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Soccer Rules are Brilliant by
Stanley Lover
(reprinted
from FIFA Magazine)
The Laws of the Game are incredibly brilliant.
They must be because they provide us with a fun sport which millions of
people enjoy. They are also incredibly dull, in their presentation,
enough to switch off anyone searching for quick comprehension. Dull?
Yes, but only if they are read as written. A brief glance at the
rulebook shows just seventeen rules to govern the play but which,
amazingly, do not include a single reference to the "Game of Soccer"!:
Stanley Lover is an Englishman living
in Paris who specializes in the Laws of the Game and has written several
books on the Laws and refereeing.
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THE 17
LAWS OF THE GAME |
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I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII. |
The
Field of Play
The Ball
The Number of Players
The Players' Equipment
The Referee
The Assistant Referee
The Duration of the Match
The Start and Restart of Play
The Ball In and Out of Play
The Method of Scoring
Offside
Fouls and Misconduct
Free Kicks
The Penalty Kick
The Throw-In
The Goal Kick
The Corner Kick |
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What we have is a skeleton, the bare bones of an
exciting sport full of action, color, and passion, touching on the whole
range of human emotions. Not easy to wrap these ingredients into an
exciting document expounding formal procedures, duties, infringements,
and sanctions. Another barrier to instant assimilation is the need for
multi-language translation for worldwide application.
Scratch below the surface
What the laws do not say
The
Players -- Law 3
Players' Equipment -- Law 4
Make it
easy
Soccer
theatre
The
"Extras"
How long will the fun last? Law 7
Live ball - dead ball: Law 9
Match
procedures: Law 8 and laws 13 to 17
Out of bounds: Laws 15-16-17
The story
so far
"Offside?
Who? Me?" Law 11
Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct
Scratch below the surface
And yet, there is a great mine of golden wisdom
and common sense in those dry and dusty old words and phrases. Scratch
below the surface and all is revealed! But how? We will deal with that
in a moment. For now, we ask a group of young players what they want
from the rules. This is a summary of their views; "We want the chance to
play well, without getting hurt, and we want to enjoy ourselves."
That is exactly what the formal rules do and why
they are so incredibly brilliant! Brilliant? Yes, because they are not
just ordinary words, arranged in a certain order, but words encasing the
basic ethics of fair play laid down by soccerers over 130 years ago,
1863.
A cold winter's night in London. A handful of
soberly dressed men, some bearded, sat at a table in the smoky gloom of
oil lamps in the Freemasons Tavern, engaged in heated discussion to
agree on a common set of rules to play the game among just a few clubs.
They, too, were players wanting to play well, without getting hurt and
to enjoy a game of soccer. Their main concern was to decide how the game
should be played in its physical sense and they wrote that down. In
terms of moral behavior it was not necessary to write anything because
they were all gentlemen ingrained with strict Victorian social manners.
They understood how they were expected to behave.
What the Laws do not say
The fourteen "Laws" of 1863 read much like today's
version - providing a skeleton guide for the action on the field.
Although the laws have been chopped and changed the basic ethics
survive. The wisdom in today's laws is not in what they say but in what
they do not say. To read them as they are written is no pleasure. If we
read between the lines, using a simple key, we can unlock the original
principles which give the ordinary words a new meaning, putting flesh
and muscle, energy and vitality, on the bones of the skeleton. To do
this we identify the spirit behind the written rule by stating the basic
principles as expressed by the young players:
Equality: "We want the (equal) chance to play well ..."
Safety: "without getting hurt"
Enjoyment: "and we want to enjoy ourselves."
Equality, safety, and enjoyment. Three simple
principles, locked into ordinary words. We can unlock them by applying
another ordinary key word - Why?
As this series progresses we will touch on the
origins of the laws, how they have developed in time and their status in
the modern game. In particular, we shall question the reasoning behind
certain statements to discover the basic spirit of the game in applying
the three principles in actual play.
The rules will then take on a fresh meaning,
relating more to the real Game of Soccer.
Make it easy
Whatever your interest in soccer, the easy way to
look at the rules is to break them down. For example, 13 of the 17
rules have no meaning until the first four have been observed. Before
the fun can begin a game needs players, a ball and space (Laws 1 to 4).
Four game rules deal with the basic checks of duration of play, how play
is started and restarted, ball in or out of play and scoring (Laws 7 to
10). Another five cover procedures to restart at free kicks and other
dead ball situations (Laws 13 to 17). That leaves only four, the vital
rules focused on live action. Law 11, the technical rule of Offside: Law
12, to curb physical and moral behavior, and Laws 5 & 6, the supervisors
of the whole scene.
Soccer theatre
Every soccer match is pure sports theatre. We have
the actors, the directors, a stage, an outline script and, sometimes, an
audience. Although the players are the center of attraction we look
first at the stage on which they perform their skills. Theatres have
various shapes but, for soccer, Law 1 insists, "The field of play must
be rectangular." Why? The game can be played on a square or even a
circular field, so what is special about a rectangle? Where do we see
the basic principles? We do not need to search too hard for the
reasoning. We know the main object of the game is to put the ball
through the goals. A rectangular field guides the flow of play between
these targets to maintain interest and enjoyment.
The soccer stage comes in various sizes, allowing
for the availability of suitable space. The 1863 version could be a
maximum 200 x 100 yards wide. Today, it is rare to see a field to the
current maximum of 130 x 100 yards. However, fields of minimum size, 100
x 50 yards, are often squeezed into scarce common land to allow more
people to enjoy games of soccer. International matches are usually
staged on fields averaging 115 x 75 yards (105 x 68 meters). Law 1 is
silent on playing surfaces. Very wisely because players are free to
enjoy soccer on any available surface, be it grass; sand, dirt, plastic,
concrete, whatever. Basic principles guide the choice to play on a
surface which allows players to play well, without getting hurt, and to
have fun.
The field of play must be rectangular. The length
of the touchline must be greater than the length of the goal line.
|
Dimensions |
International
Matches |
| Length minimum |
90 m (100
yards) |
Length minimum |
100 m (110
yards) |
| maximum |
120 m (130
yards) |
maximum |
110 m (120
yards) |
| Width minimum |
45 m (50
yards) |
Width minimum |
64 m (70
yards) |
| maximum |
90 m (100
yards) |
maximum |
75 m (80
yards) |
The decor
Field markings have hardly changed since 1902. The
only significant movement added a 10 yards radius arc to the penalty
areas in 1937. Lines need not be any special color, just distinctive.
White on grass is fine, blue, or red on snow quite acceptable. The rule
provides for zones of reference to guide players with procedures in
starting and restarting the game (center circle and goal areas) and for
defending players to take extra care in front of their goal (the penalty
area). These zones are of the same size regardless of the dimensions of
the outer boundaries.
