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FootBall
Last Updated on Saturday, 25 December 2010 25 November 2010
Football:
Rules of Football:
Prior to the FA’s foundation, each club adhered to their own regulations, and match rules were often only decided on the day. The meeting in 1863 saw the drawing up of a universal code which provided the foundations on which future amendments could be made. The current ‘laws of the game’ are monitored by the domestic Football Associations and FIFA. The following is an interpreted list of those laws, minus much of the detail which is applicable only to prospective referees and to ensure a particular game conforms exactly to official FIFA standards. If you want to educate yourself on the minutiae, check the FIFA official website.
Fairplay in football
Alongside the laws of the game, FIFA advocates a Fair Play programme. Based around a number of rules, typically involving abstract ideas, they are intended to inform footballers and spectators on proper behaviour on and off the field:
- Play fair on the field.
- Play to win but accept defeat properly.
- Observe the Laws of the Game.
- Respect everyone involved in the game.
- Promote football’s interests.
- Honour those who defend football’s reputation.
- Reject any corruption, drugs, racism, violence and other harmful vices.
- Help others to do exactly the same.
- Denounce any who discredits the integrity of football.
- Use football to make a better world.
Basics of football
At its core, football is a game with two teams of eleven players, played over the course of 90 minutes. This period is split into two 45-minute halves. The objective of the game is to score more ‘goals’ than the opposition. The term ‘goal’ refers to two areas either side of the pitch, each one defended by one of the teams. A ‘goal’ is scored by depositing the ball into the opponent’s area.
The Laws of the Game
Field of play
Football can be played on a natural or artificial (e.g. Astroturf) surface. However, the shape of the field must be rectangular, with the dimensions of 90-120 metres long by 45-90 metres wide. Notably, the guidelines for international matches are stricter (100-110 metres x 64-75 metres).
- Goal Area: Starts 5.5 metres from each goalpost and extends 5.5 metres out, with the two lines joining vertically
- Penalty Area: Starts 16.5 metres from each goalpost and extends 16.5 metres out, with the two lines joining vertically.
- Flagpost: Placed at each corner, with a quarter-circle on the field (1 metre in radius).
- Goals: 7.32 metre area between the posts, and 2.44 metres high. The posts cannot exceed 5 inches in width.
The ball
Naturally spherical, with a circumference of 27-28 inches.
Number of players
One of the eleven is classified as the goalkeeper and permitted to handle the ball in his team’s penalty area. The eleven players are supplemented by the option to bring on a maximum of three substitutes from a pre-decided list of three to seven players (the number of substitutes permitted is slightly higher for international friendly matches).
In order to bring on a substitute, the referee must first be informed and then there has to be a break in the play (for example, a free-kick or a throw-in). The substitute then comes on as a replacement for one of the 11 current players.
Equipment
Basic equipment is the team jersey, shorts, shinguards with socks and studded boots or trainers depending on the surface. The goalkeeper is also permitted gloves and a different coloured jersey for identification purposes.
Referee
The referee adjudicates the match in collaboration with two linesmen (properly referred to as ‘referee’s assistants’) and a fourth official, situated on the touchline, if necessary. The referee’s tasks include acting as a timekeeper (although with advice on the amount of ‘injury time’ to be added on to the 45 minutes each half to compensate for injuries and other stoppages), awarding free kicks and penalties and generally dealing with anything requiring a ruling. Can also choose to allow play to proceed in case of a foul, providing there is an ‘advantage’ to be gained by the team against which the foul has been committed.
Assistant referees
Follow play from their respective touch lines and help to decide on throw-ins, corner kicks and goalkicks along with offside decisions (although naturally the referee has the final say). Can also draw the referee’s attention and advise on or alert him/her to any on-field activity, which can influence all manner of decisions. To signify their decision or grab the referee’s attention, they wave a brightly coloured small flag, which they keep at all times.
Duration of the match
The match officially lasts 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves with a half-time interval of no longer than 15 minutes.
In the knock-out stages of competitions, extra-time is used if there is no winner after 90 minutes. This extra period is 30 minutes, split into two 15 minute halves. If extra-time does not find a winner, then a penalty shoot-out takes place, where five players from each team are selected and alternate shots on goal from the penalty spot against the opposition goalkeeper. In that instance, the team with the most successful penalties is declared the winner. If they are still tied then they will move on to sudden-death penalties, where each team will take one penalty until one of the two sides has scored move than the other after the side amount of spot kicks.
