165-731: Kerala Blasters Football Club ( Malayalam: [keːɾɐɭa(ː) bɭaːsteːɻsə̆] ), commonly referred to simply as Blasters , is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi , Kerala , that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of football in India . The club was established in May 2014 during the inaugural season of the ISL. The club played their inaugural match on 13 October 2014, losing 1–0 to NorthEast United . The Blasters are
330-423: A ball around a rectangular field called a pitch . The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it
495-601: A stele of c. 375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy. Athenaeus , writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum . Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football , wrestling , and volleyball more than what
660-537: A yellow and blue colour scheme, with yellow being the primary colour and identity of the club ever since the beginning. In early 2014, the All India Football Federation —the governing body of association football in India, announced they would accept bids for the ownership of eight franchises from selected cities for the inaugural season of the Indian Super League (ISL). On 13 April 2014, it
825-564: A 1–0 victory over Pune City. After finishing in fourth place during the regular season, the side played their first semi-finals match on 13 December 2014 against Chennaiyin. Despite not being considered the favourite to win the two-legged tie, they won the first leg at home 3–0 with goals from Ishfaq Ahmed , Iain Hume, and Sushanth Mathew . During the second leg in Chennai , the Blasters were about to suffer
990-469: A 1–1 draw, and the Blasters were eliminated from the tournament, as they ended yet another season without a silverware. After a dramatic end to the 2022–23 season, the Blasters started preparations for the new season. The club parted ways with their assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed after his four years at the club. Ahead of the season, the Blasters' captain Jessel Carneiro also left the club and signed for
1155-602: A 2–1 comeback win. During this match, the Blasters captain Adrián Luna became the joint all-time top-scorer of the club alongside Bartholomew Ogbeche after scoring the winner of the match for the Blasters. After his brace against Chennaiyin FC in November, the Blasters's striker Diamantakos became the all-time top scorer at the club with 16 goals across all competitions, surpassing the joint-record set by Ogbeche and Luna. During this season,
1320-423: A 3–1 league win against Motherwell on 14 February 2004. At the end of the 2003–04 season McAllister's contract expired and he agreed a two-year deal to sign for Heart of Midlothian . During his spell at Tynecastle he was mainly used as a squad player, due to the outstanding form of Takis Fyssas and the signing of Jose Goncalves . In January 2006, McAllister agreed a two-year contract extension; however he
1485-528: A 3–4 defeat against Gokulam Kerala FC . With their 5–0 win over the Indian Navy FT in their last match of the Durand Cup, the Blasters registered the highest win in their history, but was eliminated from the competition after finishing third in the group with just four points. After making new foreign reinforcements with the likes of Miloš Drinčić , Kwame Peprah , and Daisuke Sakai , the Blasters came in to
1650-488: A French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920, women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, stating that "the game of football
1815-442: A caution ( yellow card ) or dismissal ( red card ). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while
SECTION 10
#17330654550811980-564: A competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari , a ball made of animal skin. In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians ; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals". Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on
2145-497: A deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays . A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of
2310-624: A free transfer after competition from English clubs. It was in this spell at the West Lothian club that he regained his form and won a deserved call up from Berti Vogts for the International friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago . It was also during his spell at Livingston that he won the Scottish League Cup after a 2–0 victory over Hibernian in which he scored the second goal in the final. His only other goal for Livingston came in
2475-400: A goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during
2640-628: A latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic. As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB , the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units . The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with
2805-509: A massive setback. Despite entering the second leg with a three-goal advantage, Chennaiyin drew the tie level by winning in regular time 3–0. In extra time , however, Stephen Pearson scored the decisive goal in the 117th minute to win the tie 4–3 to enter the final. [REDACTED] In the final, Kerala Blasters played ATK at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai . Hume should have given Blasters
2970-519: A meeting attended by representatives from Eton , Harrow , Rugby , Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club , formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to
3135-423: A new roster that included Cameroon-born Raphaël Messi Bouli and former Nigeria international Bartholomew Ogbeche as forwards . Blasters beat their arch-rivals ATK on the season's first day. Throughout the season, the team was hit by injury concerns. Defender Sandesh Jhingan, who captained the club for the last two seasons, was out of action with an ACL injury, and newly signed Brazilian defender Jairo Rodrigues
3300-686: A part of the FIFA event, the stadium was renovated and new seats were fitted and its capacity was reduced to 50,000 and later to 41,000, taking into account security issues. The stadium received the Best Pitch of the Season Award of the League in the 2018-19 season of Indian Super League. In 2019, Greater Cochin Development Authority proposed the installation of solar panels in the stadium, which would make it
3465-426: A penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs , goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks. A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee
SECTION 20
