When referring to soccer played at a high level, many people use the term "professional soccer". This term is spelled as /prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈsɑkər/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The first syllable is pronounced with a schwa sound, followed by "fesh-un-ul" for "professional". "Soccer" is pronounced with a long "a" sound in the second syllable and a short "u" sound in the first. When referring to the sport played at a high level, it's important to use the correct spelling to avoid confusion with other levels of play or related sports.
Professional soccer, also known as association football, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each, utilizing a spherical ball. It is governed by various authorities, including national and international organizations such as FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). Professional soccer is widely recognized as the most popular sport globally, with a significant number of professional leagues and competitions held worldwide.
In professional soccer, the objective is for each team to score goals by getting the ball into the opponent's net. The game comprises two halves of 45 minutes each, with the team accumulating more goals declared the winner. The sport emphasizes teamwork, skill, technique, and strategy. Players must display physical prowess, agility, endurance, and mental acuity to excel.
Professional soccer is characterized by its competitive nature and high levels of athleticism. To participate at the professional level, players typically undergo years of training and development, starting from a young age. They often compete in youth academies and progress through various levels before reaching professional teams. As the sport has evolved, significant financial investments have been made in professional soccer, leading to players signing contracts and earning salaries for their participation.
Professional soccer also features international competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and domestic leagues like the English Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga, which attract millions of fans and generate substantial revenue. The professional game has become a multi-billion dollar industry, encompassing sponsorships, merchandising, media rights, and ticket sales.
The word "professional" originates from the Latin word "professio", which means "public declaration" or "public avowal". It derived from the verb "profiteri", which consists of "pro" (meaning "before" or "publicly") and "fateri" (meaning "to acknowledge" or "to claim"). Over time, the term "professional" came to refer to individuals who declared or publicly acknowledged their expertise in a particular field and earned a living from it.
The word "soccer" is believed to have originated as a colloquial abbreviation of "association football". Association football is the traditional form of the game played with a round ball and is often distinguished from other football codes, such as American football, rugby, or Australian rules football.