8,000
1911-12	Dewsbury	8 - 5	Oldham	Leeds	15,271
1912-13	Huddersfield	9 - 5	Warrington	Leeds	22,754
1913-14	Hull	6 - 0	Wakefield Trinity	Halifax	19,000
1914-15	Huddersfield	37 - 3	St Helens	Oldham	8,000
1919-20	Huddersfield	21 - 10	Wigan	Leeds	14,000
1920-21	Leigh	13 - 0	Halifax	Broughton	25,000
1921-22	Rochdale Hornets	10 - 9	Hull	Leeds	32,596
1922-23	Leeds	28 - 3	Hull	Wakefield	29,335
1923-24	Wigan	21 - 4	Oldham	Rochdale	41,831
1924-25	Oldham	16 - 3	Hull Kingston Rovers	Leeds	28,335
1925-26	Swinton	9 - 3	Oldham	Rochdale	27,000
1926-27	Oldham	26 - 7	Swinton	Wigan	33,448
1927-28	Swinton	5 - 3	Warrington	Wigan	33,909
1928-29	Wigan	13 - 2	Dewsbury	Wembley	41,500
1929-30	Widnes	10 - 3	St Helens	Wembley	36,544
1930-31	Halifax	22 - 8	York	Wembley	40,368
1931-32	Leeds	11 - 8	Swinton	Wigan	29,000
1932-33	Huddersfield	21 - 17	Warrington	Wembley	41,874
1933-34	Hunslet	11 - 5	Widnes	Wembley	41,280
1934-35	Castleford	11 - 8	Huddersfield	Wembley	39,000
1935-36	Leeds	18 - 2	Warrington	Wembley	51,250
1936-37	Wembley	18 - 5	Keighley	Wembley	47,699
1937-38	Salford	7 - 4	Barrow	Wembley	51,243
1938-39	Halifax	20 - 3	Salford	Wembley	55,453
1940-41	Leeds	19 - 2	Halifax	Bradford	28,500
1941-42	Leeds	15 - 10	Halifax	Bradford	15,250
1942-43	Dewsbury	16 - 9	Leeds	Dewsbury	10,470
1942-43	Leeds	6 - 0	Dewsbury	Leeds	16,000
1942-43	Dewsbury	16 - 15	Leeds	(aggegate score)	n/a
1943-44	Bradford Northern	0 - 3	Wigan	Wigan	22,000
1943-44	Bradford Northern	8 - 0	Wigan	Bradford	30,000
1943-44	Bradford Northern	8 - 3	Wigan	(aggegate score)	n/a
1944-45	Huddersfield	7 - 4	Bradford Northern	Huddersfield	9,041
1944-45	Huddersfield	6 - 5	Bradford Northern	Bradford	17,500
1944-45	Huddersfield	13 - 9	Bradford Northern	(aggegate score)	n/a
1945-46	Wakefield Trinity	13 - 12	Wigan	Wembley	54,730
1946-46	Bradford Northern	8 - 4	Leeds	Wembley	77,605
1947-46	Wigan	8 - 3	Bradford Northern	Wembley	71,465
1948-49	Bradford Northern	12 - 0	Halifax	Wembley	95,050
1949-50	Warrington	19 - 0	Widnes Vikings	Wembley	94,249
1950-51	Wigan	10 - 0	Barrow	Wembley	94,262
1951-52	Workington Town	18 - 10	Featherstone Rovers	Wembley	72,093
1952-53	Huddersfield	15 - 10	St Helens	Wembley	89,588
1953-54	Warrington	4 - 4	Halifax	Wembley	81,841
(replay)	Warrington	18 - 4	Halifax	Bradford	102,569
1954-55	Barrow	21 - 12	Workington Town	Wembley	66,513
1955-56	St Helens	13 - 2	Halifax	Wembley	79,341
1956-57	Leeds	9 - 7	Barrow	Wembley	76,318
1957-58	Wigan	13-9	Workington Town	Wembley	66,109
1958-59	Wigan	30 - 13	Hull	Wembley	79,811
