The Field
Football, or
soccer as it is sometimes know, is played on a
field measuring 90 to 120
meters in length (100 to 110 m for
international competition) and 45 to 90 meters in
width (64 to 75 for international). At each
end is
centered a
goal, consisting of vertical
poles connected by a horizontal
crossbar at their top. The insides of the poles (
goal posts) are a distance of 7.32
meters, or 8
yards, apart, while the crossbar is 2.44 m or 8
feet from the
ground.
The necessary
pitch is actually quite
simple: the field is
painted or otherwise marked with lines up to
12 cm thick. Below are the
standard lines for a soccer field, with the
required lines in
bold:
the two shorter boundary lines, known as goal lines
the two
longer boundary lines, known as
touch lines
a halfway line
a center mark, with...
a circle of radius 9.15 m = 10 yards around it
a
goal area, also known as a
six, around each goal, consisting of a box bounded by two 6-yard lines drawn perpendicularly from the goal line 6 yards (5.5 m) from each goal post, and the horizontal
line connecting them.
a penalty area, around each goal area, consisting of a box bounded by two 18-yard lines drawn perpendicularly from the goal line 18 (16.5 m) from each goal post, and the horizontal line connecting them.
a penalty mark located 12 yards (=11 m) perpendicularly from the center of the goal. This can be scraped into the field by the referree, if necessary
a
penalty arc, consisting of the portion of a 10-meter-in-radius circle about the
penalty mark that lies outside the
penalty area
a
corner arc, or quarter circle of radius 1
yard, drawn in each corner of the field.
Equipment
Ideally,
all the above lines are on the field, and it is of
appropriate dimensions. In
addition, however, certain
equipment is necessary.
The
goals must be
anchored to the ground properly, so as to
withstand the impacts of players and balls
striking them.
Each goal must be equipped with a
net, secured to the
crossbar and goal posts. This is merely to help the referree determine when a ball crossing the
goal line is a goal, and when it is
out of bounds.
Positioned in each
corner should be
corner flags, each of at least 5 feet in
height.
The
ball must be
spherical, made of
suitable material,
inflated to a pressure of .6-1.1 atmospheres (8.5 - 15.6
lb/sq. in.), of 68-70 cm in
circumference, and of 410 - 450
grams in weight at the
start of the
match. Should the ball
burst or otherwise become
defective during the
match, a new ball should be obtained and restarted by a
drop ball (see Restarting Play) at the point where the ball became
defective.
In addition to the
field, each player should have certain
equipment. Players should wear
cleats, or shoes with
spikes on the soles, prefereably made of
plastic and not
metal. For protection,
mouthguards and
shinguards are also recommended.
The Teams
Each team consists of 11
players, one of which is a
goalkeeper. A minimum of
seven players are required for
each team in order for the match to begin. In
official competition, each team is limitted to
three designated
substitutes.
The standard positions are
forwards, consisting of
wings and
strikers,
midfields, and
defenders, consisting of
wings,
stoppers and/or
sweepers, plus a
keeper. The 10 non-keepers are split up among the positions according to the
coach's discretion.
The Match
The regulation soccer
match is 90 minutes in
length, consisting of two forty-five minute
halves. Between the halves is a
halftime of approximately five minutes.
In competition play, when the score is
tied after regulation time is up, several steps are taken. First,
stoppage time is added, obstensibly to make up for the several minutes of
time taken up between
plays. After this, two
five-minute overtime periods are conducted, after which the teams begin a
Penalty Shootout. Should all this fail to break the
tie, the teams begin a short
Sudden Death period, after which the game is declared an
official draw.
Stoppage of Play
Play stops when one of the following occurs:
A goal is scored
The ball goes out of bounds, but a goal is not
scored
An
infraction occurs
The
ball becomes defective
A
player is injured
Substitutions
A team may
substitute one of their extra players for a player on the field when...
...that player is injured and needs to be replaced
...that team is taking a
throw-in
...either team is taking a
goal kick
Each team may make two such substitutions per
half, although since there are only three
subs and players may not reenter the
game once substituted, a team may not use all four opportunities. The
exception is substitution for injuries, which is free for that team. However, the
ref must give the other team a
free substitution at the same time, if that team
desires it.
Restarting Play
Play is restarted after a stoppage in one of several ways. When a new half
begins, or a goal is
scored, play restarts with a
kickoff. At the
beginning of the match one team is
randomly chosen to kick off, while the other will do so in the second
half. When a goal is scored, the team on which it was scored takes the
kickoff. A kickoff consists of one
player on the kicking team moving the
ball forward on the referree's
signal. Until this, the opposing team may not enter the
center circle. After the ball has been moved forward, however, it is
fair game.
