Gukgig: "Football"

"Rules Football"

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 come 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.

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.