Football and the FIFA World Cup: Rules, Winners and Trophies
Football notes for competitive exams: the rules and terms of the game, FIFA and the World Cup story, the trophies, the great winners and Indian football.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 4 min read
Football, called soccer in some countries, is the most widely played team game in the world, and examiners treat it as a fixed source of one or two questions in every General Awareness paper. The questions are of three kinds: the technical terms of the game, the governing bodies and their trophies, and the World Cup record. All three are stable facts that reward memorising once and revising often.
The game and its rules
A football team has eleven players on the field, one of whom is the goalkeeper, the only player allowed to handle the ball inside his own penalty area. A match is of ninety minutes, played in two halves of forty five minutes with a half time interval, and the referee adds stoppage time at the end of each half. In knockout matches a draw is followed by extra time of thirty minutes, in two halves of fifteen, and if the scores are still level the result is decided by a penalty shoot-out.
The field of play is rectangular. The goal is eight yards wide and eight feet high, and the penalty spot is twelve yards from the goal line. The ball is put back in play from the touchline by a throw-in, from the goal line by a goal kick or a corner kick, and a foul inside the penalty area gives the other side a penalty kick. A yellow card is a caution, and a second yellow or a direct red card sends the player off. Three goals by one player in a match make a hat-trick. Other terms asked are dribbling, offside, tackling, volley, header and stopper.
FIFA and the World Cup
The Federation Internationale de Football Association, known as FIFA, was founded in 1904 in Paris and has its headquarters at Zurich in Switzerland. It organises the World Cup, the men's tournament held every four years. The first World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay, and the hosts won it, beating Argentina in the final. The tournament was not held in 1942 and 1946 because of the Second World War.
The trophy awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the Jules Rimet Trophy, named after the FIFA president who conceived the tournament. Brazil won it outright in 1970 on winning the competition for the third time, and a new trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, has been awarded since 1974. Brazil is the most successful team with five titles, won in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Italy and Germany have four each, Argentina and Uruguay two each, and England, France and Spain one each at the time these notes were written.
Some finals are asked by name. France won at home in 1998 and again in 2018 in Russia. Spain won its first title in 2010 in South Africa. Argentina won in 1978 and 1986, and again in 2022 in Qatar, the first World Cup held in the Arab world and the first played in November and December. The 2026 edition is to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The FIFA Women's World Cup began in 1991. The continental championships are the UEFA European Championship in Europe, the Copa America in South America and the AFC Asian Cup in Asia.
Football in India
The All India Football Federation, the national governing body, was formed in 1937, and India is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. The Durand Cup, started in 1888 at Shimla and named after Mortimer Durand, is the oldest football tournament in Asia and the third oldest in the world. The Santosh Trophy, begun in 1941, is the national championship contested between states and units. The IFA Shield of Kolkata dates from 1893 and the Subroto Cup, begun in 1960, is the leading school level tournament. Kolkata is the traditional centre of the Indian game.
India won the gold medal in football at the Asian Games in 1951 at New Delhi and again in 1962 at Jakarta, the high point of Indian football. At the 1956 Melbourne Olympics India finished fourth, the best placing by an Asian country at that time, and Neville D'Souza scored a hat-trick against Australia. Sailen Manna, Chuni Goswami, P. K. Banerjee and Jarnail Singh are the names from that era, and Syed Abdul Rahim was the coach who built the team. The Arjuna Award and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna are the national awards Indian footballers receive.
Exam Point of View
Three groups of questions come from this topic. First, the World Cup record: the first edition and its host and winner, the country with the most titles, the years the tournament was not held, and the change of trophy in 1974. Second, the vocabulary: hat-trick, offside, dribbling, penalty kick, corner kick, throw-in and the distance of the penalty spot are asked as one line questions and also appear in the which term belongs to which game format. Third, Indian football: the year of the Durand Cup and the Santosh Trophy, the Asian Games gold medals of 1951 and 1962, and the fourth place at the 1956 Olympics. Traps are confusing FIFA's founding year 1904 with the first World Cup in 1930, and mixing the Durand Cup with the Santosh Trophy.
Important Facts
| FIFA founded | 1904, in Paris |
|---|---|
| FIFA headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland |
| First World Cup | 1930, hosted and won by Uruguay |
| World Cup not held | 1942 and 1946, because of the Second World War |
| Trophy till 1970 | Jules Rimet Trophy, won outright by Brazil |
| Most World Cup titles | Brazil, five: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002 |
| Players in a team | Eleven, including the goalkeeper |
| Duration of a match | Ninety minutes, in two halves of forty five minutes |
| Penalty spot | Twelve yards from the goal line |
| Goal post | Eight yards wide and eight feet high |
| Oldest tournament in Asia | Durand Cup, started in 1888 at Shimla |
| National championship | Santosh Trophy, started in 1941 |
| All India Football Federation | Formed in 1937 |
| India's Asian Games gold | 1951 at New Delhi and 1962 at Jakarta |
Practice MCQs on this topic
The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 in which country?
