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It may surprise some Americans to learn that soccer is by far the most popular game in the world, and is played by more children and adults worldwide than any other sport. For many countries in the world, soccer (called "football" in most countries) is considered to be the "national sport", and draws more players and spectators (and television time!) than other sports. The soccer World Cup, which is played every 4 years by teams representing each nation of the world, is probably better known to more people around the world than are the Olympic Games, the World Series or the Super Bowl.
Despite the wide popularity of soccer and the numerous countries in which it is played, soccer has a single worldwide governing body responsible for establishing and maintaining the rules by which the game is played. This organization is the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and virtually all soccer games are administered under laws established by FIFA or closely based on FIFA. Our AYSO games are played with FIFA Laws, with only minor modifications (which have been approved by FIFA) to cover issues relating to children, such as smaller fields, small-sided games and smaller balls for younger divisions.
The rules of soccer are referred to as "The Laws of The Game". The Laws are very simple in comparison to sports such as baseball and football, but there are still some areas which might cause confusion to people who did not grow up playing the sport. Also, there is a large difference in "cultural attitudes" towards officiating in soccer in comparison with sports like baseball. The soccer Referee is treated with great respect, and the Laws give the Referee wide discretion in applying his or her personal judgment to the game. Although this might seem at first to create a situation where Referees may be inconsistent, the game of soccer is extremely fast moving and players make up moves and strategy on the fly, so many situations occur which might never have before - seen by a rule book. To manage these issues, experienced Referees are trained not only in the Laws of the Game but also in a concept known as the Spirit of the Game, which provides guidance as to how to apply the Laws in new situations.
There are 17 Laws of the Game, which cover everything from the size of the field to the way you must take a corner kick. The purpose of this summary is to give you a short introduction sufficient to help you enjoy the game. It is a general overview and cannot be considered comprehensive. If you are interested in learning more about the Laws of the Game, ask any AYSO Referee or refer to the FIFA web site.
- Object of the Game - The object of the game is to get the ball into your opponent's goal. Players are allowed to move the ball with any part of their body except hands and arms (except for one player on each team, called the goalkeeper). For the most part, the ball is kicked, but you may also play the ball with your head, chest, knee, etc. The team that scores the most goals is the winner of the game.
- The Field of Play - A soccer field is rectangular, with the goals being located on each end. The sides of the field are called "touch lines", since when the ball crosses this line ("goes into touch") it may be picked up by a player and thrown back into the field. The ends of the field are called "goal lines", since this is where the goals are located. A halfway line divides the field into two equal halves. On the halfway line is a center mark, from which the ball is kicked to start the game, or after a goal is scored. There is also a center circle of 10 yards radius, and all opponents must be outside this circle when the kickoff is taken. Around each goal is a small area (6 yards deep) called the goal area. The goal area is used primarily for goal kicks (see below). A larger area around each goal (18 yards deep) is called the "penalty area". The goalkeeper is only allowed to use his/her hands while inside his/her own penalty area. Directly in front of the goal, and 12 yards from the goal line, is a penalty mark, where the ball is placed for a penalty kick (see below). In addition there is a small arc (10 yards from the penalty mark, and outside the penalty area) called the penalty arc. The penalty mark and penalty arc affect play only during a penalty kick. There are also flags in each corner of the field, and a small quarter circle near the flag. The dimensions given above are for full-size fields, and may be reduced in U-6, U-8 and U-10 to match the smaller fields.
- Taking Kicks - There are many situations in soccer where a team is awarded a formal kick (kickoffs, fouls, and situations where the ball is being returned to active play after crossing the goal line, such as goal kicks and corner kicks). In these situations, there are some general rules which apply: All players on the other team must retreat at least 10 yards away; and the kicker, once s/he first kicks the ball, must allow another player (of either team) to touch the ball before s/he plays it again. For the kickoff, the center circle marks the 10 yard distance; for other situations, the kicker may ask the Referee to estimate the 10-yard distance and to move opposing players back.
- The Kickoff - Prior to the game, the Referee will conduct a coin toss to determine which team will kick off. The winner of the coin toss chooses which goal his or her team will defend in the first half, the loser takes the kickoff. Each team positions 11 players on the field (fewer in U-6, U-8 and U-10), and must have all players in their own half at the start. All players from the team not taking the kickoff must also be outside the center circle. A player from the team taking the kickoff kicks the ball forward to start the game, and may not touch the ball again until it has been touched by another player.
- The Throw-in - If the ball is kicked or otherwise moved completely over the touch line by a player of one team, the other team is awarded a throw-in to return the ball to play. The player taking the throw-in must stand behind or on top of the touch line, and must throw the ball with both hands from behind the head. The player must have both feet touching the ground at the moment s/he releases the ball into play.
- The Goal Kick - If the ball crosses the goal line and was last touched by an attacking player, the defense takes a goal kick to return the ball to play. The ball is placed on the ground anywhere inside the goal area, and is kicked by a defender. Attacking players must position themselves outside the penalty area. After the kick, the ball must leave the penalty area before any player may touch it; otherwise, the goal kick is retaken.
- The Corner Kick - If the ball completely crosses the goal line and was last touched by a defender, the attacking team takes a corner kick. The player taking the kick places the ball inside the small arc near the corner of the field, and kicks it back into play. Opposing team must give the kicker the requisite 10 yards.