Field equipment, comprising goals and corner
flagposts, must meet certain safety demands to reduce danger to players.
The size of the goals has remained unchanged for over 120 years,
demanding skill from attacking players to put the ball through them and
from goalkeepers to keep it out. Goal nets are optional to avoid
imposing expense on low-budget teams. Flag posts at the field corners
are clearly to help decide whether the ball passes over the goal line or
touchline. The minimum height (5feet), and the post tops not to be
pointed, recognizes the danger of contact during play. Shorter posts can
cause serious injury, as illustrated.
Corner flag posts are compulsory. At the 1974
World Cup Final, between Germany and the Netherlands, the referee Jack
Taylor was about to blow his whistle for the kick-off, when he was
alerted to the fact that the corner posts had not been placed after the
opening ceremony. Had this been noticed only after the first minute
penalty kick award to the Netherlands, the match could have been
abandoned and restarted!
Flag posts placed outside the field at the halfway
line are optional, being a relic from early days when there was no
halfway line and goalkeepers were allowed to handle the ball inside the
whole of their own half. These posts are disappearing without fuss.
The stage is set
Law 1 abounds with formal statements and dry
parameters. As the above few examples show, it is based on a sensible
application of principles to provide an agreeable backdrop for the
soccer story to unfold. So, the stage is set, the actors are ready to
perform to create their own dreams with a sporting troupe of soccer
friends. They all want to play well in a healthy game and have plenty of
fun.
In the next episode of this series we shall take a
closer look at the players in our soccer theatre and the props they use
to create their fun.
Evolution of The Field of Play - 1863 to
1937
1863 No bar and no lines on the ground. No minimum
lengths and breadths specified
1891 These changes followed the introduction of
the penalty-kick in 1891. The theoretical 18-yard line was not specified
by Law.
1902 After three years of discussion the penalty
box was adopted, and a halfway line became compulsory.
1937 The penalty arc of a radius of 10 yards from
the penalty-spot was introduced.
The Magic Formula: 1B + 2K = F.
Soccer's magic formula, worthy of Einstein, needs
no proof by a mathematical genius. Simplicity itself, 1 Ball + 2 Kids
=Fun, can be seen in action anywhere in the world - in backstreets, on
scrubland, hot beaches or cold snow - come rain or shine.
Right now, millions of kids are chasing a ball
creating their fantasy worlds while running, jumping, kicking,
scrambling, amid shrieks of giggles and laughter. A joy to behold as
they invent and respect their own unwritten rules. The true heart of
soccer beats strongly here where lifelong passions for the game are born
at an early age.
In those fun games, the ball may be anything - a
bundle of rags, a carton, an old shoe, a can, a paper cup - any object
that can be animated into an exciting game far removed from the dull
realities of life.
One of these realities is that Law 2 of the
formal, let's say organized, Game of soccer insists that the ball shall
be "spherical." Why? If we can play and enjoy soccer with any shaped
object, why restrict the choice to an expensive sphere which must be
"made of leather or other suitable material", conform to limits in size,
weight, pressure, and bear official FIFA stamps of approval?
Why? A brilliant choice! In the mid-19th century,
when English colleges had different ideas of ball shape, the Brighton
College Soccer Song made a neat point;
"And ETON may play with a pill if they please
And HARROW may stick to their Cheshire cheese
And RUGBY their outgrown egg, but here
Is the perfect game of the perfect sphere."
Neat, yes, but it does not say what qualities a
"perfect sphere" has over other shapes. For most people a sphere has
pleasant associations, perhaps as a symbol of the sun, the moon,
religious ceremonies, etc.
A spherical ball is a smooth and friendly object.
In the hands of a child it is never still, being rolled, bounced,
kicked. The slightest touch transforms it into a live and dynamic
plaything. Other shapes do not command such fascination.
The principal quality of a "perfect sphere" is
that it helps players to play well. Reactions are predictable, it
mirrors the skill input of every touch, rewarding good play or showing
faults of individual technique in need of refinement.
How players display their skill is the magnetic
focus in soccer theatre, whether it involves contact with the ball,
meeting challenges of opponents or moving into tactical positions.
Superstars of the sport owe their fame to the spherical object. Without
it Pelé, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Zidane, and many others, who have thrilled us
with their talents, would be just ordinary people.
For centuries, games related to soccer have been
played with an object about the size of a man's head. Understandable,
perhaps, when history tells us that the 8th century Saxons celebrated
victories over the Vikings by kicking the severed head of an enemy chief
through the streets. For the modern game the first limits of size (27 to
28 inches circumference) were put into the laws in 1883. For seventeen
years before that the size had been based on the Lillywhite's No. 5
ball. Today's Law 2 retains the same dimensions.
Ancient balls were made from pigs' bladders or
skins stuffed with feathers. Later, inflatable rubber bladders housed in
leather casings became standard. Since 1889 the weight of the ball has
always been specified as that ruling "at the start of play." Without
waterproofing, leather balls became heavy when wet and sometimes
dangerous to head because of protruding lacings. Absorption of moisture
is no longer a real problem. The original limits of weight, 12 to 15
ounces, were raised in 1937 to 14 to 16 oz and have remained so.
As to ball pressure, optimum performance is
related to design and method of manufacture. Law 2 allows a wide margin,
0.6 to 1.1 atmosphere. What it does not require, and this is not such a
brilliant omission, is that ball pressure should also be related to the
conditions of play for each match. Many games are spoiled because the
pressure is unsuitable. A hard ball, on a hard surface or in strong
wind, is difficult to control. Unusual errors of judgement, higher
frequency of dangerous situations and ball out of play causes
frustration and loss of enjoyment among players.
A soft ball on a muddy surface can become a dull
object and reduce potential for enjoyable play. The wide choice of
pressure gives scope for marrying the ball condition to the conditions
of play on the day.
Modern soccers are as near to a "perfect sphere"
as technology can achieve to help the players do not play well. They
must conform to standards of safety and pressure so that players do not
get hurt. Combining the formal specifications of Law 2 with FIFA quality
controls provides all players with a chance to enjoy themselves in
"...the perfect game of the perfect sphere".
The players - Law 3
Our simple formula for soccer fun applies to any
kick-about games involving two or more players. There is no upper limit
but, when formal team matches are arranged, the current Law 3 changes
the formula to;
1 Ball + 2x11 Players = Fun
Why 22 players? Could we get more fun with a
larger or smaller cast in our soccer play? There is no special merit in
this number. Early rules did not say how many players constituted a
team. In the mid-19th century it was the accepted practice of heads of
teams (captains with respected authority) to agree to eleven-a-side
matches. The practice was recognized in the Rules of the Football
Association Challenge Cup, founded 1871, but was only put into formal
law in 1923. Today, Law 3 allows a maximum of eleven and minimum of
seven players in each team.
