Have you recently fell in love with the wonderful sport that is soccer? If you enjoy watching or playing this game, it’s really no surprise because billions of people love this sport. In fact, the 2018 FIFA World Cup garnered a combined 3.752 billion viewers across the globe. That’s more than half the world’s population! But if you’re new to the game and still get lost with the different terms and statistics, don’t worry. Here is a guide to understanding soccer term and statistics for beginners.

Soccer Terms

Before we dive into the common soccerstats that teams and fans track during each season, let’s discuss these four terms that you’ll often come across when watching or playing soccer.

1. Shot

When a player attempts to score a goal, that attempt is called a shot. But not every kick is considered a shot, even when they are directed at the goal. Some of them are called a cross, which is a long kick, usually from a wide position, that enters the penalty area and is intended to help another player score. Therefore, if a goalkeeper stops a cross, they are not credited with a save, except for when a cross would have entered the goal. In that case, the cross is also considered a shot.

2. Goal

When an offensive player kicks a goal, their team earns a point. A point is also credited to the offensive team if a defensive player accidentally kicks the ball to the defender’s goal; this point is credited to the total offensive team’s goal statistics even though a defensive player technically scored it. When a goalkeeper deflects a shot by an offensive player, that goal is credited to the latter. A goal is also credited to an offensive player if their shot is deflected by a teammate or a defensive player as long as either takes full control of the ball.

3. Assist

An assist is only awarded to an offensive player if their pass leads directly to a goal. On one play, up to two assists can only be awarded.

4. Save

A save is credited to a goalkeeper if they manage to block or catch the ball that would have gone into the goal. However, a save is only awarded if it is against a shot and not a cross, unless the cross would have gone into the goal.

Soccerstats

With a basic understanding of these soccer terminologies, let’s discuss soccer statistics.

1. Goals per game

Goals per game is calculated by dividing the total goals a player has scored with the total number of games they played.

2. Assists per game

Assists per game is calculated by dividing the total assists a player has made with the total number of games they played.

3. Goals-against Average

The goals-against average is calculated by multiplying the goals allowed by 80, and then dividing the product by the total minutes played.

4. Save Percentage

The save percentage is calculated by dividing the total number of saves by the sum of saves and goals allowed.

These statistics determine the performance of a player and a team in the overall league. The next time you play or watch soccer, keep an eye out for these statistics to know where your favorite team stands in the season.

St. George Illawarra Dragons seem to be in a pretty good position, especially after the addition of James Graham and Ben Hunt. As least that’s what the experts are saying. The most surprising thing to see this season is that Sydney Roosters and North Queensland Cowboys have gained a lot of attraction and support. Since the Cowboys have added the amazing trio of Jordan McLean, Matt Scott, and Johnathan Thurston, the team has gained momentum and it seems like adding these players to the team was a worthy decision.

The Predictions of the NRL Experts

The mid season NRL predictions suggest that Parramatta, Brisbane, Cronulla, Melbourne, St. George Illawarra, Cowboys, Roosters, and Penrith are the teams that are destined to land in the top eight teams of the season. The predictions made by the experts show that fifteen out of the total sixteen teams got votes for the top eight teams. The only team that didn’t get any love from the experts was West Tigers. Sorry West Tigers fans. It seems like your favourite team won’t be able to land in the top eight this year.

The Top 8 Teams for This Season

At the moment, the line up for top 8 NRL premiership teams looks like this:

1. Sydney Roosters
2. Parramatta Eels
3. North Queensland Cowboys
4. Cronulla Sharks
5. Penrith Panthers
6. St. George Illawarra Dragons
7. Melbourne Storm
8. Newcastle Knights

Now that the premiership has reached its mid season, it seems like Sydney Roosters and North Queensland Cowboys happen to be the favourites. But as it turns out, Parramatta Eels cannot be overlooked. They’re up to something special this season for sure. The experts say that the inclusion of James Graham and Ben Hunt will take the Dragons straight to the finals and Melbourne Storm will fall off the ladder owing to the departure of Cooper Cronk.

Predictions for the Best Roughie

All the hopes for Canterbury Bulldogs rest on the fitness and performance of Kieran Foran. If the player manages to play 80 percent of the games, then the Bulldogs will be able to fix their attacking woes and will surely be playing the finals. But as it turns out, there are doubts that Foran’s body will not be able to withstand the pressure of a 24-game season.

Team That Might Not Meet the Expectations

When Ben Hunt left Brisbane Broncos, the loss for the team was huge. Following that, the team has lost some other key players as well, including Herman Ese’ese and Tautau Moga. Nobody is very confident about Jack Bird’s performance and Anthony Milford’s ability to lead the team. This makes Brisbane Broncos the team that might fail to meet the expectations this season. For more interesting bets and predictions, you can visit BlueBet.

There are few other experts that do not understand the hype around Penrith Panthers. They are not including the team in their list for the top 8 teams of the season. They admit that the Panthers have players like Josh Mansour, Reagan Campbell, James Maloney, Nathan Cleary, and Dylan Edwards, but something about the team feels off to them, making them think the team might falter in the games to come.

As much as we love football, and we’re not ashamed to admit that this is more than our wives would like, there are times when going out and playing or watching a game is just not on the cards. Whether through injury or cost, distance or weather, there can be an enormous amount of reasons that going out into the world for the real thing just can’t happen. With that in mind, we thought it would an interesting idea to look at a few alternatives.

They might not quite be the real thing, but you might be surprised at just how much some of these game stick with you. We know we were.

Bubble Football

Not the most seriously competitive alternative, but still one which we would recommend every time the opportunity presents itself. Players in this game are encased in the inflatable bubbles known as ZORBS, and otherwise, the rules are much the same. That is, except contact, which is not only permitted, but encouraged.

