How To Explain Fútbol To Football Fans

World Cup 101. There's still time to educate yourself on the world's biggest sporting event. ROGAINE® Brand, official hair care sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, is here to help you improve your soccer IQ.

The World Cup is organized similarly to football season; there are 32 teams competing for a championship.

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Which was narrowed down from exhibition results by roughly 200 teams over the course of the past three years.

They are organized in eight divisions of four teams. Nothing out of the ordinary.

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Those divisions are known as "groups."

Every team in the group plays once and is awarded points. Think of it as a regular season that lasts just three games.

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Teams are awarded points as follows:

* 3 points for a win

* 1 point for a draw

* 0 points for a loss

The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout round, which is similar to the playoffs.

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The knockout round is the same "one and done" structure you're used to. Win and you advance, lose and you go home.

Just like the playoffs, there are several tiebreakers if teams have the same point total from group play.

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1. Greatest number of points in group matches

2. Greatest goal difference in group matches

3. Greatest number of goals scored in group matches

4. Greatest number of points in head-to-head matches among those teams

5. Greatest goal difference in head-to-head matches among those teams

6. Greatest number of goals scored in head-to-head matches among those teams

No ties are allowed in the knockout round, so games are decided with an overtime.

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Overtime is two 15-minute halves (30 minutes). If the score is still level after that, the teams engage in a shootout.

Instead of timeouts, fútbol refs tack on additional time at the end of regulation.

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This is to account for all the "injury" time.

Just like football, there are 11 people from each team on the field at one time.

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Fútbol has an offsides penalty but, unlike football, this penalty gives possession to the other team.

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Think of the defense as the line of scrimmage. If a player on offense is ahead of the deepest defender, he's offsides. The only exception is if the ball is still in front of him.

The bidding to host the fútbol championship is a lot like the bidding to host a football championship.

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Brazíl snagged the World Cup this year, but they had to convince the committee that there are enough seats and room accommodations to support such a large event. Sound familiar?

Now that you've studied up, get out there and pretend to know what you're talking about!

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