A major reason for hesitating to fix team numbers
was the complication of substitutions. It had been the custom for years
in amateur matches to allow substitutions for players injured during a
game, to maintain numerical equality. It was also customary to withdraw
one player if an injured opponent could not continue and a replacement
was not available. Fair play indeed!
Substitutes were not allowed in competitions as it
was thought that the character of the game would suffer. The arrival of
televised soccer influenced a change of mind when several important
matches, e.g. FA Cup Finals, were spoiled by images of injured players
continuing to play although obviously handicapped. For youth
competitions only a 1956 law amendment allowed substitutes for a
goalkeeper and one other player provided both were injured during play.
Two years later the door was finally opened to all competitions, subject
to the approval of national associations.
The qualification of injury was dropped in 1967
and, although the spirit of the original concession remains, the use of
up to three substitutions for reasons other than injury has become
common practice. The character of the game has certainly changed, some
say not for the better, because players have less chance to enjoy a
complete match. Also, at professional level, the current system favors
rich clubs able to afford large squads of quality players.
One of the eleven players must be a goalkeeper
who, as the first definition required," is the defender nearest to his
own goal and shall be at liberty to use his hands for the protection of
the goal."
Up to 1912 the handling of the ball privilege
applied to the whole of the defending team's half of the field. It was
then reduced to the penalty area and has remained so. In the modern
game, the role of the goalkeeper has developed from the single task of
protecting his goal to that of a specialist team player capable of
influencing tactical play. Apart from designating this one player, the
law is silent on the roles of the other ten. A brilliant omission which
allows complete freedom for coaches and players to combine individual
skills with imagination, spontaneity and flair!
Players' equipment - Law 4
Changing from mundane everyday clothes into
colorful soccer costume satisfies a natural desire to dress up to play a
role. Pre-match dressing-room atmosphere adds to the excitement of the
performance to come. soccer is not a dangerous sport but the opening
paragraph of Law 4 requires every player to accept responsibility not to
"use equipment or wear anything which is dangerous to himself or another
player." Elements of danger include jewelry ornaments (earrings,
pendants, etc.), plaster casts on limbs, anything which could cause
injury. Players do not want to get hurt.
soccer fashion insists on a jersey (from the days
of knitted garments) or a shirt but Law 4 does not require these to be
colored. Yet another brilliant omission which allows soccer to bloom in
a kaleidoscope of exciting color! Only the goalkeepers must wear colors
which distinguish themselves from the other players and officials.
Shorts are compulsory and are as they sound - short, far removed from
the breeches or knickerbockers which were ruled out of order in 1904 if
they did not cover the knees! Thermal undershorts, if they are in the
same color as the shorts, are permitted to help players enjoy the game
in very cold weather.
Most injuries affect the legs below the knees.
Shinguards, invented by S. Widdowson, became commonplace from 1874 but
were not made compulsory, and covered by stockings, until 1990. The
cause of most injuries, players' footwear, has had regular attention
from the early heavy boots, fitted with steel toecaps and nailed leather
studs, to the lightweight and supple foot coverings of today.
Until 1990, Law 4 was a tedious regulation of
shapes, sizes, materials and quantity of studs and bars, to guide
manufacturers and officials. The law was then rewritten simply to place
the responsibility on players to choose equipment with care to comply
with the overall message of the first paragraph.
Let the fun begin
We are almost ready to open the curtain on our
soccer play. The first four of the 17 rules have shaped the components -
the stage, the actors, their costumes and props. Up to six other people
need mentioning before the fun begins. We shall meet them in the next
part of this series and get the ball rolling. Our soccer play "The
Match" is nearly ready to go. Pre curtain-up ambience is set with an
overture, at least at big performances.
The beginners, players in colorful costumes, have
assembled in two teams at opposite ends of the stage and are flexing
muscles, rehearsing skills with a practice ball. The rules say nothing
about this 'warm-up' activity. It is traditional; helps the 'play well'
factor and calms stage fright nerves. Up to six other actors make up our
cast. One is the law enforcer, named 'the Referee', whose role is
scripted as Law 5. He may have two helpers; 'Assistant Referees'
equipped with small flags (Law 6), plus a 'Fourth Official' if the
production can support a bigger cast. This official has a special role
to help the Referee and, sometimes, to be a stand-in for the leading
part. Effectively, the officials form the 'third team' and are often
dressed in a costume of funereal black.
Many amateur productions have problems finding
even one of these four principal officials because of the world shortage
of volunteers for this demanding, and rarely popular, role.
The "Extras"
The other two are directors of team play with the
title of 'Coach'. Mentioned in Law 3, Decision 2, their costume is not
prescribed by the rules but they must be identifiable to the Referee.
As the plot unfolds we will see how these
non-players are intended to help the main actors to play well, without
getting hurt, and to have fun.
Our soccer theatre analogy would not be complete
without an audience. This can be down to one man and his dog, out for a
stroll in the park, or up to the 200,000 fanatics who stormed the gates
of Wembley Stadium to see the 1923 F.A. Cup Final (West Ham United vs.
Bolton Wanderers). The positive influence of large audiences on the
performances of the players can be enormous but, curiously, the rules do
not recognize the existence of these "extras."
Until the 1997 rewrite of the rules the only
references to 'spectators' at soccer matches were concerned with
'interference, misconduct or misdemeanors'! The current rules are no
better with only one reference, to 'spectator interference' in limiting
the liability of referees in deciding whether or not to abandon a match
(Law 5, Decision 1).
Why is this so? Probably because the Laws of the
Game have been devised, from their inception, for the players of the
sport. Early rulemakers could not, in their wildest imagination, have
foreseen the phenomenal growth of spectator soccer and the status the
game has achieved in world society during the 20th century. "The
People's Game" is an apt title for it touches the lives of millions.
However, there is much to be done to help the masses understand the game
better and gain more enjoyment. But that is another chapter in another
soccer story.
"A bloodthirsty and murderous game"
A description of "soccer" worthy of a Shakespeare
tragedy? Or perhaps the title of a Hitchcock film? Not quite. It was a
commentary on an ancient form of mob soccer, or the Italian version 'calcio'
which continues to spill blood in an annual ceremony in Florence.
Mercifully, it does not apply to the modern game, thanks to brilliant
rules! Brilliant in protecting players from getting hurt but not so
brilliant in setting down the plot of the game.
