Thursday, 24 March 2011

Futsal!

FUTSAL!!
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller playing surface and mainly played indoors. Its name is derived from the Portugues futebol de salao and the Spanish fútbol de salón (colloquially fútbol sala), which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football". During the sport's second world championships held in Madrid in 1985, the name fútbol de salón was used. Since then, all other names have been officially and internationally changed to futsal.
Futsal is played between two teams each with five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unlimited substitutes per team are permitted. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used. Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular football. The rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.
Futsal started in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930, when Juan Carlos Ceriani created a version of football for competition in YMCAs. In Brazil, this version developed on the streets of São Paulo, and, eventually, a rule book was published. The sport began to spread across South America, and its popularity ensured that a governing body was formed under the name of FIFUSA (Federación Internacional de Fútbol de Salón) in 1971, along with the World Championships. The first World Championships were held in Río de Janeiro, with hosts Brazil crowned champions ahead of Paraguay. Even more countries participated in the second World Championships held in Las Vegas in early 2000's. Due to a dispute between FIFA and FIFUSA over the administration of fútbol, FIFUSA coined the word fut-sal in 1985.
HISTORY
FIFA took control of the World Championships in 1989. Under new rules made by FIFA, the technical aspects of the game for players and spectators were improved. The linesmen were replaced with a second referee, and there were unlimited substitutions. It also introduced a size 4 football, which was weighted to reduce bounce by 30% compared to a conventional ball, which enabled faster play and, for the first time, scoring goals with the head.

FIFA's relationships with its member associations allowed more countries to gain knowledge and resources about futsal. FIFA soon began to administer its own indoor football games, hosting its first FIFA Indoor Soccer World Championship in 1989 in RotterdamNetherlands. In 1992, it was the FIFA Five-a-Side World Championship (Hong Kong), and, since 1996, it has been called the FIFA Futsal World Championship. Thanks to the increase of the number of nations that participated in the FIFA Futsal World Championships held in 2000, Brazil's dominance in the competition was ended by Spain.
In 2004, members of PANAFUTSAL (La Confederación Panamericana de Futsal, The Pan-American Futsal Confederation) formed AMF (Asociación Mundial de Fútbol de Salón, World Futsal Association), an international futsal governing body independent of FIFA. Both FIFA and AMF continue to administer the game.

RULES
PLAYER EQUIPMENT AND OFFICIALS
There are five players on each team, one of whom is the goalkeeper. The maximum number of substitutes allowed is seven, with unlimited substitutions during the match. Substitutes can come on even when the ball is in play. If a team has fewer than three players in the team, the match is abandoned.
The kit is made up of a jersey or shirt with sleeves, shorts, socks, shinguards made out of rubber or plastic, and shoes with rubber soles. The goalkeeper is allowed to wear long trousers and a different coloured kit, to distinguish himself from the other players in the team and the referee. Jewellery is not allowed, as are other items that could be dangerous to the player wearing the effects or to other active participants.
The match is controlled by a referee, who enforces the Laws of the Game, and the first referee is the only one who can abandon the match because of interference from outside the pitch. This referee is also assisted by a second referee. The decisions made by the referees are final and can only be changed if the referees think it is necessary and play has not restarted. There is also a third referee and a timekeeper, who are provided with equipment to keep a record of fouls in the match. In the event of injury to the referee or second referee, the third referee will replace the second referee.

THE PITCH
The pitch is made up of wood or artificial material, Yinghui Court, or similar surface, although any flat, smooth and non-abrasive material may be used. The length of the pitch is in the range of 38–42 m (42–46 yd), and the width is in the range of 18–25 m in international matches. For other matches, it can be 25–42 m (27–46 yd)in length, while the width can be 15–25 m (16–27 yd), as long as the length of the longer boundary lines (touchlines) are greater than the shorter boundaries where the goals are placed (goal lines). The ceiling must be at least 4 m (4 yd) high. A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 3 m (3 yd) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2 m (2.2 yd) above the ground. Nets made of hemp, jute or nylon are attached to the back of the goalposts and crossbar. The lower part of the nets is attached to curved tubing or another suitable means of support. The depth of the goal is 80 cm at the top and 1 m at the bottom.
In front of each goal is an area known as the penalty area. This area is created by drawing quarter-circles with a 6 m (7 yd) radius from the goal line, centred on the goalposts. The upper part of each quarter-circle is then joined by a 3.16 m (3.46 yd) line running parallel to the goal line between the goalposts. The line marking the edge of the penalty area is known as the penalty area line. The penalty area marks where the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball with his hands. The penalty mark is six metres from the goal line when it reaches the middle of the goalposts. The second penalty mark is 10 metres (11 yd) from the goal line when it reaches the middle of the goalposts. A penalty kick from the penalty spot is awarded if a player commits a foul inside the penalty area. The second penalty spot is used if a player commits his team's sixth foul in the opposing team's half or in his own half in the area bordered by the halfway line and an imaginary line parallel to the halfway line passing through the second penalty mark; the free kick is taken from the second penalty mark.

