Legolas

Whether Legolas of Gondolin was of Noldorin or Sindarin descent is debatable. For more details of naming throughout the world, please refer to the main articles above. The Silmarillion, in describing Turgon's founding of Gondolin, states that Turgon took with him up to a third of the people under Fingolfin, but an even larger number of the Sindar. Football is the term used by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee. But the others, led by one Legolas Greenleaf of the house of the Tree, who knew all that plain by day or by dark, and was night-sighted, made much speed over the vale for all their weariness, and halted only after a great march.
—"The Fall of Gondolin", The Book of Lost Tales, Volume 2. The term used depends largely on the need to differentiate the sport from other codes of football followed in a community. The names are very similar, but the characters were different: Legolas of Gondolin was a Ñoldorin Exile, of the House (kindred) of the Tree. Today the sport is known by a number of names throughout the English-speaking world, the most common being football and soccer.

His name (Laiqalassë in its pure form) comes from the primitive Quenya (Qenya) words laica, green, and lassë, leaf. The term soccer first appeared in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of Association football. The Legolas of Gondolin, who Tolkien would have likely renamed, has a different etymology. The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. Because Tolkien had reused the name in The Lord of the Rings, this Legolas was not included in the published Silmarillion. The major international competitions of the world and the continental confederations, followed by their major club events where appropriate, are:. The character is mentioned only once and is unrelated to the character discussed above. It thus carries international prestige considered comparable to that of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The name Legolas Greenleaf first appeared in The Fall of Gondolin, one of the "Lost Tales". A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, the women's Olympic tournament is played by full international sides without age restrictions. No definitive evidence is given, either way. Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level with a restricted number of over-age players per team; consequently the competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. Thranduil did let him leave Mirkwood to found a new elf-community in Ithilien, suggesting to some that he was not his heir; but then others opine that given the longevity of Elves and the relative safety of Middle-earth after Sauron's downfall, Thranduil could go on ruling the Woodland Realm as long as he liked or until he felt the sea-longing. Originally this was for amateurs only, however since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides. Some assume that he is an only child; however, he could be only one of Thranduil's children. There has been a football tournament at the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles.

(Blond hair was mostly exclusive to the Vanyar.) However, the "blond" camp points out that the above quote takes place at night, and opines that his head may have appeared "dark" due to shadows, rather than his actual hair color. The next World Cup takes place in Germany 2006[1]. According to this camp, his hair must be either dark brown or black, as was the norm for the Sindar. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a four-week period. However, Tolkien describes his head as "dark" when he shoots down a Ringwraith's fell beast in The Fellowship of the Ring in the following quote, suggesting the contrary to some:. Over 190 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals. His father Thranduil was blond, so many assume that Legolas must have been blond also (Indeed, both Ralph Bakshi and Peter Jackson make him blond). This competition takes place over a four-year period.

For them, this might be a sign that he was born in the First Age, since the Appendices only record dates from the Second Age onwards. The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. Also, some readers point out that his birthdate is not recorded in the Appendices. Note that the Laws of the Game are not maintained by FIFA itself; rather they are maintained by the International Football Association Board, as discussed in the history and development section above. However, even the minimum figure of 500 can still apply here, since Tolkien could have had the English oak in mind, and it can live up to about 500 years. These are affiliated both with FIFA directly and also with their respective continental confederations. Also, he speaks of watching oaks grow from acorns to "ruinous age", suggesting that he is in fact old, though possibly young for Elves (some kinds of oak can live for a very long time):. The recognised various national associations (see football around the world) oversee football within their jurisdictions.