Start and restart of play
A coin toss takes place just before the game starts, the winner of which will get the choice of choosing which end to attack or whether to kick-off. Should they choose to kick-off then the other captain will be allowed elect which end to attack in the first half. Should the winner decide to choose which end to attack then the loser can choose whether to kick-off in the first or second half.
The kick-off is also used after a goal has been scored, the task befalling the team who has conceded, and for both halves of extra-time.
At the kick-off, players from each side must all be in their half of the field. The actual kick-off takes place on the centre spot in the centre circle. The player who kicks off cannot touch it again until another player has made contact.
Scoring
A team can only score if the whole ball crosses the goal line between the goalposts. The winner is the team who scores more goals, except in a competition where the ‘away goals’ rule applies. The ‘away goals’ rule means that, if a team scores a goal away from their home stadium, the goal counts extra (therefore, a 1-1 scoreline would mean the away team wins).
Offside
The perennial problem for newcomers to football is understanding the offside rule. This is made somewhat harder by the fact there are two elements to offsides in football; being in an offside position, and committing an offside offence.
To be in an offside position is to be closer to the opponent’s goal than the last opposition outfield player (therefore excluding the goalkeeper) and the ball. However, to commit an offside offence is to have the ball played forward towards you while in that position. As such, you can be in an offside position and not commit an offside offence.
The rule is further complicated by the fact the referee or his assistant must adjudge you to be ‘active’ in the play before giving an offside decision against you. This can be obvious, for example if you touch the ball in an offside position, but it can be extremely nebulous. The official rule states ‘active’ as meaning “interfering with play… or an opponent… or gaining an advantage by being in that position”. However, as you will find as you watch more and more games, what one referee or linesman considers to be active can be very different to another individual’s interpretation, and the offside rule is generally a major debating point.
There are other factors to consider which can exempt you from the offside rule. You cannot be offside in your own-half of the pitch, for example, and you cannot be penalised for being in an offside position when a goal kick, throw-in, indirect free kick or corner kick is taken.
Fouls and misconduct
A foul can take place anywhere on the pitch, and a free kick is awarded where that foul takes place (excepting fouls in the penalty area, which result in a penalty kick). The referee can choose simply to award the foul, speak to the player about his conduct or take matters further.
Punishment for offences
If the single infraction is deemed serious enough or the culprit persistently offends during a match, the referee can choose to take extra action against a particular individual:
- Yellow Card - A ‘caution’ given to a player. If two of these cards are shown to the same player, it means a…
- Red Card - Showing a red card to a player means he/she is expelled from the match. A straight red card (no previous ‘caution’) can be shown for extreme offences such as serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting, deliberate hand-ball to prevent a goal, a professional foul (denying a goalscoring opportunity) and insulting language and/or gestures.
Free kicks
Whenever a free kick is taken, the opposition must be at least 10 yards away from the ball until it is delivered. If this rule is not adhered to, the kick is retaken. There are two types of free kick awarded, depending on the nature of the offence:
- Direct free kick - Allows the team to take a direct shot at the opponent’s goal. Awarded as a result of fouls with evidence intent to harm or reckless/excessive force (e.g. a sliding tackle which takes the player first, shirt-pulling and a deliberate hand-ball).
- Indirect free kick - A direct strike on goal is not permitted, meaning any shot must come from the second player to touch the ball after the kick is taken. If a direct strike is successfully made on goal, a goal kick to the opposition is given. An indirect free kick is awarded for any foul which is dangerous or impedes an opponent.
An indirect free kick can be awarded in the case of a passback offence, a fairly uncommon foul in the game. This is given if one team’s player passes the ball to the keeper, who immediately picks it up rather than taking a touch with his feet. The free kick is subsequently taken wherever the goalkeeper picked the ball up.
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is awarded for offences taking place in the penalty and goal area. A nominated member of the team awarded the penalty is allowed a strike at goal from the penalty spot (see the image in the ‘field of play’ section), with only the goalkeeper to beat. The goalkeeper must remain on his line until the ball has been kicked, and all other players must be outside the area behind the penalty spot. After he has taken the kick, he cannot strike the ball again without another player touching the ball.