Duration and tie-breaking methods

A standard match consists of two equal periods of 20 minutes. The length of either half is extended to allow penalty kicks to be taken or a direct free kick to be taken against a team that has committed more than five fouls. The halftime interval between the two halves cannot exceed 15 minutes.
In some competitions, the game cannot end in a draw, so away goals, extra time and penalties are the three methods for determining the winner after a match has been drawn. Away goals mean that if the team's score is level after playing one home and one away game, the goals scored in the away match count as double. Extra time consists of two periods of five minutes. If no winner is produced after these methods, five penalties are taken, and the team that has scored the most wins. If it is not decided after five penalties, it continues to go on with one extra penalty to each team at a time until one of them has scored more goals than the other. Unlike extra time, the goals scored in a penalty shoot-out do not count towards the goals scored throughout the match.

The start and restart of play

At the beginning of the match, a coin toss is used to decide who will start the match. A kick-off is used to signal the start of play and is also used at the start of the second half and any periods of extra time. It is also used after a goal has been scored, with the other team starting the play. After a temporary stoppage for any reason not mentioned in the Laws of the Game, the referee will drop the ball where the play was stopped, provided that, prior to the stoppage, the ball was in play and had not crossed either the touch lines or goal lines.
If the ball goes over the goal line or touchline, hits the ceiling, or the play is stopped by the referee, the ball is out of play. If it hits the ceiling of an indoor arena, play is restarted with a kick-in to the opponents of the team that last touched the ball, under the place where it hit the ceiling.

MISCONDUCT
A direct free kick can be awarded to the opposing team if a player succeeds or attempts to kick or trip an opponent, jumps, charges or pushes an opponent, or strikes or attempts to strike an opponent. Holding, touching or spitting at an opponent are offenses that are worthy of a direct free kick, as are sliding in to play the ball while an opponent is playing it or carrying, striking or throwing the ball (except the goalkeeper). These are all accumulated fouls. The direct free kick is taken where the infringement occurred, unless it is awarded to the defending team in their penalty area, in which case the free kick may be taken from anywhere inside the penalty area. A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits one of the fouls that are worthy of a direct free kick inside his own penalty area. The position of the ball does not matter as long as it is in play.
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper clears the ball but then touches it with his hands before anyone else, if he controls the ball with his hands when it has been kicked to him by a teammate, or if he touches or controls the ball with his hands or feet in his own half for more than four seconds. An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player plays in a dangerous manner, deliberately obstructs an opponent, prevents the goalkeeper from throwing the ball with his hands or anything else for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player. The indirect free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred.
Yellow and red cards are both used in futsal. The yellow card is to caution players over their actions, and, if they get two, they are given a red card, which means they are sent off the field. A yellow card is shown if a player shows unsporting behaviour, dissent, persistent infringement of the Laws of the Game, delaying the restart of play, failing to respect the distance of the player from the ball when play is being restarted, infringement of substitution procedure or entering, re-entering and leaving the pitch without the referee's permission. A player is shown the red card and sent off if they engage in serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting at another person, or denying the opposing team a goal by handling the ball (except the goalkeeper inside his penalty area). Also punishable with a red card is denying an opponent moving towards the player's goal a goalscoring opportunity by committing an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick and using offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures. A player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the pitch. A substitute player is permitted to come on two minutes after a teammate has been sent off, unless a goal is scored before the end of the two minutes. If a team of five players scores against a team of fewer than five players, another player can be added to the team with fewer than five players. If the teams are equal when the goal is scored or if the team with fewer players scores, both teams remain with the same number of players.
Players are cautioned with a yellow card and sent off with a red card.









Tuesday, 22 March 2011

How to be a good student.

1. Use your reliable transportation to come to class on time. Students who walk in late are not only disrupting the teacher, they may be missing valuable information or the best seat in the classroom. Arriving a few minutes early is a lot different than arriving a few minutes late.


2. Sit in the front row. Not only will you be able to see and hear the teacher better, you will also be far away from mooching students who tend to sit in the back.




3.Be sure that you get a syllabus and then study it carefully. If your teacher goes through it during class, be sure to write down any additional information he or she may provide. Put your syllabus in a safe place and DO NOT LOSE IT. Refer to it throughout the semester whenever you have a question about due dates or class policies. This will save your teacher a lot of time and trouble.


4.Write down all pertinent class information such as: meeting day and time, room number, professor's name, and class section number and code (such as PHI 10, 28779) This will prevent you from getting lost on campus the first few days and will come in great handy if you need to add/drop the class.


