Can You Play Soccer on the Sabbath?

For practicing and believing Jews around the globe, the day of Sabbath is a day meant for rest and cessation.  And while many individuals, particularly non-religious members of the community, understand the overall meaning and requirements of the Sabbath, the more nuanced and granular rules of the Sabbath can leave even the most learnt members confused and unsure.

And one such area of confusion for many practicing and non-practicing members of the Jewish faith is whether or not you are able to play soccer on the Sabbath.  Below, we are going to look at and discuss just whether or not you can play soccer on the Sabbath and what options practicing members of the faith can take to ensure they remain within the rules of the faith.

Interested in additional articles related to the Jewish faith?  Definitely check out our review of the best Jewish basketball players of all time!

What is the Sabbath?

While the concept of the Sabbath has been popularized in recent years, particularly on social media and other entertainment mediums, the true concept of the Sabbath is not as fully understood or reflected.  The Sabbath, which can also be called the Shabbat or the Shabbos, is a day of rest in the Jewish faith.

Marked as the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath falls on a Saturday.  Religious members of the Jewish faith recall the creation of the heaven and the earth in six days, the redemption from slavery, The Exodus from Egypt, and the future Messianic Age.

However, as the Jewish religious calendar counts day from sunset to sunset, the start of the Sabbath begins in the evening of what on the civil calendar is a Friday.  And according to Jewish religious law, Sabbath should be observed beginning a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening and should end upon the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night.

What do Religious Members of the Faith do on the Sabbath?

As the Sabbath is considered a day of rest and cessation from normal, daily activities, the acts done on the day of Sabbath generally differ from the remaining six days of the week.  As such, many religious members of the faith will begin by honoring the Sabbath on Friday, which is also known as Preparation Day.

On Preparation Day, many religious and observing members of the faith will bathe, have a haircut, and both clean and beautify the home.  In addition, and in many communities, candles will be lit 18 minutes before sundown before Friday evening.

Similarly, a prayer service, the Kabbalat Shabbat service, will be completed welcoming the arrival of the Sabbath.  In addition, before Friday night dinner, it is customary to sing two songs, one greeting or welcoming two Sabbath angels into the house and the other praising the woman of the house for all the work she has done over the past week.  Upon completion of the blessings, a festive meal will be served.

Further, as the Sabbath is not only a day of celebration but also one of prayer, it is customary for many religious and practicing members of the faith to wear nice clothing.  In addition, it is also customary to eat three festive meals, including dinner on the eve of the Sabbath, lunch on the day of the Sabbath, and a third meal in the late afternoon of the Sabbath.

Many religious members of the faith will also attend synagogue services on the day of the Sabbath.  These services are typically held on the eve of the Sabbath, on the morning of the Sabbath, and in the late afternoon of the Sabbath.

What Activities Are Allowed and Prohibited on the Sabbath?

As the Sabbath is meant to be a day of rest and cessation from activities normally done throughout the remaining days of the week, there are specific rules and laws regarding the day which outline what is allowed and what is prohibited on the day.

While the laws of the Sabbath can be complex, understanding the general permissible and prohibited ones will allow for observance to be easier and more complete.

In essence, any activity which requires a form of work should be prohibited and refrained from.  This includes any form of writing, erasing, and tearing.  Any form of business and business transactions.  Driving or utilizing an automobile vehicle, shopping, use of the telephone, turning on or off anything which uses electricity, cooking, baking, or kindling a fire, gardening, and grass mowing, and even doing the laundry.

And while such restrictions may appear prohibitive and difficult, many religious members of the faith will simply prepare for the Sabbath before its start. 

As such, and for example, lights which will be needed on the Sabbath will be turned on before the Sabbath.  Meals for the day of the Sabbath should also be prepared beforehand.  And even tearing or ripping of paper towels and other glued or perforated items will be teared before the start of the Sabbath.

Is Playing Soccer Allowed on the Sabbath?

Taking into consideration the above, it is generally discouraged to play soccer or any other sport during the Sabbath.  As the Sabbath is meant to be a day of rest, cessation, and remembrance, the use of sporting equipment is generally discouraged.

Similarly, and according to Talmudic literature, one cause for the destruction of the Second Temple, and the destruction of the city of Tur Shimon, a large city in the Judean hills, was due to the use of ball-playing.  And while such an action may appear innocuous, the larger concept points to the lack of remembrance of the sacred hours of the Sabbath which caused the city’s destruction.

However, to expound a bit further as to why playing soccer is generally prohibited on the day of Sabbath, it is important to look into six specific halachic violations which may occur or result from playing soccer on the Sabbath.

• Carrying – while carrying is allowed where permitted, i.e., inside the home or an enclosed courtyard, doing so beyond that scope is generally prohibited.

• Muktzeh – muktzeh, or an item that may be touched but not moved during the Sabbath, can include soccer balls as it serves no purpose on the day of the Sabbath. 

• Exercise – if one looks to play soccer as a form of exercise on the day of Sabbath, it is generally prohibited unless medically necessary.

• Leveling of the Ground – in addition, it is generally prohibited to play games which require a ball to be rolled on the ground.  This is due to the fact that such rolling can cause a leveling of the field, which is a form of plowing and not allowed on the Sabbath.  This is particularly true of soccer, which can inadvertently level the ground via kicking of the ball and is thus highly discouraged on the Sabbath.

• Moving of Trees or Bush – similarly, if a soccer ball were to get stuck in a tree or bush above 10 inches in height, it is forbidden to remove or retrieve the soccer ball, even if the removal can be accomplished without shaking or climbing the tree or bush.

• Inflating a Soccer Ball – and lastly, many poksim hold that it is forbidden to inflate a soccer ball on the day of the Sabbath.  While some poksim forbid doing so as it is a week-day activity, others hold that it is considered to be a fixing of an item or object, which is not allowed.