FJ The Sport of

Soccer
Wi t hout quest i on, soccer i s t he most popul ar
t eam game i n t he worl d, pl ayed and wat ched by
mi l l i ons of peopl e each year. I n a gl obal soci et y
di vi ded by physi cal and i deol ogi cal barri ers,
soccer' s popul ari t y i s not l i mi t ed by age or sex or
by pol i t i cal , rel i gi ous, cul t ural , or et hni c boundar-
i es. Known i nt ernat i onal l y as f oot bal l , soccer i s
t he maj or sport of nearl y every count ry i n Asi a,
Af r i ca Fr r r one and Sout h Amer i Ca. The oame
provi des a common l anguage among peopl e oi
di verse backgrounds and heri t ages.
Soccer i s popul ar f or many reasons. Fi rst and
foremost i s the i act that soccer pl ayers come i n
al l shapes and si zes, so vi rt ual l y everyone i s a
pot ent i al pl ayer. Pel e, consi dered by most t o be
the greatest soccer pl ayer ever, i s onl y average
i n hei ght and wei ght . Whi l e physi cal at t ri but es
such as speed, st r engt h, and st ami na ar e
essenti al for hi gh-l evel perFormance, so too are
a pl ayer' s techni cal abi l i ty, tacti cal knowl edge,
ant i ci pat i on, savvy, and overal l game sense.
And whi l e t eam success ul t i mat el y depends
on t he coordi nat ed ef f ort s ol t eammat es, each
pl ayer i s ai forded the opportuni ty to express hi s
or her i ndi vi dual i t y wi t hi n [ he t eam st ruct ure.
Soccer offers somethi ng for everyone. The fact
t hat soccer i s consi dered a pl ayer' s game as
opposed t o a game domi nat ed by coaches i s
probabl y t he overri di ng reason f or t he sport ' s
r r ni r r er qr l : nne: l
The Federat i on I nt ernat i onal e de Foot bal l
Associ at i on ( FI FA) i s t he gover ni ng body of
worl d soccer. Founded i n 1904, FI FA i s argu-
abl y t he most prest i gi ous sport organi zat i on i n
t he worl d wi t h more t han 200 member nat i ons.
I n I 913 t he Uni t ed St at es Soccer Foot bal l Asso-
ci ati on (USSFA) was founded and approved as a
member of FI FA. The name was l at er changed
t o t he Uni t ed St at es Soccer Federat i on (USSF).
The vari ous prof essi onal and amat eur associ a-
t i ons i n t he Uni t ed St at es are organi zed under
t he auspi ces of t he USSF. I n 1974 Lhe Uni t ed
States Youth Soccer Associ ati on (USYSA) was
est abl i shed as an af f i l i at e of t he USSF t o admi n-
i ster and promote the sport i or pl ayers under I 9
years of age.
A soccer oame oeneral l v reFerred ro as t he
b- "' "'
mat ch, i s pl ayed bet ween t wo t eams of 11
pl ayers each; one of the pl ayers on each team
i s desi gnat ed as t he goal keeper . Each t eam
dei ends a goal and can score by ki cki ng or
headi ng t he bal l t hrough t he opponent ' s goal .
The goal keeper' s pri mary j ob i s t o prot ect t he
team' s goal , al though he or she al so pl ays an
tx
i mpor t ant r ol e i n i ni t i at i ng t eam at t ack. The
goal keeper i s t he onl y pl ayer al l owed t o conrol
t he bal l wi t h t he hands and can do so onl y wi t hi n
t he penal t y area, whi ch i s 44 yards wi de and 1 8
yards out f rom t he end l i ne of t he f i el d. Fi el d
( "ol l f ")
nl aver s ma\ / not use t hei r hands or ar ms
t o cont rol t he bal l . l nst ead t hey must use t hei r
i eet . l egs. bodi es. or heads. Each goal count s as
one poi nt , and t he t eam t hat scores t he most
goal s wi ns t he mat ch.
Soccer i s pl ayed on a f i el d area, commonl y
cal l ed a pi t ch. t hat i s bot h l onger and wi der
t han an Ameri can f oot bal l f i el d. A regul at i on
game consi st s oI t wo 45' mi nut e per i ods wi t h
a l 5- mi nut e hal i t i me i nt er mi ssi on. A coi n t oss
gener al l y det er mi nes whi ch t eam ki cks of i t o
st art t he game. Once pl ay begi ns, t he act i on i s
vi r t ual l y cont i nuous. The cl ock st ops onl y af t er
a goal i s scor ed, on a penal r y ki ck, or at t he
di scret i on oi t he ref eree. There are no of hci al
t i me- out s, and subst i t ut i ons ar e l i mi t ed. Fi el d
pl ayers of t en cover more t han f i ve mi l es duri ng
a r egul at i on mat ch, much of t hat di st ance at
spr i nt i ng pace. I t i s not sur pr i si ng t hat soccer
pl ayers are among t he most hi ghl y condi t i oned
of al l at hl et es.
