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30-468: A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football . The main types of football are association football , American football , Canadian football , Australian rules football , Gaelic football , rugby league , and rugby union . It has been estimated that there are 250 million association football players in the world, and many play other forms of football. Jean-Pierre Papin has described football as

60-508: A "universal language". Footballers across the world and at almost any level may regularly attract large crowds of spectators , and players are the focal points of widespread social phenomena such as association football culture . Footballers generally begin as amateurs and the best players progress to become professional players. Normally they start at a youth team (any local team) and from there, based on skill and talent, scouts offer contracts. Once signed, some learn to play better football and

90-656: A few advance to the senior or professional teams. Pay in some top men's leagues is significantly higher than in other jobs. Players in the Premier League earn an average of $ 3 million per year. In the wealthiest clubs in European football leagues, men earn an average $ 7.19 million per year. The best players of those clubs can earn up to $ 260 million per year. However, only a fraction of men's professional football players are paid at this level. Wages may be somewhat more moderate in other divisions and leagues. For example,

120-451: A form of play where each of them has its spectrum of positions. Those are offensive, defensive, and special teams. Research shows that association football players who take less than 200 milliseconds after the referee blows their whistle to make a penalty kick are significantly less likely to score than those who take over a second. An Irish 2002 study of association and Gaelic football players characterized players as "lean and muscular with

150-438: A longer life expectancy than the general public or males with a similar age and race distribution, but a higher rate of cardiovascular issues. A study comparing the deaths of former Major League Baseball players found baseball players lived longer still, perhaps suggesting a "healthy worker" bias where NFL athletes lived less long than they would otherwise have, despite their longer than average life expectancy. A 2009 review of

180-653: A moderate effect on athletic performance; the former being more prevalent in endurance-based events and the latter in power-based events. Further studies on these and other genetic polymorphisms linked to athletic performance were recommended. An " all-round athlete " is a person who competes in multiple sports at a professional level. Examples of people who played more than one sport professionally include Jim Thorpe , Lionel Conacher , Deion Sanders , Danny Ainge , Babe Zaharias and Erin Phillips . Others include Ricky Williams , Bo Jackson and Damon Allen , each of whom

210-544: A reasonably high level of capacity in all areas of physical performance". The opposite is the case for American football, where obesity could be the cause of grave health problems. A 2000 study documented injuries sustained by Czech [association] football players at all levels: Trauma was the cause of 81.5% of the injuries, and overuse was the cause of 18.5%. Joint sprains predominated (30%), followed by fractures (16%), muscle strains (15%), ligament ruptures (12%), meniscal tears and contusions (8%), and other injuries. Injuries to

240-715: A strict dietary regimen. The word "athlete" is a romanization of the Greek : άθλητὴς , athlētēs , meaning one who participates in a contest; from ἄθλος, áthlos or ἄθλον, áthlon , meaning a contest or feat. The primary definition of "sportsman" according to Webster's Third Unabridged Dictionary (1960) is, "a person who is active in sports: as (a): one who engages in the sports of the field and especially in hunting or fishing." Athletes involved in isotonic exercises have an increased mean left ventricular end-diastolic volume and are less likely to be depressed. Due to their strenuous physical activities, athletes are far more likely than

270-412: A systematic review of a sample of fifty-four peer-reviewed publications and three articles on elite athletes’ mortality and longevity, resulted in major longevity outcomes for the elite athletes (baseball, football, soccer, basketball, and cycling) "compared to age and sex-matched controls from the general population and other athletes." The span longevities were influenced by factors like the type of sport,

300-426: Is known for his leadership on the football field. With two super bowl victories and numerous records , Big Ben left a lasting legacy on the football field. All these athletes are equally great at what they do. Whether it's on the basketball court, the baseball field , the tennis court or whatever sport, each of these athletes left an impact in sports The title of " World's Greatest Athlete " traditionally belongs to

330-528: The Decathlon (among others). Thorpe competed professionally in baseball , American football , and basketball ; and competed collegiately in track and field , baseball , lacrosse , and did ballroom dancing . King Gustav V of Sweden , while awarding Thorpe the decathlon gold, said: "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world." This title has been associated with the decathlon event ever since. NFL Too Many Requests If you report this error to

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360-468: The 2000s a very limited number of formal studies has been published on mortality from all causes in soccer players, despite the high interest of the public to the matter. An extended study held in Italy between 1975 and 2003 on a total of 5.389 players, aged 14–35 years, highlighted that, while the mortality for cancer and cardiovascular diseases among the football players cohort was significantly lower than

390-558: The NHL and MLB active populations. In 2013, a study on 3,439 retired athletes of the National Football Leagues with at least five credited playing seasons between 1959 and 1988 did not show a statistical correlation between suicide mortality and professional activity, particularly football-related compared with the general control sample. No stratification was reported between speed and non-speed position players. Until

420-462: The athletes as pre-participation tools in order to prevent sudden cardiac deaths in people aged less than 35. To evaluate the risk of myocardial fibrosis , may use and recommend the additional use of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) with pre- and post-contrast and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) images. Even encouraged, it wasn't yet made mandatory. In 2015, 205 deaths among North American professional athletes who were registered as active at

450-1392: The average annual salary for footballers in Major League Soccer (MLS) is $ 530,262 as of May 2023. Average salaries in women's leagues are far lower. For example, players in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), which started in 2012, earn an average of $ 54,000 per year as of May 2022. For the first time in 2022, the NWSL guaranteed players a living wage. The minimum salary in 2023 is $ 36,400 to ensure players do not need second or third jobs to survive. A minority of retired footballers continue working full-time in football, for instance as football managers. A 1979 study reported that former first-team ballplayers were over-represented as top-ranking executives in their companies and had greater income mobility than second-teamers and reserves. However, some experience chronic health issues, see below. In association football, there are four traditional types of specialties (positions): goalkeepers (goalies), defenders (full-backs), midfielders (half-backs), and forwards (attackers). Special purpose positions include such performers as sweepers, stoppers, second forwards (under-attackers), wingers, insiders, etc. The American football teams' positions are categorized by