5.Learn your professor/ teacher's name and what he or she likes to be called. "Mr." "Ms." "Instructor" or "Dr." may be appropriate. Unless your teacher requests otherwise, use his or her last name to convey the proper respect.


6.Come to class ready to learn. TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONE, PAGER, OR OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICE. Do not leave your cell phone on vibrate; it is still a disruption to the class. Be sure that you have gone to the bathroom, gotten something to eat, and have all your necessary books, pens, and paper. You should not be getting up and leaving in the middle of class on a regular basis, even just to make a phone call. Save those types of behaviors for an emergency.





7.Be prepared by taking good notes. What if you never taken notes before and you're not sure how? The only answer is to practice. Some guidance classes will teach you how to write notes if you need help, but mostly, learning how to listen for and write down important information comes from the experience of actually doing it. You should be taking notes every time your teacher lectures and then storing them in a safe place. Refer to your notes just after leaving class; this way your mind will still be fresh.


8.Get the phone numbers of at least two other class members. That way, if you miss a class, you can call to find out what you missed. Remember, it is your responsibility to know the information that your teacher presents and that is covered in the book. Don't expect a teacher to regive a lecture that they already gave in class. If you haven't spoken to anyone in the class, simply approach them and ask, "Would you like to exchange phone numbers? I always like to have someone's number in case I miss anything." Most students are happy to have a buddy they can rely on. Its a win-win situation.


9.Start working on an assignment as soon as possible. Time goes by faster than you expect it to, and we can't always foresee incidents that will get in the way of our homework. Also, if you plan to get an A on your assignment, you will probably need to spend hours working on it. A lot of people aren't willing to do the work required to get an A. Others are. If you have any questions about how to do the assignment or when to turn it in, consult your syllabus and then your teacher.


10.Turn in all assignments! (extra credit is only optional if you are earning a good grade.) This would seem like a no-brainer, but many students fail to do this. Also, be very familiar with assignment make-up policies. If you have a special situation, talk to your teacher.


11.If you are assigned to do group work, whether its discussion or turning in a presentation, be a good group member. That means that in a group, you are working just as hard as if you were on your own. Bring your ideas and your feedback to the table. Be serious about the assignment. Taking the attitude of, "I'm so bad at this stuff; you guys can handle it. Your ideas are way better than mine," is not being modest; it's being lazy. In the case of discussion, you are depriving your classmates of the feedback they should have received from you. And in the case of an assignment, you are making your group members do all the work! Don't cop out. In contrast, dominating a group and not allowing everyone to contribute ideas is just as bad. Even if you don't like someone else's ideas, you may need to compromise and go along with it, because group work is supposed to be a group effort.



12.Learn from your mistakes. That means if your teacher writes, "Use better grammar" than you should study grammar. If your teacher says, "Excellent! But I feel your conclusion is a little weak" than study how to write a conclusion. If you completely bomb a test, that should be a wake-up call to you. If you procrastinate so long that you are not ready with your project, and it turns into a humiliating experience, you need to ask yourself, "What went wrong? Why did I fail, and how could I do it better next time?" Go to your teacher and ask for feedback if you need more clarification.


13.Have a good attitude. People who show up to a class and complain all the time, talking on their cell phone and behind the teacher's back, are really only displaying their immaturity. Leave your personal problems at home, show up with a smile, and try to imagine why you might need to know this information, if it doesn't seem obvious.



How to Stop Smoking.


For smokers, to Stop Smoking is really a tough action to take. Majority of smokers want to quit smoking, but find it difficult to do so as nicotine is very addictive and hard to get rid off. We will teach you the easiest, most effective and systematic methods to stop smoking, which are tested by various studies worldwide. This  will also provide you with a clear understanding of the dangers of smoking and the benefits of quitting smoking.
There are two factors that will determine your success in quitting smoking for good. They are;
  • Will - You must have the desire to give up your habit of smoking and create a strong will to avoid a smoking relapse.
  • Mindset – You must learn about the effects of smoking, understand its consequences and face the fact that you need to stop smoking and follow, finish and maintain a quit smoking plan.
In Six straightforward and easy steps, you can stop smoking and live a normal and healthy life same as that of a non-smoker.

Step 1: Think About Quitting

According to a recent survey, around 15 million smokers try to quit smoking each day. However, less than 3% of these people stop smoking successfully for 3 to 12 months. If you’re thinking about quitting or have stopped smoking but failed to quit, don’t lose hope because smokers often try to quit more than once before they actually succeed.
In this section, you will learn about the history of cigarette smoking, facts about smoking, smoking cessation and benefits of quitting smoking. To give you a strong reason to quit smoking, this section will also tackle dangerous diseases – such as lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, etc – caused by smoking cigarettes. In addition, this section will explain the reasons why it is extremely hard to quit smoking, hurdles in quitting and possiblenicotine withdrawal symptoms that you may encounter throughout this process.