Today's rules rely on a general understanding of
the traditional mechanics of play observed for over a century. Fine if
one is old enough, but as tradition fades new generations attracted to
the sport need to be informed of the real Game of soccer. Where else
should they look other than in the rules which govern the play? At
present such guidance is missing.
What do we hope to see, and feel, during the
performance? The scenario could read like this: "The match." A sporting
contest between two teams of eleven players who match their collective
skills to move a ball through the opponents' goal. The players use their
feet and any other part of the body, except arms or hands, to put the
ball through the goal. The team scoring the higher number of goals is
declared the winner. If no goals are scored, or the number is equal, the
match is drawn.
Within this simple résumé our hope is to witness a
sporting contest, played fairly, and to see the best team win (providing
that we have no bias to one team which may exclude this ideal!). We hope
to see exciting skills with the ball, athletic grace, intelligent
running and passing movements, pace, goals scored with panache. We will
feel emotions of suspense and drama as the play ebbs and flows. We will
participate, by voice and gesture, to express our likes or dislikes
about the performance. We will not know the result, or the heroes and
villains of the play, until the final curtain. We hope to leave the
soccer theatre satisfied with our moment of pleasure in sport and
counting the days to the next performance.
How long will fun last? Law 7
Kids don't need telling. They will escape from the
real world and play for hours until exhaustion overcomes enjoyment or
the boy who owns the ball decides to go home! Busy adults have to
program their lives and know when soccer can be fitted in. Early rules
made no mention of a time limit until the first representative match was
arranged between London (The F.A) and the Sheffield Association in 1866.
Both sides agreed a fixed timing; "Play to commence at 3 p.m. and
terminate at half past 4 p.m.".
The duration of 90 minutes play became the custom
but it was not until 1897 that it passed into the rulebook on approval
by the newly formed International F.A. Board, which has since determined
all matters of soccer law.
Today, it is not so easy to plan your after-soccer
life because the current Law 7 (Duration of the Match) provides for an
interval of up to 15 minutes plus allowances for all time lost through
substitutions; assessment of injuries; removal of injured players;
wasting time; and any other cause, at the complete discretion of the
Referee. In addition, some competition rules may require two further
periods if a clear result has not been achieved. Then there may be a
tiebreaker ceremony of kicks from the penalty mark, a much criticized
procedure which decided the winner of the 1994 World Cup Final. The
Brazilians were ecstatic but all Italy went into mourning due to one
unsuccessful kick.
How long will the performance last? As you see you
need to know something about the competition rules which may stretch
that "3 p.m. to half past 4 p.m." limit! Most games end after two
45-minute periods, plus the interval of 15 minutes and a few minutes of
time allowances. A total of nearly two hours but only count on about
half of this for live action. As previously explained, a moving ball is
the magnetic focal point of play. It dictates all action, challenging
players to show their skills in a duel as fascinating as the contest
between players for its possession. We want a non-stop performance, as
children do, but there are enforced interruptions which eat into those
90 minutes. An example; the 64 World Cup matches played in France 1998
averaged 62 min. 38 sec. of real action ball in play time.
Live ball - dead ball: Law 9
Every soccer match boils down to just two
elements. The ball is either in play - live ball, or is not - dead ball.
Law 9 (The Ball in and out of Play) is very brief. The ball is live
until either it crosses a boundary line or the game is stopped by the
Referee. It then becomes a dead ball.
It also says that the ball remains live if it
touches the Referee or Assistant Referees when they are on the field.
Effectively, the officials are considered equivalent to moving
goalposts! To bring a dead ball back to life depends on how it died! Six
of our 17 laws deal with revival processes to put it back into play
(No.8 and 13 to 17). Enforced stoppages can mount up to an average of
108 in World Cup matches and to 136 for junior amateur games. Why such a
wide difference?
Clearly, professionals have fewer problems keeping
the ball in play due, mainly, to larger and less exposed playing areas,
plus higher skill levels.
Match procedures: Laws 8
and 13 to 17
The curtain rises on a traditional ceremony to
decide the beginning of Act 1. Guided by Law 8 (The Start and Restart of
Play) the Referee calls together the two team leaders, known as captains
but not mentioned in the law book, and produces a coin. No question of
payment! A simple means of deciding the direction of play by tossing it.
The winning captain chooses which goal his side will attack.
The other side will have first kick at the ball,
the kick-off, from the center of the field unimpeded by their opponents
(the center-circle marked as in Law 1 is a clear reference line).
It is not a disadvantage to lose the toss because
a 1997 rule change allows the kicker to score by kicking the ball
directly into the opponents' goal. Quite possible on short fields of
play and/or against a sleepy goalkeeper! The other side has this chance
by kicking-off in Act 2. Whenever a goal is scored the play is restarted
with a kick-off taken by the team losing the goal. One condition, which
must be observed, is that the kicker is not allowed to touch the ball a
second time before it has touched another player. This frees the ball to
other players and is a condition common to all restarts.
Another method of restarting, seen about once
every ten matches, is for the Referee to drop the ball after play is
stopped for a serious injury or an unusual incident not covered by the
rules.
"GO - OO - OO - AA - LL - LL!"
- Law 10
A goal! Guaranteed to animate any match, bringing
tears of joy to one side and misery to the other. In the park the dog
might bark approval but for the big matches on TV whole nations will
rise to salute the hero of the moment. Law 10 describes "The Method of
Scoring" in four lines. It is a goal if 'the whole of the ball passes
over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar'
providing that the scoring team have not committed any offense in so
doing. Rather dull for an emotional highlight of the match...
Historically, goals were recorded by "scoring" a
notch in a goalpost with an axe. Today, after a team 'wins' a goal the
mark is "scored" in the Referee's notebook! The televisors would pay a
fortune to screen the old method! Frequent restarts are Free Kicks
(average 45 per match) awarded as a punishment for offenses, so they are
not free - for nothing!
Following the original 1863 definition, which
required the offending team to observe a 10 yards distance from the
ball, they are intended as free-from obstruction-kicks. Tension rises
when the free kick is near to goal as defending players employ delaying
tactics and form a wall to obstruct the kick. Law 13 (Free Kicks) allows
for a direct free kick, from which a goal may be scored if the ball goes
directly into the opposing goal, or an indirect free kick where the ball
must be touched by another player before a goal can be scored. The law
describes various procedures relating to the position of the kick e.g.,
inside or outside of a penalty area, special advice for goalkeepers and
sanctions if the rule is not correctly applied.
The Penalty Kick: Law 14
The plot takes a dramatic twist when the Referee
decides to stop play and restart with a penalty kick. The drama involves
a duel between two opponents, the kicker, and the goalkeeper, at 12
yards with a 90% chance of a score. One goal, a penalty kick, decided
the 1990 World Cup Final when Andreas Brehme converted for Germany
against Argentina, five minutes from the end of play.