#17330654550813630-402: A player he has been an assistant coach at Bristol City, Sunderland and Hibernian . McAllister signed an "S" form with Motherwell Boys Club, before being released from his contract by then Motherwell manager Alex McLeish . McAllister then joined Bellshill Boys Club where he played alongside David Lilley . McAllister began his senior career in 1996 by signing for Dumfries club Queen of
3795-555: A player/coach on 21 July 2014. On 16 January 2015, McAllister returned to English football signing for League Two side Exeter City . McAllister made his Scotland debut, on 30 May 2004, in a 4–1 friendly victory against Trinidad and Tobago at Easter Road . On 2 October 2008, McAllister was recalled to the Scotland squad by manager George Burley for the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Norway . On 17 March 2009, McAllister
3960-577: A professional football coach with Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota Football Club (DPMM) in Brunei, which plays in the Singapore Premier League . McAllister played for Queen of the South , Aberdeen , Livingston , Heart of Midlothian , Bristol City , Preston North End , Yeovil Town , Kerala Blasters and Exeter City . He made one full international appearance for Scotland , in 2004. Since retiring as
4125-416: A relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain. The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided
4290-567: A similar ancient game ( cuju , or tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian , Scotland, during the 1790s. Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on
4455-500: A three-year contract extension with the club till 2027. In 23 May 2024, the club has announced that Mikael Stahre , is appointed as the new head coach of the team till 2026. The crest and colours for Kerala Blasters were announced at the club's official launch on 15 September 2014. The club's crest is designed around the elephant , one of Kerala 's main symbols, to reflect its place in Kerala's culture and festivities, and to represent
4620-507: A three-year contract. The Blasters retained Dimitrios Diamantakos , who was their leading goal-scorer from the previous season, as he signed a one-year contract extension, and was one among the three foreign players alongside Adrián Luna and Marko Lešković to be retained for this season. The Blasters started the 2023–24 season with 2023 Durand Cup after being drawn alongside Bengaluru in Group C . They started their campaign on 13 August 2023 with
4785-554: A truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké , an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras . The sport also exacerbated tensions at
4950-665: A two-year contract. In his first season at the Ashton Gate stadium he helped the club gain promotion to the Championship . In his second season McAllister was a mainstay of the team that made it to the final of the Championship play-offs. On 24 May 2008 Hull City defeated Bristol City 1–0 to reach the English Premier League with a goal from Dean Windass after 38 minutes. On 10 March 2009 he scored his first goal in over
5115-432: A variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards . An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Headgear
Kerala Blasters FC - Misplaced Pages Continue
5280-423: A winner against FC Goa and a brace over Chennaiyin FC. In order to qualify for the semi-final, Blasters needed to avoid a defeat against NorthEast United FC. Vineeth's only goal in the 66th minute helped Blasters to beat NorthEast United 1–0 to seal the second place behind Mumbai City FC in the league table. After finishing in second place during the regular season, the Blasters played third-placed Delhi Dynamos in
5445-488: A year with a curling effort from the edge of the box against Coventry City . On 2 October 2008 McAllister was recalled to the Scotland squad by manager George Burley for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Norway . Having been released by Bristol City at the end of the 2011–12 season, McAllister signed for Football League One side Yeovil Town on a two-year contract linking up with former manager Gary Johnson . McAllister captained his Yeovil side to victory in
5610-463: Is governed by FIFA . Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA . Of these confederations, CONMEBOL is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with
5775-410: Is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by
5940-438: Is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during
6105-405: Is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area
6270-800: Is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds. Women's football also faced bans in several other countries , notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979, in France from 1941 to 1970, and in Germany from 1955 to 1970. Restrictions began to be reduced in
6435-506: Is recognisable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football , the antecedent of all modern football codes , these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it. Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The history of football in England dates back to at least
6600-625: Is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success, and the women's game has been improving in South America. Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game . The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference, known as
6765-404: Is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time , while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of
Kerala Blasters FC - Misplaced Pages Continue
6930-401: Is the world's most popular sport. The game of association football is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game , a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference . The two teams compete to score goals by getting the ball into the other team's goal (between
7095-435: Is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School . Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes , and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football. The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and
7260-404: Is to score goals; defenders , who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders , who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which
7425-421: The football (or soccer ball ). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by
7590-499: The 2013 League One play-off final and promotion to the Football League Championship for the first time in the club's history. McAllister made a further 40 appearances in the 2013–14 season for Yeovil but could not prevent them from suffering relegation from the Championship, and was released at the end of the campaign. Following his release by Yeovil, McAllister joined Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters as