480-524: The evidence in the American Journal of Medicine concluded the existing evidence "did not suggest an increased mortality" but does "suggest increased cardiovascular risk..., particularly the heavier linemen." In association football , a 2011 German study found that German national team players lived 1.9 years less than the general male population. Football players participating in international matches for Germany have reduced longevity compared to

510-417: The general Italian population, the "mortality rates for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and car accidents were significantly higher than expected, and for ALS the risk is 18 times than expected." Sportsperson Athletes may be professionals or amateurs . Most professional athletes have particularly well-developed physiques obtained by extensive physical training and strict exercise, accompanied by

540-589: The general population to visit massage salons and pay for services from massotherapists and masseurs. Athletes whose sport requires endurance more than strength usually have a lower calorie intake than other athletes. While athleticism is largely influenced by environmental factors, it has been theorized that genetic expression may play a moderate role in an athlete's abilities as well. Exploring this claim, meta-analyses of studies regarding two specific genes, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene and ACTN3 , concluded that certain variations in expression may have

570-503: The general population. American football players are prone to head injuries such as concussions . In later life, this increases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's . Professional American football players self-reporting concussions are at greater risk for having depressive episodes later in life compared with those retired players self-reporting no concussions. Probably due to the repeated trauma associated with heading balls, professional association football has been suggested to increase

600-447: The general population. This disadvantage was the larger, the earlier the international football player started his international career. This finding is in line with the current knowledge of life expectancy in major athletes, especially those from other team sports A 1983 study of rugby players found that the life expectancy of All Blacks was the same as for the general population. Australian rules footballers have lower death rates than

630-463: The incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis . In a 1987 study of former Norwegian association football national team players, one third of the players were found to have central cerebral atrophy , i.e. brain damage. A 1999 study connected soccer to chronic traumatic head injury (CTHI): [P]articipation in amateur association football in general and concussion specifically is associated with impaired performance in memory and planning functions. Due to

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660-475: The knee were most prevalent (29%), followed by injuries to the ankle (19%) and spine (9%). More injuries occurred during games (59%) than in practice. Patellar tendinitis (knee pain) is considered an injury that comes from overexertion, which also happens to other athletes of virtually every sport. It is a common problem that football players develop and can usually be treated by a quadriceps strengthening program. Jumping activities place particularly high strains on

690-628: The playing position, the race, and the energy system. An observational study held from professional footballers -active (during their career) and recently retired (post-career, aged more than 45 years)- in 70 countries between 2007 and 2013, elaborated on data from the World Footballers' Union (FIFPro), recorded 214 deaths of which 25% was caused by accidents, 11% by suicides and 33% by a suspected cardiac pathology (on an overall 55% of deaths caused by some sort of disease). Clinical evaluation, ECG , and echocardiography are required for

720-443: The tendon and with repetitive jumping, tearing and injury of the tendon can occur. The chronic injury and healing response results in inflammation and localized pain. Although levels of depression and pain in retired football players are on par with the societal average, some players suffer from post-retirement chronic injuries. Head injuries are a particular concern. Studies have long shown former American football NFL players have

750-401: The thigh muscles. In a 2009 study, association football was found to be associated with favourable sleep patterns and psychological functioning in adolescent male football players. The rate of suicide among NFL vets has been found to be 59% lower than in the general population. In 2012, FIFA released a paper intended to identify key risk factors for association football players. In 2015,

780-405: The time of their decease were analysed. Data were collected for the four major sports: National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Baseball (MLB). The NFL and NBA active players had "a higher likelihood of dying in a car accident " and a significantly higher likelihood of dying from a cardiac-related illness compared to

810-459: The whole spectrum of athletic ability in order to be successful, including speed, strength, coordination, jumping ability, and endurance. Although the title "World's Greatest Athlete " seems a natural fit for these two events, its traditional association with the decathlon/heptathlon officially began with Jim Thorpe . During the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, Thorpe won the gold medal in

840-467: The world's top competitor in the decathlon (males) and heptathlon (females) in track and field . The decathlon consists of 10 events: 100 meters , long jump , shot put , high jump , 400 meters , 110 m hurdles , discus , pole vault , javelin , and 1500 m . The heptathlon consists of seven events: the 100 m hurdles , high jump , shot put , 200 meters , long jump , javelin , and 800 meters . These competitions require an athlete to possess

870-472: The worldwide popularity of soccer, these observations may have important public health implications Anterior cruciate ligaments are particularly vulnerable in most types of football due to injuries that can be sustained during tackles . An increased incidence of osteoarthritis in the hip joint has been found in retired football players. A 2012 study of association football injuries found that 19% of all injuries were muscle injuries, of which 54% affected

900-824: Was drafted both by Major League Baseball and by professional gridiron football leagues such as the NFL and the CFL . Another female example is Heather Moyse , a multiple Winter Olympic gold medalist in bobsled and member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame who also represented Canada internationally in track cycling and competed at university level in basketball and track and field. Japanese athletes such as Kazushi Sakuraba , Kazuyuki Fujita , Masakatsu Funaki and Naoya Ogawa have successfully performed in professional wrestling and competed in mixed martial arts . Ben Roethlisberger , former quarterback for Pittsburgh steelers,

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