1959-60	Wakefield Trinity	38 - 5	Hull	Wembley	79,773
1960-61	St Helens	12 - 6	Wigan	Wembley	94,672
1961-62	Wakefield Trinity	12 - 6	Huddersfield	Wembley	81,263
1962-63	Wakefield Trinity	25 - 10	Wigan	Wembley	84,492
1963-64	Widnes	13 - 5	Hull Kingston Rovers	Wembley	84,488
1964-65	Wigan	20 - 16	Hunslet	Wembley	89,016
1965-66	St Helens	21 - 2	Wigan	Wembley	98,536
1966-67	Featherstone Rovers	17 - 12	Barrow	Wembley	76,290
1967-68	Leeds	11 - 10	Wakefield Trinity	Wembley	87,100
1968-69	Castleford	11 - 6	Salford	Wembley	97,939
1969-70	Castleford	7 - 2	Wigan	Wembley	95,255
1970-71	Leigh	24 - 7	Leeds	Wembley	85,514
1971-72	St Helens	16 - 13	Leeds	Wembley	89,495
1972-73	Featherstone Rovers	33 - 14	Bradford Northern	Wembley	72,395
1973-74	Warrington	24 -9	Featherstone Rovers	Wembley	77,400
1974-75	Widnes	14 - 7	Warrington	Wembley	85,098
1975-76	St Helens	20 - 5	Widnes	Wembley	89,982
1976-77	Leeds	16 - 7	Widnes	Wembley	80,871
1977-78	Leeds	14 - 12	St Helens	Wembley	96,000
1978-79	Widnes	12 - 3	Wakefield Trinity	Wembley	94,218
1979-80	Hull Kingston Rovers	10 - 5	Hull	Wembley	95,000
1980-81	Widnes	18 - 9	Hull Kingston Rovers	Wembley	92,496
1981-82	Hull	14 - 14	Widnes	Wembley	92,147
(replay)	Hull	18 - 9	Widnes	Wembley	84,969
1982-83	Featherstone Rovers	14 - 12	Hull	Elland Road	41,171
1983-84	Widnes	19 - 6	Wigan	Wembley	80,116
1984-85	Wigan	28 - 24	Hull	Wembley	99,801
1985-86	Castleford Tigers	15 - 14	Hull Kingston Rovers	Wembley	82,134
1986-87	Halifax	19 - 18	St Helens	Wembley	91,267
1987-88	Wigan	32 - 12	Halifax	Wembley	94,273
1988-89	Wigan	27 - 0	St Helens	Wembley	78,000
1989-90	Wigan	36 - 14	Warrington	Wembley	77,729
1990-91	Wigan	13 - 8	St Helens	Wembley	75,532
1991-92	Wigan	28 - 12	Castleford	Wembley	77,286
1992-93	Wigan	20 - 14	Widnes	Wembley	77,684
1993-94	Wigan	26 - 16	Leeds	Wembley	78,348
1994-95	Wigan	30 - 10	Leeds	Wembley	78,550
1995-96	St Helens	40 - 32	Bradford Bulls	Wembley	75,994
1996-97	St Helens	32 - 22	Bradford Bulls	Wembley	78,022
1997-98	Sheffield Eagles	17 - 8	Wigan Warriors	Wembley	60,669
1998-99	Leeds Rhinos	52- 16	London Broncos	Wembley	73,242
1999-00	Bradford Bulls	24 - 18	Leeds Rhinos	Murrayfield	67,247
2000-01	St Helens	13 - 6	Bradford Bulls	Twickenham Stadium	68,250
2001-02	Wigan Warriors	21 - 12	St Helens	Murrayfield	62,140
2002-03	Bradford Bulls	22 - 20	Leeds Rhinos	Millennium Stadium	71,212
2003-04	St Helens	32 - 16	Wigan Warriors	Millennium Stadium	73,734
2005	Hull FC	25 - 24	Leeds Rhinos	Millennium Stadium	74,000