7755-509: The 2023 Indian Super Cup , which took place in Kozhikode after the end of the ISL season in April 2023. They won their first group stage match of the tournament against RoundGlass Punjab FC on 8 April by 3–1. Even though they won the first match, they lost their next match against Sreenidi Deccan FC by 2–0. They played Bengaluru FC in a must-win match from Group A on 16 April, but the match ended in
7920-515: The Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia ) have yet to make a mark in international football. When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final. These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women's national team has won
8085-674: The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. In most of the seasons since the club's founding, Kerala Blasters have held the record for the highest league attendance, regularly attracting spectators of over 30,000 per game. The club share a rivalry with fellow South Indian neighbours Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC , with whom they contest in the South Indian Derby . The Blasters are one of the most widely supported clubs in Asia and have one of
8250-499: The South Indian Derby . Bengaluru FC became a part of the South Indian Derby, when they joined Indian Super League in 2017. The Blasters have also developed a rivalry with Karnataka -based club Bengaluru FC, which started in 2017 before Bengaluru began playing in the ISL. The rivalry stems from the competition between both clubs fan bases; Manjappada of the Blasters and Bengaluru's West Block Blues. The South Indian Derby between
8415-408: The semi-finals , they qualified for the finals of the ISL for the third time in their history. They faced Hyderabad in the final on 20 March, which they lost in the penalty shoot-out . It was the club's third defeat in an Indian Super League final. After an impressive season, in April 2022, Kerala Blasters renewed the contract of the head coach Ivan Vukomanović till 2025. It was the first time that
SECTION 50
#17330654550818580-620: The 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968. In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England, with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom. Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971 . Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football, while The Football Association rescinded
8745-599: The Blasters and Bengaluru is often known as the Real South Indian Derby . The Blasters shares an intense rivalry with the Kolkata based club Mohun Bagan Super Giant . Even before the inception of Indian Super League, the states of Kerala and West Bengal had a long lasting rivalry in the Santosh Trophy . The club's rivalry with ATK started at the 2014 final, which ATK won in extra time. Both clubs once again met at
8910-456: The Blasters players from the pitch into the dressing room after the referee gave green light to the Sunil Chhetri's free-kick goal for Bengaluru in the extra-time, which the Blasters players and staff deemed illegitimate citing that the Blasters players did not set themselves in their defensive positions prior to the free-kick was taken. Bengaluru was awarded the win, and the Blasters appealed to
9075-449: The Blasters qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. When the regular phase of the season ended, Vukomanović's Blasters side broke many club records in terms of the number of wins, the total number of goals and clean sheets, points-per-game, and achieved a positive goal difference for the first time in the club's history. [REDACTED] With the Blasters winning 2–1 on aggregate against Jamshedpur from both
9240-441: The Blasters registered their first ever win against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their last match of 2023. Following the winter-breaks, the Blasters took part in the 2024 Indian Super Cup in the month of January. They began their campaign on 10 January in a 3–1 over Shillong Lajong FC . However, the Blasters were disqualified from the tournament following the two defeats in the rest of the group stage matches. The second phase of
9405-490: The Blasters won ten of their twenty league stage matches, which became a club record, and ended up 5th in the table and qualified for the playoffs . The Blasters met arch-rivals Bengaluru FC in the first knockout stage match in a new format for the ISL playoffs. The match that took place on 3 March is known for the controversial Sunil Chhetri 's goal and walk-off by the Kerala Blasters players. Ivan Vukomanović called-off
9570-407: The Blasters' striker Dimitrios Diamantakos won the league's Golden Boot award, and thus became the first-ever Blasters player to win the award. Post-season, on 26 April, the Blasters would bid farewell to their coach Ivan Vukomanović after his three years at the club. In 18 May 2024, ahead of the 2024–25 Indian Super League season, Blasters announced that the team captain Adrián Luna , has signed
9735-570: The FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team. Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has
9900-861: The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales , and the Irish Football Association . FIFA , the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of
10065-464: The Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick . The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by
SECTION 60
#173306545508110230-470: The IFAB Laws. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes ), one of whom must be the goalkeeper . Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are
10395-430: The Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees . In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether
10560-657: The Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup . The men's World Cup is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games . The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League , which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of
10725-475: The Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks . The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with
10890-475: The South with new chairman Norman Blount getting the wheels moving on the club's revival. At Palmerston Park McAllister and Lilley became teammates again. In 1997 the club reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final for the first time. Second division Queen of the South lost 1–0 to First division Falkirk despite a rousing Queens display at Motherwell's Fir Park Stadium ; a performance that included
