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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 80 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Laws of the Game
17. There are 17 laws (not "rules" as many people call them) and they cover over 80 pages of publication. The application of them in practice never ceases to excite discussion, and this particularly includes discussion amongst referees!
No. Certain conditions must apply and this includes being in the opponents half of the field of play. Also the player must be involved in active play, or as it is often termed "playing the ball".
Yes. At amateur level not all players know this and not all goalkeepers know this fact either!
| A player takes a penalty kick and hits the crossbar of the goal and it rebounds to this player without touching anyone else. At the second attempt, this player puts the ball in the goal. How does the referee re-start play? | Laws of Association Football
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An indirect free kick to the defence. A player is penalised if that player plays the ball twice at the taking of a penalty, and without it touching another player first.
| The referee awards a throw-in. A player decides to throw the ball back to the opponents goalkeeper because an injury had had been sportingly spotted by the opponents (and the ball kicked over the touch line), but the keeper slips and the ball enters this goal without touching anyone else. What does the referee award in this situation? | Laws of Association Football
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a goal kick. A goal can not be scored directly from a throw-in, but if the goalkeeper touched the ball before it entered the goal it is different and the referee must award a goal!
| An assistant referee is slow to raise their flag for offside after the ball is played. what is the assistant normally doing? | Laws of Association Football
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Waiting to see if the player offside is going to be involved in active play. In recent years assistant referees have been instructed by the referee that a "late" flag is good, and this is because determining if the player receiving the ball is "involved in active play" normally takes a few seconds to ascertain clearly.
| Can a referee discipline a player for a tackle where the player takes the ball first and before making contact with the opponent? | Laws of Association Football
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Yes. It depends on the safety and the force of the tackle.
| The referee forgets to show a yellow or red card. In these circumstances is the disciplinary action by the authorities after the game still implemented? | Laws of Association Football
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Yes. The showing of the referees card (or cards) is not essential to the implementation of the disciplinary action.
| A player dissents by word or action from a decision of the referee. Must the referee (in law) caution this player? | Laws of Association Football
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Yes. The law leaves no discretion to a referee, but the practical application of the law seems to have evolved separately.
| A player takes a direct free kick taken outside that player's own penalty area into this player's own goal, without the ball touching anyone. How does the referee re-start play? | Laws of Association Football
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A corner kick. A goal can not be conceded this way in law (Law 13 of the Laws of Association Football, entitled "Free Kicks").
110-120m. "The field of play must be rectangular. The length of the touch line must be greater than the length of the goal line." --FIFA Laws of the Game Handbook 2001, pg. 6.
70 cm. "The ball should be of a circumference of no more than 70 cm, and no less than 68 cm." --FIFA Laws of the Game Handbook 2001, pg. 11.
| Law 3: The Number of Players. Which is the maximum number of players a team can have on the field of play? | Laws of Soccer - Part 1
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11. If the referee discovers during the match, that a team has more than 11 players on the field at the same time, the game must be restarted!
45 minutes. The length of the match may be shortened at the discretion of the referee in special circumstances (e.g. heat, insufficient light). However, these changes must be discussed with the two teams prior to the match.
| Law 8: The Start and Restart of Play. At a kick-off, how many times is the kicker allowed to touch the ball before it has touched another player? | Laws of Soccer - Part 1
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Once. The kicker may not touch the ball more than once before it touches another player.
No. That would be pretty hard to do.
| Is it true that since July 2003 matches at the highest levels can now be of three equal periods of thirty minutes each to assist television advertising? | Laws of Football 2003
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No. No this change hasn't happened yet. However, bearing in mind how much the game of association football at the professional level depends on media support watch out for this change in future years. Referees on some games have to wait for a signal from the touch-line before allowing the game to start. This is to enable the media advertising to finish!
| Is it true that players since July 2003 may have advertising on their shorts, stockings and footwear? | Laws of Football 2003
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Yes. This is a change and manufacturers' logos can now safely be displayed on the boot as well as the shorts and socks. Players may still not reveal advertising by removing their shirt. Clearly all must be revealed from the start of the game. Players revealing advertising beneath their shirt are only reported to the competition and are not cautioned by the referee.
| Where have referees been particularly told (since July 2003) to enforce the law more strictly? | Laws of Football 2003
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For certain offences when a penalty is taken.. Referees have been told to be stricter to stop goalkeepers moving off their goal-line before a penalty is taken. Also, to stop players encroaching into the penalty area before the penalty kick is taken. It does not take much deep thought to work out why this has been done!
