Sports · Unit 5

Soccer

The beautiful game: rules, positions and the World Cup

The most played sport in the world, and the one whose rules have changed least - a fact that partly explains how far it spread.

The unit covers the rules, positions on the pitch, goals and scoring, the World Cup, and the major clubs and players.

This unit breaks down into 21 short steps and 120 questions, starting at difficulty 2 and building to 3. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps: 21
Questions: 120
Difficulty: 2-3

What this unit covers

Rules of Soccer
Positions on the Pitch
Goals and Scoring
The World Cup
Clubs and Stars

Where this fits

Follows Ball Games.

Where people slip

Offside is judged at the moment the ball is played, not when it is received. Almost every offside argument is really a disagreement about timing.

How the unit is structured

Soccer runs as 21 short steps that unlock in order. 15 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 2 and climb to 3 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 21 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 120 in the unit altogether.

Clubs and Stars

Fact or fibLevel 2
1. Cristiano Ronaldo plays for the national team of Portugal.
Answer: True
Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal's captain and record goalscorer.
Fill the blankLevel 2
2. The El Clasico match is played between Real Madrid and ____.
- Barcelonacorrect
- Liverpool
- Juventus
- Ajax
El Clasico is the famous rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Match the pairsLevel 2
3. Match each star player to the country they play for.
Answer: Lionel Messi = Argentina; Cristiano Ronaldo = Portugal; Kylian Mbappe = France
These stars each play for their home country.
Multiple choiceLevel 2
4. For which national team does Lionel Messi play?
- Argentinacorrect
- Brazil
- Spain
- Portugal
Lionel Messi captains Argentina and led them to the 2022 World Cup title.
Odd one outLevel 2
5. Which one is NOT a famous soccer club?
- Chicago Bullscorrect
- Barcelona
- Manchester United
- Bayern Munich
The Chicago Bulls are a basketball team, not a soccer club.
Build the sentenceLevel 3
6. Build a true sentence about which club has won the most Champions League titles.
Answer: Real Madrid have won the most Champions League titles
Real Madrid has won the most Champions League titles.

Goals and Scoring

Build the sentenceLevel 2
7. Build a true sentence about where a penalty kick is taken.
Answer: A penalty kick is taken from the spot
A penalty is taken from the marked penalty spot.
Fill the blankLevel 2
8. When the ball goes into your own net by mistake, it is called an ____ goal.
- owncorrect
- extra
- free
- corner
An own goal is when a player accidentally scores in their own net.
Choose all that applyLevel 3
9. Which of these count as one goal each in soccer?
- A penalty that goes incorrect
- A header into the netcorrect
- A shot that hits the post and stays out
- A throw-in
A penalty and a header both score one goal, but a missed shot or a throw-in does not.
Fact or fibLevel 3
10. A clean sheet means a goalkeeper's team did not let in any goals.
Answer: True
A clean sheet is when no goals are conceded in a match.
Guess the numberLevel 3
11. In a standard penalty shootout, how many penalties does each team take before sudden death?
Answer: 5 penalties
Each team takes five penalties before a shootout goes to sudden death.
Match the pairsLevel 3
12. Match each scoring term to what it means.
Answer: Hat-trick = Three goals by one player; Brace = Two goals by one player; Clean sheet = No goals conceded
Each scoring term has its own meaning.

Positions on the Pitch

Build the sentenceLevel 2
13. Build a true sentence about why the goalkeeper wears gloves.
Answer: The goalkeeper wears gloves to catch the ball
Goalkeepers wear gloves to grip and catch the ball.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
14. Which of these are outfield positions in soccer?
- Defendercorrect
- Midfieldercorrect
- Goalkeeper
- Umpire
Defenders and midfielders play outfield; the goalkeeper is not an outfield player and there is no umpire.
Fill the blankLevel 2
15. A ____ is a player whose main job is to score goals near the opponent's net.
- strikercorrect
- goalkeeper
- defender
- referee
A striker plays up front and focuses on scoring goals.
Multiple choiceLevel 2
16. Which player is the only one allowed to use their hands inside the penalty area?
- The goalkeepercorrect
- The striker
- The referee
- The captain
The goalkeeper may handle the ball inside their own penalty area.
Odd one outLevel 2
17. Which one is NOT a soccer position?
- Pitchercorrect
- Goalkeeper
- Defender
- Midfielder
Pitcher is a baseball position, not a soccer one.
Match the pairsLevel 3
18. Match each position to its main job on the pitch.
Answer: Goalkeeper = Stops shots on goal; Center-back = Blocks opposing attackers; Striker = Scores goals up front
Each position has a clear main job on the pitch.

Rules of Soccer

Build the sentenceLevel 2
19. Build a true sentence about how many players a team has on the field.
Answer: A soccer team has eleven players on the field
A soccer team fields eleven players at a time.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
20. Which of these cards can a referee actually show to a player?
- Yellow cardcorrect
- Red cardcorrect
- Green card
- Blue card
Referees use yellow and red cards; there are no green or blue cards.
Fact or fibLevel 2
21. A throw-in is used to restart play when the ball goes out over the sideline.
Answer: True
When the ball crosses the touchline, play restarts with a throw-in.
Fill the blankLevel 2
22. The ____ blows the whistle and enforces the rules during a match.
- refereecorrect
- coach
- captain
- mascot
The referee controls the game and enforces the laws.
Guess the numberLevel 2
23. In many top competitions today, how many substitutions is each team allowed to make?
Answer: 5 substitutions
Since 2020 many competitions let teams make up to five substitutions.
Match the pairsLevel 2
24. Match each situation to the way play restarts.
Answer: Ball out over the sideline = Throw-in; Foul inside the box = Penalty kick; Ball out over the goal line off a defender = Corner kick
Each restart matches the way the ball left play.

The World Cup

Build the sentenceLevel 2
25. Build a true sentence about how often the World Cup happens.
Answer: The World Cup is held every four years
The World Cup is played once every four years.
Fact or fibLevel 2
26. Germany has won the men's World Cup four times.
Answer: True
Germany has lifted the trophy in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014.
Fill the blankLevel 2
27. The World Cup trophy is given to the winning national ____.
- teamcorrect
- city
- referee
- stadium
The World Cup is a competition between national teams.
Choose all that applyLevel 3
28. Which of these countries have won the men's World Cup?
- Brazilcorrect
- Italycorrect
- Portugal
- Mexico
Brazil and Italy are World Cup winners; Portugal and Mexico are not.
Guess the numberLevel 3
29. How many teams will play in the expanded 2026 World Cup?
Answer: 48 teams
The 2026 World Cup expands to 48 teams for the first time.
Match the pairsLevel 3
30. Match each World Cup to the country that won it.
Answer: 2010 World Cup = Spain; 2014 World Cup = Germany; 2022 World Cup = Argentina
Each of these World Cups was won by a different nation.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 14 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

Build the sentence
Choose all that apply
Fact or fib
Fill the blank
Guess the number
Match the pairs
Multiple choice
Odd one out
Picture question
Put in order
Sort into groups
Spell it
True or false
Type the answer

Practise Soccer

120 questions across 21 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

Play this unit

Read about Soccer

Explainers from our blog on what this unit covers. Each one ends with real questions from the bank.

What Is Offside in Soccer? The Rule Explained SimplyLearn the offside position, when an offence is called, common exceptions, and why timing matters more than simply standing near goal.August 17, 2026 · 6 min read

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