11055-530: The United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of the 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league . The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and
11220-482: The average attendance below 30,000 on two seasons. During 2018–19 season, the Blasters had an average attendance of 16,432 and it became 17,500 in 2019–20 season. According to Fox Asia , as of January 2023, the Blasters are the sixth most-popular Asian club on social media, becoming so in 2018 within the four years of its existence and were the youngest club among the list. They are also the most followed Indian club on social media. In February 2021, Kerala Blasters became
11385-456: The ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England. Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from
11550-410: The beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play: A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of
11715-479: The beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990. Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that
11880-404: The buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions. The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch ) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with
12045-732: The champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world. In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world, but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere. Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa , Asia and North America , and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football, although countries in
12210-533: The city of Kochi. The stadium is multipurpose but is mostly used for football. It has hosted games of both the Indian national football and cricket teams, and has hosted National Football League and I-League clubs FC Kochin and Chirag United Club Kerala . The stadium was also a venue for the Indian Premier League side Kochi Tuskers Kerala and was selected as a venue for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup . As
12375-475: The club announced the signing of Northern Ireland international Aaron Hughes as their marquee player for the season. [REDACTED] The season began with a 1–0 defeat away from home against NorthEast United. The Blasters struggled early in the season, as they failed to score goals. After the return of C.K. Vineeth from his loan-spell with Bengaluru FC , Blasters solved their goal-scoring issue. He scored four goals from his first five matches which includes
12540-648: The club as the head coach and marquee player, and on 12 May 2015, it was confirmed that former England Under-20 head coach Peter Taylor would take over the manager role at the club. The club signed a new roster of foreign players, which includes Carlos Marchena as the marquee signing. The first match of the season was played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium against NorthEast United where the Blasters won 3–1 with goals from Josu , Mohammed Rafi , and Sanchez Watt . They drew their next match against Mumbai City and then lost their next four matches, which led to
12705-480: The club has renewed the contract of a first-team head coach in its history. Even though the Blasters' pre-season preparations in the UAE were interrupted by the FIFA ban on AIFF, the club sent their reserve team for the 2022 Durand Cup , in which they reached the quarter-finals but were knocked out by Mohammedan SC from the tournament. The club only retained Marko Lešković and Adrián Luna as their foreigner players from
12870-403: The club on 27 August 2023, following the club decision to sack Johnson. In December 2023, McAllister joined Bristol Rovers , supporting Matt Taylor following his appointment as first-team manager. On 3 February 2024, he was confirmed to have joined the club in the role of assistant manager. He departed the club at the end of the 2023–24 season . On 9 July 2024, McAllister was unveiled as
13035-407: The club wore yellow shirts and blue shorts and this was used until the 2016 season. For the 2017–18 season, the Blasters introduced an all-yellow kit with a different shade of yellow. Here the blue remained as the secondary colour that flows across the side of the shirt. This kit was used for the 2018–19 season, after which the team returned to its traditional yellow and blue kit with the same shades as
13200-426: The club's traditional yellow and blue color scheme but featuring distinct patterns. The club's away colours for the first three seasons were yellow shirts and white shorts. For the 2017–18 season, the club introduced the all-black jersey with yellow stripe on the bottom of arms and shorts and this was used until the 2019–20 season. In 2020, the Blasters launched a new blue away kit with a distinctive pattern. This kit
13365-436: The club. As a part of this, the Blasters appointed Karolis Skinkys as their new sporting director on 15 March 2020. On 22 April 2020, the club officially announced the appointment of Kibu Vicuña as their new manager. Fan-favourite defender Sandesh Jhingan left the club on 21 May 2020 by mutual consent, ending his six-year association with the Blasters. The Blasters decided to rely more upon young Indian players and extended
13530-399: The club. In October 2015, Securities and Exchange Board of India , imposed a fine of ₹30 crore on PVP Group for not complying with diclosure terms, pushing the club into financial uncertainty. To overcome the financial crisis, Tendulkar partnered with the club's main sponsor Muthoot Group , bought 40 percent from PVP Group's stake and acquired the majority stake at the club. In June 2016, it
13695-451: The consortium was renamed as Magnum Sports Private Limited. The consortium also includes Anil Yerramreddy, the global CEO of MOURI Tech. Nikhil Bhardwaj, son of the majority shareholder Nimmagadda Prasad is the director of the club. Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer , is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel
13860-517: The contracts of Sahal and Rahul KP until 2025. They signed Nishu Kumar on a four-year deal from Bengaluru FC. The Blasters only extended the contract of Sergio Cido among the foreign players and signed a new roster of them under the supervision of the new sporting director. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the seventh season of ISL was decided to take place in 3 venues in Goa behind closed doors. Same as in
14025-425: The course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes, with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches . Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at