At least half of the players and the audience
disagree with the decision and vent their feelings against the law
enforcer. The fact is that a defender has committed a serious offense
inside his team's penalty area.
Law 14 sets down the means of retribution chosen
in 1891 to punish abuses of the rules by professional players e.g.,
handling the ball to stop a goal. Gentleman amateurs ignored the rule,
as it implied a slur on their ethics of play, even to instructing the
goalkeeper to stand at a corner post and leaving the goal undefended.
Lawmakers countered, insisting he must be between the goalposts but
could advance up to six yards before the kick. However, as too many
penalties were frustrated, a 1905 rule placed the goalkeeper 'on his own
goal line until the ball is kicked'.
Twenty four years later, 'without moving his feet'
was inserted but this restriction was eroded over many years. When
illegal movement along the goal line became common practice, ignored by
referees at 70% of penalty kicks, the lawmakers accepted defeat and
omitted it from the 1997 rewrite. Today the goalkeeper must not advance
from his goal line but abuses are frequent.
Out of bounds: Laws 15-16-17
The action has to stop when the ball leaves the
stage. To get it back simply and quickly is the function of the last
three rules. The means are throw-ins from the touchlines and kicks from
the goal or corner areas.
Touchlines are so named from the 1863 rule which
awarded a throw-in to the team of the first player to touch the ball.
Reasonable then but it became dangerous when the first one-man audience
arrived on the scene with his dog who wanted to join in the scramble for
the ball! Better to give the ball to the opponents of the player who put
it out. Decided 1895, unchanged since.
The most frequent restart (80 recorded in one
amateur game), the throw-in must be taken from where the ball crossed
the line. If not, it is forfeited to the opposing team. Originally the
ball was thrown in with one hand, similar to the rugby method, at right
angles to the line. Later, the thrower could choose any direction. The
two-hand throw we see today was adopted in 1882 because some players had
developed great skill in throwing the ball unreasonably long distances.
William Gunn, an English international, could hurl the perfect sphere
the whole length of the field. Now, the thrower must face the field;
keep feet on or outside the touchline; deliver the ball with both hands
from behind and over the head in one movement. A goal cannot be scored
directly from a throw-in.
Three rules apply to the ball crossing the goal
line. When it goes through the goal legitimately the restart is a kick
off (Law 8) as already mentioned. Otherwise, it is a goal kick (Law 16),
or a corner kick (Law 17) depending on whether an attacking player or a
defender last touched the ball.
Goal kicks can be from 10 to 35 depending on game
level and conditions. The ball is kicked from anywhere inside the goal
area. Opponents remain outside the penalty area and the ball must leave
the penalty area to be in play. Another 1997 rule change allows a goal
to be scored if the ball goes directly into the other goal - a rare
possibility indeed.
Although corner kicks are less frequent (zero to
20) they are more dramatic, often leading to goals when the attacking
team mass several players in front of goal. The ball is kicked from the
nearest corner with opponents not nearer than 10 yards (aided by an
optional reference mark on the goal line introduced in 1995). A goal may
be scored direct from a corner kick.
The story so far
With actors and 'extras' in place "The Match" has
kicked off. We have studied the structure of the play; noted that
interruptions eat up nearly one third of "play time"; analyzed elements
common to all matches; described basic procedures to restart the action.
Some of these incite drama, others are routine. All contribute to the
scenario.
The purpose of each rule previously covered in
this series is clear. The components needed to start play (Laws 1 to 4);
control (Laws 5 and 6); procedures governing the ball in and out of
play, timing etc. (Laws 7 to 10, 13 to 17); all contribute to
understanding the desired conduct of play. Just two more complete the
scenario. Law 12, which prescribes physical and moral disciplines, will
be examined in the final article. Here, we look at Law 11 (Offside) and
explain why it is the most brilliant of all seventeen laws. As written,
Law 11 blandly sets down the elements to judge players liable to be in
an offside decision. It gives no clue as to its purpose so, why is it
there? The first point to make is that it is the only law which relates
to the positions of players when the ball is in play. It is concerned
with the tactics or strategy of play. Morally, to be offside is a form
of cheating. Kids understand this in their fun games. They do not like
the one who just stands close to the goalkeeper waiting to score easy
goals. They know nothing of the offside law but to them this attitude is
not fair play. The Eton College offside rule of 1862 shared this
philosophy viz. "A player is considered to be 'sneaking' when only three
or less opponents are before him..." In those days 'sneaking' was
undesirable social behavior committed by mean and worthless people.
Offside is for fair play! Morals apart, the law of Offside has an
enormous influence on practical play. How so? Because its presence has
shaped the game into the exciting world sport we enjoy today. Let's see
how...
Soccer is a team game where the efforts of a group
of individuals are combined to achieve an objective. This definition
applies to many other activities e.g., business, politics, medicine etc.
Each player is expected to contribute personal skills and help develop a
team spirit, a feeling of pride, loyalty, and comradeship which enables
people to work well together. The concept of teamwork and 'offside' is
not modern. Backtrack two thousand years when Roman generals organized
games of "harpastrum," a form of mock battle to train soldiers in
disciplined warfare. Equal forces attempted to capture a target by
moving a ball to and behind the enemy base line, employing physical
strength and tactics to outwit opponents. A basic strategy was for unity
in advancing behind the ball. Any soldier stranded in front of it was
considered off-the-strength of his unit (off-the-side/offside), out of
the battle (out-of-play), until returning behind the ball.
Fast forward to the 19th century. Several English
schools developed a rugby/soccer game from its ancestor, a rough street
version of "harpastrum." It retained Roman principles by including a
rule that players combine to advance behind the ball. Specifically, the
1856 Cambridge Rules stated, "No player is allowed to loiter between the
ball and the
adversaries' goal".
At Uppingham School a player was "...out-of-play
immediately he is in front of the ball and must return behind the ball
as soon as possible" (1860).
Tactical development
Because a player could not receive the ball from a
forward pass, a basic tactic was to obtain possession and pierce
defenses by dribbling the ball in chevron or diagonal formations. Some
players became famous for their dribbling skills. One, Reverend Vidal,
scored three goals without opponents touching the ball in a match where
the side winning a goal also restarted play in the center of the field!
Impossible today, but we can name many stars whose artistry on the
soccer stage has had us jumping from our seats.
A personal favorite is a man who became a legend
in his own time as a player and, later, as an ambassador for the game
worldwide. Crowned The Wizard of the Dribble, Sir Stanley Matthews
thrilled us during 34 years as a professional, from 16 to 50 years of
age, with Stoke City, Blackpool, and England. Lean in physique,
quicksilver in action, idolized by millions, Stan remained a shy, modest
man. Stan was a winger who knew how to play to the offside law. His role
was to take the ball past the defense to the goal line so that
supporting teammates could not be offside. A precise center to the head
of "Dixie" Dean or Tommy Lawton had defenses in panic every time.