The Second restart is the
throw-in, which occurs when one team propels the
ball across a
touch line. The other team selects a
player to throw the ball in bounds. This must be done with
two hands on the ball, with the ball
thrown over the thrower's
head. In addition, at the time the ball is
released, both of the thrower's feet must be on the
ground.
Another restart is the
goal kick, occuring when a team propels the ball across the opposing
goal line, but does not score a goal. One
player on the other team positions the ball anywhere within the
goal area and kicks it. The only limitation is that it must
leave the
penalty area before it is played.
When a team propels the ball across their own
goal line, the other team restarts the ball with a
corner kick in the
corner closest to where the ball left play. The team taking the kick places the ball anywhere within the appropriate
corner arc and kicks it. This is often a
prime goal-scoring opportunity for the
kicking team.
The remaining restarts occur only after a player commits an
infraction, and vary depending on the severity. For
minor infringements of the
Laws of the Game, the ball is restarted with an
Indirect Free Kick. Examples of such
infractions are
Offsides, passing to the
keeper,
dangerous play, and more. In these cases, a free kick is taken by the opposing team from the location of the
offense, but this kick may not result in a
goal before it is touched by another
player. For more serious offenses, committed in a manner deemed to be
careless,
reckless, or using
excessive force, a
Direct Free Kick is issued. Examples include
handballs and
pushing,
tripping, or
charging an opponent. A
Direct Free Kick is taken from the location of the
infraction, unless it occurs within the opponent's
goal area, in which case it is taken from the
six-yard line. In this case, the kicking team is
allowed to score on the initial kick.
Finally, when a team commits an
offense within their own
penalty area, their opponents are rewarded a
penalty kick. This is taken from the
penalty mark, and only the kicker and the keeper may be in the
penalty area until the ball is kicked. In addition, all players must be
10 yards away from the kickers, which is to say, outside the
penalty arc. While the kicker
shoots, the
keeper may not leave the
goal line, and must therefore commit to
diving either one way or the
other. If he or she guesses
correctly, he has a chance of
blocking the shot, while if not, it is almost certainly a
goal.
Offsides
Offsides is one of the most difficult rules of
soccer for a non-player to understand, because it requires an
instinct for the locations of players on the
field. Basically, a
player is in an
offsides position when he or she is beyond the
offsides line, determined by the
ball, the
halfway line, or the
second-last defender, whichever is closest to the defenders' goal. This in itself is not an
infraction. However, the defending team is awarded an
Indirect Free Kick for an
Offsides Violation whenever an attacking player
derives strategic benefit from being in an
offsides position. This usually takes the form of receiving a pass which was sent while the player was in an
offsides position, although other situations arise quite
often. However, if you are in an
onsides position when a ball is kicked but run to an
offsides position to receive it, there is no
violation! Thus,
Offsides is a very difficult rule to
call, and
linesmen are often employed to assist the
ref in this area.
Infractions
When a player breaks the
Laws of the Game, the Referree takes certain action depending on the
severity of the offense. Most offenses merely receive
verbal warning. However, a player may be officially
Cautioned and shown a
Yellow Card for...
...dissent
...persistent infringement
...unsporting conduct
...delay of game
...failure to respect and acknowledge the referree
...and MORE!
When a player commits a
second Cautionable Offense, that is, after he has already been shown a
Yellow Card, or when he or she commits a
Sending-Off Offsense, he or she is ejected from the game and shown a
Red Card. Sending-Off offenses include...
...serious foul play
...spitting
...swearing
...denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by breaking the
Laws of the Game
...violent conduct...
...and more
When a player is sent off, his
team must play with one fewer
players for the
remainder of the match.
Officials
To enforce the
Laws of the Game, each match is officiated by a
referree. This official is usually equipped with a whistle with which to stop play, and is generally given complete power over the
players and
coaches involved in the
match. To Assist the ref, there are generally appointed two
linesmen who make
out-of-bounds calls and
Offsides calls. In addition, some matches have a
Fourth official to further help the
ref.
Final Thoughts
It is impossible for one
writeup to do justice the entire
game of Soccer/Football. However, hopefully this has introduced you to the basic rules and regulations of the
sport.
Source:
FIFA's (Federation Internationale de Football Association) Laws of the Game, available online at http://www.fifa.com/handbook/laws/2002/LOTG2002_E.pdf.