Footballer facts for kids
A footballer is an athlete who plays the game of football. Footballers can play just for fun as amateurs, or they can play professionally, meaning it's their job and they get paid. They are skilled players who train hard to compete in matches and tournaments around the world.
Joining a Football Club
Most professional footballers sign a special agreement called a contract with a football club. This contract means they will play for that club for a certain amount of time. When the contract ends, the footballer can either sign a new contract with the same club or choose to move to a different club. This is how players change teams.
Player Roles on the Field
In a football game, each team has 11 players on the field at one time. Two very important players are the goalkeeper and the captain. Every player has a specific job or "role" to help their team. The main roles are:
- Goalkeeper: This player's main job is to stop the other team from scoring goals. They are the only player allowed to use their hands (inside their own penalty area).
- Defender: Defenders work to protect their team's goal. They try to stop the opposing team's attackers from getting close to the goal.
- Midfielder: Midfielders play in the middle of the field. They help both the defenders and the attackers. They try to win the ball, pass it to their teammates, and create scoring chances.
- Attacker: Attackers, also called forwards, are the players whose main goal is to score goals for their team. They try to shoot the ball into the opponent's net.
Each of these main roles can have even more specific positions:
- Defenders can be full-backs (who play on the sides), centre-backs (who play in the middle), or sweepers (who play behind other defenders).
- Midfielders can be half-backs (who play deeper), central midfielders (who control the middle of the field), or playmakers (who create attacking moves).
- Attackers can be centre-forwards (who play in the middle to score), wingers (who play on the sides of the field), or strikers (who are focused on scoring goals).
Even though each role needs different skills and movements, every footballer shares one big goal: to score more goals than the other team and win the game!
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Fútbol para niños
