1. Hands – off!
Except the goalie, the players cannot use their hands to control the ball. This includes any part of the arm, from your fingers to your shoulders. But, when the ball is kicked by an opponent to the player’s arm, it can’t be called by the referee, though this is subject to the referee’s judgment, as it is difficult to judge whether the player deliberately tried to hit the ball with his arm, or whether it was accidental.
2. Throw – in
The ball has to be thrown into play when it goes out of the field of play. When throwing, both feet should be on the ground, and the throw should start from behind the head.
3. Two – touch rule
A player cannot touch the ball twice when sending the ball into play. This applies for throw – ins and kicks.
4. Yellow & Red Cards
A yellow card is given as a warning, depending on the judgment of the referee with regard to the foul he has committed. If he transgresses the rules once more, he’s given a red card, and sent off from the game, and the team has to play a man short. If the first foul is of a very serious nature, then the player is directly given a red card without the player first receiving a yellow card. The awarding of cards is very much judgmental.
5. Direct and Indirect Free Kick
The only difference between the two is that, in a direct free kick, the kicker can kick directly to the goal, whereas, in an indirect free kick, the ball has to be touched by a member of the offensive team before it can be kicked into the net. An easy way to detect as to whether a free kick is a direct or an indirect one is to check out the referee. If it’s an indirect kick, he’ll have his hand raised until the first guy kicks the ball, and hand will not be raised if it’s a direct kick!
6. Corner & Goal Kicks
Any of the above mentioned kicks are taken when the ball is kicked out of play at the ends of the field. A corner kick is taken if the ball is hit out by the defensive team, and a goal kick if the ball is hit out by the offensive team. A goal kick is taken by the goal – keeper from any place inside the ‘goalie box’ (the small box within the penalty box), and the corner kick from the corner of the field (as the name obviously suggests) depending on which side of the goal the ball was kicked out.
7. Penalty kick
A penalty kick is awarded when the defensive team commits a foul inside the penalty box. This is a form of direct kick, and the ball is placed on the penalty spot, which is 12 yards from the goal. All the other players have to stand outside the penalty area, and the goalie has to have his feet on the goal line. If the ball rebounds off the post or off the goalie, the ball is ‘live’. |