TL^
^- *^^: - ^, : ^^ nf r hc l O f l el r l nl : ,
I ne or ganr zai l on
- .
. . - . -
r . *y' er s
r s
general l y referred to as a system of pl ay, or for-
mat i on. Format i ons can vary f rom one t eam t o
anot her and even f rom one game t o t he next ,
The Soort of Soccer
THE SOCCER FI ELD
dependi ng on t he st rengt hs and weaknesses of
t he i ndi vi dual pl ayers, t he rol es and responsi bi l i -
t i es assi gned t o each pl ayer. and t he personal
phi l osophy of t he coach. Most syst ems depl oy
three or four defenders, l our or fi ve mi dfi el ders,
and t wo or t hree f orwards. Fi el d pl ayers are not
rest ri ct ed i n t hei r movement , al t hough each has
speci f i c responsi bi l i t i es wi t hi n t he syst em of pl ay
empl oyed by t he t eam.
( See
st ep 12, page 187,
f or more i nf ormat i on on t eam organi zat i on. )
The st raregi es of t eam pl ay have undergone
modi f i cat i ons duri ng t he evol ut i on of t he sport .
The goal keeper i s consi dered t he one t rue spe-
ci al i st on t he soccer t eam, t he f i nal bar r i er
bet ween t he t eam' s goal and an opponent ' s
score. The keeper i s t he onl y pl ayer al l owed t o
use t he hands t o cont r ol t he bal l . I n t he not -
so-di st ant past t he hel d pl ayers f ul f i l l ed more
speci al i zed rol es t han t hey do t oday. Forwards
were expect ed t o st ay up f ront and score goal s.
Del ender s \ / er e eynecr ed r o
"st av
home" and
do what ever was necessary t o keep t he bal l out
of t hei r goal . They rarel y vent ured f orward i nt o
t he at t ack. But over t he past coupl e of decades
al l t hat has changed, i or t he bet t et I mi ght add.
The moder n game pl aces gr eat er emphasi s on
t he compl et e soccer pl ayer , t he i ndi vi dual who
can def end as wel l as at t ack. Wi t h t he excep-
t i on oi t he goal keeper, t he days of t he soccer
soeci al i st ar e hi st or v
The of f i ci al f i el d of pl ay must be 100 t o 130
yards l ong and 50 t o 100 yards wi de. The l engt h
must al ways exceed t he wi dt h. For i nt ernat i onal
mat ches, t he l engt h must be l l 0 t o l 20 yar ds
and t he wi dt h 70 t o B0 yards. Di st i nct i ve l i nes
no more t han 5 i nches wi de mark t hef el d area.
As shown i n f i gur e 1, t he end boundar i es of
the fi el d are cal l ed the goal l i nes and the si de
boundari es are cal l ed the touchl i nes. The hal f-
way l i ne di vi des t he pl ayi ng area i nt o t wo equal
hal ves, and t he cent er spor marks t he cent er of
the fi el d. A center ci rcl e wi th a radi us of 10 yards
surrounds t he cent er spo[ .
A goal i s posi t i oned at each end of t he f i el d
on t he cent er of t he goal l i ne. The di mensi ons
of each goal are B feet hi gh and 24 feet- wi de.
The goal area i s a rectangul ar box drawn al ong
each goal I i ne. The goal area i s f ormed by t wo
l i nes dr awn at r i ght angl es t o t he goal l i ne, 6
yards f rom each goal post . These l i nes ext end 6
yards ont o t he f i el d oi pl ay and are j oi ned by a
l i ne drawn paral l el t o t he goal l i ne.
The penal ty area i s a rectangul ar box drawn
al ong each goal l i ne f ormed by t wo l i nes drawn
at ri ght angl es to the goal l i ne 1B yards from each
goal post . The l i nes ext end 1B yards ont o t he nel d
of pl ay and are j oi ned by a l i ne drawn paral l el
wi r h r he doal l i ne The
poal
ar ea i s encl osed
wi t hi n t he penal t y ar ea. Locat ed wi t hi n t he
penal t y area i s rhe penal t y spof . The penal t y
snof i s mar ked |
) "^- A-
F- ^- r
- ^r - ^f t ef O[ JVVr r J | | r Ur r \ uu I L yal uJ I I ul l L dl l u \ . ul
t he mi dpoi nt of t he goal l i ne. Penal t y ki cks are
The Soort of Soccer
100 to 130 yards
1-yard radi us
T
9)_

-zTouchl i ne
(si del i ne)
---
12 yar ds
-
10
o"n "lt
qo"
o
9)
o
o
rO
i
p
Figure I The soccer field.
taken from the penal ty spot. The penal ty arc,
wi t h a radi us of l 0 yards f rom t he penal t y spot ,
i s drawn out si de t he
penal t v
area.
A corner area. wi th a radi us of 1 yard, i s
marked at each corner of t he f i el d. Corner ki cks
are t aken f rom wi t hi n t he corner area.