Referees have always had the power to have the penalty kick retaken if necessary.
| There is another small change (since July 2003) relating to the "Fourth Official". Who is the fourth official? | Laws of Football 2003
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He/she assists the referee and officiates (as directed by the competition organizer) if an injury occurs.. The "Fourth Official" is told prior to the match as to whether he/she takes over from the referee if an injury occurs, or whether the senior assistant referee goes in the middle and the fourth official takes over as assistant referee. The competition organizer decides this issue in advance. The law change is just to emphasize that the "Fourth Official" assists the referee at all times in all his/her duties as required and as allowed by law.
| By careful reading of Laws 14 and 8 of the laws prior to July 2003, if the ball bursts after a penalty kick is taken, but while it is still moving towards the goal, the game re-starts with a drop ball. Have the laws changes in July 2003 changed this situation? | Laws of Football 2003
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no. Strangely this situation continues (until it happens in a big game!). If the ball hits an outside agent (for example a dog) while moving towards the goal the kick is re-taken. The bursting of the ball is not allowed for in Law 14 so the legally minded have to go to Law 8 to find that the correct re-start is a dropped ball. Clearly, the referee will have to deal with all the yellow and red cards that will be flying like confetti at attacking players wondering why the kick is not being retaken!
| In July 2003 what was the decision of the International Football Association Board concerning "temporary expulsions" of players from the pitch as a disciplinary measure? | Laws of Football 2003
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not allowed at all anywhere. "Sin-bins" as they are called are not allowed and they are firmly condemned. An idea that comes from ice-hockey and seems to be used, contrary to the decisions of those at the top of football, to avoid normal methods of discipline at "five-a-side" centres. The authorities then only see written reports from the referee on "cautions" and "sendings off". The informal "sin-bins" are not recorded after the game.
| In July 2003 how did the International Football Association Board view artificial playing surfaces? | Laws of Football 2003
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a good idea to be developed. The clear advantages have been seen and the concept of artificial playing surfaces is being progressed within the game.
no. No change has been made, but one will surely come in future years. Referees now only rule off-side those players actively playing the ball, but although referees understand the concepts involved, the media and everyone else have a problem with the complexities of the law as it stands. Assistant referees are now told to hold their flag after the ball has been kicked to see where it goes and how the player being flagged plays the ball. The media still wrongly criticise this practice and the Football Associations seem to lack media communication skills.
yes. The "Laws of Association Football" are revised halfway through each year (to allow for the yearly amendments) and may be purchased from shops (the 2002/3 Laws cost £4 stirling) and certainly may be obtained from the Football Associations of individual countries.
Awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team. "It is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position. A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents goal line than both the ball and the second last defender [the last defender being the goalkeeper.]." -- FIFA Laws of the Game Handbook 2002, pg 24.
The referee raises his/her arm in the air until the kick has been taken and has touched another player.. "The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. He maintains his arm in that position until the kick has been taken, and the ball has touched another player, or goes out of play."--FIFA Laws of the Game Handbook 2002, pg. 28.
| Law 14 - The Penalty Kick. If, on a penalty kick, the ball does not enter the goal, the kick is re-taken? | Laws of Soccer - Part 2
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f. The player taking the kick only gets one chance. He may score on a rebound if the ball has touched another player first, but the kick is not re-taken.
| Law 15 - The Throw-in. In order to execute a proper throw-in, which conditions must be met by the player who is throwing it in? | Laws of Soccer - Part 2
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All of these. (He must be in an upright position., Both feet must be on the ground when he throws it., His hands, holding the ball, must go all the way behind his head before he throws it.). If the player fails to meet all of these conditions, a throw-in is awarded to the opposing team.
Yes. However, the goalkeeper may not touch the ball with his hands, because any ball-handling by the goalkeeper outside the 18-yard box is deemed a hand-ball.
A designated seating area off the field of play where the coach(es) and non-fielded players must sit or stand.. "The technical area extends 1 m (1 yd) on either side of the designated seating area and extends forward up to a distance of 1 m (1 yd) from the touchline."--FIFA Laws of the Game Handbook 2002, pg. 38.
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