- A.Brazil
- B.Italy
- C.Uruguay
- D.France
Show answer
The first FIFA World Cup was staged in Uruguay in 1930, the country having been chosen partly because it was celebrating the centenary of its independence and partly because it was the reigning Olympic football champion.
Read the full explanation →Which country has won the FIFA World Cup the maximum number of times?
- A.Germany
- B.Brazil
- C.Italy
- D.Argentina
Show answer
Brazil has won the FIFA World Cup five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, more than any other nation.
Read the full explanation →The headquarters of FIFA, the world governing body of football, is located in which city?
- A.Paris
- B.Lausanne
- C.Zurich
- D.Geneva
Show answer
FIFA has its headquarters at Zurich in Switzerland, from where it administers the World Cup and the world rankings.
Read the full explanation →In football, the penalty spot is placed at what distance from the goal line?
- A.Ten yards
- B.Twelve yards
- C.Fifteen yards
- D.Eighteen yards
Show answer
The penalty mark in football is twelve yards, about eleven metres, from the midpoint of the goal line, and a penalty kick is taken from that spot with only the goalkeeper defending.
Read the full explanation →Which is the oldest football tournament in India and in Asia?
- A.Santosh Trophy
- B.Durand Cup
- C.Subroto Cup
- D.Rovers Cup
Show answer
The Durand Cup was first played at Shimla in 1888 and is the oldest football tournament in India and in Asia, and the third oldest in the world.
Read the full explanation →The Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup till 1970, was won permanently by which country?
- A.Italy
- B.Uruguay
- C.Brazil
- D.West Germany
Show answer
The Jules Rimet Trophy, named after the FIFA president who conceived the World Cup, was to be kept permanently by the first nation to win the competition three times.
Read the full explanation →India won the gold medal in football at the Asian Games in 1951 and in which other year?
- A.1958
- B.1962
- C.1966
- D.1970
Show answer
India won the Asian Games football gold medal twice, first at the inaugural Games in New Delhi in 1951 and again at Jakarta in 1962, where the team beat South Korea in the final.
Read the full explanation →In football, scoring three goals by a single player in one match is called
- A.Hat-trick
- B.Grand slam
- C.Double
- D.Treble
Show answer
A hat-trick in football means three goals scored by the same player in a single match. The term travelled to football from cricket, where it originally meant three wickets in three successive balls and the bowler was rewarded with a hat, and it is now used across several games.
Read the full explanation →The Santosh Trophy in Indian football is contested between which of the following?
- A.Clubs of the top division
- B.States and units
- C.Schools
- D.Universities
Show answer
The Santosh Trophy, started in 1941 and named after the Maharaja of Santosh in undivided Bengal, is the national football championship of India, played between teams representing the state associations and certain institutional units such as the services and the railways.
Read the full explanation →In which years was the FIFA World Cup not held because of the Second World War?
- A.1938 and 1942
- B.1942 and 1946
- C.1946 and 1950
- D.1940 and 1944
Show answer
The World Cup is played every four years, so after the 1938 tournament in France the next editions would have fallen in 1942 and 1946.
Read the full explanation →How many players does a football team have on the field, including the goalkeeper?
- A.Nine
- B.Ten
- C.Eleven
- D.Twelve
Show answer
A football side takes the field with eleven players, one of whom is the goalkeeper, the only member of the team permitted to handle the ball, and that only within his own penalty area.
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was the first FIFA World Cup held?
The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay, which had been chosen as host in the centenary year of its independence. Uruguay won the tournament by beating Argentina in the final in Montevideo, so the hosts became the first world champions. Thirteen teams took part, as the competition was then by invitation.
Which country has won the FIFA World Cup the most times?
Brazil is the most successful team in the history of the tournament, with five titles won in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. It is also the only country to have played in every edition of the World Cup. Italy and Germany follow with four titles each, and Argentina and Uruguay have two each.
What is the Jules Rimet Trophy?
The Jules Rimet Trophy was the original prize of the FIFA World Cup, named after the French president of FIFA who conceived the tournament. It was awarded from 1930 to 1970. Brazil won the competition for the third time in 1970 and was allowed to keep the trophy permanently, so FIFA commissioned a new prize, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, first awarded in 1974.
Which is the oldest football tournament in India?
The Durand Cup, first played in 1888 at Shimla, is the oldest football tournament in India and in Asia and the third oldest in the world. It is named after Sir Mortimer Durand, the then foreign secretary of British India. The Santosh Trophy, started in 1941, is the national championship played between states and units.
What has been India's best performance in Olympic football?
India finished fourth in football at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the best placing by an Asian country at that time. India beat Australia in the quarter final, a match in which Neville D'Souza scored a hat-trick. The team of that period, coached by Syed Abdul Rahim, also won the Asian Games gold medal in 1951 and 1962.
Sources
- About FIFA: Organisation and History — FIFA
- Sports and Youth Affairs, Annual Report chapter on sports federations — Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India