Throw-in
A throw-in is awarded when the whole ball crosses the touch line (conceded by the team who last touched the ball). It is delivered off the field of play with both hands and from behind and over the deliverer’s head. Otherwise it is deemed to be a ‘foul throw’ and a throw-in is given to the opposition. It cannot go direct to the goalkeeper’s hands (if on the same team) and you cannot score directly from a throw-in.
Goal kick
Awarded once the whole ball crosses the goal line if it last touched an opposition player. The ball is kicked from anywhere in the goal area outfield, but must cross the penalty area line.
Corner kick
Awarded once the whole ball crosses the goal line of the opposition, after last touching one of their players. Taken from the corner of whichever side the ball exited the field, in the prescribed quarter-circle space. Opponents must be 10 yards from the corner arc and the kicker cannot touch the ball a second time without contact from someone else beforehand (or the opponent receives an indirect free kick).
Referees
Perennially criticised by all and sundry both for what they do and don’t do, the referee is the chief authority figure in a game of football. Imbued with the power to enforce the laws of the game and the sole arbiter in the more subjective elements of the game, they have arguably the toughest job on the field.
His or her job is made slightly easier by the presence and expertise of his two ‘assistant referees’ (otherwise known as linesmen) and the third official on the touchline, but the difficulties are self-evident. With football such a passionate, emotive sport, tensions run high amongst the players and the fans, yet the referee is compelled to keep a cool head and maintain calm at all times as well as deal with often inflammatory issues such as penalty decisions.
What makes it worse is that most referees you see today aren’t even professionals! Although a small percentage (usually only those refereeing in the top divisions) are retained by the national Football Associations with this status, the vast majority are merely paid a small fee and have their expenses covered.
Beyond the rather vague obligation to ‘enforce the Laws of the Game’, the referee’s duties are numerous. Beyond the more peripheral duties like ensuring that the ball meets the proper requirements and that there is no illegal equipment being used on the pitch, the referee’s other chief role is to act as a timekeeper (including judging stoppage time in collaboration with the third official) and evaluate when to stop the game in case of injuries or infractions.
To fulfill this duty, the referee takes recourse in the whistle, which can indicate either the start of or a pause in play. Remarkably, referees in the early years of the game signalled using a handkerchief, with the first whistle only being used in the late 1870s. Similarly, although referees are typically associated with their black jersey and shorts, the earliest referees wore a blazer instead.
Today, the modern referee is a different animal altogether. The basic uniform has endured but the ‘man in black’ is no longer an accurate description, with new coloured jerseys introduced in the 1994 World Cup to account for possible clashes with team kits.
Technology has also dramatically helped, with the referee now always receiving advice from the other officials through an ear piece. Moreover, with the seemingly inexorable march towards goal-line technology and the like, the referee’s role is sure to change in the future. However, regardless of what is introduced, you can guarantee that referees will never get an easy ride from fans and players alike!
Yellow Cards
The idea for the yellow card was conceived by British referee Ken Aston during the 1966 World Cup finals as a way of giving a warning that could be understood by all nationalities. Yellow cards were first used in English leagues in 1976 but their use was stopped in 1981 for six years because referees were believed to be using them too readily. Today, a yellow card is used when an offence is perceived to be too minor to be sent off straight away and too serious for a verbal caution.
Two yellow cards in one match results in a Red Card, meaning the player is sent off for the rest of the game. A yellow card can be given at any time during the match, including half time and it does not just refer to misconduct by players. If substitutes conduct an offence, they can also be given a yellow card.
At the end of the day, it is down to the referee to make judgements about a player’s actions and the punishment they deserve. However, below are the offences that officially warrant a yellow card:
- Wasting time in order to delay the match restarting.
- Offensive behaviour through words or action, e.g. swearing or aggressive play.
- Unsporting behaviour, e.g. extravagant celebrations or removing shirt after goal scoring.
- Failure to maintain the 10 yard distance required when a corner kick or throw-in is being taken.
- Entering or leaving the field of play without the referees permission.