ECI UI PMENT
The soccer bal l i s spheri cal and made of l eat her
or ot her approved mat eri al s. The regul at i on-si ze
adul t soccer bal l i s desi gnat ed i nt ernat i onal l y as
the si ze #5 bal l . The oi fi ci al FIFA #5 bal l i s 27 to
28 i nches i n ci rcuml erence and wei ghs bet ween
| 4 and 1 6 ounce s. Smal l er bal l s (si ze
#4 and si ze
#3) are somet i mes used f or yout h games.
The requi red uni f orm f or f i el d pl ayers con-
si st s of a j ersey or shi rt , short s, and socks t hat
mat ch t hose of t hei r t eammat es and cont rast
wi t h t hose of t hei r opponent s. Shi n guards are
wor n under neat h r he socks. The goal keeper
of t en wear s a l ong- sl eeve j er sey and shor t s
wi t h paddi ng at t he el bows and hi ps. The col ors
shoul d di st i ngui sh hi m or her f rom t he f i el d pl ay,
ers and t he ref eree. Al l pl ayers must wear some
t ype of soccer shoes duri ng pl ay. Pl ayers are not
permi t t ed t o wear any art i cl e of cl ot hi ng t hat t he
ref eree det ermi nes t o be a pot ent i al danger t o
anot her pl ayer . For exampl e, war ches, chai ns. or
ot her f orms oi j ewel ry are usual l y i orbi dden.
RULES OF THE GAME
Soccer i s a si mpl e game wi th onl y 1 7 fundamen-
tal rul es. The offi ci al FIFA Laws ol the Game are
standard throughout the worl d and pertai n to al l
i nt ernat i onal compet i t i on. Mi nor modi f rcat i ons
oi the FIFA l aws are permi ssi bl e for youth and
schoo[-sponsored programs i n the Uni ted States.
These modi fi cati ons may i nvol ve the fi el d si ze,
si ze and wei ght of t he bal l , si ze of t he goal s,
xt
The Soort of Soccer
number of subst i t ut es al l owed, and durat i on
of t he game. The f ol l owi ng i s an abbrevi ared
di scussi on of r he r ul es gover ni ng pl ay.
Start of Play
The mat ch begi ns wi t h a pl aceki ck f rom t he
cent er spot of t he f i el d. Ever y pl ayer on t he
ki cki ng t eam must be i n hi s or her own hal f of
t he f i el d. Opponent s must posi t i on t hemsel ves
out si de t he cent er ci rcl e and wi t hi n t hei r own
hal i oi t he f i el d. The bal l i s consi dered i n pl ay
when i t t ravel s i nt o t he opponent ' s hal f of t he
f i el d t he di st ance of i t s own ci rcumf erence. The
i ni t i al ki cker i s not per mi t t ed r o pl ay t he bal l a
second t i me unt i l anot her pl ayer t ouches i t . A
si mi l ar pl aceki ck rest art s t he game af t er a goal
has been scored and al so begi ns t he second hal f
oi pl ay. A goal may be scored di rect l y f rom t he
ki ckoi f .
Elall In and Out of Play
The bal l i s consi dered out of pl ay when i t com-
pl et el y crosses a t ouchl i ne or goal l i ne (whet her
on t he ground or i n t he ai r) or when t he ref eree
st ops t he game. The bal l i s i n pl ay at al l ot her
t i mes, i ncl udi ng
o
rebounds f rom a goal post , crossbar, or
cor ner f l ag ont o t he f i el d of pl ay:
o
r ebounds of f t he r ef er ee or l i nesmen
when t hey are i n rhe f rel d of pJay; and
.
i nt er val s whi l e a deci si on i s pendi ng on
a supposed i nf ri ngement of t he l aws (f or
exampl e, t he
"pl ay-on"
si t uat i on).
When t he r ef er ee i s unsur e of who l ast
t ouched a bal l t hat t ravel ed out of t he hel d area,
or when a t emporary st oppage occurs duri ng
t he run of pl ay (because
of a severe i nj ury t o
a pl ayer, f or exampl e), pl ay i s resrarred wi t h a
drop bal l at t he spor where t he bal l was l asr i n
pl ay. The referee drops the bal l between two
opposi ng pl ayers, who cannot ki ck t he bal l unt i l
i t cont act s t he ground.
When t he bal l t r avel s out of pl ay over a
si del i ne, ei t her on t he ground or i n t he ai r, i r i s
returned i nto pl ay by a throw-i n from the spot
where i t l ef r t he pl ayi ng f i el d. A pl ayer f rom
t he ream opposi re t hat of t he pl aver
who l ast
t ouched t he bal l t akes t he t hrow-i n. The t hrower
must hol d t he bal l wi t h bot h hands and del i ver i t
f rom behi nd and over t he head. The pl ayer must
i ace t he f r el d of pl ay wi t h each f oor r ouchi ng
t he si del i ne or t he gr ound out si de t he si del i ne
at t he moment t he bal l i s r el eased. The bal l i s
nnnci dor ar { i n nl e. , i mmedi at el y
af r er i r Cf OSSgS y
ql r ur l L
t he t ouchl i ne ont o t he hel d of pl ay. The t hrower
may not t ouch t he bal l a second ri me unt i l i t
has been t ouched by anot her pl ayer. A t hrow-i n
i s awarded t o t he opposi ng t eam i f t he bal l i s
i mproperl y rel eased ont o t he f i el d of pl ay. A goal
cannot be scored di rect l y f rom a t hrow-i n.
