One of the largest differences between British and American English relates to the verb used to describe the action of kicking a ball. Whereas in America, the verb for kicking is “to kick” and in Great Britain, the word is “kicker.” One of the most cited differences between British and American English relates to the verb for catching a ball. In America, the verb for catching is “to catch” and in Great Britain it is “to cast”. Because the game originated in England, it’s often believed that soccer is really an Americanism related to the verb “to play”. So this might explain why people in America call their soccer games kick offs while in Great Britain, the equivalent would be “jewelry.”
As a noun, “FOOTBAL” means “a field or park where players engage in contact with a ball,” and “Kicker” means “to touch the ball with the hands or feet.” The two nouns do not overlap, and neither does the verb “to kick.” However, the verb “to catch” is inflected to create a future tense. For example, “The keeper did make a save against our attack, but FOUL!” is a call for a ball being caught by a particular teammate.
The American team would kick the ball “from the center of the foul line,” while a British team may kick the ball “out from the side of the foul line,” thus requiring one to stand six yards outside the six yard box, or out of the goal box. And just like the US team, sometimes the ball needs to be kicked “up the field,” or “from the side of the goal box,” thus requiring the ball to be kicked “out from the side of the goal line.” Thus, the terms “rouse kick” and “kick the ball” can be used interchangeably.
Another way to describe the act of kicking the ball, is to refer to it as “touching the ball,” which involves moving the foot, or even body, of another player past the base line, which is equivalent to touching the ground. Touching the ball is different from kicking it, however, as it does not involve moving feet, or even arms, beyond the original foul line. Touching the ball requires a pass from one player to another player, and can only occur if the other player is within the “out-of-the-box” area.
The ball cannot be touched by any part of the body, except for the toes of the players who are in their own boxes. The American team can touch the ball with their feet, while the British team has to kick it using their feet. Touching the ball requires the ball to be rolled and therefore cannot occur within a twenty-five yard area of the base kick area, which is considered the “out-of-the-box” area. Kicks are made within twenty yards of the foul line, but outside of the center circle. This rule was put in place to prevent players from using their feet to keep the ball in play, which would result in an unfair match-losing goal.
If a foul is called against a player who is in the foul area, the referee will signal for the ball to be spiked, which will stun and drop the ball, and make the fouler fall out of the game. If the ball doesn’t drop, then the entire team will be disqualified from the match, regardless of their position on the field. If a team is penalized for being out of bounds, then an Umpire will take a look at the penalty signs and the yard lines and warn the teams that further actions may be taken. The Umpire has the right to penalize the teams for excessive delay. When a team delays the game penalty will be enforced.