- Penalty Kick - An unusual and exciting play in soccer is the penalty kick. A penalty kick is awarded when a defender commits a major (penal) foul while inside his or her own penalty area. For a penalty kick, all players must leave the penalty area (and also be outside the penalty arc) except for one kicker from the attacking team and the defending goalkeeper. The ball is placed on the penalty mark (12 yards from the goal line on a regulation field). The goalkeeper must position himself on the goal line and may not leave the goal line until the ball is kicked. The kicker will try to score a goal, and the goalkeeper will try to stop the goal. All other players must wait outside the penalty area until the ball is kicked.
- Penal (Major) Fouls - There are two types of fouls in soccer, penal fouls and non-penal (or minor) fouls. Penal fouls are called when, in the opinion of the Referee, a player has committed any of the following offenses in a manner which is "careless, reckless, or using excessive force": kicking, tripping, jumping at, charging, striking, or pushing an opponent. Penal fouls are also called when a player holds an opponent, and when a player other than a goalkeeper "deliberately" handles the ball. The Referee is the sole judge of whether a player "deliberately" handles the ball, and may choose not to call a foul for a ball striking a player's hand or arm when the Referee feels the player could not have avoided it. If a penal foul is committed outside the offending player's penalty area, a "direct free kick" is awarded to the other team from the spot of the foul. If a penal foul is committed inside the penalty area by a defender, a penalty kick is awarded to the other team.
- Non-penal (Minor) Fouls - There are several fouls that are considered to be less severe than penal fouls. These include dangerous play (such as high kicking near an opponent, or continuing to try to play the ball after you have fallen down), certain goalkeeper infractions, impeding the path of an opponent while not playing the ball, and offside infractions. A non-penal foul results in an indirect free kick for the other team (and never a penalty kick, even if it occurs in the penalty area). The difference between a direct free kick and an indirect free kick is that the ball must touch another player after the kick before going into the goal. The Referee will indicate an indirect free kick by holding his or her hand straight up in the air until the ball touches another player or goes out of play.
- Offside - Offside is one of the few rules in soccer which can get a bit complicated to understand and recognize on the field. There are probably more unjustified Coach and parent complaints about interpretations of the offside rule than about all other rules combined! The purpose of the offside rule is to limit the ability of the attacking team to place attacking players behind the defense. When soccer was being developed as a sport in England, this behavior was called "sneaking" and was considered unsporting, since lazy players would position themselves next to the opponent's goal, wait for the ball to be passed up to them, and then kick it in for an easy goal that they had done little to earn. A player is in an offside position if he or she is on the opponent's half of the field, ahead of the ball and closer to the opponent's goal line than the second to last defender. Since the last opponent is usually the goalkeeper, the second to last opponent is usually the last defensive player. In a sense, there is an imaginary line attached to the last defender that marks the offside line. An attacking player is not committing the offense simply by being in an offside position. However, that player does commit an infraction if he is in an offside position at the moment that the ball is played by a teammate (e.g. at the instant the ball is kicked towards him). Also, a player in an offside position does not commit an infraction unless s/he becomes involved in active play (again in the opinion of the Referee!). Disputes about the offside rule usually center around the number of judgment calls that must be quickly made by the Referee and the Assistant Referee during a fast attack. Was the player ahead of the defender at the moment the ball was passed towards him or her? Did the player get involved in the play, or was there reasonable expectation that s/he would get involved? Here are some common situations which are often misunderstood by parents and Coaches:
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- A long kick from the defense starts an attack. Since offside is judged at the moment the ball is kicked, it is quite possible for an attacker to run past the defender while the ball is in the air, and be closer to goal and ahead of the ball before the ball gets to the attacker. This is not offside.
- A throw-in. Attackers cannot be called offside if they receive the ball directly from a throw-in. This is an exception.
- An attacking player may be standing next to the goal in an offside position when a teammate shoots directly on goal and scores. This is not offside, unless the Referee feels the player was screening the goalkeeper from the shot or so close to the goalkeeper as to have interfered with him or her.
- A player is in a offside position but off to the side of the goal at the time his or her teammate shoots directly at the goal. The ball bounces off the goalpost (or off the goalkeeper) and the (offside) player then kicks the ball into the goal. This is offside because the player in the offside position gained an advantage and the goal will be disallowed.
- Two attacking players have a clean breakaway with only the goalkeeper in front of them. The player without the ball runs faster and gets ahead of the player with the ball. As the players approach the goal, the player with the ball passes to the other player. This is offside! Attacking players must stay behind the ball on a breakaway or risk being called offside.
- Advantage - Consistent with the wide discretion provided to the Referee the Referee is allowed to use a concept called "advantage" if s/he feels that by calling the foul s/he will actually be helping the team that committed the violation. An example of this would be when a player is tripped but the ball goes directly to a teammate who has a good chance to break through the defense. Therefore, just because an obvious foul is not called, it may not mean that the Referee did not see the foul.
- Misconduct - Fouls (both penal and non-penal) are quite common and occur in virtually all soccer games. Players should not be upset if a foul is occasionally called against them. However, a player who continues to foul, commits a serious foul, or who is guilty of unsporting behavior and/or violent conduct will face more severe penalties. Misconduct penalties in soccer include a "caution" (or "yellow card") and a "send off" (or "red card"). A player who commits a cautionable offense is shown a yellow card as a warning that if the behavior continues the player will be ejected from the game. A player ejected from the game is shown a red card. A second yellow card within the same game is also an ejection, and the player will be shown both a yellow card and a red card. If a player is sent off during a game, that team may not replace that player and will play with one less player for the remainder of the game. Players who accumulate three yellow cards during one season may be suspended from the next game (even if that game is a tournament game). Players who receive a red card are suspended from participation for the remainder of that game and from the next game.
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