A bal l l ast t ouched by a member of t he at t ack,
i ng t eam t hat passes over t he goal l i ne, excl udi ng
t he port i on oi t he l i ne bet ween t he goal post s and
under t he crossbar, i s ret urned t o pl ay by a goal
ki ck awarded to the defendi ng ream. The goal
ki ck i s spot t ed wi t hi n t hat hal i oi t he goal area
nearest t o where t he bal l crossed t he goal l i ne.
The bal l i s consi dered i n pl ay once i t has t rav-
el ed out srde t he penal t y area. The ki cker cannot
pl ay t he bal l a second t i me unt i l a t eammat e
or an opponent t ouches i t . A goal ki ck cannot
be pl ayed di rect l y t o t he goal keeper wi rhi n rhe
penal t y area. Al l opposi ng pl ayers must posi t i on
t hemsel ves out si de t he penal t y area when a goal
ki ck i s t aken. A goal cannot be scor ed di r er - r l r i
of f a goal ki ck.
A bal l l ast t ouched by a member oi t he
def endi ng t eam t hat passes over r he goal I i ne,
excl udi ng t he port i on of t he l i ne bet ween t he
goal post s and under t he crossbar, i s ret urned
to pl ay by a corner ki ck awarded to rhe attack-
i ng t eam. The corner ki ck i s t aken f rom wi t hi n
t he quart er ci rcl e of t he corner nearest t he spot
where t he bal l l ef t t he pl ayi ng area. Def endi ng
pl ayer s must posi t i on t hemsel ves at l east l O
yards f rom t he bal l unri l i r i s pl ayed. The ki cker
i s not per mi t t ed t o pl ay t he bal l a second t i me
unt i l anot her pl ayer t ouches i t . A goal may be
scored di rect l y f rom a corner ki ck.
Scoring
A goal i s scored when t he whol e bal l passes
compl et el y over t he goal l i ne, berween t he goal ,
post s, and under t he crossbat provi ded i t has not
been i nt ent i onal l y rhrown, carri ed, or propel l ed
by an arm or hand of a pl ayer of t he art acki ng
xt I
The Soort of Soccer
t eam. Each goal count s as one poi nt . The t eam
scor i ng r he mosr goal s dur i ng a conr est wi ns
t he oame. The dame i s t ermed a draw i f bot h . ' . "t r *.
t eams score an equal number of goal s duri ng
- ^^, , l ^f : ^' ^
f : - ^
l cgul dLl ur l Ll r i l c.
RULE VIOLATIONS AND SANCTIONS
An appoi ntedreferee offi ci ates at each game and
has ul t i mat e aut hori t y on t he f i el d. The ref eree
enf orces t he rul es and deci des on any di sput ed
poi nt . The ref eree i s assi st ed by t wo assi st ant
r ef er ees who t ake posi t i ons al ong opposi t e
t ouchl i nes. Assi st ant ref erees i ndi cat e when t he
bal l i s out of pl ay (subj ect
t o t he deci si on ol t he
ref eree) and det ermi ne whi ch t eam i s ent i t l ed t o
t he t hrow-i n, goal ki ck, or corner ki ck. Assi st ant
r ef er ees al so assi st t he r ef er ee i n det er mi ni ng
when of f si de vi ol at i ons have occurred, and t hey
al ert t he ref eree when a subst i t ut e wi shes t o
ent er t he game.
Pl ayers need t o be aware of t he pot ent i al rul e
vi ol at i ons and penal t i es t hat may be cal l ed. A
penal t y at t he wrong t i me can be devast at i ng
f or a t eam, r esul t i ng i n l oss of moment um, a
turnover, or even a goal for the other team. Learn
t he i ol l owi ng r ul e vi ol at i ons and penal t i es, and
work t o avoi d t hem duri ng pl ay.
Oflside
Al l pl ayers shoul d be i ami l i ar wi t h t he of i si de
l aw. A pl ayer i s i n an ofJsi de pos[ti on i l he or she
i s near er t he opponent ' s goal I i ne t han t he bal l
i s at t he moment t he bal l i s pl ayed unl ess
o
t he pl ayer i s i n hi s or her own hal f oi t he
f rel d, or
.
t he pl ayer i s not near er t o t he opponent ' s
goal l i ne t han at l east t wo opponent s.