External links

- [http://www.totalrl.com/fixtures/index.php results and tables from totalrl.com] Category:British rugby league competitions Category:European rugby league competitions

2005 UEFA Women's Championship

The 2005 UEFA Women's Championship, also referred to as WOMEN'S EURO 2005 (trademark of UEFA), was a football tournament for women held from June 5 to June 19 2005 in Lancashire, England. The UEFA Women's Championship is a regular tournament involving European national teams from countries affiliated to UEFA, the European governing body, who have qualified for the competition. The competition aims to determine which national women's team is the best in Europe. Germany won the competition for the fourth consecutive tournament, and the sixth time overall (including one win in the predecessor tournament, the European Competition for Representative Women's Teams). Their championship win was the last for coach Tina Theune-Meyer, who months earlier had announced her retirement effective at the end of the tournament. In her nine years in charge of Germany, they won three European titles, two bronze medals in the Olympics, and the 2003 World Cup.

Teams and structure

Eight national teams participated—seven which qualified from earlier stages, plus England, which received an automatic berth as the host nation. They were split into two groups of 4: Group A and Group B. Each team in a group played each other once, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the semi-finals. The winner faced the runner-up of the other group in a play-off, with the winner of each semi-final advancing to the final to determine the champion.

Group A

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Group B

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Qualification

A qualifying round ran from March 22 to October 3 2004 ^{[http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/woco/FixturesResults/index.html]}. The teams which were entered played in a group stage, with the winners advancing to the final, and the runners-up being given the chance of qualification through a play-off. England, as the host nation, qualified automatically for the tournament. The following teams were eliminated at this stage ^{[http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/woco/Teams/index.html]}:
- Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Scotland, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine Three teams were also eliminated in play-offs for the tournament:
- Czech Republic, Iceland, Russia [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/woco/Format/index.html More information on the qualification format at UEFA.com]

Results

Group A

5 June
- Sweden 1-1 Denmark (Bloomfield Road, Blackpool) :Hanna Ljungberg 21' (S), Johanna Rasmussen 29' (D)
- England 3-2 Finland (City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester) :Sanna Valkonen og 18' (E), Amanda Barr 40' (E), Anna-Kaisa Rantanen 52' (F), Laura Kalmari 88' (F), Karen Carney 90' + 1' (E) 8 June
- Denmark 2-1 England (Ewood Park, Blackburn) :Fara Williams 52' pen (E), Merete Pedersen 80' (D), Cathrine Paaske Sørensen 88' (D)
- Sweden 0-0 Finland (Bloomfield Road, Blackpool) 11 June
- England 0-1 Sweden (Ewood Park, Blackburn) :Anna Sjöström 3' (S)
- Finland 2-1 Denmark (Bloomfield Road, Blackpool) :Laura Kalmari 6' (F), Heidi Kackur 16' (F), Cathrine Paaske Sørensen 45' (D) Notes
- Finland and Denmark finished level on points. Finland advanced to the semifinals due to their head-to-head win.

Group B

6 June
- Germany 1-0 Norway (Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington) :Conny Pohlers 61' (D)
- France 3-1 Italy (Deepdale, Preston) :Hoda Lataff 12' (F), Marinette Pichon 20', 30' (F), Sara Di Filippo 83' (I) 9 June
- Italy 0-4 Germany (Deepdale, Preston) :Birgit Prinz 11' (G), Conny Pohlers 18' (G), Steffi Jones 55' (G), Anja Mittag 74' (G)
- France 1-1 Norway (Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington) :Stéphanie Mugneret-Béghé 20' (F), Isabell Herlovsen 66' (N) 12 June
- Germany 3-0 France (Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington) :Inka Grings 72' (G), Renate Lingor 77' pen (G), Sandra Minnert 83' (G)
- Norway 5-3 Italy (Deepdale, Preston) :Lise Klaveness 7', 57' (N), Melania Gabbiadini 8', 53' (I), Marit Fiane Christiansen 29' (N), Solveig Gulbrandsen 35' (N), Dagny Mellgren 44' (N), Elisa Camporese 69' (I) Notes
- Norway and France finished level on points. Norway advanced to the semifinals due to their better goal difference.