14190-469: The dismissal of Peter Taylor as head coach. Assistant coach Trevor Morgan was in charge for one match before Terry Phelan was named as the head coach for the rest of the season. The Blasters ended their second season in the last place of the league table. In an effort to rebuild the team after failing to qualify for the semi-finals in the previous season, the Blasters announced the signing of Steve Coppell as their head coach on 21 June 2016. A week later,
14355-453: The eighth century. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The Cambridge rules , first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge , at
14520-420: The end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations. A game is officiated by a referee , who has "full authority to enforce
14685-405: The end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or a foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out . Internationally, association football
14850-399: The extra-time to knock the Blasters out of the tournament as they lost the match by the score of 2–1 at 120 minutes. By the end of the season, the Blasters had over a dozen injuries in their squad throughout the season coupled with a dozen suspensions, as the Blasters ended their 2023–24 season without a silverware. After topping the goal-scoring charts in the league with 13 goals in 17 games,
15015-469: The fans to design the club's first-ever third kit for the 2020–21 season. The third kit which had a white and gold colour scheme, designed by one of the fan was released by the club as an honour to the sacrifices and contribution of the frontline workers, who have been relentlessly working to win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Kerala Blasters play their home matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in
15180-407: The federation for the match to be replayed and demanded for the match referee Crystal John to banned from refereeing. The AIFF disciplinary committee rejected the Blasters' appeal and imposed a fine of rupees four crores on the Blasters for abandoning the match and asked them to issue a public apology within a week, failing which they would be obliged to pay a fine of rupees six crores, and Vukomanović
15345-540: The final in 2016 , which the Blasters lost on penalties. In 2020, ATK merged with the football section of multi-sport club Mohun Bagan to form ATK Mohun Bagan. In 2023, Kolkata club's name was changed to Mohun Bagan Super Giant. In April 2014, it was announced that the former India cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar, along with PVP Ventures, won the bidding for the Kochi franchise in Indian Super League. A consortium named Blasters Sports Ventures Private Limited (BSVPL)
15510-469: The first Indian club to attain two million followers on Instagram . According to a research in 2021, the club has the joint-fastest growing social media account on Instagram in Asia and sixth across the world in terms of fans interaction among all the football clubs. The Blasters are also known for having one of the most vocal and passionate supporters group known as Manjappada . Founded in 2014, they are one of
15675-569: The first leg of the semi-finals, which took place in Kochi. The Blasters won the match 1–0 through Kervens Belfort's 65th-minute goal. During the second leg in Delhi, the Dynamos won in extra time 2–1, which meant the scores became tied on an aggregate and the match went to penalty shootout where the Blasters won it 3–0 to enter the final. In the final, the Blasters played host to ATK and got the lead early through Mohammed Rafi before ATK equalized soon after and
15840-493: The first round of the Super Cup . Having failed to qualify for the previous season's semi-finals, the Blasters signed a three-year deal with manager David James. With a new roster, Kerala Blasters had one of their worst seasons, winning only one and drawing six of their twelve fixtures, leading to the sacking of James. This season witnessed the club's rising star Sahal Abdul Samad 's emergence as Blasters' mainstay in midfield. After
16005-432: The first such venue in Kerala and the third in the country to be powered by solar energy. Kerala Blasters are known in the ISL for their fanatical supporters. Averaging over 55,000 fans a game, the Blasters had the highest average attendance in most of the seasons they have played and it fell to 37,500 in 2017 because safety regulations reduced the stadium's capacity to 41,000 as a part of 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup where Kochi
16170-420: The forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling , passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at
16335-514: The formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street , London. The only school to be represented on this occasion
16500-517: The four British associations. For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup , inaugurated in 1930 , became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams. In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and
16665-695: The game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation . Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager . There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on
16830-425: The goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of
16995-404: The highest global television audience in sport. In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans , local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games. The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure
17160-654: The instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league , which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England . Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of
17325-509: The international mid-season break, the Blasters appointed Nelo Vingada as their new manager for the remaining six matches. Of the remaining games, the team had only one win and three draws and finished ninth in the league. They were eliminated from the Super Cup in the tournament's qualifying round. After a disappointing season, the Blasters appointed Eelco Schattorie as their new manager. The club released all of their foreign players and signed
17490-745: The lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup , which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock , and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow , again at
17655-538: The largest and most active supporters group in the country. The group has also won the award for the 'Best Fan Club' at the Indian Sports Honours for two times in 2017 and 2020. The club's main rivals are their South Indian neighbours, Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC. Kerala Blasters have developed a rivalry with fellow southern club Chennaiyin FC from the inaugural season of the Indian Super League itself. Former Chennaiyin head coach and player Marco Materazzi