Just
because a pl ayer i s i n an of i si de posi t i on
does not mean t hat he or she must be whi st l ed
oi l si de hv t he r ef er ee
A nl : r , er i c Aoel ar ad
Of f si de
". y. ' . ". ' y. "- y"'
anrl nenal i zcd [ nr hei no i n an ot Fsi de nosi t i on
onl y i f , at t he moment t he bal l t ouches or i s
pl ayed by a t eammat e. t he rei eree j udges t he
nl ar r er r n he i nr er f er i nd wi r h nl av or wi t h an
r . *- y", ' Y' "- y",
opponent or gai ni ng an advant age by bei ng i n
an of f si de posi t i on. A pl ayer i s not of f si de merel y
because he or she i s i n an of f si de posi t i on or i f
t he pl ayer recei ves rhe bal l di recrl y f rom a goal
ki ck. corner ki ck. or t hrow-i n.
The nr r ni shmenr t or i nl r i npemenr of t he . . . "r - . ' . ' . . . 5". ' , "' ' .
of f si de l aw i s an i ndi r ect f r ee ki ck awar ded
t o t he opposi ng t eam at t he spot wher e t he
of f si de occurred. The ref eree shal l j udge oi f si de
at t he i nst ant t he bal l i s pl ayed and not at t he
moment t he pl ayer recei ves t he bal l (see f rgure
2) . For exampl e, a pl ayer who i s i n an onsi de
posi t i on at t he moment t he bal l i s pl ayed does
not become oi f si de i f he or she moves f orward
i nt o an oi f si de posi t i on t o recei ve t he pass whi l e
t he bal l i s i n f l i ght .
Free Kicks
The two cl assi fi cati ons of free ki cks are di rect
' 6i
i - r ; ' ^^'
^
d^^r
can be scor ed 6l i ; g6r l r r
hr r dl r u l l l Lr l l
gLt .
n
SLr dr
r - cl l l uc JLUr cu Ll l r cLLr y uy
the ki cker from a di rect
free
ki ck. To score l rom
an i ndi rect-free ki ck. a second pl ayer other than
t he ki cker (who can be a member of ert her t eam)
must pl ay or t ouch t he bal l bef ore i t passes over
t he goal l i ne. Def endi ng pl ayers must posi t i on
t hemsel ves at l east 10 yards f rom t he bal l f or
bot h di rect and i ndi rect f ree ki cks. The onl v
\
. \ D
n\
A2\
_\
\ D
A
U
A1
Fi gure 2 Pl ayer i s not offsi de.
XI I I
i nst ance i n whi ch def endi ng pl ayers can get
i n posi t i on cl oser t han 1O yar ds t o t he bal l i s
when t he at t acki ng t eam has been awarded an
i ndi r ect l r ee ki ck spot t ed wi t hi n l O yar ds oi t he
def endi ng t eam' s goal . I n t hat si t uat i on, def end-
i ng pl ayers can st and on t hei r goal l i ne bet ween
f L^
^^- l ^^- i -
: ^
^^ Lr r c
BUdr yur Lr
r L dr L at t e mpt t O pf event t he bal l
l r om ent er i ng t he ooal .
' ' - ""D
. ,
- 5'
When a pl ayer t akes a f ree ki ck f rom wi t hi n
hi s or her penal t y area, al l opposi ng pl ayers must
remai n out si de t he area and be i n posi t i on at
l east 10 yards f rom t he bal l . The bal l must be
st at i onary when t he ki ck i s t aken and i s consi d-
ered i n pl ay once i t has t ravel ed t he di st ance oi
i t s ci rcumf erence and beyond t he penal t y area.
The goal keeper may not recei ve t he bal l i nt o hi s
or her hands and t hen ki ck i t i nt o pl ay. I f t he bal l
i s not ki cked di rect l y i nt o pl ay beyond t he pen-
al t y area, t he ki ck must be ret aken. I f t he ki cker
t ouches t he bal l a second t i me bef ore anot her
pl ayer t ouches i t , t hen t he opposi ng t eam i s
awarded an i ndi rect f ree ki ck.
Fouls and Misconduct
Foul s are ei ther di rect or i ndi rect. A pl ayer who
i nt ent i onal l y commi t s any of t he f ol l owi ng
nFFenses r , l r i l l he nenal i zed hr r r he ar , var d
of a
di rect i ree ki ck t o t he opposi ng t eam at t he spot
where t he f oul occurred:
.
Spi r t i ng at an opponent
o
Ki cki ng or at t empt i ng f o ki ck an oppo-
nent
.
Tri ppi ng an opponent
o
Jumpi ng
at an opponent
o
Char gi ng an opponent i n a vi ol ent or
dangerous manner
o
Chargi ng an opponent f rom behi nd unl ess
t he opponent i s obst r uct i ng t he pl ayer
f rom t he bal l
.
St ri ki ng or at t empt i ng t o st ri ke an oppo-
nent
o
Hol di ng an opponenr
o
Pushi ng an opponent
.
Caf f vi nO
qpf i ki n. r nr n' nnol l i - - ' he
bal l
' *' ' . y, ' . 5' ". y,
wi t h a hand or arm
(t hi s vi ol at i on does
not appl y t o t he goal keeper wi t hi n hi s or
her penal t y area)
When a pl ayer on t he def endi ng t eam i nt en-
t i onal l y commi t s an of f ense of a di rect f ree ki ck
wi t hi n hi s or her own penal t y area, he or she i s
penal i zed by the award of a penal ty ki ck to the
opposrng t eam.