He does call Aragorn (87) and Gimli (139) "children" while in Fangorn Forest, and says that he does not feel young:. Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:. It is certainly possible that he was older than what many fans imagine him to be, at least (probably due to the influence of Bloom and his portrayal). The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). At face value, his statement says nothing about his age - to go further would only be speculation. The details and application of this law are complex, and often result in controversy: for more information on offside please refer to the main article above. However, he could be merely commenting on the contrasting viewpoints of Men and Elves on time ("and but a little while does that seem to us"); also, 500 years is here clearly the time elapsed since Meduseld was built. It is often assumed that the purpose of this law is to prevent "goal scrounging" or "cherry picking", but in fact the offside law has similar roots to the offside law in rugby.

If we are to infer that Elves can have concrete memories at a younger age than humans do, Legolas could conceivably have remembered the last 500 autumns that have passed, starting when he was very young. closer to the opponent's goal-line) of both the ball and the second last defending player. By their first year, elf-children can already walk, speak, and even sing. The offside law limits the ability of attacking players to remain forward (i.e. In his essay Laws and Customs among the Eldar, found in Morgoth’s Ring, one of the volumes of The History of Middle-earth, Tolkien states that the mental development of elf-children is much quicker than those of human children. Even if a foul is not penalised due to application of the advantage rule the offender may still be sanctioned for any associated misconduct at the next stoppage of play. To see their reasoning for an age of 800-900 years, see the articles referred to below. The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within a short period of time, typically taken to be four to five seconds.

The figure of 500 years minimum was derived from the following — at one point he says that the leaves have fallen in Mirkwood 500 times since Meduseld was built, and he appears to be describing it as if he actually experienced this:. not stop play — when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from having play continue. While Legolas' age is never given in Tolkien's writings, some Tolkien scholars have estimated he is at the most 800–900 years old by the time of the War of the Ring, and at least 500, though probably more; however, many others disagree on the maximum figure. The advantage rule states that the referee should allow play to continue — i.e. He is absent from the 1980 animated version of The Return of the King. Misconduct may be punished by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card). Legolas was voiced by David Collings in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation. 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.

However, many viewers have criticized his performance as wooden; ironically (and humorously, one might add), his character is fittingly a Wood-elf. Whilst the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. Although the disproportionate popular reaction to Legolas met with mixed reactions from fans, many debaters on the Internet during earlier stages of production were worried, like Tolkien's complaint above, that a film portrayal of Legolas might render him as far too effeminate for popular consumption, and many were simply happy that Orlando Bloom was able to avoid this entirely. Misconduct may occur at any time, and may be committed by both players and substitutes. His good looks and Legolas' "coolness", so to speak, as depicted in the film, have led to the character becoming a unprecedented fan favorite with both fangirls and fanboys, not to mention other Tolkien fans. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick. Playing Legolas in the trilogy was Orlando Bloom's breakout route to superstardom. "Penal fouls", for example handling the ball, tripping an opponent, pushing an opponent, etc, are punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred.

This idea subsequently spread to fanfiction; however, it is pure fanon, and is nowhere to be found in Tolkien's writings, and is often simply meant as a joke; in any case, Elven eye color was most likely restricted to grey, as no other color is explicitly stated in Tolkien's writings. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. This was justified by the notion that Elves' eyes change colour with their mood. A foul occurs when a player (not a substitute) commits a specific offence listed in the Laws of the Game when the ball is in play. Due to technical mishaps involving Orlando Bloom's contact lenses, in the films Legolas' eye colour sometimes changes between brown, purple, and blue. From the initial kick-off of a period until the end of that period, the ball is "in play" at all times until the end of the playing period, except when the ball leaves the field of play or play is stopped by the referee; in these cases play is re-started by one of the following eight methods:. Curiously, this directly contradicts The Hobbit, where his father's own servants are shown to pass out after drinking powerfully heady Dorwinion wine (a brief line in the same passage mentions that drinks must be "powerful indeed" to affect Elves, like the Dorwinion wine, but still this does nothing to validate the implication that it is impossible for Elves to become intoxicated). Kick-offs are also used to restart play following a goal.

