For further details contact:

Football Association
25 Soho Square
London
W1D 4FA
Telephone: 020 7745 4545
Fax: 020 7745 4546

Scottish FA
Hampden Park
Glasgow
G42 9AY
Telephone 0141 616 6000

FA of Wales
Plymouth Chambers
3 Westgate Street
Cardiff
CF1 1DD
Telephone: 01222 372325

Irish FA
20 Windsor Avenue
Belfast
BT9 6EG
Telephone: 01232 669458

Fédération Internationale de Football Associations
Web www.fifa.com

About The Sport

Modern football has evolved from a game played in streets and schools in the mid 1800s to the most widely played game on earth played in almost every town and village in the world, from youngsters kicking a ball about in the streets and local league teams playing for local honour to vast stadiums where the multi million pound clubs draw up to 100,000 fans each week.

Eleven players a side, with the aim to put the ball in the opposition goal. Simplicity itself! Olympic football competition has a few extra rules however. As professionals are allowed to play there is an age restriction on players. There are 16 men’s teams in the Olympic competition and teams are limited to only three players over the age of 23. Twelve women’s teams are allowed in the competition, which doesn’t have any age restrictions.