17820-434: The largest social media following among football clubs from the continent. The club is also known for their fan base, including the supporters group called Manjappada , which has gained a reputational for being one of the most vocal and passionate fan clubs in Asia. The club's crest features an elephant holding a football with its trunk, denoting Kerala's deep connection with the sport. The club's traditional kit consists of
17985-440: The lead after 55 minutes, but he took too long alone in front of the goalkeeper, allowing the defenders to block his shot eventually. The match was destined to go to extra time until ATK were given a corner kick in the last minuet, and headed the ball at the near post. As a result, the Blasters lost the match 1–0 despite dominating it throughout the 90 minutes. After the 2014 season, the club announced David James would not return to
18150-454: The league began following the conclusion of the Super Cup, as an injury stricken Blasters made their return on 2 February in a 2–1 defeat against Odisha. Following their win against Mohun Bagan in December 2023, the Blasters would win only two out of their rest of the ten league matches (against FC Goa and Hyderabad FC respectively), as they ended the regular season with 33 points at 5th spot in
18315-402: The man of the match award going to Queens veteran central midfield playmaker Tommy Bryce and an early career appearance for McAllister as substitute. A late chance for a Derek Townsley equaliser went agonisingly over for Queens. McAllister became one of the most sought after players in the lower leagues and was courted by several Scottish Premier League clubs before leaving at the end of
18480-529: The match went into a penalty shootout. Despite taking the lead early in the shootout, the Blasters lost 4–3; it was their second finals defeat in three seasons. After losing in the previous season's finals, Steve Coppell rejected a new contract extension so the club appointed former Manchester United assistant manager René Meulensteen as their new manager. Blasters released all of their foreign players and signed some more, including former Manchester United players Dimitar Berbatov and Wes Brown . Sandesh Jhingan
18645-607: The men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster), and
18810-525: The nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football. Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from,
18975-571: The new head coach of Brunei club Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota Football Club which compete in the Singapore Premier League . He replaced Rui Capela just six games into the season. The following September, he was appointed interim head coach of the Brunei national team , taking charge of the Wasps for the play-offs for the third qualifying round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup against Macau over two legs. He led them to victories in both games, advancing Brunei to
19140-445: The new season of the Indian Super League, as they played in the opening match of the season against Bengaluru FC on 21 September, which they would win 2–1 at full-time. After the end of the ten-match ban imposed on Ivan Vukomanović by the AIFF -DC due to the walk-out incident from the previous season's playoffs , the Blasters gaffer made his return to the dug-out on 27 October Odisha FC in
19305-423: The next stoppage of play. The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. Jamie McAllister James Reynolds McAllister (born 26 April 1978 in Glasgow ) is a Scottish former player who played as a defender and currently working as
19470-426: The offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff. Rather than stopping play,
19635-461: The original thirteen laws of the game. The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC , had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union . The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and
19800-432: The pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines , while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines . A rectangular goal
19965-437: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow . In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895. Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom. Association football continued to be played by women since
20130-437: The player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of
20295-400: The players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa . Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by
20460-407: The posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within the penalty area . The team that has scored more goals at
20625-403: The previous season, as the rest of the foreigners left the club. They played the opening match of the season on 7 October against East Bengal FC , which they won 3–1. Even though the Blasters lost their next three games, they recovered from the bad run and went on an eight match unbeaten streak and five consecutive wins for the first time in their history in this season. By the end of the season,
20790-461: The previous season, the team suffered an early setback, with this time, captain Sergio Cidoncha suffering a ligament injury on his right ankle during their third match against Chennaiyin FC, ruling out for the remainder of the season. It took the Blasters seven games to register their first victory of the season, winning against Hyderabad FC 2–0. The team was affected by injuries, lesser compared to
20955-478: The previous season. In 2020, a New Jersey in the club's customary yellow and blue colours was launched, with this time, the blue coming in the arms. The kit which pays homage to the state of Kerala also had horizontal lines that run along the breadth of the jersey. In 2021, they introduced a jersey in the familiar yellow and blue colors, inspired by the Kerala football team's victory in the 1973 Santosh Trophy . In 2022 and 2023, new jerseys were launched, all adhering to
21120-415: The previous season. They lost 18 points from the winning position, which includes 4 losses after taking the early lead. The club had the worst defensive performance in their history conceding 33 goals in 18 games and having only 3 wins. On 17 February 2021, after a 4–0 loss against Hyderabad FC on 16 February, Kibu Vicuna and the management decided to part ways on mutual consent. Assistant manager Ishfaq Ahmed
21285-416: The referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at