I ndi rect f ree ki cks resul t f rom t he f ol l owi ng
rul e i nf ract i ons:
r
Pl ayi ng i n a manner t he ref eree consi d-
er s danger ous r o you or anot her pl ayer .
rei erred to as
"dangerous
pl ay"
o
Char gi ng an opponent wi t h your shoul -
der when t he bal l i s not wi t hi n pl ayi ng
di st ance of t he pl ayer s i nvol ved t char g-
i ng wi t h t he shoul der i s l egal i f you are
at t empt i ng t o pl ay t he bal l )
.
I nt ent i onal l y i mpedi ng t he pr ogr ess of an
opponent when you ar e not at t empt i ng
t o pl ay t he bal l . commonl y r ef er r ed t o as
"obst r uct i on"
.
I nt ent i onal l y pr event i ng t he goal keeper
f rom rel easi ng t he bal l
.
Vi ol at i ng t he of f si de rul e
o
Chargi ng t he goal keeper except when he
or she has possessi on of t he bal l or has
moved our si de of t he goal ar ea
An i ndi rect f ree ki ck i s awarded t o t he at t ack-
i ng t eam i f t he goal keeper engages i n any of t he
f ol l owi ng:
o
Vi ol at i ng t he si x- second r ul e, i n whi ch
t he goal keeper . whi l e i n possessi on of
t he bal l , f ai l s t o rel ease i t i nt o pl ay wi t hi n
si x seconds
.
I ndul oi no i n f act i cs t hat t he ref eree rul es
' , ' - "' . 5"
ar e desi gned t o wast e t i me, del ay t he
game, and gi ve an unf ai r advant age t o
t he onal keencr ' S
OWn t eam
o
Vi ol at i ng t he goal keeper back-pass rul e
(see t he next sect i on)
Goalkeeper Back-Pass
Rule
The Laws oJ the Game state that the goal keeper
i s not permi t t ed t o recei ve t he bal l i n hi s or her
hands af t er i t has been del i berat el y ki cked t o
hi m or her by a t eammat e. The ki ck must be
a del i berat e pass f or t hi s rul e t o t ake ef f ect ; a
The Spor t of Soccer
xtv
The Sport of Soccer
def l ect i on, i or exampl e, i s not penal i zed. Vi ol a-
t i on of t he back-pass rul e resul t s i n t he award
of an i ndi rect f ree ki ck t o t he opposi ng t eam at
t he spot of t he i nf ract i on.
Pl ayers may use t he head, chest , or knees t o
i nt ent i onal l y pass t he bal l ro rhei r goal keeper.
However, i f a pl ayer del i berat el y at t empt s t o ci r-
cumvent t he rul e (such
as usi ng t he i eet t o f l i p
t he bal l i n t he ai r t o head i t t o rhe goal keeper. l ,
t hen t he pl ayer wi l l be gui l r y of unspor r i ng
conduct and wi l l be of f rci al l y caut i oned. I n t hat
si t uat i on, t he opposi ng t eam i s awar ded an
i ndi rect f ree ki ck f rom t he pl ace where t he f oul
was commi t t ed.
Gautions and Ejections
I t i s at t he r ef er ee' s di scr et i on t o r epr i mand a
pl ayer who cont i nual l y commi t s f l agrant vi ol a,
t i ons of t he l aws. The ref eree i ssues a yel l ow
card t o of f i ci al l y caut i on a pl ayer. A yel l ow card
vi ol at i on conveys a warni ng t o t he pl ayer t hat he
or she wi l l be ej ect ed i r om t he game i f si mi l ar
vi ol at i ons cont i nue. The ref eree i ssues a red card
t o si gnal rhat a pl ayer has been ej ect ed f rom
f ha . r r ma A nl r uar
Can be Sent Of f t he hel d
and shown t he r ed car d i f , i n t he opi ni on of t he
r eFer ee t hp nl r r r pr
.
i s gui l t y oi vi ol ent conduct ,
.
i s gui l t y of seri ous f oul pl ay,
.
spi t s at an opponent or any ot her
per son,
.
uses f oul or abusi ve l anguage,
o
r ecei ves a second caut i on i n t he same
mat ch,
o
deni es t he opposi ng t eam a goal or an
obvi ous goal - scor i ng oppor r uni t y by
Bef ore every pract i ce sessi on or game, perl orm
a warm-up t o prepare yoursel i bot h physi cal l y
and ment al l y f or t he more st renuous t rai ni ng t o
i ol l ow. Warm-up act i vi t i es el evat e muscl e t em-
perat ure, st i mul at e i ncreased bl ood f l ow t o t he
muscl es, and st ret ch t he maj or muscl e groups.