- Persistent infringement of the laws of the game e.g. repeated fouls.
A substitute can be given a yellow card for:
- Wasting time in order to delay the match restarting.
- Offensive behaviour through words or action, e.g. swearing or aggressive play.
- Unsporting behaviour, e.g. extravagant celebrations or removing shirt after goal scoring.
Red Cards
Red Card Compilation
A red card is the heaviest punishment the referee can give to a player. The offender must leave the field at once, and he may well be banned for at least one further match. One he is gone, he cannot be replaced by a substitute; his team must continue with one less man. In the English Premier League there is an automatic three-match ban, although players can appeal against this.
Because they are so powerful, red cards are reserved for very bad behaviour such as violence, abuse or deliberate cheating. A red card can stain an entire team’s performance in a tournament, taking their players out of crucial games and sapping the morale of the squad.
The offences that warrant a red card are defined in FIFA’s Laws of the Game
- Being guilty of ‘serious foul play’ (for instance, a very dangerous tackle).
- Violence.
- Spitting at an opponent or other person.
- Denying the other side an opportunity to score by handling the ball.
- Denying the other side an opportunity to score by fouling a player.
- Offensive or abusive language or gestures.
Players frequently criticise the referee’s decision to ‘book’ them and it is quite ordinary for a yellow card to be upgraded to a red when they argue against his decision.
The system of coloured cards was invented in 1970 by a British Referee called Ken Aston, who came up with the idea while waiting at traffic lights on Kensington High Street.
Penalties
Portugal v England - World Cup 2006 - Penalty Shoot-Out
The penalty kick. To utter these very words can make the most intrepid footballer tremble at the knees.
Etched into every footballer's memory are images of famous disastrous penalty moments; Chris Waddle's over-the-bar screamer in Italia 90 for instance, or Gareth Southgate's nation crushing miss in Euro 1996. And those are just some of England's disasters!
Such mental images can flood back and torment a player's concentration at the moment they must step up to take a penalty kick. Concentration and inner calm are integral elements in taking a successful penalty kick. Do not allow the goalkeeper to distract you, this will be his primary aim. Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar was infamous for his trembling knee technique to unnerve the penalty taker, later imitated successfully by Jerzy Dudek in the 2005 Champions League final. Check the goalkeepers positioning, maybe he has left more space on one side of the goal which you could exploit.
Place the ball well and ensure there are no tufts of grass that that could impede a clean strike of the ball. Pace your run up well. Place your non-kicking foot alongside the positioned ball and stride your run up perhaps 5 or 6 long paces back.
Different players have their preferences when choosing how to strike the ball. Penalty kicks styles can be usefully divided into two categories: placed, side of the foot kicks, and blasted instep kicks. Side of the foot kicks are effective if well placed - low, and in the corner of the goal. Driven kicks with the instep of the foot are effective with their power, but more risky in terms of accuracy, and can easily result in scooping the ball over the bar or dragging it wide of the post. The key thing is to think about where you want to put the ball - choose a spot in the goal and stick to it regardless of the goalkeeper's antics.
Technique and a bit of luck are important elements in mastering the penalty kick, but the psychological aspect is crucial. Hold your nerve and focus on the objective and you will more than likely walk away triumphant from the penalty spot.
Penalty shootout
Referred to by all and sundry as the cruellest way to decide the winner of a match, the penalty shootout has endured throughout football history and remains one of the most exhilarating and fraught spectacles in sport.
To a large extent, the rules are self-explanatory. In a knockout match, when two sides are deadlocked both after the 90 minutes of normal time and the 30 minutes of extra time, they will take turns to shoot from the penalty spot. The minimum number of penalties for each side is five, but there may be more or less required depending on the score. For example, if the teams are again deadlocked at 3 successful penalties each after 5 attempts each, another ‘sudden death’ goal-for-goal period will take place. One extreme example of this was the semi-final of the 2007 FIFA U-21 European Championships, with 32 penalties being necessary to separate England and the Netherlands, the latter winning 13-12. Alternatively, if one side is 3-1 up on penalties and the losing side then fails to convert their fourth penalty, the match will end, as they can no longer reach parity.