21450-419: The referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play , and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time". The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs
21615-531: The remaining foreign players' slots. Kerala Blasters played their first game on 13 October 2014 against NorthEast United at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium ; they lost the game 1–0 after Koke scored in the 45th minute. On 21 October, the club's first-ever goal was scored by Iain Hume during their second match, which was against Chennaiyin . Despite Hume's goal, the Blasters lost the game 2–1. The club's first win came in their fourth game, which
21780-440: The respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since; by 2019 , it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition. Four years later , FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion, while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record. Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996 . North America
21945-434: The rivals Bengaluru FC. This season also witnessed the departure of their Indian midfielder and then-most-capped player at the time, Sahal Abdul Samad , who left the club following a swap deal with Mohun Bagan Super Giant for Pritam Kotal , and for a transfer fee of ₹90 lakhs. The club also made their most expensive signing its history by paying FC Goa a reported fee of ₹1.45 crores for the transfer of Aibanbha Dohling on
22110-447: The role of under-21 manager at Bristol City . He then became assistant manager to Lee Johnson at Bristol City. On 30 December 2020, McAllister was appointed assistant head coach at Sunderland, again working with Johnson. With the sacking of Johnson on 30 January 2022, McAllister also left his role at Sunderland. McAllister again teamed up with Johnson at Hibernian , becoming their assistant manager on 5 June 2022. McAllister left
22275-469: The rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart. At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers , or forwards, whose main task
22440-482: The season in 1999. Ebbe Skovdahl signed him for Aberdeen for a fee of £85,000 with further add ons as he made more appearances, resulting in a final fee of over £100,000. Lilley became his teammate at the third successive club. He scored once during his spell in Aberdeen, his strike coming in a 2–0 Scottish Cup win over his future club Livingston on 26 January 2002. In June 2003 Livingston signed McAllister on
22605-524: The season. In August, the club confirmed its participation in the 2021 Durand Cup , thus competing in the tournament for the first time in its history. After three league stage matches, they were knocked out of the tournament, following their defeat over Delhi FC on 22 September. On 19 November, the Blasters played their first match of the 2021–22 Indian Super League season against ATK Mohun Bagan, in which they lost 4–2. The club won their first season match by defeating Odisha on 5 December by 2–1. This victory
22770-543: The sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation , and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most." Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this
22935-586: The state's sporting legacy. The elephant holds a football with its trunk, denoting the state's deep connection with the sport. The elephant is a symbol of unity, power, and pride; it also symbolises the heritage, culture, spirit, and passion of Kerala, and its love for football. Since its inception, the club colours have been yellow and blue. Yellow is the club's primary colour as well as its main identity. According to former co-owner Sachin Tendulkar, yellow stands for determination and faith. During their inaugural season,
23100-420: The table, but qualified for the league playoffs for the third consecutive time for the first time in club's history. The Blasters met Odisha away from home in the knockout play-offs on 19 April 2024. After a goalless first-half, the Blasters took the lead through a second-half goal by Fedor Černych , but a late minute equalizer by Odisha took the game to extra-time, and the home side would score their winner in
23265-434: The three-time runners-up of the Indian Super League. They first entered the final in 2014 , where they lost 1–0 to ATK after an injury-time goal from them. In 2016 , they were again defeated 4–3 by ATK, this time through penalties in the final. The club entered the final for the third time in 2022 , where they were defeated 3–1 by Hyderabad FC through penalties. The Blasters play home games at
23430-447: The time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty. The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty. In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such
23595-531: The time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century. The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club . Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where
23760-422: The tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score. In competitions using two-legged matches , each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from
23925-597: The transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju . Kemari originated after the year 600 during the Asuka period . It was a ceremonial rather than
24090-439: The two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required. Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play . From
24255-510: Was Charterhouse . The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game , forming modern football. The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley , ratified
24420-431: Was Kerala Blasters' first ISL victory in 11 months. After their defeat in the season's opening match, the Blasters remained unbeaten for the next 10 games, until they were beaten by the southern rivals Bengaluru on 30 January. In between the unbeaten run, the Blasters moved to the top spot in the league table for the first time in 7 years during the middle of the season. After Mumbai City's defeat against Hyderabad on 6 March,
24585-430: Was a venue. According to former India international player Pappachen Pradeep , "In Kerala, the people support football tirelessly. It doesn't matter if the team wins or loses, they are always there in high numbers. I've played at places like Kolkata, where if the team loses two-three matches on the spin, the numbers in the stadium diminish. There is nothing like that in Kerala." However Kerala Blasters have seen reduction in
