Soccer is one of, if not the most popular sport in the world. The sport has over 3.5 billion fans spread around the globe. More than 250 million people play soccer.
All sports including MLB lines and soccer odds, have rules that guide players on how to play and make it safe for everyone. This article will look at the six basic rules involved in playing the soccer game.
Duration of a Match
A soccer match is played for a standard time of 90 minutes. The game is divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. After the first half, the game is stopped for 15 minutes for the players and referees to have some rest.
There is added time for each half after the elapse of 45 minutes. The referee decides the number of minutes to add depending on when the game was not in play due to substitutions and injuries.
If the outcome is a draw after the standard 90 minutes and a winner must be determined, 30 minutes are added for the teams to play. They play in two parts of 15 minutes each. The game proceeds to penalty shoot-outs if the outcome is still a draw.
In soccer, betting odds are set for 90 minutes which is different from MLB odds.
Teams
In a soccer game, two teams of 11 players each play against each other. Each team has one goalkeeper. A match can begin if seven players are on either side. If any team has less than seven players, the game is canceled.
During the game, a team can have a maximum of 3 substitutions. The substitution rule is that the player coming in must wait for the substituted one to get out of the field.
If the goalkeeper becomes incapacitated, they can be replaced by another goalkeeper from the substitutes. Otherwise, any player on the field can take up the goalkeeper’s role.
No Use of Hands
Players are not allowed to touch the ball when the game is in play. If a player other than the goalkeeper touches the ball with any part of the hand from the fingers to the shoulder, it is a handball and earns the opponents a free-kick. It will be a penalty kick if the foul is committed in the penalty box.
The only time a player uses their hands is during a throw-in. A team earns a throw-in when an opponent player kicks the ball and crosses the sideline. Another exception is when a free kick is not awarded. This is when an opponent kicks the ball to hit a player’s hand.
Goals and Corner Kicks
A team scores a goal when the game is in play, and the ball crosses the opponent team’s goal line into the goal post. The ball could be hit by the offending or the defending player.
When the ball crosses the goal line, but outside the goal post, it will become a corner kick for the offending team if the defending team’s player kicked the ball. If the offensive player kicked the ball, it becomes a goal kick for the defending team.
Putting the Ball in Play
The game kicks off at the center of the field. This is after a coin toss between the teams. The team that wins the toss chooses between the side they would wish to start playing from and whether they can be the ones to kick off the play.
Every time a goal is scored, the ball is taken to the center of the field to be started by the team that conceded the goal.
A primary rule for the player putting the ball into play is that they cannot touch the ball before another player touches it. It is called the two-touch rule.
Fouls and Misconducts
A team is awarded a free kick if an opponent player commits one of the prohibited offenses during gameplay. Depending on the committed offense, the player can be shown a yellow card as a warning or a red card to leave the pitch.
Some of the prohibited fouls are, a player cannot:
-tackle an opponent,
-push an opponent,
-kick an opponent,
-spit at an opponent,
-hold an opponent,
-jump at an opponent, and
-delay the restart of a play, among others.
Any of these fouls can earn the opponent team a penalty kick if committed in the penalty box.
Conclusion
All sports have rules to make them fun and safe and give a level playing ground for all players. Soccer, unlike MLB spreads, has many regulations for players, referees, and coaches. This article has discussed only the six basic soccer rules. It is advisable to research further to learn about the other rules not in this article.
