SOCCER RULES: PLAYERS, EQUIPMENT, REFEREES, BALL, DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME - ARTE - 2024

The rules of football are the set of rules used to regulate the practice of this sport, to make the game fair for both teams and also for the viewer to better understand the development of the game, so you can get more involved in it.

Soccer is a sport with very ancient origins. In the 3rd century BC there are already evidences of civilizations that played with leather balls in order to introduce them into small spaces. The oldest written evidence of the existence of soccer was found in Han Dynasty China.

Soccer is one of the most popular sports today. Source: pixabay.com

The origin of football as it is known today dates back to English schools. A group of these schools met to establish rules of the game. From then on, two groups emerged: those who wanted more physical contact and to allow themselves to grasp the ball with their hand (today rugby), and those who only wanted to use their feet (football).

In 1863 the Football Association (FA) was created, in which 11 English clubs ratified 13 rules of the game. These rules were later modified in 1886 and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) was created, a body that until now is in charge of modifying the rules of the game. In 1937 the rules went from 13 to 17.

After holding several matches and championships, FIFA was created in Paris in 1904, a governmental body that to this day governs the international football federations. FIFA is headquartered in Zurich and brings together 211 associations.

Today soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It is played by more than 240 million people and is played in more than 200 countries. The soccer world championship is the most watched sporting event in the world.

Main rules of soccer

-Players

Each team can have a maximum of 11 players, one of them being the goalkeeper or goalkeeper. The teams have 3 changes each during the match (for official competitions) and an additional change if it goes to overtime. The substitute players are designated before the start of the match, being able to designate 0 to 7 of them.

In order to make a switch between a starting player (player who is in the starting lineup of the match) and a substitute, the game must be stopped and the switch made on the touchline.

The substitute player may not enter the field until the starter has completely left the field of play, and the player who has been replaced may not re-enter.

If the number of allowed substitutions has been made and the goalkeeper needs to be changed, this can be changed by one of the players on the field, after notifying the referee.

If a player is sent off before kick-off, he can only be replaced by one of the previously designated substitute players. If one of the substitutes is sent off before or after the kick-off, he will not be able to enter as a substitute player.

Exceptions

For other types of competitions (grassroots football or amateur championships) the number of players and the number of changes may vary, but always with prior agreement between the teams and prior notification to the referee before the start of the match.

-Positions

Within the development of the game, each player has a role within it. Each team freely chooses which lineup they want to have in the game depending on the type of game they want to develop (more offensive or defensive), always respecting the number of players allowed.

Goalkeeper

Your main function in the game is to prevent the ball from entering your goal. They are generally tall players, with good reflexes and great agility. Each team usually has a starting goalkeeper and two substitutes.

Defending

Its main function is to be a wall before the ball reaches the goal. They must avoid at all costs that the opposing team has scoring opportunities and they are also the ones who start the offense of their team. They are usually tall and powerful players.

Media or center campers

They are the players who position themselves in the center of the field, they are the link between the defense and the forwards and generally they are the ones who generate the scoring opportunities. A midfielder has to be a very fast player and a good strategist.

Forward

He is the player in charge of scoring goals. He is responsible for converting scoring chances into effective scores.

They are fast and agile players, with a lot of power. They must have the ability to score goals with the fewest possible passes.

-Equipment

The basic football equipment for players is a shirt, shorts, long socks, shin guards or shin guards, and sneakers.

Players may not wear any type of clothing that may cause danger to themselves or to other players.

T-shirt

T-shirts are usually made of synthetic materials that insulate sweat and heat; In this sense, there are no special specifications about the type of material from which they must be made.

The goalkeeper wears a different colored shirt from the rest of the team; they usually wear long-sleeved shirts. On the other hand, the captain has to identify himself from the rest of the players using an arm band.

The jerseys often feature images of the team's sponsoring brands; Each league or competition defines the maximum size that the logos can have. In competitions such as the Spanish league, it is mandatory to wear the league's shield.

T-shirts are prohibited from containing religious, political or personal messages, slogans or images. In the event that a player wears a jersey with any of the aforementioned characteristics, he may be expelled from the game.

Pants

Pants must be short and the type of material from which they are to be made is not specified. Goalkeepers can wear longer pants with special padding.

In some women's leagues involving Islamic teams, players are allowed to wear long pants.

Stockings and shin guards

The use of shin guards on both legs is mandatory. These must be made of rubber or other similar material and must protect, in addition to the shin, the ankle. Stockings must completely cover the shin guards.

Sneakers

They are mandatory use, are made of synthetic materials and currently have modern systems to better protect the foot and ventilate it.

Soccer shoes have studs on the sole. The size and number of studs may vary depending on the type of field where it is played.

Other type of equipment

In addition to the mandatory equipment mentioned above, players may wear gloves and knee pads (in the case of goalkeepers), sweat pads or underwear provided they are the same color as the main clothing.