He wins, because Elves are not affected by alcohol. At kick-off all players are required to be in their half of the field, and all players of the non-kicking team must also remain outside the centre-circle, until the ball is kicked and moved. In the Extended Edition of The Return of the King, Legolas and Gimli have a drinking contest at Meduseld after the events at Helm's Deep. Each playing period in football commences with a kick-off, which is a set kick from the centre-spot by one team. He bears two long knives, while in the book he bears only one. Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB. He wears green and grey clothes and uses boots, in contrast to Tolkien's "light shoes". These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or at the end of the first period of extra time if one team was by then leading (silver goal).

The film-makers later stated that the entire scene of Legolas killing the Oliphaunt and its entire crew was filmed during pick-ups (months after original filming) to insert a major action scene showcasing him, because at that point they realized that he simply doesn't get to do much in the third part of the trilogy. In the late 1990s, the IFAB experimented with ways of making matches more likely to end without requiring kicks from the penalty mark, which were often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. Aside from shooting the fell beast, he undertakes no major actions other than to make peace with Gimli, overcoming their longstanding mutual racial animosity — he and Gimli are followers, rather than leaders. Other competitions may require a tied game to be replayed. However, in the books Legolas's exploits in battle are not presented in great detail. where each round involves the two teams playing each other twice) may utilise the so-called away goals rule to attempt to determine which team progresses in the event of the teams being equal on wins; however, should results still be equal following this calculation kicks from the penalty mark are usually required. For example, in the Battle of the Hornburg, he slides down a staircase using a shield, shooting arrows all the while, and in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, he takes down an Oliphaunt all by himself. Competitions utilising two-leg stages (i.e.

He is presented as an unstoppable fighter, arguably to the point of stealing the show; he performs show-stopping yet implausible stunts in battle scenes. Note that goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, unlike kicks from the penalty mark which are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored not making up part of the final score). Curiously, the year 2931 of the Third Age is the year Aragorn was born; the writers may have picked the number at random from the Tale of Years (the timeline) in the Appendices. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (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 the tournament. 3018. If tied at the end of regulation time, in some competitions the game may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. This date for Legolas' birth was made up by the movie writers, as in the books there are no known dates concerning Legolas before T.A. allow the full or agreed time adding thereto all time lost through injury or accident" (Law V), and later FIFA guidelines regarding the annotation of goal scoring times suggested that time is indeed "added-on" to the end of the agreed half period.

This would make him 2931 years old at the time of the War of the Ring. Note that there is often semantic debate as to whether the referee is "adding on" time to the end of a half, or rather treating time during stoppages as though it never existed as part of the match time; this distinction has little bearing on the practical conduct of a game, however it may be noted that the pre-1997 wording of the laws stated that the referee "shall .. In the "official movie guide" for The Lord of the Rings, a birthdate for Legolas is set to 87 of the Third Age. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half the referee will signal how many minutes remain to be played, and the fourth official then signals this to players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. In Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (2001–2003), Legolas was portrayed by Orlando Bloom. There are no other timekeepers, although assistant referees carry a watch and may provide a second opinion if requested by the referee. Here, he is apparently from Rivendell, because he answers to Elrond; he is not identified as a Wood-elf. The amount of time is at the sole discretion of the referee, and the referee alone signals when the match has been completed.

In the film, he takes Glorfindel's place in the Flight to the Ford sequence; he meets Strider and the hobbits on their way to Rivendell, and sets Frodo on his horse before he is chased by the Nazgûl to the ford of Bruinen (In Peter Jackson's version, Arwen takes Glorfindel's place and rides to the Ford herself with Frodo). When making such an allowance for time lost, the referee is often said to be "adding time on"; the added time is commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time. Legolas was voiced by Anthony Daniels (who had voiced the droid C-3PO of Star Wars fame) in Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings. The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and it is part of his duties to make allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, cautions and dismissals, sundry time wasting, etc. In Sindarin, that would be Legolas Thranduilion, -ion meaning "son of". The end of the match is known as full-time. In English, therefore, a fuller name would be "Legolas son of Thranduil" or "Legolas Thranduil's son". There is usually a 15-minute break between halves, known as half time.

