Football club (association football)

rdf:langString Football club (association football)

rdf:langString In Association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as an independent unit or as part of a larger sports organization by which it carries a parent-subsidiary stakeholdership. The sport of association football is unique in terms of team sports as it only allows teams that partake in some sort of club activity to participate in tournaments such as leagues and other competitions. Teams must register their players as well as staff and other personnel in order to be eligible to represent the club in any activity as it regards to association football competitions. In association football terminology, competitions are referred to as "club competitions". Supporters may also acquire membership rights within their club. Even sponsors may be accounted for as members of the club of affiliation. This is one of the reasons why the sport came to be called association football. The exact requirements for club licensing are regulated by FIFA and implemented on a national level within each national member association. The majority of association football clubs take part in a league system. These league systems are governed on a continental level by the six regional FIFA confederations. Football clubs exist all over the world on amateur, semi-professional or professional levels of the game. They can be owned by members as well as business entities.