June 2006
Fair Play
Wise up on some football rules
For those of you who aren’t so football savvy, we’ve unwound a few soccer rules to help you out during the World Cup. These have been selected from more than 100 pages of the official FIFA rule book, so apologies for only having chosen the basics. Thirty two teams, each with ten players and one goalie will have to be aware of the following:
OFFSIDES - Abseits
1. If, at the time the ball is PASSED forward, a player is both past mid-field and there’s only one opponent between him and the goal, then he’s offsides.
2. He must be moving forward in an attempt to play the pass & he must gain an advantage (pose a threat) by being offsides before drawing a whistle.
3. No offsides on a corner kick or a throw-in.
4. Offsides results in an indirect free kick for the offended team.
GOALIE - Torwart
Goalies may touch the ball with their hands only inside the penalty area. Outside this area it’s a handball resulting in a direct free kick.
OUT OF BOUNDS - Ball im Aus
1. To be out of bounds the ball must completely cross the plane of the sideline, irregardless of where the players who touch the ball are located.
2. For OOB along sidelines teams are awarded throw-ins (both feet on the ground outside line, no spin on ball).
3. On end-lines the offensive team is awarded a corner kick (direct) and the defensive team a goal kick (from within goal box, must leave penalty area).
4. To be a goal the ball must completely cross the plane of the end-line within the goal-posts.
INDIRECT FREE KICKS - indirekter Frei-stoss (whistle & signal with arm raised)
1. An indirect kick is awarded for offsides, goalie steps, charging goali, obstruction, high kick, and playing the ball while on the ground.
2. The defense must stand 10 m away from the spot of the kick. The referee must enforce this distance upon the request of the kicking team.
3. The ball must be touched twice before it can count as a goal. The first touch must cause the ball to roll one complete revolution.
DIRECT FREE KICKS - direkter Freistoss (whistle & signal with arm extended)
1. A direct free kick is awarded for kicking, tripping, jumping at/on, charging at, striking, holding, pushing, or doing anything else malicious to an opponent. Handballs (ball touching an extended arm from the shoulder downward) is also direct.
2. The defense must stand 9,15 m away from the spot of the kick. The referee must enforce this distance upon the request of the kicking team.
3. Direct kicks can score without touching another player first.
4. Direct kick infractions committed inside the penalty area result in penalty kicks.
PENALTY KICKS - Strafstoss
1. The ball is placed at the 11 meter spot and all players except the goalie and the kicker must clear the penalty area until the ball is kicked.
2. The goalie must stand still with both feet on the goal line until the ball is kicked. The kicker must wait for the referees whistle that goalie is set.
3. Kicks that ricochet back into the field of play are live balls, except during tie-breaker format.
YELLOW CARDS - gelbe Karte (Caution or Warning Preceeding Ejection):
1. Automatically given for single acts of violent play, expecially if it might lead to retaliation or escalation of violent play.
2. Yellow cards can be given for a single flagraant rule violation (e.g. flagrant handball).
3. They can also be given for excessive taunting or bating of an opponent.
4. Repeated failure to comply with an official’s instructions will draw a yellow card.
RED CARDS - rote Karte (Ejection without replacement):
1. Two yellow card offenses automatically result in a red card ejecton.
2. A player can be given a red card immediately for fighting, excessive violence, or abusive language towards an opponent or official.
3. Red cards are used to send hot-headed players home who came with the intention of venting their frustrations on the IM fields in the form of violence.
4. A red card is automatically given to a non-goalie who blocks a shot on goal with his hand(s).
The tournament will start with 32 teams, playing in eight groups, with four teams in each. The top two of each group go on to the next round. They then play in a knockout system. If a game is tied, there will be two sessions of extra time, each lasting 15 minutes. If the score is still equal, the winner be determined via penalty kicks. May the best teams win! <<<