Men and Elves alike used the patronymic (son of) formula. A standard adult football match consists of two periods (known as halves) of 45 minutes each. Apparently, only Hobbits (and the Men of Bree) used surnames (like Baggins or Gamgee), as recorded in the Red Book. The field has other field markings and defined areas; these are described in the main article above. It may be that Thranduil named his son Legolas to at least in part refer to this people, who were remote kin and ancestors of the later Silvan Elves, the people Thranduil ruled and to whom - very likely - Thranduil's wife belonged. This area has a number of important functions, the most prominent being to denote where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a foul by a defender which would usually punished by a direct free kick becomes punishable by a penalty kick. Calenhad, mutated Parth Galen and plural Pinnath Gelin) and is otherwise almost only preserved in Laegrim, Laegel(d)rim (Sindarin form of Quenya Laiquendi), the Green Elves of the First Age. This area consists of the area formed by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 16.5m (18 yards) from the goalposts and extending 18 yards into the pitch from the goal-line, and a line joining these.

There might, however, be a certain meaning to his name: laeg is a very rare, archaic word for green, which is normally replaced by calen (cf. In front of each goal is an area of the field known as the penalty area (colloquially "penalty box", "18 yard box" or simply "the box"). The Quenya form (mentioned in the Book of Lost Tales in the context of another character of that name) is Laiqualassë. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, though are not required by the Laws. It consists of the Sindarin words laeg, green; and golas, a collection of leaves, foliage (being a prefixed collective form of las(s), leaf). The inner edges of the goal posts must be 7.32m (8 yards) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 2.44m (8 feet) above the ground. The name Legolas is a Silvan dialect form of pure Sindarin Laegolas, which means Greenleaf (thus, Greenleaf is not his surname, as is sometimes erroneously believed; nor is it an epithet (like Oakenshield), but a translation of his name). On the goal line at each end of the field is a goal.

Logically, as a retcon he could quite conceivably have been present in his father's halls at the time, and may have even fought at Erebor. The longer boundary lines are touch lines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. The events in The Hobbit take place less than one hundred years before the Quest of Mount Doom, and at that point Legolas was at least 500 years old, and possibly older. The length of the field (pitch) for international adult matches should be in the range 90-120m (100-130 yards) and the width should be in the range 45-90m (50-100 yards).The pitch must be rectangular, with the length of the touch line longer than the width of the goal line. However, some have theorized that he may well have fought in the Battle of the Five Armies. In many high-level games there is also a fourth official, who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Of course, his character had not been created yet (though his name had; see below). The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen).

Though his father and his kingdom appear in The Hobbit, he does not appear himself. A game is presided over by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions regarding facts connected with play are final. However, as given in Unfinished Tales, the author himself states that Legolas "probably accomplished the least of the Fellowship", compared to the rest (Frodo endured the Ring's temptations and took it to the Crack of Doom, Gandalf was an angelic agent from Valinor who worked against Sauron for centuries, Aragorn restored his ancestors' old kingdom, and even Merry helped kill the Witch-king, et cetera). In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in the match. 2), his father wrote the following comment protesting a "pretty" or "ladylike" illustration of Legolas:. The usual reasons for a player's replacement include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or to waste a little time at the end of a finely poised game. As Christopher Tolkien recounts in The Book of Lost Tales (Vol. The maximum substitutions permitted in international games and in national level leagues are three, though substitution numbers may be varied in other leagues.