It can be a bit tricky to track down enough of these for full teams but, luckily, party rental services like Zorbing Hire will often have you covered. Great for parties and stag dos, we would never recommend combining this game with a few drinks, but we sure are thinking it loudly.

Car football

If you think bubble football was chaotic, then take a look at the Top Gear inspired game of car football.

Not for the faint of heart or light of wallet, this is a game which thrives on carnage, though, in this case, we do seriously recommend keeping any amount of liquor out of the equation. While there aren’t any strict rules to follow in this version of the game, as players can only really be expected to the best with whatever used car or flat-out junkers they have, it’s a very good idea to go dressed in safety gear before giving this a go.

Every group has a Steve, and Steve, as you well know, can hardly be trusted behind the wheel.

Rocket League

Going digital with this one, the now extremely popular game of Rocket League is essentially a digital version of car football, only with rockets. A lot cheaper than the real-life alternative, Rocket League is available over most major platforms, including PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, with cross-play even allowing friends to compete over different devices. Though, it should be noted that the PlayStation version will not be playable in this way until early next year.

We hate to drone on, but we can’t really undersell the popularity of Rocket League, which even has considerable earnings to be made for skilled players in the eSports arena. Even major online betting services like Betway offer odds on major events, making this closer to real-life football fun than almost any alternative.

Footvolley

The name for this one really gives it away, as a combination of both football and beach volleyball. Footvolley was invented in Brazil by Octavio de Morales in 1965, according to the Footvolley website, and has remained popular ever since. Originally starting out as 5v5 game, over time, the skill of the players would become so great that this number had to be reduced to 2v2. It’s difficult to score if nobody ever makes a mistake, after all.

Played only with feet, Footvolley has spread to beach-cities all over the world, with many major events held in Portugal, Thailand, Greece, and beyond. Of course, playing this game requires not only a decent beach but also great weather, which can be more than a little tricky to find where we live. At least it could work well on a holiday.

Don’t Underestimate the Alternatives

Some of these might seem silly, but then that’s also the opinion which the uninformed or uneducated can have on football itself. Even as a spectator sport, we would recommend the likes of bubble and car football especially, as the amount of laughter on offer makes for a great night of watching with a few friends.

We can’t promise that success in any of these will give you the chops as being a real football star, but it’s enough to rub in your friend’s faces and, really, isn’t that enough?

In a World Cup year, like 2018, it can seem as if the rest of the sports world grinds to a halt. There’s just a great deal to talk about at such a massive international event, from how the stars perform, to who the up-and-comers are, to individual match previews and outcomes – and even how various businesses profit from the action. Through all of this intrigue the World Cup pauses the rest of the sports world in a way that perhaps only the Olympics can do otherwise. But with the world’s biggest tournament now behind us, those interested in the world of sport are looking ahead.

Here are some of the next big stories to expect to be reading about and engaging with in major sports around the world.

The Development Of The U.S. Gambling Market

If you follow sports at all you may well have come across the story that the U.S. courts have paved the way for legalized sports betting through the country. It isn’t happening overnight, but this is adding a massive industry to the already lucrative U.S. sporting markets, which should make for a major story in all kinds of ways. We don’t know yet how many people will start betting, how the different leagues will get involved, or what new platforms and apps might emerge. But the entire sports betting landscape is going to be changed by this massive soon-to-be movement.

Serena Williams’s Motherhood Slam

Perhaps this is putting undue pressure on Serena Williams, particularly given that she recently experienced a rather shocking upset. But after Williams made it to the final of Wimbledon less than a year after childbirth, it seems as if she’s destined to win another Grand Slam eventually. This will be remarkable not just because she’s now fairly old for a tennis champion, nor because she’s a mother. Rather, it’s because Williams nearly lost her life with delivery complications and their aftermath, and appears to have made it back to the top of tennis by sheer willpower. A motherhood Slam for Williams would be the biggest story of the year in sports.

World Cup Aftermath In Domestic Football

There’s always something a little more special about the domestic football leagues around the world following a World Cup. More of the world is paying attention, certain star players are elevated, and the landscape always seems to shift just a little bit. Case in point, early looks at the Premier League are tabbing World Cup stars Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah as likely Golden Boot winners, and are even giving Liverpool – a club boosted back to prominence by Salah – as a possible league winner. There isn’t one specific story here, but domestic football will demand more attention after a thrilling World Cup.

Formula 1’s Finish

For a few years now, Formula 1 racing has been a foregone conclusion. British star and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has been a virtual shoe-in for end-of-year titles. This year however, former champion Sebastian Vettel is staying hot on Hamilton’s heels, to the point that we may have the closest finish in recent history.

Donald Trump Vs. Athletes

This is not a very good story for sports, as it brings an air of negativity to the whole spectacle. But unfortunately, U.S. president Donald Trump has shown a tendency to inject himself into sports stories, typically in order to berate or attempt to disqualify African-American athletes in one way or another. There was an eruption of responses when Trump recently took to Twitter to suggest LeBron James lacked intelligence (in the aftermath of James opening a school for at-risk youth, no less), and this sort of thing only figures to intensify. It feels like we’re heading for some fairly large-scale conflict between American athletes and the president.

Tokyo 2020 Announcements

We’re still two years away from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but rest assured the athletes who figure to be competing are already getting ready. And that means we should begin to hear about who’s in and who’s out soon, which always makes for a few good stories. For instance, many remain skeptical that U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps is really ready to call it quits, and there’s always speculation about who will return and who will age out of prominent gymnastics teams. The next six months or so should begin to produce answers to these questions that much of the sports-loving world is asking.