24750-401: Was also injured. Both defenders missed the entire season and Rodrigues played a few matches at the start. Gianni Zuiverloon and Mario Arqués and other players were also hit by minor injuries in the season; they missed some of the crucial fixtures. The Blasters finished the season in seventh place in the table. From the 2020–21 season onwards, the management decided to build a new strategy at
24915-630: Was announced the rights to the Kochi franchise had been won by former India national cricket team captain Sachin Tendulkar and entrepreneur Prasad V. Potluri . On 27 May 2014, the club's official name, Kerala Blasters FC, was announced. Indian international Mehtab Hossain was the first player signed by the club, as he was the first one to be picked up by the Blasters during the first domestic draft . The management also selected seven other Indian players for their inaugural season. On 13 August 2014, former England international goalkeeper David James
25080-423: Was appointed as the captain and the club re-signed their leading goalscorer from the first season Iain Hume. The Blasters won only one of their first eight games that season, leading to the sacking of Meulensteen. Fan-favourite manager David James returned to the squad as caretaker. The Blasters won five of the remaining ten matches and finished sixth in the 2017-18 Indian Super League season . They were eliminated in
25245-469: Was appointed as the interim head coach for the remaining 2 games of the season. The club's fortunes remained largely unchanged in the season as they finished tenth place in the league table. After another disappointing season, the club appointed Ivan Vukomanović as their head coach on 17 June 2021. The Blasters started their pre-season camp in July 2021, and played the most friendlies across all ISL clubs prior to
25410-504: Was called up to the Scotland squad for their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying double-header against the Netherlands and Iceland . On 21 August 2014, while still an active professional footballer, McAllister joined Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters as a player/coach role where he would be the assistant manager under David James . On 1 July 2016, McAllister announced his retirement from playing professional football to take up
25575-605: Was chosen as the first head coach and marquee player of the team. On 21 August 2014, the club participated in the international draft ; the management selected seven foreign players for the team. Michael Chopra , Iain Hume , Pulga , Erwin Spitzner , Pedro Gusmão , Cedric Hengbart , and Raphaël Romey were the seven foreign players drafted to Kerala Blasters. Along with them, the club directly signed Penn Orji , Jamie McAllister , Andrew Barisic , Stephen Pearson , and Colin Falvey in
25740-460: Was confirmed that a consortium led by industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad , Telugu film actors Chiranjeevi , Nagarjuna and film producer Allu Aravind have purchased 80 percent stake at the club. The 20 percent stake of the club remained with Tendulkar. In September 2018, Tendulkar sold his remaining stake at the club to its majority shareholders for personal reasons, stating; "A piece of my heart will always beat for Kerala Blasters". In January 2021,
25905-490: Was established to oversee the administration and operations of the club. Tendulkar said that he took a stake in the club because he wanted to help popularise football in India and to see Kerala return to its former glory as a footballing state. In May 2014, he said; "People used to call me Master Blaster. I'm supporting Kerala, Kochi team. I hope the entire Kerala will be behind our football team. That's why we thought of naming it as Kerala Blasters FC." PVP group owned 60 percent of
26070-527: Was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce , a military history from the Han dynasty . Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through the fengliu yan , a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established. The Silk Road facilitated
26235-419: Was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca . Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. The Chinese competitive game cuju ( 蹴鞠 , literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu ) resembles modern association football as well as a mix of basketball, and volleyball. This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game
26400-480: Was handed a ten-match ban by the AIFF-DC from taking part in any AIFF held tournaments along with a fine of rupees five lakhs, and directed him to issue a public apology within a week as well, failing which the fine would be doubled to rupees ten lakhs. The club and Vukomanović then issued their apologies and 'regrets' as demanded by the AIFF-DC, giving a dramatic end to their ISL campaign. Kerala Blasters also took part in
26565-406: Was launched by the club as a dedication to their fans, who were missed at the stands due to COVID-19 pandemic . In 2021, they brought back their black away kit with blue stripes as a homage to their passionate fans. In 2022, the black away kit was retained but featured blue and purple stripes. In 2023, the club introduced a fresh blue and purple away kit. In 2020, the Blasters launched a contest for
26730-497: Was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War , when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England . The team played in one of the first women's international matches against
26895-427: Was played against Pune City ; Chinadorai Sabeeth and Penn Orji scored the club's goals, leading to a 2–1 victory. After playing their first five matches away from home, Kerala Blasters hosted their first home match on 6 November 2014 against Goa . A goal by Milagres Gonsalves led to a 1–0 victory in front of 49,517 fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Blasters qualified for the playoffs on 9 December 2014 with
27060-418: Was sent off when the clubs played each other in the 2014 semi-final and was then given a one-match suspension in 2016 after he was involved in a scuffle between a Chennaiyin player and a Kerala Blasters player. This incident led Kerala Blasters fans to wear masks of Zinedine Zidane at the return leg in Kochi, intensifying the rivalry between the clubs. The meetings between the two clubs later came to be known as
27225-491: Was soon dissatisfied with his peripheral status at the club, particularly after the appointment of Valdas Ivanauskas as Hearts manager in April. McAllister scored twice during his spell at Hearts with both goals coming in the Scottish Cup . His first came in the 2004–05 season against former club Livingston, and his second came the following season against Kilmarnock . On 2 August 2006 McAllister signed for Bristol City on
#80919