The early dribbling game was not effective for
long. Defenses countered by descending en masse to smother the player in
possession. A more flexible version of offside, favored by Charterhouse
School and the colleges of Eton and Westminster, required any player to
have at least three opponents (i.e., four or more) between him and the
their goal line to avoid being "out-of-the-play". The Football
Association adopted this version in 1867. A brilliant decision which
opened up the game.
Until 1907 a player could be offside anywhere on
the field, even a few meters from his own goal line as applies in the
game of rugby today. A 1907 law change limited offside to the opponents'
half. Goal kicks and corner-kicks have been exempted from offside since
their inception (1863 and 1873) but a player could be offside from a
throw-in until 1921. Originally the ball was thrown-in at right angles
to the touchline and any player on the wrong side of the ball was
offside. From 1880 the ball could be thrown in any direction, providing
openings for attacking moves, but still subject to offside limitations.
The 1921 change has allowed attackers to be goalside of opponents at
throw-ins.
A thinking man's game
The foregoing law changes all favored attacking
play. Skillful dribblers found more space, combined passing raids on
goal could be planned. Players ahead of the ball had to think
intelligently about seeking space to receive the ball and reading
positions and movements of opponents. More exposed defenses were forced
to invent counter measures which included the beginnings of tight
man-marking still to be seen in modern soccer. soccer had graduated to a
thinking man's game.
Not all tactical thinking was positive. The
offside trap, whereby defenders simply stepped forward to leave
attackers in offside positions, was perfected to stifle long forward
passes and squeeze play into midfield. Quite legal, but unpopular, it
provoked many stoppages and blocked the fluidity of play. Billy
McCracken, a Newcastle United fullback, was a master of this move and
largely responsible for a change of just one word of soccer law which
sparked a revolution in tactical thinking. The change, adopted June
1925, required 'two' instead of 'three' opponents, between a player in
an offside position and the goalline, to avoid infringing the rule.
Attacking players could now be even more
adventurous, exploiting gaps in opposing defenses with lethal effect.
The immediate outcome was to increase goals scored in the Football
(Soccer) League from 4700 to 6373 in one season!
How to plug leaking defenses was the next
challenge. Enter Herbert Chapman who became manager of Arsenal in the
same year as the offside law change. Aclever tactician, Chapman
retreated his center-half in between the traditional two fullbacks. They
linked, via two halfbacks and two inside-forwards, to two raiding
wingers and a strong agile center forward (the so-called WM formation).
Chapman's success with Arsenal is legendary. He
provided a soccer crazy public with teams of highly talented players
with specialist skills, Alex James, Ted Drake, Cliff Bastin, Eddie
Hapgood, to mention a few. He led the revolution of tactical innovation,
inspiring following generations to devise an exciting game which
combines individual skills with intelligent team play.
In our theatre context we marvel at the
performances of the dribblers, their balance, control, daring challenges
and swift juggling acts with the ball, which mesmerize opponents. We
explode at the power of a thunderous shot or a headed ball compressed by
bony skull, zooming in on target. We are absorbed by the subtle play of
the 'midfield generals', receiving, controlling, stroking the ball to
turn defense into attack. Flying wingers, over-lapping backs, curling
corner-kicks, long throws, slick one-two passing moves, all make up the
ebb, and flow of our play The Match. Great theatre, this!
"Offside? Who? Me?" -
Law 11
OFFSIDE - LAW 11
Offside Position
It is not an offense in itself to be in an offside
position.
A player is in an offside position if...
...he is nearer to his opponents' goal-line than both the ball and
the second last opponent
A player is not in an offside position if...
...he is in his own half of the field of play
or
...he is level with the second to last opponent or
...he is level with the last two opponents
Offense
A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the
moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in
the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by...
...interfering with play
...interfering with an opponent
...gaining an advantage by being in that position
No Offense
There is no offside offence if a player receives the
ball directly from...
...a goal-kick or
...a throw-in or
...a corner-kick
Infringements/Sanctions
For any offside offence, the referee awards an indirect
free-kick to the opposing team to be taken from the place where the
infringement occured.
So, why does Offside cause such discord amongst
players and audiences? A Match will be stopped by the referee on average
six times to apply the offside law (World Cup analyses 1974 - 98). The
ball is transferred to opponents, turning the tide of play. There will
be groans and maybe protests from the attacking team; sighs of relief
from defenders. The law is not difficult and yet how can experienced
professionals be called for twenty offsides, as were England against
Kuwait (WC 1982)? How can a high goal scoring international be caught
eight times in another match? One or two are acceptable - but eight? Is
the law so complex? How can we help players to adapt their game to the
law?
The following could be a typical pre-match
discussion:
Player: "How can I avoid an offside call?"
Referee: "If you are goalside of the ball I
have to consider just two things. First, your position. You are in
an offside position if you have less than two opponents between you
and their goal line (fact). Second, if the ball is played in your
direction by a teammate, are you involved in active play or gaining
an advantage from your offside position?" (opinion).
A 1990 change exempts players level with the
second last or the last two defenders. A major concession on paper but
very difficult to judge with precision in fast moving play. Listen to
your coach... Coach: "We kill a chance to score and give the ball away
every time we're off-side. When you are ahead of the ball keep a sharp
eye on defenders - have at least two between you and their goal line. If
you can't avoid being in an offside position get back behind the ball
quickly or move out of the play zone to show the ref you are not
influencing play or gaining an advantage."
Applying the law
One source of dispute is that offside judgements
start at the moment the ball is played. Match officials concentrate on
this moment whereas others tend to follow the movement of the ball. The
nearest assistant referee judges when a player should be penalized for
offside and signals to the referee. However, the referee may have a
different opinion of the next active playing zone and whether an
advantage is gained. He may overrule the assistant. A rare situation but
within the true spirit of the law. Offside judgements can be complicated
when opposing players switch positions rapidly or an assistant is caught
out of line. Also, TV replays of big game incidents tend to magnify
negative aspects of interpretation, adding to offside controversy.
To change or not to change? That is often the
question. Offside controversy has provoked many suggestions to change
the law or even scrap it. Experiments for change have included limiting
offsides to the penalty areas (Watney Mann Cup 1971), or within a line
across the field at 18 yards (FIFA U-17 World Championship 1991,
Scottish League Cup 1973), or up to 35 yards from goal (NASL-USA 1968 -
84). The International Board were not convinced that the game would
benefit from any of these ideas.