A thorough warm-up wi l l i mprove muscul ar con-
tracti on and refl ex ti me, i ncrease muscl e suppl e-
WARM.TJP AND COOL DOWN
del i berat el y handl i ng rhe bal l (rhi s
does
not appl y t o t he goal keeper wi t hi n hi s or
her own penal t y area), or
o
deni es an obvi ous goal ' scori ng opport u-
ni t y t o an opponent movi ng t oward t he
pl ayer' s goal by an of f ense puni shabl e by
a f ree ki ck or penal t y ki ck.
The pl ayer who recei ves a red card cannot
ret urn t o t he game and may not be repl aced by
a subst i t ut e.
Penalty Kick
The most severe sanct i on f or a di rect f oul , ot her
t han ej ect i on f r om t he game, i s t he penal t y
ki ck. A penal t y ki ck r esul t s when a pl ayer
commi t s a di r ect f oul of f ense wi t hi n hi s or her
t eam' s penal t y ar ea. ( Not e: A penal t y ki ck can
be awar ded i r r espect i ve of t he posi t i on of t he
bal l . ) The ki ck i s t aken i r om t he penal t y spot
12 yards l ront and cent er of t he goal . Al l pl ay-
er s except r he ki cker and t he goal keeper must
posi t i on t hemsel ves out si de t he penal t y ar ea at
l east l 0 yar ds f r om t he penal t y spor . The goal -
keeper must st and bet ween t he goal post s wi t h
f eet t ouchi ng r he goal l i ne. The keeper i s per -
mi t t ed t o move si deways al ong t he l i ne bef ore
t he ki ck but may not move f orward of f t he I i ne
unt i l t he bal l has been pl ayed. The pl ayer raki ng
a penal t y ki ck must ki ck t he bal l f or war d and
cannot t ouch i t a second t i me unt i l i t has been
pl ayed by anot her pl ayer (t he second pl ayer can
be t he goal keeper ) . The bal l i s i n pl ay once i t
has t ravel ed t he di st ance of i t s ci rcumf erence.
A goal can be scored di rect l y f rom a penal t y
ki ck. Ti me shoul d be ext ended at hal f t i me or
t he end of r egul at i on t i me t o al l ow a penal r y
ki ck t o be t aken.
ness. prevent next -day soreness, and reduce t he
l i kel i hood of muscl e and j oi nt i nj uri es.
The i nt ensi t y and durat i on of t he warm-up
can vary from one si tuati on to another and from
one person t o t he next . Envi ronment al condi -
t i ons, such as ambi ent t emperat ure and humi d-
i ty, shoul d be taken i nto account. For exampl e,
you probabl y wi l l not have t o warm up as l ong
The Soor t of Soccer
or as hard on a hot , humi d af t ernoon i nJune as
you woul d on a col d, bl ust ery day i n November.
As a general rul e, you shoul d warm up f or l 5
t o 20 mi nures at suf f l ci ent i nt ensi t y t o break a
sweat . Sweat i ng i ndi cat es an el evat i on i n muscl e
t emperat ure.
Bef ore st ret chi ng, begi n your warm-up by
i ncreasi ng t he bl ood f l ow t o t he muscl es. Any
i orm of aerobi c act i vi t y t hat i nvol ves t he l arge
muscl e gr oups wi l l suf f i ce, al t hough f r om a
pr act i cal sr andpoi nt i r i s t o your advant age
t o use soccer - speci f i c movement s and act i vi -
t i es whenever possi bl e. Ski l l -rel at ed dri l l s t hat
i nvol ve dr i bbl i ng maneuver s combi ned wi t h
sudden changes of speed and di r ect i on, or pass-
i ng t he bal l among t eammat es who are movi ng
t hroughout t he f i el d area, are a great means of
get t i ng t he bl ood movi ng. For exampl e, many of
t he dri bbl i ng dri l l s descri bed i n st ep I are appro-
pri at e as soccer-speci f i c warm-up act i vi t i es.
Once your muscl es are suf f i ci ent l y warmed,
perf orm a seri es of st ret chi ng exerci ses t hat
The f ol l owi ng organi zat i ons are under t he aus-
pi ces of FI FA and admi ni st er soccer compet i t i on
i n t he Uni t ed St at es. The Uni t ed St at es Soccer
Federat i on (US Soccer) di rect s amat eur and pro-
f essi onal soccer compet i t i on. The Nat i onal Col -
l egi at e At hl et i c Associ at i on (NCAA), t he Nat i onal
Associ at i on f or I nt ercol l egi at e At hl et es (NAI A),
and t he Nat i onal Juni or Col l ege At hl et i c Associ a-
t i on (NJCAA) admi ni st rat e col l egi at e compet i t i on
l or bot h men and women.
Quest i ons
or request s
f or i nf ormat i on shoul d be di rect ed t o t he aoDro'
pri at e organi zat i on.
