Football Rules & Regulations : How To Play Football

football rules

Football Rules: Football or commonly known as Soccer is considered one of the oldest and the most recognized sports in the world. The pinnacle of this well-known international game comes in the form the World Cup held every four years.

football rules

There are tournaments like the Euro Championships, the African Cup of Nations and Copa America. The strongest leagues in the domestic domain come from England namely, the English Premier League), Spain (La Liga), Italy (Serie A) and Germany (Bundesliga).

Purpose of Football

Purpose of Football

Football Rules: The main objective of football is to score goals. There are two teams who play against each other to score more goals than their opponent in a ninety minutes time frame. A football match is split up into two halves of forty-five minutes each. At the end of the first forty-five minutes, the players will take a fifteen-minute break called the halftime. Then the second half of the game is resumed. If the referee wants he can add extra time according to the need of the game.

Players

football Players

Football Rules: Each football team consists of eleven players, one goalkeeper guarding the goalpost and ten outfield players. The dimensions of the pitch may vary from each ground, roughly  120 yards long and 75 yards wide. On both the pitches,  you will have six-yard boxes near the goalmouths, eighteen-yard boxes surrounding the six-yard boxes and a  circle at the center.

The essential equipment that is needed for a soccer match is a pitch and a football. Along with that, the players are seen wearing studded and spiked football boots, shin pads, and matching strips. The goalkeepers wear padded gloves as they are the only ones allowed to touch the ball with their hands. Each team has a designated captain.

Scoring

football Scoring

Football Rules: In order to score a goal, the ball must go into the opponent’s goal. The ball needs to be over the line for it to be considered as a legitimate goal. It can be scored with any part of the body apart from hands or shoulders. The goalpost consists of a frame that is  8 feet high and 8 yards wide.

Winning the Game

epl winners

Football Rules: To win a football match, one team has to score more goals than that of the other. If the scores tie after 90 minutes then the game ends as a draw. In case of a World Cup game, if the scores are of the same level the game can go to the extra time allotted by the referee. If that also fails to decide the fate of the match a penalty shootout helps to decide the winner.

Football Rules

Football shots

Some football rules are mentioned below :

  • A football match has two 45 minutes halves with a 15 minute rest period in between.
  • Each team can have 11 players with one
  • The football field must be made of either natural or artificial grass. The exact size of pitches may vary but it must be within 100-130 yards in length and 50-100 yards in width. The pitch must be marked with a rectangular shape in which two six-yard boxes, two eighteen yard boxes and a circle at the center is The spot for a penalty should be placed at twelve yards from both the goals.
  • The circumference of the football must be around 58-61cm and be of a circular shape.
  • Both the teams are permitted to name up to 7 substitute players. The substitutions of players can be made at any time of the game. Each team is allowed to make a maximum of three substitutions per side. In any case, if all the three substitutes have been made and a player has to leave the field due to some injury, then the team will be forced to play without a replacement of that player.
  • A football game includes one referee and two assistant referees also called the linesmen. It is the job of the referee to keep a proper track of the time and make important decisions which are needed to be made such as fouls, throw-ins, free kicks, penalties and added on time at the end of each half of The referee may feel the need to consult the assistant referees at any point of time during the match regarding a decision. It is the assistant referee’s duty to spot the offsides in the match, throw-ins for each of the team and also assist the referee in all the decision making processes whenever appropriate.
  • If the game somehow heads to the extra time as a result of both teams being in a tie in a match then 30 minutes is to be added after the allotted 90 minutes in the form of two 15 minute halves.
  • Even if the teams are level after the extra time then a penalty shootout should take place.
  • The ball must cross the goal line for it to be considered as a legitimate goal.
  • If a foul is committed a player may receive either a yellow or a red card depending on the severity of the foul. The yellow card symbolizes a warning and the red card symbolizes a dismissal of that particular player. Two consecutive yellow cards are equal to one red. Once that player is sent off the ground, then he cannot be replaced.
  • If the football goes out of either of the sidelines while playing an opponent, then it is given as a throw-in. Similarly, if it goes out of the baseline while playing an attacking player then it is given as a goal kick. And if the ball comes off a defending player it is given as a corner kick.

Offside Rule in Football

Offside Rule in Football

Football Rules: When the attacking player is in front of the last defender as the ball is played through them is called an offside. This offside area is specifically designed to discourage all the players from hanging near the opponent’s goal, waiting for a pass. To be considered as onside,  the players must be placed behind the last defender when the ball is passed to them. In case the player is in front of the last defender then he is deemed to be on the offside and a  free kick is awarded to the defending team.

VAR

What is VAR – and what does it stand for?

The Video Assistant referee system known as VAR is football’s first use of technology to reach more correct decisions. The system was trialled in the FA and Carabao Cups in each of the last two seasons and has already been employed in Italian and German league football as well as the 2018 World Cup. 

What are the rules of VAR being used?

VAR only intervenes in the course of a match when the officials have made a ‘clear and obvious error’ in one of four key areas.

Goals

A close offside decision is the most common reason for VAR being consulted after a goal has been scored, but shirt-pulling and other infringements can cause goals to be chalked off. 

NB. The concept of ‘clear and obvious’ errors does not apply to offsides. A player is either onside or offside – you cannot be a little bit pregnant. So even if a player is offside by a matter of inches, the goal will be ruled out, which is exactly what happened with Manchester City’s third-goal-that-never-was at West Ham. 

Penalties

The most subjective and potentially problematic area. Penalties can be awarded or rescinded using VAR if there has been a ‘clear and obvious error’ in the original decision. 

Straight red cards

Violent conduct and dangerous tackles can be penalised using VAR. Second-yellow cards cannot.  

Mistaken identity 

If the referee sends off the wrong player, such as the famous incident with Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in Arsenal’s 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea in 2014, that injustice can be repaired. 

The system is restricted to these four areas in order to minimise disruption to the flow of the game. 

Also Check

Leave a Reply