Semifinals

15 June
- Germany 4-1 Finland (Deepdale, Preston) :Inka Grings 3', 12' (G), Conny Pohlers 8' (G), Minna Mustonen 15' (F), Birgit Prinz 62' (G) 16 June
- Sweden 2-3 Norway aet (Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington) :Solveig Gulbrandsen 41', 109' (N), Hanna Ljungberg 43', 89' (S), Isabell Herlovsen 65' (N)

Final

19 June
- Germany 3-1 Norway (Ewood Park, Blackburn) :Anja Mittag 21' (G), Renate Lingor 24' (G), Dagny Mellgren 41' (N), Birgit Prinz 63' (G)

Legend

- og - own goal
- aet - after extra time
- pen - penalty

Leading scorers

;3 goals
- 20px Inka Grings
- 20px Solveig Gulbrandsen
- 20px Hanna Ljungberg
- 20px Conny Pohlers
- 20px Birgit Prinz

Leading scorer teams

;15 goals (6 games)
- ;10 goals (6 games)
- (No other team scored more than 6 goals)

External links

- [http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/woco/index.html UEFA Women's Championship official webpages]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/women/default.stm BBC Sport coverage of Women's football]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/women/4559941.stm BBC Sport: " How Women's Euros have evolved"] Category:Sports festivals hosted in the United Kingdom 2005 UEFA Women's Championship Category:History of English football

Football (soccer)

:Soccer redirects here. For other senses, see soccer (disambiguation). soccer (disambiguation) Association football, soccer, or simply football (see below) is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. Football is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body except their hands and arms to propel the ball; the exceptions to this are throw-ins (ie: when the ball goes out of bounds, field players throw the ball into play from the sidelines) and the two players acting as goalkeepers, who are the only ones allowed to handle the ball on the field of play, albeit with restrictions. The sport is known by a variety of names in different parts of the English-speaking world, usually association football and its contraction, soccer. These names are often used to distinguish the game from other codes of football, since the word "football" may be used to refer to several quite different games. Football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to a football stadium to follow their favourite team, whilst millions more avidly watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's governing body, published in the spring of 2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200 countries in every part of the world. Its simple rules and minimal equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in popularity. In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world.

Nature of the game

Two teams of eleven players each compete to get a spherical ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team which has scored the most goals at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. The primary rule for this objective is that players, other than the goalkeepers, may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play (though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart). Although players mainly use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. throw-in In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet); by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball. Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when the ball has left the field of play by wholly crossing over a boundary line (either on the ground or in the air), or play has been stopped by the referee. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart (see below). The game is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are summarised below.

The Laws of the Game

History and development

The Laws of the Game are based on efforts made in the mid-19th century to standardise the rules of the widely varying games of football played at the public schools of England. The first set of rules resembling the modern game were produced at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury, but they were far from universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs were formed, thoughout the English-speaking world, independent of schools or universities, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club (formed by former pupils from Harrow) in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, J.C. Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These efforts contribute to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863 which first met on the evening of 26 October 1863 at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, who was the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original fourteen rules of the game. Despite this, the Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s. Today the laws of the game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The Board was formed in 1882 after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the board is made up of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations. 1913

Overview of the Laws

There are seventeen Laws in the official Laws of the Game. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although the preface to the Laws does grant national associations the ability to authorise certain modifications for juniors, seniors, women, etc. The Laws are often framed in broad terms, which allows flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. In addition to the seventeen Laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. The Laws can be found on the [http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regulation/0,3527,3,00.html official FIFA website].

