Soccer Rules – The Rules of the Game
Association football, also known as just football, is an organized team game played between two competing teams of eleven players. It is played in more than 200 countries and Overseas, with the popularity of the game growing each year. It has even earned the status of World Cup and the Olympics. Aside from being the most watched and pursued contact sport in the world, football is also a very rewarding and family-oriented sport.
To start with, football is basically a round ball made of polymeric material that is usually filled with air or water and then covered with rubber. It is kicked off between two players using both feet and using a paddle called a foot. Kickoff is done by using a spiked object on either side or front. The object is used to make the ball roll and this process is repeated until the ball has traveled a certain distance in the given direction. The object is also used to spike the ball, thus giving it the name of kicking the football. This is one way of playing the game and the rules of association football allow for a maximum of two kicks made in a game.
This game gained its momentum in the late 19th century and has gone on to become the most attended contact sport in the world. There are various international tournaments held annually with the matches ranging from low level teams to powerhouse teams that challenge the well-known football powers. Football is also closely linked to the Olympics, which means that many athletes wear soccer uniforms to compete in the games. Some of these athletes are football legends such as Pele and Maradona. As football continues to gain in popularity, the sport has made its way into other countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States.
A football match is divided into two different phases: normal play and stoppage time. Every phase of a football match has a number of rules that are designed to maintain the integrity of the game. In order to control the actions of both teams during the normal phase of play, a referee usually sits in the center of the field and reports the events of the game through a radio or television monitor. Referees have the power to dismiss a match if they deem that there is obvious misconduct by either team, but they must wait until the ball has gone past the goal-line before restarting the match.
The referee will then bring the ball near the center circle and mark off the line where it touches the ground before initiating play. When a player goes beyond the line of marking, a foul against that player is automatically initiated by the referee. Fines are paid by the referee, but players are allowed to appeal the referee’s decision using either a yellow or red card. Players may also take a penalty kick when a penalty is imposed on them by the referee and they are then forced to leave their goal-yard.
If a player receives a red card but is still within the box, they may use either an offensive or defensive move in order to nullify the opposing players’ plans. For example, a defender may use a sliding tackle in order to clear a ball from the goal-line, which would then allow a teammate to tap in the rebound. Likewise, a striker may use a header in order to send the ball into the goal-post or vice versa. The only rule that a player must observe during stoppages in play is to stay within the area of the goal-line.