The trend of changes over 150 years is to
encourage attack and goal scoring. Each change moves closer to the death
of the offside law. Mercifully, this is not on the immediate horizon.
What would become of those exciting dribblers, intelligent midfield
generals, overlapping backs, the beauty of the game as we enjoy it
today? Who knows, but the possibility of soccer becoming a series of
ping pong, up-and-under rushes from end to end, with basketball scores,
etc., would turn traditionalists in their graves.
A more positive way forward would be to help the
soccer world appreciate the vital role and effect of the offside law, to
show that the Game of soccer is better with it. To reduce errors of
judgement and controversy is a constant goal for match officials. New
methods of supervision may be necessary. The current trials with two
referees could point the way. [Webmaster's note: The "two" referee trials mentioned here were done
in Europe in 1999--no changes are contemplated at this time for amateur
youth matches.] We shall see...
The opening paragraph of this series asserts that
the presentation of soccer rules is incredibly dull if they are read as
written. A quick glance at Law 12, entitled Fouls and Misconduct,
reveals a dismal, joyless, picture of our sport, often described as the
Beautiful Game. Superficially, the law is concerned solely with crime
and punishment, listing physical actions committed against opponents
which may be interpreted, by the Referee, to be "careless, reckless or
using excessive force", "dangerous", "serious foul play", or "violent
conduct." No visions of beauty here, except for sadists! Recall what our
group of young players want from the rules: "We want the chance to play
well, without getting hurt and we want to enjoy ourselves."
How does Law 12 meet these simple needs? The charm
of the game lies in healthy physical confrontation tempered by a moral
code of sportsmanship and fair play. While the offside law has shaped
the intelligence of tactical play, as explained in the previous article,
Law 12 is the heart and soul of the game.
Soccer was chosen by 19th century higher
educationalists as a manly sport to build healthy bodies and to develop
character qualities of courage, self-discipline, responsibility and
justice, all worthy attributes needed in students preparing for
leadership in a nation's affairs. Later, the sport moved away from its
rough beginnings to a team game which encourages individual skills.
The current Law 12 stems from a decision taken at
the fifth meeting of The Football Association on 1 December 1863. A
three-hour discussion centered on a proposal to delete Law10 of a
preliminary set of laws intended to produce a final interpretation of
physical play. It read: 10. If any player shall run with the ball
towards his adversaries goal, any player on the opposite side shall be
at liberty to charge, hold, trip or hack him, or to wrest the ball from
him, but no player shall be held and hacked at the same time.
Hacking, defined as, "kicking an adversary on the
front of the leg, below the knee," was supported by those who considered
it, and the other quoted actions, to be part of the struggle and courage
of play. Opponents wanted brutal elements removed to avoid losing
interest in the game among professional people who could not risk
serious injuries, a telling argument which won the day. The accepted
version read: 10. Neither tripping nor hacking shall be allowed and no
player shall use his hands to hold or push an adversary.
The proponents of the rough style resigned from
The Football Association and set up the Rugby Union. Ironically, it was
the chief advocate of hacking, representing the Blackheath Club, who
eventually had it banned from the handling game!
Law 12 - fouls and misconduct
The 1863 ruling banned four physical acts from
play: tripping, kicking, holding, and pushing an opponent. In addition
to reducing the risk of injury, players found greater freedom to express
individual skills within the team game. In effect, the new law helped
them to play well, with more protection and potential for enjoyment -
the three elements desired by young players today.
As stated in our first article, early laws were
silent on moral behavior in a sport invented for men of breeding.
Lifestyles and ethics have changed, as reflected in Law 12 which
includes sanctions of offenses against an undefined code of moral
conduct.
Today, crimes against the intended method of
physical play, or infringing moral obligations, are regulated by four
degrees of punishment: free kick - direct, for penal offenses: free kick
- indirect, for minor or technical offenses; caution, a formal warning
against further misconduct; dismissal; exclusion from the match.
To simplify explanation we look at the law in
three parts, penal offenses, technical offenses, and misconduct.
Penal offenses
The first part of the law lists ten offenses
sanctioned by a direct free kick. Any of these becomes a penalty kick
offense if committed by a defending player within his team's penalty
area. Law 14 describes the procedures for penalty kicks. Six of the ten
include the tripping, kicking and pushing actions banned 136 years ago.
How are they judged? In play any player has the
right to challenge an opponent for possession of the ball. Opponents
have the same right. Challenges often involve physical contact which is
acceptable (fair) or unacceptable (unfair), all part of a virile sport.
Until 1996 referees were instructed to read the
"intention" of a player to differentiate between fair an unfair actions.
Today, interpretation depends more on what each referee understands as
the intended method of play, a variable factor at the root of many
differences of opinion.
The law requires the referee to penalize actions
he considers to be "careless, reckless or using excessive force."
Dictionary definitions are unhelpful to instant interpretation. In
practice, the three terms fuse into one simple category of "unfair
play." How do referees recognize unfair play?
Most match officials have played soccer, some
still do. Having been at the receiving end (or the originator) of unfair
tripping, kicking, charging, pushing etc., they know instinctively when
an action is careless, reckless or involves excessive force. No time to
refer to a dictionary, the action is either acceptable (fair) or
unacceptable (unfair): the referee must decide whether to play on or
stop. This has the merit of judging actions which may not be within the
three qualifications of the law. For example, a sly nudge to put an
opponent off the ball could not be interpreted as a push committed
carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force, but it is clearly
unfair and deserves punishment.
Of the next four direct free kick offenses,
holding an opponent or spitting at him are clearly unacceptable but the
offense of "tackling an opponent to obtain possession of the ball which
involves contact with an opponent before touching the ball", needs a few
words. It is
intended to eliminate the challenge from behind which grew from a subtle
touch, to warn a player in possession that an opponent was close behind,
to horrendous collisions to destroy skillful play.
Example of tackle from behind
considered
as Serious Foul Play - Dismissal - Red card.
For nearly 30 years the International FA Board has
appealed to players and referees to rid the game of this practice. It
was officially outlawed in 1999 by an International Board decision
requiring offenders to be dismissed.
Some progress is being made. Defenders are more
cautious, skills of exciting players more evident, but the problem has
not gone away. The full potential of talented players has yet to be
liberated. When it is, soccer will really bloom with artistry and grace.
Nine of the ten penal offenses concern actions
against opponents. The tenth, handling the ball, offends the basic
method of play decided in 1863 which put it on a different path to the
rugby game.
Technical offenses
Eight actions are named, less serious than penal
offenses, which incur an indirect free kick award. Five are aimed at
goalkeepers, who have caused much head-shaking in recent years by
abusing the almost total physical protection accorded since the days
when they were the target of deadly assaults by onrushing opponents.