The actual penalties themselves are indistinguishable from the penalties you’d expect to see in normal time. The referee will flick a coin, with the winning captain deciding either which end the penalties will be taken from (this is constant throughout the shoot-out) or who will take the first penalty. The protocols are then identical - the goalkeeper must ensure he stays on his line until the kick is taken, and the shooter can only strike the ball once. In addition, only the eleven players who were on the field of play at the final whistle are eligible to take a penalty, and no individual can take more than one penalty for his team (unless 11 penalties have been taken by both sides and there is no alternative!).
The first ever penalty shootout took place in England in 1970 between Hull City and Manchester United in the Watney Cup, with the first successful penalty courtesy of George Best and the first unsuccessful one from Denis Law (Manchester United went on to win). The first international tournament final to be decided by a shootout, on the other hand, took place in 1978, with Czechoslovakia beating West Germany 5-3 in the European Championships. Other famous (or infamous) shootouts include the following:
- England vs. Germany - World Cup semi-final 1990 (German victory)
- England vs. Germany - European Championships semi-final 1996 (German victory)
- Brazil vs. Italy - World Cup final 1994 (Brazilian victory)
- Italy vs. France - World Cup final 2006 (Italian victory)
- AC Milan vs. Juventus - UEFA Champions League final 2002-2003 (AC Milan victory)
The Silver Goal
The silver goal is a method for deciding the outcome of elimination matches (i.e. during the knockout stages of a competition). The silver goal only comes into effect if the scores are level at the end of the 90 minutes. If a goal is scored during the first 15 minutes of extra time, and that team is still in the lead at half-time, the team wins the match. If the scores are level after 15 minutes, a second period of extra-time is played.
The ruling was proposed in 2002 to replace the golden goal method, which was considered to encourage negative, highly defensive play during extra time. It was hoped that the silver goal would avoid the sudden-death situation, reduce pressure on the referee and encourage the offensive, positive play which was seen as too risky with the golden goal rule.
The silver goal was not compulsory, with football competitions able to employ the golden goal, the silver goal, or neither ruling if the game went on to extra time.
The first major competition to use the silver goal ruling was the 2003 UEFA Cup. It was also used in the Euro 2004 competition, when Greece beat their semi-final opponents, the Czech Republic, by scoring a silver goal in the final two seconds of the first period of extra time. The silver goal ruling was subsequently dropped by the International Football Association Board, and is no longer part of the Rules of the Game.
Golden Goal
Today no more than a footnote in the history of football, the golden goal was at one time a key element in deciding some of the most important matches in the game.
Introduced by FIFA in 1993 (who curiously decided that the more commonly used ‘sudden death’ held negative connotations), it was associated almost solely with international football and debuted at the European Championships in 1996. The idea was simple. Whereas the original rules dictated that, if two teams were drawn in a knock-out match after the 90 minutes, extra-time would be played for 30 minutes (divided into two 15 minute segments) with a penalty shoot-out to follow if the deadlock had not been broken. Importantly, should one team score during extra-time, the opposition would still have the chance to equalise until the 30 minutes were up. The ‘golden goal rule’, on the other hand, stated that the first team to score during the 30 minutes of extra-time would immediately be declared the winner.
The first golden goal was rather a muted affair - ending the match between Australia and Uruguay in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Youth Championships in 1993. However, the significance of the change was felt in Euro 1996, when Olivier Bierhoff clinched the final for Germany in the 95th minute against the Czech Republic. Ironically, the next European Championships, in 2000, would also be decided by a golden goal, with David Trezeguet taking the trophy for France against Italy, not that its impact was confined to the European Championships, as the first golden goal in the World Cup came in 1998 courtesy of France’s Laurent Blanc, taking France past Paraguay to the quarter-finals.
However, the rule change remained hugely unpopular with fans and players alike. Facing a deluge of complaints, UEFA responded by introducing the ‘silver goal’ rule in 2002, which stated that, after a goal was scored in extra-time, the opposition would have until the end of that 15 minute half to equalise or the match would be over. This proved equally unpopular and, in February 2004, the golden and silver goal rules were removed from the Laws of the Game, giving tournament organisers the option to revert back to the old system. This was duly reinstated for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, effectively condemning the rule to football’s dustbin.
Sources:http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/football_golden_goal.html
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