It occurs when a player gives the ball to a teammate who then scores. A "cap" is the term used in soccer to express how many international matches a player has played in. On June 8, Tim Howard of Team USA won his 100th cap against Nigeria. The most caps ever earned by one player is 111 by Franz Beckenbauer from Germany.
There are only three ways for a player to earn a cap: be called into the national team, be selected by national team coaches for matchday squads, or through retirement. A player can also forfeit their cap if they accept any form of payment to miss a match or not travel with the team. The last option applies only if the player's country is disqualified or fails an international match. In this case, the player would lose their cap.
The average age of players at the top level is around 25 years old. However, there are several younger players who have recently been called into the squad, including 19-year-old Christian Pulisic and 18-year-old Jared Orengo who both made their debut this year. There are also several older players who continue to play at a high level including Brian McBride (40), Claudio Reyna (39), Oguchi Onyewu (38) and Peter Schmeichel (37).
A cap represents all countries across the world.
In sports, a "cap" is a metaphor for a player's appearance in an international game. The name derives from the tradition of issuing a cap to every player in an international association football match in the United Kingdom. These will be known as "International Caps."
Caps were originally issued to players who had earned them through good performance in a match. Today they are usually awarded by some body associated with sport. For example, Olympic champions and World Cup winners receive special caps made for them by manufacturers.
So the term "cap" has become generic here for any sporting award. But its origin lies in the sport of association football.
A cap is also used in other sports to describe the appearance of a player in an international match. So, for example, a wrestler's "cap" means his mask. A baseball player's "cap" refers to his helmet.
Finally, a cap is also the traditional headdress of military officers. It is worn on state occasions or when attending royal ceremonies.
So, the word "cap" has many meanings, but they all relate to hair style, dress, or equipment for people working in teams during games or shows.
A "cap" indicates that a player has been called up to the national team. The word refers to the practice of giving a cap to each player on the team. Some countries, notably England, continue to practice this ritual. The cap is placed here, on the head, as a mark of honor.
Other countries, such as Mexico and Uruguay, have moved away from this tradition. Instead, they give out medals or trophies to their players after they have made their nations proud on the field of play.
The term comes from the French word "capper", which means "head coach". In modern football, the manager selects the team and then informs the players through the media what their duties will be for the upcoming games. He or she may also tell some of the players who will not be selected, thus "capping" the list. Before the advent of professional clubs, all players had a chance to join a national team during certain times of the year by competing in domestic league tournaments or qualifying rounds. So, in this context, "cap" also means "pick".
Some athletes are ineligible to represent their countries because they are employed by teams based in other countries. For example, Diego Maradona was banned from playing for Argentina because he was employed by Barcelona at the time of his country's selection process.
Every international game in which a player participates earns them a cap. For example, if a player appears in ten games, he or she has ten caps; if a player appears in 100 games, they have 100 caps. The most a player can have is 150 caps, based on the following example: If a player appeared in all six games of a single tournament, they would be awarded six caps for that tournament.
The most a player can earn through appearances and goals is 200 caps. However, some players have been awarded more than this due to achievements outside of playing, such as scoring goal number 100 (which is possible because it is not known whether the player will get a goal or not). A few players have even been awarded 300 caps!
The record holder for most international caps is Brazil's Pelé, who held this record from 1958 until 1993 when it was taken over by Argentina's Maradona. At his peak, Pelé played in 566 games over 16 years for Brazil and scored 266 goals. He earned himself 1030 caps in total.
In second place is Italy's Maradona with 905 caps. The third highest earner is Uruguay's Suarez, who has 772 caps. These three players alone account for 70% of all international caps ever awarded.
Players are given one cap for each match they play, unless they are competing in a World Cup or European Championship finals event, in which case they are given a single cap with the names of all their opponents sewed into the fabric of the cap itself. Players can also earn additional caps by performing certain actions during matches or through special events.
The original caps were white with red trim and had a blue V on one side and two red stripes on the other. They were handed out from 1923 to 2015, except during World War II. When the national teams were playing against each other, they would don't wear their own country's colors because everyone wore their own country's color. So the men would wear white hats and the women would wear red hats.
In 2015, new designs were introduced that were based on the previous year's models but with different colored trim. These new models will be worn until at least 2018 when they will be replaced again with new designs.
Caps are awarded to players who appear in official FIFA matches. The number of caps available to be won is limited only by the amount of money FFA has set as its cap value.
Winners of the award are determined by votes from members of the public. Voters select their favorite player with the aim of having that player receive the most votes.
As a result, for each game played, a "cap" is granted, and a player who has played x games for the club is said to have been capped x times or to have won x caps. The current holder of this record is David Beckham, who was awarded his 14th cap on May 27, 2007.
Caps are only awarded for matches played during the season, so players who appear for their country but do not play any games cannot be capped.
The most caps ever earned by one player is 219, which is also the world record. England's Bobby Moore gained his 19th cap in October 1962, just three months before he died at the age of 29. He remains the only player to have reached 100 caps for England.
Another English player, Gary Lineker, is second on the list with 106 caps. The most recent player to reach the century mark was Steven Gerrard last year. Gerrard became the first player to score against Ireland in his debut match and went on to win two more caps that month. The Irish defender Pat Jennings is third on the list with 102 caps. He is followed by South American players Juan Manuel Fangio (99) and Diego Maradona (95).