Players and equipment

Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum of seven players are required to constitute a team. There are a variety of positions in which the outfield players are strategically placed by a manager/coach, though these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. One player on each team must be designated as that team's goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to handle the ball with his hands or arms, but is restricted to doing so within the penalty area (also known as the "box" or "18 yard box") in front of his own goal. The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt (or jersey), shorts, socks (or stockings), footwear and adequate shin guards. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player (including jewellery or watches). A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum substitutions permitted in international games and in national level leagues is three, though substitution numbers may be varied in other leagues. The usual reasons for a player's replacement include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or to waste a little time at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in the match.

Officials

A game is presided over by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions regarding facts connected with play are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen). In many high-level games there is also a fourth official, who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.

Playing field

fourth official)]] The length of the field (pitch) for international adult matches should be in the range 100-130 yards (90-120m) and the width should be in the range 50-100 yards (45-90m).The pitch must be rectangular, with the length of the touch line longer than the width of the goal line. The longer boundary lines are touch lines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. On the goal line at each end of the field is a goal. The inner edges of the goal posts must be 8 yards (7.32m) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 8 feet (2.44m) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, though are not required by the Laws. In front of each goal is an area of the field known as the penalty area (colloquially "penalty box", "18 yard box" or simply "the box"). This area consists of the area formed by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 18 yards (16.5m) from the goalposts and extending 18 yards into the pitch from the goal-line, and a line joining these. This area has a number of important functions, the most prominent being to denote where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a foul by a defender which would usually punished by a direct free kick becomes punishable by a penalty kick. The field has other field markings and defined areas; these are described in the main article above.

Duration

Standard durations

A standard adult football match consists of two periods (known as halves) of 45 minutes each. There is usually a 15-minute break between halves, known as half time. The end of the match is known as full-time. At the end of each half the referee adds time to account for interruptions during play, such as substitutions, treatment of injuries and time wasting. This addition is traditionally known as injury time.

Extra time and shootouts

If tied at the end of regulation time, in some competitions the game may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Note that goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, unlike kicks from the penalty mark which are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored not making up part of the final score). Competitions utilising two-leg stages (i.e. where each round involves the two teams playing each other twice) may utilise the so-called away goals rule to attempt to determine which team progresses in the event of the teams being equal on wins; however, should results still be equal following this calculation kicks from the penalty mark are usually required. Other competitions may require a tied game to be replayed.

Golden and silver goal experiments

In the late 1990s, the IFAB experimented with ways of making matches more likely to end without requiring kicks from the penalty mark, which were often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or at the end of the first period of extra time if one team was by then leading (silver goal). Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.

Referee as official timekeeper

The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and it is part of his duties to make allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, cautions and dismissals, sundry time wasting, etc. When making such an allowance for time lost, the referee is often said to be "adding time on". The amount of time is at the sole discretion of the referee, and the referee alone signals when the match has been completed. There are no other timekeepers, although assistant referees carry a watch and may provide a second opinion if requested by the referee. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half the referee will signal how many minutes remain to be played, and the fourth official then signals this to players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. Note that there is often semantic debate as to whether the referee is "adding on" time to the end of a half, or rather treating time during stoppages as though it never existed as part of the match time; this distinction has little bearing on the practical conduct of a game, however it may be noted that the pre-1997 wording of the laws stated that the referee "shall ... allow the full or agreed time adding thereto all time lost through injury or accident" (Law V), and later FIFA guidelines regarding the annotation of goal scoring times suggested that time is indeed "added-on" to the end of the agreed half period.

