The game of football is contested by 2 teams of 11 players.
The duration of a game is split into 2 halves of 45 minutes.
A referee exercises authority over all matters on the pitch, aided by 2 assistants (or "linesmen").
A reserve official is on standby and takes over if one of the active officials has to retire from the game through injury.
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ANATOMY OF A FOOTBALL PITCH
Notes
1.The penalty area is commonly known as the penalty "box".
2.An arc, having a radius of 10 yards from the penalty spot, forms a 'D' shape around the penalty area.
3.The goal posts (or "uprights") support the crossbar which is 8 feet above the ground.
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PLAYER ROLES
GOALKEEPER
Assigned to the goal, with responsibility for preventing the opposing team from scoring.
Is the only player in the team who can handle the ball inside the penalty area.
OUTFIELD PLAYERS
The other 10 players in a football team.
CAPTAIN
The member of the team to whom responsibility for leadership on the field is delegated.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Any player in the team can be selected to take a penalty, including the goalkeeper.
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SET PIECES
THROW-IN
A throw-in is given when the whole of the ball passes over the touch-line, either on the ground or in the air.
Figure 1 illustrates a correctly executed throw-in, because the player:
...is facing the field of play
...has both his feet either on the touch-line or outside the touch-line
...is using both hands
...is delivering the ball from behind and over his head
CORNER KICK
A corner-kick is given when the whole of the ball passes over the goal-line, either in the air or on the ground, having last been played by one of the defending team.
This is true of figure 2, as the goalkeeper - a member of the defending team - has punched the ball out of play.
KICK-OFF
A kick-off occurs:
1.At the beginning of the game
2.After a goal has been scored
3.After half-time
Before the ball is kicked-off, every player must be in his own half of the field.
In addition, every player of the opposing team must stand at least 10 yards away from the ball; in figure 3 this law is not being correctly obsevred because there is a player standing inside the centre circle (which has a radius of 10 yards).
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FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
PENALTY
A direct free-kick at goal from the penalty spot, which is awarded after some playing offence is committed by the defending side in the penalty area.
RED CARD
Shown to signal a bookable offence resulting in a player sending-off.
PROFESSIONAL FOUL
A deliberate playing offence that is committed for tactical purposes, such as preventing the opposing team from pressing home a strong attack.
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EXTRA TIME
Awarded, usually in knock-out competitions, when a match ends in a draw after 90 minutes.
Each period of extra time lasts for 15 minutes.
If, at the end of extra time, the game is still drawn then a penalty shoot-out is used to decide the result.
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PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS
Used as a last-ditch attempt to produce a conclusive result in a football match, a shoot-out comprises 2 phases:
1.5-A-SIDE
Each side has five alternate shots at goal, taken by nominated players.
2.SUDDEN DEATH (if phase 1 is drawn)
Alternate shots at goal are taken until a team gains an unsurmountable advantage.
EXAMPLE
Phase 1:
A score (1-0); B miss (1-0); A score (2-0); B score (2-1); A score (3-1)
B miss (3-1); A miss (3-1); B score (3-2); A miss (3-3); B score (3-3)
Phase 2:
A miss (3-3); B score (3-4); A miss (3-4)
Team B win the game - even if they were to miss their next penalty they would still be in the lead.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
The sudden-death phase may be played-out indefinitely until a winner is found, resulting in players taking more than one kick each.
However, the competition administrators may also have contingency arrangements (e.g.deciding the result on the toss of a coin).
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SUBSTITUTIONS
A substitute is a player who is allowed on to the pitch in replacement for a team mate who has had to leave the field of play either through injury or at the manager's discretion.
In English league games a maxmimum of 3 substitutes can be used.
A substitute can only enter the field during a stoppage, and at the halfway-line.
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FREE-KICKS
A free-kick is a set-piece awarded to a team after their opponents have transgressed the rules of the game.
A free-kick is taken from where the offence took place and, according to the nature of the infringement, may be either direct (in which a shot at goal is allowed) or indirect.
Members of the penalised team must always stand at least 10 yards away from the player taking the kick.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
If, when a free-kick is being taken, any of the players dance about or gesticulate in a way calculated to distract their opponenents, it is deemed ungentlemanly conduct for which the offender(s) are cautioned.
If a player kicks the ball into his opponents' goal from an indirect free-kick then a goal-kick is awarded to the opponents.
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THE OFF-SIDE RULE
1.A player is in an off-side position if he is nearer to his opponents' goal-line than the ball, unless:
a) he is in his own half of the field of play, or
b) he is not nearer to his oppoenents' goal-line than at least two of his opponents.
2.A player is penalised for being in an off-side position only if he is involved in ACITVE PLAY by:
a) interfering with play, or
b) interfering with an opponent, or
c) gaining an advantage by being in that position.
3.A player is not declared off-side
a) merely because of his being in an off-side position
b) if he receives the ball, direct from a goal-kick, corner-kick, or a throw in.
In figure 1, player A shoots for goal and the ball rebounds from the post to player B who kicks the ball into goal.
The goal would be disallowed since B, who was in an off-side position when the ball was last played by A, was in active play and gained an advantage by being in that position.
In figure 2, player A shoots for goal and scores.
The goal would be allowed since, although B is in an off-side position, he is lying injured and is not involved in active play.
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PLAYER/STAFF NICKNAMES AND TERMS
Goalkeeper: "Goalie"
Referee: "Ref"
Substitute: "Sub"
Physiotherapist: "Physio"
Captain: "Skipper"
"Winger": A player who runs up and down the flanks, usually to supply crosses.
"Caretaker" Manager: Performs temporary managerial duties until a replacement manager is installed.
"Assimilated" Player: A foreign-born player who has lived in the country of their club for a set period of time, and is therefore exempt from classification as a "foreigner".
"Super-sub": A substitute whose appearance turns the game.
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PLAYER/STAFF NICKNAMES AND TERMS
Goalkeeper: "Goalie"
Referee: "Ref"
Substitute: "Sub"
Physiotherapist: "Physio"
Captain: "Skipper"
"Winger": A player who runs up and down the flanks, usually to supply crosses.
"Caretaker" Manager: Performs temporary managerial duties until a replacement manager is installed.
"Assimilated" Player: A foreign-born player who has lived in the country of their club for a set period of time, and is therefore exempt from classification as a "foreigner".
"Super-sub": A substitute whose appearance turns the game.
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ANATOMY OF A FOOTBALL PITCH
Notes
1.The penalty area is commonly known as the penalty "box".
2.An arc, having a radius of 10 yards from the penalty spot, forms a 'D' shape around the penalty area.
3.The goal posts (or "uprights") support the crossbar which is 8 feet above the ground.
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MATCH TERMS
POSTPONEMENT
The delaying of a fixture because of adverse weather conditions or other unavoidable factors making play impossible on the intended day.
KICK-OFF
The initial kick, from the centre-spot, with which the game starts or is restarted after a goal has been scored.
POOLS
The British system of gambling on the results of football matches.
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TYPES OF FOOTBALL KICKS
CHIP
A short stabbing kick in which the ball is kicked from beneath and usually
