| Outside of the United States, the game of | | | | referee on the pitch and two further |
| soccer is regarded as the most popular sport | | | | officials known as linesman on either side of |
| in the world. Many of the top teams and top | | | | the pitch. |
| soccer players attract huge admiration from | | | | |
| millions of fans and boast huge multi million | | | | If a player attempts to take the ball from an |
| dollar salaries. | | | | opponent but misses and instead makes contact |
| | | | with the player, the referee will regard this |
| The Rules of the Game: Soccer is very simple | | | | as a foul and stop the game and award a free |
| to understand. Each team can field eleven | | | | kick to the fouled team. Dependent up on the |
| players at any one time and they can make | | | | severity of the foul, the referee can issue |
| substitutions at any point in a game. The | | | | the player with either a yellow or a red |
| number of changes is dependent on the league, | | | | card. |
| but in the current era three substitutions is | | | | |
| the accepted norm across the leagues. | | | | A yellow card indicates to the player that |
| | | | they risk being issued with a red card later |
| A game of soccer will last for two separate | | | | in the game. The red card indicates that the |
| periods, each lasting forty-five minutes. The | | | | player must leave the game immediately. In |
| time between the periods is called half-time | | | | these circumstances they are not allowed to |
| and lasted for approximately ten minutes. | | | | return for the remainder of the game. |
| | | | |
| Each team defends one half of the pitch in | | | | On each side of the pitch the defense |
| order to prevent the opposing team from | | | | protects the goal. Directly in front of the |
| scoring a goal in the net at the end of the | | | | goal is a marked rectangular area. If the |
| pitch. Soccer coaches have developed various | | | | referee deems that a foul has occurred in |
| methods to create ways to improve the | | | | this area by a member of the defense, a |
| offensive and defensive tactics of the game. | | | | penalty kick is awarded. When this occurs, a |
| | | | member of the offense is given the |
| Generally modern teams will defend the goal | | | | opportunity to score a goal against the |
| using four defenders and a player who | | | | opposition goalkeeper without the defense |
| protects the goal, known as the goal keeper. | | | | able to assist. |
| Offensively, the coach selects four players | | | | |
| in midfield and two strikers to create and | | | | Finally, perhaps the most confusing law is |
| score the goals. | | | | the offside rule. At its simplest |
| | | | interpretation, an offensive player cannot be |
| With the exception of the goal keeper, the | | | | ahead of the defense as the play develops. |
| players can not handle the ball. Instead, | | | | This is regarded as attempting to gain an |
| good play is developed by passing the ball in | | | | unfair advantage and if seen by any of the |
| various ways to attempt to breach the | | | | referees will result in a free kick for the |
| opponent's defense. Goal scoring is low in | | | | defense. |
| the professional soccer game with most | | | | |
| matches decided by just one or two goals. | | | | This rule is responsible for many of the |
| | | | debates and controversies that surround the |
| There is a lot of terminology used during a | | | | game of soccer. The referee's interpretation |
| game of soccer that is very specific. To the | | | | ultimately can decide who wins a game. At |
| casual viewer this can appear confusing. The | | | | present, despite calls to introduce video |
| most important factor to consider is | | | | technology to assist the officials nothing |
| discipline. The game is mediated by one | | | | has been forthcoming. |