Starts and re-starts

Each playing period in football commences with a kick-off, which is a set kick from the centre-spot by one team. At kick-off all players are required to be in their half of the field, and all players of the non-kicking team must also remain outside the centre-circle, until the ball is kicked and moved. Kick-offs are also used to restart play following a goal. From the initial kick-off of a period until the end of that period, the ball is "in play" at all times until the end of the playing period, except when the ball leaves the field of play or play is stopped by the referee; in these cases play is re-started by one of the following eight methods: kick-off
- Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_01.htm Law 8]).
- Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws15_01.htm Law 15]).
- Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by an attacker; awarded to defending team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws16_01.htm Law 16]).
- Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a defender; awarded to attacking team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws17_01.htm Law 17]).
- Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Penalty kick: awarded to fouled team following "penal" foul having occurred in their opponent's penalty area. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws14_01.htm Law 14]).
- Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason (e.g. a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective). ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_03.htm Law 8]).

Fouls and misconduct

A foul occurs when a player (not a substitute) commits a specific offence listed in the Laws of the Game, against an opponent, when the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are mainly listed in Law 12. "Penal fouls", for example handling the ball, tripping an opponent, pushing an opponent, etc, are punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick. Misconduct may occur at any time, and need not be against an opponent. Substitutes may commit misconduct. Whilst the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. Misconduct may be punished by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card).

Offside

The offside law limits the ability of attacking players to remain forward (i.e. closer to the opponent's goal-line) of both the ball and the second last defending player. It is often assumed that the purpose of this law is to prevent "goal scrounging" or "cherry picking", but in fact the offside law has similar roots to the offside law in rugby (see full article). The details and application of this law are complex, and often result in controversy: for more information on offside please refer to the main article above.

Governing bodies

The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
- Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF; also known as The Football Confederation)
- Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
- Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
- South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL) The recognised various national associations (see football around the world) oversee football within their jurisdictions. These are affiliated both with FIFA directly and also with their respective continental confederations. Note that the Laws of the Game are not maintained by FIFA itself; rather they are maintained by the International Football Association Board, as discussed in the history and development section above.

Major international competitions

Worldwide international competitions

The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. Over 190 national teams compete in regional qualifying tournaments for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a four-week period. There has been a football tournament at the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Originally this was for amateurs only, however since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level with a restricted number of over-age players per team; consequently the competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, the women's Olympic tournament is played by full international sides without age restrictions. It thus carries international prestige considered comparable to that of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Major international competitions

The major international competitions of the world and the continental confederations, followed by their major club events where appropriate, are:
- World: FIFA World Cup; FIFA Club World Championship
- Europe: European Championship; UEFA Champions League
- South America: Copa América; Copa Libertadores
- Africa: African Nations Cup; CAF Champions League
- Asia: Asian Cup; AFC Champions League
- North/Central America & Caribbean: CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Oceania: Oceania Nations Cup; Oceania Club Championship

Names of the game

Oceania Club Championship] The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer first appeared in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of Association football. Today the sport is known by a number of names throughout the English-speaking world, the most common being football and soccer; this has generated debate regarding the "correct" name for the sport. The term used depends largely on the need to differentiate the sport from other codes of football followed in a community. Football is the term used by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee. For more details of naming throughout the world, please refer to the main articles above.

Metre

:This article is about the unit of length. For other uses of metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation). The metre (Commonwealth English) or meter (American English) (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. It is defined as the length of the path travelled by light in absolute vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second. Adding SI prefixes to metre creates multiples and submultiples; for example kilometre (1000 metres; kilo- = 1000) and millimetre (one thousandth of a metre; milli- = 1 / 1 000).

Conversions

1 metre is equivalent to:
- exactly 1/0.9144 yards (approximately 1.0936 yards)
- exactly 1/0.3048 feet (approximately 3.2808 feet)
- exactly 10000/254 inches (approximately 39.370 inches)