In Lothlórien, he receives a new longbow from the Galadhrim, along with the other gifts that Galadriel and Celeborn give him and the rest of the Fellowship, such as special cloaks and lembas. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. As the Fellowship sets out, he is armed with a short bow, and a long knife. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player (including jewellery or watches). Tolkien first describes him as "a strange Elf, clad in green and brown". The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt (or jersey), shorts, socks (or stockings), footwear and adequate shin guards. The Sindarin minority in that realm, who should have been more noble and wise than the Silvan Elves, can be seen as having "gone native" at the end of the First Age: after Morgoth was defeated and all of the grand Elf-kingdoms of Beleriand were destroyed, they can be seen as going back to "a simpler time" in their culture. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to handle the ball with his hands or arms, but is restricted to doing so within the penalty area (also known as the "box" or "18 yard box") in front of his own goal.

A small minority of Sindarin Elves ruled the predominantly Silvan Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood, a minority which Thranduil headed. One player on each team must be designated as that team's goalkeeper. His father Thranduil had originally come from Doriath; he and his son were actually Sindarin Elves. There are a variety of positions in which the outfield players are strategically placed by a manager/coach, though these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. Although he lived among them and was exposed to their culture, Legolas was not one of the Silvan Elves (Wood-elves). Competition rules may state a minimum of seven players are required to constitute a team. It is told in the Red Book (first written by Bilbo Baggins, continued by Frodo Baggins and supposedly finished by Samwise Gamgee) that after the death of King Elessar, Legolas builds a grey ship in Ithilien, and leaves Middle-earth to go over the Sea to Valinor, the Blessed Realm, and Gimli the Dwarf goes with him. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper.

Eventually, Legolas comes to Ithilien with some of his people, with his father's leave, to live out his remaining time in Middle-earth helping to restore the devastated forests of that war-ravaged land. The Laws can be found on the official FIFA website. Later, Legolas and Gimli go off travelling together through Fangorn Forest. In addition to the seventeen Laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. After the destruction of the One Ring, he stays in Minas Tirith for some time, as Aragorn is crowned King of the Reunited Kingdom as King Elessar and marries his love Arwen. The Laws are often framed in broad terms, which allows flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. He fights in the Battles of the Pelennor Fields and the Morannon, and watches as Sauron is defeated and Barad-dûr collapses. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although the preface to the Laws does grant national associations the ability to authorise certain modifications for juniors, seniors, women, etc.

After Aragorn summons the Dead Men of Dunharrow to fight for him, he watches them scare away the Corsairs of Umbar from their ships at Pelargir. There are seventeen Laws in the official Laws of the Game. In The Return of the King, he and Gimli accompany Aragorn on the Paths of the Dead, along with the Grey Company. Today the board is made up of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations. In the Battle of the Hornburg, he and Gimli engage in an Orc-slaying contest (Gimli wins by one with 42, but the real result is stronger mutual respect). The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. They meet the revived Gandalf and the Rohirrim, fight in the Battle of the Hornburg, and witness Saruman's (partial) downfall at Isengard, where they are reunited with the two. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB.

After Boromir is killed and Merry and Pippin are captured by Orcs in The Two Towers, he, Aragorn and Gimli set forth in pursuit of the two (Frodo the Ring-bearer and Sam had gone ahead on the road to Mordor). The Board was formed in 1882 after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. While the Fellowship is travelling over the River Anduin, he shoots down a nearby fell beast with one shot. Today the laws of the game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). They take leave of Lothlórien, but not before recieving several gifts. Despite this, the Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s. Legolas and Gimli become friends, however, when Gimli greets the Lady of the Golden Wood with gentle words. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original fourteen rules of the game.

Within the Fellowship, there is friction between Legolas and the dwarf Gimli, because of the ancient quarrel between Elves and Dwarves after the destruction of Doriath in the First Age, and also because his father, Thranduil, once threw Gimli's father, Glóin, in prison (as described in The Hobbit). Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. Legolas serves as the initial spokesperson for the company, speaking with the inhabitants, the Galadhrim. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, who was the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. After Gandalf is lost while facing the Balrog, Aragorn takes charge of the Fellowship and leads them to the Elven realm of Lothlórien, the Golden Wood. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. Once in Moria, he helps fight off the Orcs whom they encounter there, and recognizes Durin's Bane as a Balrog of Morgoth. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse.

