1. No Hands,
please
I bet you knew that one. Most people who
know nothing about soccer still know that you aren’t
supposed to use your hands unless you’re the goalie.
A couple of points to clarify.
First, the rule for a hand ball includes
using any part of the body from the tips of the fingers to
the shoulder.
Second, the proper way to look at this
soccer rule is that a player cannot “handle” the ball. A
ball that is kicked and hits a player’s hand or arm is not a
hand ball. This means that the referee must use his or her
own judgment to some extent in determining whether or not a
hand ball is accidental contact or a purposeful attempt to
gain an advantage.
Believe it or not, there is also a situation
in which the goalie cannot use his/her hands. This is
sometimes called the back-pass rule. Goalkeepers cannot pick
up a pass that came directly from one of their teammates. In
this case, the goalkeeper must use his feet. Infraction of
this soccer rule will result in an indirect kick from the
point of the infraction.
2. Throw-ins
A throw-in is taken when the ball crosses a
sideline and leaves the field. The two basic soccer rules
for a proper throw-in are to have both feet on the ground
and to throw the ball with both hands over the head.
For teaching purposes it is common to allow
players under the age of 8 to take more than 1 attempt.
3. Corner
Kicks & Goal Kicks
A corner kick or goal kick is taken when the
ball leaves the field across the endline – you know, the end
of the field.
If the offensive team kicks it out, play is
restarted with a goal kick. If the defensive team kicks it
out, play is restarted with a corner kick.
The goal kick is taken from anywhere inside
the “goalie box” as it is affectionately called. It can be
taken by any player, not just the goalkeeper.
The corner kick is taken from – yes, you
guessed it – the corner nearest to where the ball left the
field.
You may be confused at times in youth soccer
games to see a goal kick retaken. This is because the FIFA
soccer rules state that the ball is not back “in play” until
it leaves the penalty area, the large box outside of the
“goalie box”. No one can touch the ball until it leaves the
penalty area, and if the ball is not kicked properly to
leave the area, the kick must be retaken.
4. Fouls
The
common rule of thumb on fouls is “If it looks like a foul,
it probably is.”
Too true. A player cannot kick, trip, jump
at, charge, strike, push, hold, or spit at an opponent.
So what’s the problem?
Soccer can be a physical, contact sport when
two opposing players both want the soccer ball and no parent
likes it when little Johnny loses the ball and ends up on
the ground!
“Foul!” cries the parent. “Little
Johnny was pushed!”
What you need to know as a parent is that
bumping or going shoulder-to-shoulder while competing for a
ball is not a foul until the hands or elbows come up.
This is a bit of a judgment call and not all referees will
call it the same way. Some soccer rules are actually not
black-and-white.
Remember though, the referee is ALWAYS
right.
5. Direct and
Indirect Free Kicks
The simple difference between the two is
this: On a direct kick you can score by kicking the ball
directly into the goal. On an indirect kick you
cannot score. An indirect kick must be touched by another
player before it can go into the goal – that is the kicker
and a second person.
As a parent on the sideline, you can tell
whether the kick is direct or indirect by looking at the
referee. For an indirect kick, the referee will hold one arm
straight up in the air until the second person touches the
ball. No arm up, it’s a direct kick.
There are many soccer rules around what
causes a direct or indirect kick.
In general, a direct kick comes from a
contact foul or hand ball. Everything else is indirect.
6. Penalty
Kick
A penalty kick results from a contact foul
or hand ball by the defending team within the penalty area –
the large box on either end of the field. So it’s a type of
direct kick also.
The ball is placed on the penalty spot, 12
yards in front of the center of the goal.
All players must remain outside the penalty
area and the penalty arc until the ball is kicked. The
goalkeeper must have both feet on the goal line until the
ball is kicked.
If after the ball is kicked, it rebounds off
of the goal or the keeper and stays on the field, the ball
is “live” and anyone can play it.
7. Two-touch
Rule
A player cannot touch the ball twice in a
row when putting the ball in play. You will see this called
many times in youth soccer. It applies everywhere. You will
see it frequently on kick-offs or direct and indirect kicks.
If a kid barely hits the ball and decides to take another
swipe at it, that is a two-touch.
This also applies to throw-ins. A kid cannot
throw the ball in and then kick it. Nope. No way. No can do.
8. Yellow and
Red Cards
This is the way punishment is given in
soccer. The FIFA soccer rules give the guidelines for when
to give a yellow card to a player and when to give a red
card. I’m not going to get into the specifics here.
If a player is given two yellow cards in the
same game, that is equal to a red card. A red card can be
given at any time without the player first receiving a
yellow card. When a player gets a red card, they must leave
the game and their team must play short. An ejected player
cannot be replaced.
9. Offside
I decided to leave the best for last.
This is without a doubt the least understood
rule by parents and coaches alike.
Check your local league soccer rules first.
There’s a good chance that this rule won’t be called for the
U8 or younger teams. You may be off the hook for now.
However, if you are a U8 or U6 coach you still need to know
this rule so you can begin teaching your players not to be
offside.
The first thing to know is that you cannot
be offside on a corner kick, goal kick, or throw-in. Don’t
ask me why. Just accept it and go on. The explanation is too
long.
Also, it is not an offense for a player to
be in an offside position. The player must be involved in
active play as determined by the referee to be called
offside.
As quoted from the FIFA soccer rules:
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.
Clear yet? I didn’t think so.
Try this. An offensive or attacking player
can’t be ahead of the ball and involved in the play unless
there is a defender between him and the goalkeeper. Or, you
can’t hang out at the other team’s goal waiting for the
ball.
A few other buts. You can’t be offside if
you are standing on your half of the field. Also, the
offside rule applies when the ball is kicked,
not when the player receives the ball.
