Basic soccer rules are pretty simple to follow, the team that scores the most goals wins! Each team will consist of 11 starting players of which there is one goalkeeper and 10 outfield players. The game will be played on a soccer pitch and the field dimension will normally be just over 100 yards long although it could be shorter if it is a youth soccer game. Soccer teams are normally split into formations consisting of defence, goalkeeper and forwards. Each team will also nominate a captain although this role is not as significant as other sports such as cricket and rugby. The captain will start the game by tossing a coin with the referee and the winning captain has the option of selecting which way their team will shoot. This can be an advantage if there is a strong wind which could change direction by the time the teams reach the second half. Soccer games consist of two halves lasting 45 minutes each although injury time is often added by the referee to cover any stoppages. If the game is a cup tie, a world cup final for example then extra time will be played consisting of an extra two 15 minute periods. If the teams are still level at this stage the game will develop into a penalty shoot with each team nominating 5 penalty kick takers who will try and beat the goalkeeper from the penalty spot (12 yards) until one team wins. During the game the referee has the power to caution players and issue yellow and red cards. Yellow cards are issued for minor or a serious of fouls by the same player which results in a booking, however if two yellow cards are issued then this equals a red card and the offending player is sent off the field. A straight red card can be also be issued for serious foul play or denying an opponent a goalscoring opportunity. Each team has to have a minimum of 7 players on the field so if one team have more than 5 players sent off then the game would be abandoned, this is very rare but has happened a few times in violent games! One of the most important basic rules of soccer is the offside rule which basically prevents attacking players from gaining an unfair advantage as when a pass is made there has to be 2 opposition players closer to the goal than the attacking player. If the attacking player is level with a defender then he is still onside so play continues. The referee has two assistants (previously known as linesman) on either side of the field to help judge the offside rule. |