Int er n ati onal Or g aniz ati on s
Federation Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA)
FI FA House, Hi t zi gweg 11
8O3O Zuri ch. Swi t zerl and
Phone 41- l - 384- 9595
Fax 41- 1- 384- 9696
www. f l f a. com
t ar get al l t he maj or muscl e gr oups used i n
soccer. Don' t bounce or j erkl Sl owl y ext end t he
muscl e or group of muscl es t o i t s great est pos-
si bl e l engt h wi t hout di scomf ort . A sl ow st eady
ext ensi on of t he muscl e wi l l i nhi bi t f i r i ng oi
t he st ret ch ref l ex, t he body' s bui l t -i n saf eguard
agai nst overst ret chi ng. Hol d t he st ret ch l or 30
seconds, r el ax, and t hen move gent l y i nt o a
deeper st ret ch f or anot her 3O seconds. St ret ch
each muscl e group t wi ce, f ocusi ng on t he ham-
- r - i ^R- ^, , - . . 1- : ^^^^
L^
^l
*- ^i ^
^- t .
: S and 5t "r r r r 55,
9udur
l LUP5, udLn.
5r ui l
r . Ldr v(
Achi l l es t endons, and neck.
At t he end of every pract i ce and game, t ake
a f ew mi nut es t o al l ow your heart rat e and body
f unct i ons t o gradual l y ref urn t o t hei r normal rest -
i ng state. The coobdown can i ncl ude l i ght aerobi c
exerci se, such as a sl ow j og wi t h or wi t hout t he
bal l , combi ned wi t h st r et chi ng exer ci ses t hat
t ar ger t he most - used muscl e gr oups. St r et chi ng
af t er a har d t r ar ni ng sessi on may act ual l y be
mor e benef i ci al t han pr epr act i ce st r et chi ng i n
prevent i ng next -day soreness.
Confederati on of North, Central Ameri -
can and Cari bbean Associ ati on Footbal l
(coNcAcAF)
725 Fi f t h Avenue, I 7t h Fl oor
New Yor k, NY 10022
Phone 212- 308- 0044
Fax 212-3OB-1851
www. i oot bal l conf ederat i on. com
National Orgmizations
Ameri can Youth Soccer Or$ani zati on
(AYSO)
12501 S. I si s Avenue
Hawt horne, CA 90250
Phone 310- 643- 6455
Fax 310- 643- 5310
TNTERNATIONAL AND NATTONAL
ORGANTZATIONS
xvl
National Soccer Coaches Association of
Ameri ca (NSCAA)
6770 Squl bb Road, Sui t e 215
Mi ssi on, RS 66202
Phone 800-458-0678
Fax 913- 362- 3439
www. nscaa. com
Nati onal Soccer Hal l of Fame
1B St adi um Ci r cl e
oneonr a, NY 13820
Phone 607- 432- 3351
Fax 607-432-8429
Soccer Association for Youth (SAY)
4050 Execut i ve Park Dri ve, Sui t e 100
Ci nci nnat i , OH 45241
Phone BO0- 233- 7291
Fax 513- 769- 0500
www.saysoccer.org
United States Soccer Federation (US Soccer)
U. S. Soccer House
l B0l Sout h Prai ri e Avenue
Chi cago. l L 60616
Phone 312-8OB-1300
Fax 3t 2- B0B- 9535
www.ussoccer.com
US Youth Soccer
1717 Fi r man Dr i ve, Sui t e 900
Ri chardson, TX 75081
Phone 972- 235- 4499
Fax 972-235-4480
www.youthsoccer.org
S c holas ti c Or g anization s
National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics (NAIA)
23500 W 105t h St r eet
P. O. Box 1325
Ol at he, KS 66061
Phone 913-791-0044
Fax 913- 791- 9555
National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA)
P.O. Box 6222
r ^J: - - ^- ^r : - r N1 /
6206- 6222 l l r L. i l dr l dPUl l ) , r l \ a
Phone 317- 917- 6222
Fax 317- 917- 6800
National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials
Association (NISOA)
541 Woodvi ew Dri ve
Longwood, FL32779
Phone 407-862-3305
Fax 407-862-8545
National
Junior
College Athletic Asso-
ciation (NJCAA)
I 825 Austi n Bl uffs Parkway, Sui te l O0
Col or ado Spr i ngs, CO 80918
Phone 719-590-9788
Fax 719- 590- 7324
www.nJCaa.org
U.S. Profe ssional Leagae s
Major League Soccer (MLS)
110 E. 42ndSt eet , 1Ot h Fl oor
New Yor k, NY 1001 7
Phone 212- 450- 1200
Fax 212-450-t300
www. MLSnet . com
United Soccer Leagues
14497 Nort h Dal e Mabry Hi ghway, Sui t e
201
Tampa, FL 33618
Phone 813- 963- 3909
Fax 813-963-3807
www.USLsoccer.com
Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
11 75 Post Road East
West port , CT 06880
Phone 203- 222- 4900
Fax 203- 221- 7300
www. mi sl . net
The Soort of Soccer
xvlt
FJ Key to Diagrarns
GK
D
A
X
*
Goal keeper
Def ender
Attacker
Player
Soccer ball
Dri bbl e
Run
Pass
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