Before they reach Moria, however, Legolas helps fend off an attack of Sauron's wolves. These efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863 which first met on the evening of 26 October 1863 at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. After their attempt to cross Caradhras is foiled, their leader Gandalf takes them on an underground journey through Moria, an ancient Dwarf-kingdom, though some (including Legolas) do not wish to go there. Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. Unlike them, he is little affected by the blowing winds and snow; he does not even wear boots, only light shoes, and his feet scarcely make imprints on the snow. In 1862, J.C. When the Fellowship is snowed down while crossing Caradhras, he scouts ahead to find the Sun, while Aragorn and Boromir drive a path through the snow. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club (formed by former pupils from Harrow) in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867.

He accompanies the others in their travels from Rivendell to Amon Hen. During the 1850s, many clubs were formed, thoughout the English-speaking world, independent of schools or universities, to play various forms of football. Legolas volunteers or is chosen to become one of the members of the Fellowship that sets out to destroy the One Ring. The first set of rules resembling the modern game were produced at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury, but they were far from universally adopted. He is introduced in the first part of The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, at the council of Elrond of Rivendell, where he comes as a messenger from his father to discuss the escape of Gollum from their guard. The Laws of the Game are based on efforts made in the mid-19th century to standardise the rules of the widely varying games of football played at the independent schools of England. Legolas is the son of King Thranduil of the Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood, who appears as "the Elvenking" in The Hobbit; his father rules over the Silvan Elves who dwell there. The game is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are summarised below.

. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart (see below). Legolas serves as a link to the earlier story, The Hobbit, because he (like Gimli the Dwarf) is the son of a character from the previous tale. Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when the ball has left the field of play by wholly crossing over a boundary line (either on the ground or in the air), or play has been stopped by the referee. Tolkien himself states, however, that Legolas accomplishes the least of the nine members of the Fellowship. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball. With his keen telescopic eyesight, sensitive hearing, and great skill at arms, particularly bowmanship, Legolas is a valuable resource to the other eight members of the Fellowship. In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet); by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal.

Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Legolas Greenleaf is a Sindarin Elven prince who becomes a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Although players mainly use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. R. The primary rule for this objective is that players, other than the goalkeepers, may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play (though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart). R. The team which has scored the most goals at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. In J. Two teams of eleven players each compete to get a round ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal.

. 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; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world. Its simple rules and minimal equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in popularity. According to a survey conducted by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's governing body, published in the spring of 2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200 countries in every part of the world.

A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. Football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to football stadia to follow their favourite team, whilst billions more avidly watch the game on television. These names are often used to distinguish the game from other codes of football, since the word "football" may be used to refer to several quite different games. The sport is also known by other names in some parts of the English-speaking world, usually association football and its contraction, soccer.

The winner is the team which has scored most goals at the end of the match. Other than the goalkeepers, players may not intentionally use their hands or arms to propel the ball in general play. The objective of the game is to score by maneuvering the ball into the opposing goal. It is a ball game played on a rectangular grass field with a goal at each end.

Football is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. Oceania: Oceania Nations Cup; Oceania Club Championship. North/Central America & Caribbean: CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Champions Cup. Asia: Asian Cup; AFC Champions League.

Africa: African Nations Cup; CAF Champions League. South America: Copa América; Copa Libertadores. Europe: European Championship; UEFA Champions League. World: FIFA World Cup; FIFA Club World Championship.

South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL). Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF; also known as The Football Confederation).

Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF). Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC). (Law 8). a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective).

Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason (e.g. (Law 14). Penalty kick: awarded to fouled team following "penal" foul having occurred in their opponent's penalty area. (Law 13).

Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. (Law 13). Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. (Law 17).

Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a defender; awarded to attacking team. (Law 16). Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by an attacker; awarded to defending team. (Law 15).

Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball. (Law 8). Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play.