Effectively, the ball is unplayable once in the
goalkeeper's hands. To keep the game flowing, the five offenses
encourage quick release by restricting possession and touching the ball
with the hands. The latter excludes handling when the ball is
deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper, or thrown from touch, by a
teammate (introduced in 1992 and 1997 respectively). Both restrictions
have reduced boring defensive tactics and improved open play.
Playing in a dangerous manner, e.g. kicking at the
ball close to an opponent's head and two actions of impeding opponents,
complete this group.
Misconduct
In soccer, misconduct is unacceptable behavior
which offends an unwritten code of morals for the sport. As already
observed, the early gentlemen players thought it unnecessary to remind
their peers of moral responsibilities. Recognizing changing times and
attitudes, FIFA promotes a Code of Conduct comprising ten positive
actions for the good of the game. It appeals for fair play, respect for
participants and invites co-operation to safeguard the sport from evils
of modern life. The code is not (yet) included in the rulebook.
In the misconduct section of Law 12, headed
Disciplinary Sanctions, we have general and specific offenses which
breach the moral code. Seven incur a caution against further misconduct
and another seven require offenders to be sent off. The first
cautionable offense of unsporting behavior really takes in the six which
follow e.g., dissent against a referee's decision, persistently breaking
the laws, delaying the restart of play, entering or leaving the field
without the referee's permission. To combat a recent trend of cheating,
Decision 6 of this law requires referees to treat any action to deceive
them by simulating unfair play as unsporting behavior. The term covers
many other actions, too numerous to list, which offend the spirit and/or
the letter of the laws according to the judgement of the referee.
The ultimate punishment of dismissal from a match
is applied for acts of serious foul play, violent conduct, offensive or
abusive language, spitting at an opponent or another person, and when a
second cautionable offense is committed. Finally, two 1991 Decisions
concerning denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring
opportunity, either by physical means or deliberately handling the ball,
are now included in the law.
One other rarely mentioned crime, which is not in
the laws but can invoke serious punishment, is that of "bringing the
game into disrepute." It usually applies to incidents off the field of
play which damage or taint the honor and prestige of the whole sport.
Examples include derogatory comments expressed in public by
administrators, coaches, players, club or match officials; unseemly
personal behavior connected with soccer; drug abuse; fixing matches,
etc. Punishments can be heavy fines, suspensions, or permanent exclusion
from the game. Such is the nature of misconduct in soccer.
Those colored cards
All soccer people are familiar with the sight of a
referee showing a colored card after an incident. Yellow for caution,
red for (send) off. Originally conceived by Ken Aston (when chairman of
the FIFA Referees' Committee at the 1966 World Cup) to reduce language
barriers between officials and players, they first appeared in the
opening match of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. No red cards were seen
during the 32-match tournament but the yellow came out for 45 offenses
to signify cautions.
The card system spread throughout soccer, becoming
mandatory in a 1993 amendment to Law 12. How times have changed! In the
1950s a formal caution was considered disgraceful to the point where The
Football Association selection committee for international matches
refused to consider players having received just one caution. Today,
cards are evident in practically every match. Over 2,300 were displayed
in last season's FA Premier League!
To complete the tri-color traffic signals code, a
green card is sometimes displayed to permit medical officials to enter
the field to examine seriously injured players. This is not yet applied
universally.
Of referees and coaches -
Laws 5 - 6
The dictionary definition of a referee, as "a
person to whom a matter in dispute is referred for decision," was
appropriate in soccer until 1973 when his duty, "to decide disputed
points," was deleted from Law 5. It was finally recognized that the law
enforcer's role and responsibilities had evolved to cover all aspects of
an organized game. In effect, today's official is an operating agent of
soccer authority with wide powers on and off the field of play.
More like a superintendent: one who is in charge
of an activity, who manages, directs and controls with authority.
Volunteers all, referees are expected to be
dedicated experts on the game and its rules, to be available, always at
peak physical form, and prepared to withstand much abuse in their
service for soccer. Our sport could not be so enjoyable without them.
Hats off to all ladies and gentlemen of the whistle!
The coach also has a special role. For 130 years,
coaching play from the touchlines was banned because players were
expected to make their own game, with skills and mistakes, free from
outside interference. Since 1993, Decision 2 of Law 3 allows the coach
to convey tactical instructions to the players during the match. Two
conditions apply; coaches are confined to a specific location and must
behave in a responsible manner.
Both constraints are not easy for emotionally
involved coaches who stretch limits to influence a good result for their
teams. TV cameras capture the performances of both players and coaches
to add spice to armchair entertainment.
Laws or Rules?
The title to this series, and many comments in the
text, refer to the rules of the game. Most sports are governed by rules
but soccer has retained its traditionally styled "laws" from 1863. Why
they were so labeled is unclear. It was probably to differentiate them
from the rules of newborn Football Association being formulated at the
same time.
Here, the choice of "rules" is deliberate, not to
disrespect tradition but to accept common usage and aid comprehension.
From experience of teaching the game, the mention
of laws is an immediate barrier to motivating interest. They are more
associated with civil obligations than with the conduct of a popular
sport.
It was not until 1997 that the outmoded offense of
ungentlemanly conduct was replaced by the more appropriate unsporting
behavior. Taking soccer, The Game of the 20th Century, into the next
millennium could be an appropriate
occasion to update the Laws of the Game to The Rules of Soccer.
Theatres of dreams
Our analogy of soccer and the theatre shows that
the game brings color and passion into the workaday lives of millions, a
chance to dream in theatres of dreams. Such theatres encircle the world,
be they in the form of a farmer's humble cow-patch or the awesome
tradition-soaked Wembley Stadium. They all stage a unique play, the
match, performed to one script. No two performances are identical but
all promise a heady cocktail of excitement, suspense, comedy, drama,
even tragedy.
That a simple game can unite people of all ages,
races, creeds, classes, and political beliefs in a healthy pastime must
relate to the rules which govern its conduct.
This series has analyzed the 17 rules to expose
content, purpose, intelligence and wisdom imbedded within their formal
words. As a yardstick we asked young players what they want and were
told equality, safety, and enjoyment.
Questioning each rule we have seen how these
simple features are included from early principles, through evolution to
meet changing circumstances to arrive at today's exposition. Hats off to
the 1863 authors and subsequent generations of scriptwriters!
May future legislators be guided by the wishes of
our young players, to help them play well, without getting hurt, so that
we and our successors may continue to enjoy, in the words of the
Brighton College song, "the most perfect game of the perfect sphere".
Yes, Soccer Rules really are brilliant!
Copyright © 1999 -
Fédération
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
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