Step 2: Effects of Smoking

Years of clinical studies have proven that using Tobacco causes people to become sick, disabled or die. Since the first Surgeon General’s Report in 1964, over 12 million smoking-related deaths have occurred. More than 500,000 deaths in the U.S are caused from smoking-related illnesses. Adult smokers reduce their lifespan by an average of 13 to 14 years.
In this section, you will learn about the dangerous effects and health risks of smoking. You will understand the facts about smoking addiction, the hazardous effects of smoking on a pregnant woman, on passive smokers, on your facial charm, on your teeth and on your general well being. You will also learn how stress could play a role in cigarette smoking. This section also deals with the effects on secondhand smoke, effects of smoking on vitamin A and C, dangerous effects of smoking on men and women, as well as the differences between cigar and pipe smoking.

Step 3: Preparing To Quit Smoking

The first key to quitting smoking successfully is planning and preparation. You need to prepare your body and mind before actually quitting. Determine your personal goals, discover your reasons for quitting and get rid of temptations that may become a hindrance to your stop smoking program. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, a drug that is addictive and can make it very hard, but not impossible, to quit.
In this section, you will face the facts about nicotine addiction before your last stick of cigarette. You will learn the most effective steps to be followed when planning to quit smoking. You will also find out about the real reason why it is so hard to quit smoking. To help you plan your quit smoking program, you need to confront your personal reasons to start quitting and understand what you need to do stop smoking. This section also deals with the psychological recovery stages to stop smoking and provides helpful tips to quit smoking.

Step 4: Stop Smoking Tips

Even if you have no idea where to start and what to do, you can quit smoking as long as you have the mindset and commitment to do so. Stop smoking tips can help you create a good stop smoking plan and lifestyle changes that could lead to a healthier, smoke-free life.
In this section, you will learn some of the simplest ways and useful tips to quit smoking for good. You can choose from several psychological areas that can help you to stop smoking based on your lifestyle. This section also deals with stop smoking tips that will help your loved ones quit this deadly habit and tips on how to overcome nicotine withdrawal symptoms using an effective stop smoking plan, attending support groups and establishing a smoking cessation program.

Step 5: Stop Smoking Aids

When smoking cigarettes has played a large part in your life, quitting smoking may not be that simple. Fortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved seven over-the-counter stop smoking aids – five of these help in managing nicotine withdrawal symptoms, while the other two help in reducing cigarette cravings.
In this section, you will learn about different proven stop smoking methods like Water Therapy, Psychological Therapy and Nicotine Replacement Therapy. This section also deals with other useful stop smoking aids such as nicotine nasal sprays, nicotine lozenges, nicotine inhalers, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and stop smoking pills.

Step 6: Stay a Quitter

After sometime, some quitters get back to their smoking habit due to temptation and persistent nicotine carving. Some may slip and puff “just one cigarette”, while others experience total relapse. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, smokers who quit are at greater risk of relapsing in the first three months of becoming smoke-free.
In this section, you will learn effective methods in avoiding nicotine carvings, while training how to control urges through breathing exercises. To understand what you are going to experience through this process, you need to learn and manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms. This section also tackles steps to manage weight gain, discusses FAQ on common frustrations of a quitter, handle traumatic events without a cigarette and other possible solutions for ex-smokers.

Stop Smoking Products

Some people may find it difficult to quit smoking without any aids, nicotine replacements, or an electronic cigarette.  If you’re one of them, you still have hope because there are numerous stop smoking products available in the market today to make quitting an easier journey.
In this section, you will discover the quit smoking products available in the market today, reviews of each product and ranking of the top quit smoking products. To understand what each product can do for your body, the frequently asked questions section about ‘Quit Smoking’ Products can help you understand and choose an appropriate stop smoking product for your program.

Recommended Quit Smoking Products

The following products are the best quit smoking products available in the market and have been proven to help you stop smoking forever. Do try them out and stay smoke free forever.
Buy Chantix - Best recommended quit smoking drug by Pfizer. FDA approved and clinically tested chantix proven to be the best drug for those who want to quit smoking and stay free from the addiction. Chantix is also marketed aschampix and you can buy champix in many countries. Varenicline, Chantix and Chantix are different names for the same quit smoking pills produces by Pfizer.

Health Risks of Smoking

Smoking is one of the main causes of serious health diseases, such as cancer, stroke and heart problems. If you have no plans of quitting today, having knowledge of the different types of illnesses that you may experience through years of smoking may change your perception and lead you to stop smoking.
In this section, you will discover how smoking affects various parts of the body including the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, heart, skin, blood, etc. Here are some possible health effects of smoking:
• Lung Cancer
• Heart Diseases
• High Blood Pressure
• Bad Breath
• Gum Disease
• Depression
• Snoring
• Diabetes
• Infertility on men and women
• Thyroid Disease
• Harmful effects on Bones and Joints