Head, nose and eye protectors are allowed as long as they have been previously approved by the referees.

-Umpires

During the development of the game four referees intervene: one main, two assistant referees and the so-called fourth official.

The role of the referees is to enforce the rules that allow the game to run smoothly. The referees must wear jerseys of different colors from those of the teams; they usually wear black t-shirts.

Main referee

The main referee is the highest authority during the match. She carries out her activity on the field and has the power to admonish players, stop the game and enforce the regulations even before the start of the game. At the end of the match, it will issue a detailed report of everything that happened during it.

Assistant referees

The assistant referees stand one on each side of the pitch, each one in one half of the pitch.

Their function is to assist the main referee, indicate when there has been an offside or which team should take the corner or goal kick and, in general, help the main referee in decisions related to situations that are in his field of vision.

Fourth official

The fourth official is in charge of monitoring off-field activities. Usually it is the one that indicates player substitutions and added time.

In some cases the head referee may rely on the fourth official in case of doubt, but it is the head referee who makes the final decision.

-Ball

The soccer ball must meet certain characteristics for its validity. It has to be spherical, made of leather or another material appropriate for the game.

In addition, it must measure between 68 and 70 cm in diameter, must weigh between 410 and 450 grams, its pressure must be between 0.6 and 1.1 atmospheres at sea level, and it must be verified before the game by the referees..

Balls for official competitions must have one of these three marks as a sign of approval:

-FIFA Quality PRO.

-FIFA Quality.

-IMS - International Matchball Standard.

If the ball explodes or is punctured during the course of the game, the game is stopped until a new one that meets the aforementioned specifications enters the field.

It is forbidden for the balls to contain commercial advertising other than the FIFA logo or the logo of the competition being played.

-Party development

The match begins with all 22 players on the field after the head referee's opening whistle. The game is divided into 2 periods of 45 minutes each; After finishing the first 45-minute period, there is a 15-minute break in which the players leave the field.

At the end of each 45-minute period, the referee can add additional minutes in compensation for time lost due to substitutions, injuries to players on the field, transporting injured players off the field or any other circumstance that has delayed the game.

In the event that at the end of the match the teams have been tied, and in that particular match it is not allowed to end the game with a tie, two more periods of 15 minutes each are added.

If at the end of these additional 15-minute periods the score remains tied, penalties are taken. Penalties consist of 5 scoring opportunities for each team, in which only the player who is going to shoot in front of the goalkeeper is found, 11 meters from the goal.

Goal

Scoring a goal is the goal of the match. It consists of introducing the ball into the goal area without any infraction having been committed in the process.

A goal can be scored during the normal course of play by plays or by penalties. An own goal occurs when a player accidentally scores a goal inside his own team's goal.

Fouls, infractions and penalties during the game

The referees are in charge of detecting infractions during the match, as well as taking the necessary measures to sanction them.

Depending on the type of foul committed by the player, the sanction will be more or less severe. Members of the technical team can also be cautioned and even expelled from the teams.

Yellow card

Only the main referee can yellow card a player, both main and substitute; This card represents a warning and the sum of 2 yellow cards during the same game causes the player to be sent off.

The yellow card is used to indicate that one of the following fouls has been committed:

- Unsportsmanlike conduct.

- Repeatedly breaking the rules of the game.

- Disapprove with words or actions.

- Deliberately delaying the game.

- Not respecting the regulatory distances for certain actions in the game.

- Entering and leaving the field without the approval of the referee.

- Leaving the field without the referee's approval.

Red card

It is the maximum penalty during a soccer game. Like the yellow one, it can only be taken by the main referee and implies the expulsion of the player. The red card can only be taken in the following cases:

- Being guilty of rough, serious or violent gambling.

- Spitting at anyone on the field of play.

- Deliberately preventing a goal or scoring opportunity with the hand, with the exception of the goalkeeper in his area.

- Use offensive or obscene language and / or gestures of the same nature.

A red card can also be given as a result of the sum of two yellow cards.

References

1. “Rules of the game” (2015-2016), Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved on April 27, 2019 at: fifa.com
2. "History of Football - The Origins". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved on April 27, 2019 at: fifa.com
3. Jasmine, Heaven. "Evolution of sportswear in football" (2010). In Higher Institute of Sports. Retrieved on April 27, 2019 from: isde.com.ar
4. Ochoa Villaseñor, Alejandro. "Soccer, everyone's game" (2008). Retrieved on April 27, 2019 from: conade.gob.mx
5. "Regulations of the UEFA Champions League 2018-21 Cycle". Retrieved on April 27, 2019 from: uefa.com
6. "Rules of the game 2018-2019" (2018). On The international football association board. Retrieved on April 27, 2019 from: rfef-cta.com