History

The word metre is from the Greek metron (μετρον), "a measure" via the French mètre. Its first recorded usage in English is from 1797. In the 18th century, there were two favoured approaches to the definition of the standard unit of length. One suggested defining the metre as the length of a pendulum with a half-period of one second. The other suggested defining the metre as one ten-millionth of the length of the earth's meridian along a quadrant (one-fourth the polar circumference of the earth). In 1791, the French Academy of Sciences selected the meridional definition over the pendular definition because of the slight variation of the force of gravity over the surface of the earth, which affects the period of a pendulum. In 1793, France adopted the metre, with this definition, as its official unit of length. Although it was later determined that the first prototype metre bar was short by a fifth of a millimetre due to miscalculation of the flattening of the earth, this length became the standard. So, the circumference of the Earth through the poles is approximately forty million metres. Earth in a vacuum.]] In the 1870s and in light of modern precision, a series of international conferences were held to devise new metric standards. The Metre Convention (Convention du Mètre) of 1875 mandated the establishment of a permanent International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures) to be located in Sèvres, France. This new organisation would preserve the new prototype metre and kilogram when constructed, distribute national metric prototypes, and would maintain comparisons between them and non-metric measurement standards. This organisation created a new prototype bar in 1889 at the first General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM: Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures), establishing the International Prototype Metre as the distance between two lines on a standard bar of an alloy of ninety percent platinum and ten percent iridium, measured at the melting point of ice. In 1893, the standard metre was first measured with an interferometer by Albert A. Michelson, the inventor of the device and an advocate of using some particular wavelength of light as a standard of distance. By 1925, interferometry was in regular use at the BIPM. However, the International Prototype Metre remained the standard until 1960, when the eleventh CGPM defined the metre in the new SI system as equal to 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of the orange-red emission line in the electromagnetic spectrum of the krypton-86 atom in a vacuum. The original international prototype of the metre is still kept at the BIPM under the conditions specified in 1889. To further reduce uncertainty, the seventeenth CGPM of 1983 replaced the definition of the metre with its current definition, thus fixing the length of the metre in terms of time and the speed of light: :The metre is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second. Note that this definition exactly fixes the speed of light in a vacuum at 299,792,458 metres per second. Definitions based on the physical properties of light are more precise and reproducible because the properties of light are considered to be universally constant.

Timeline of definition

- 1790 May 8 — The French National Assembly decides that the length of the new metre would be equal to the length of a pendulum with a half-period of one second.
- 1791 March 30 — The French National Assembly accepts the proposal by the French Academy of Sciences that the new definition for the metre be equal to one ten-millionth of the length of the earth's meridian along a quadrant (one-fourth the polar circumference of the earth).
- 1795 — Provisional metre bar constructed of brass.
- 1799 December 10 — The French National Assembly specifies that the platinum metre bar, constructed on 23 June 1799 and deposited in the National Archives, as the final standard.
- 1889 September 28 — The first CGPM defines the length as the distance between two lines on a standard bar of an alloy of platinum with ten percent iridium, measured at the melting point of ice.
- 1927 October 6 — The seventh CGPM adjusts the definition of the length to be the distance, at 0 °C, between the axes of the two central lines marked on the prototype bar of platinum-iridium, this bar being subject to one standard atmosphere of pressure and supported on two cylinders of at least one centimetre diameter, symmetrically placed in the same horizontal plane at a distance of 571 millimetres from each other.
- 1960 October 20 — The eleventh CGPM defines the length to be equal to 1,650,763.73 wavelengths in vacuum of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the 2p¹⁰ and 5d⁵ quantum levels of the krypton-86 atom.
- 1983 October 21 — The seventeenth CGPM defines the length to be distance travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second.

External links

- [http://www.unitconversion.org/unit_converter/length.html?unit=meter&value=1 Length Converter: convert metre to other units, such as yard, mile, and so on]
- [http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/meter.html History of the metre at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)]
- [http://www.mel.nist.gov/div821/museum/timeline.htm Timeline of history of the metre at the NIST]
- [http://www1.bipm.org/en/scientific/length/ Bureau International des Poids et Measures - Lengths] Category:SI base units Category:Units of length ko:미터 ms:Meter ja:メートル simple:Metre th:เมตร

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