The game

A standard football match is 90 minutes made up of two 45-minutes halves. In the mid of the game, there is a 15-minute break known as 'half-time'.

The game starts from the center spot with a toss of coin which is used to determine who starts kick. The toss also used to decide on the side a team would like to attack or defend on at the start of the game.

When a decision of the match must be decided in case of a draw after the 90 minutes play time and the referee’s added time, the teams play for a 30 minutes game with two-15 minutes halves which have a break of 5 minutes.

If after this the game ends in a tie, shootouts are used to break the tie.

In a penalty shootout, each team has five shots, and the team that makes more successful kicks is declared the victor. The fifth penalty is usually seen as the most important one, as it can be the most decisive.

The game is governed by 17 laws.

17 Laws of Football

•   Law 1: The Field of Play

•   Law 2: The Ball

•   Law 3: The Number of Players

•   Law 4: The Players’ Equipment

•   Law 5: The Referee

•   Law 6: The Assistant Referees

•   Law 7: The Duration of the Match

•   Law 8: The start and restart of play

•   Law 9: Ball in and out of play

•   Law 10: The Method of Scoring

•  Law 11: Offside

•   Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct

•   Law 13: Free kicks (direct and indirect)

•   Law 14: The Penalty Kick

•   Law 15: The Throw-in

•   Law 16: The Goal Kick

•   Law 17: Corner kick

Fouls in football

What are the 9 major fouls in football?

They are also referred to as the 9 penal fouls and they include:

i.              Handling the ball

ii.              Kicking an opponent intentionally

iii.               Striking an opponent intentionally

iv.               Tripping an opponent intentionally

v.              Holding an opponent

vi.               Grasping an opponent intentionally

vii.               Pushing an opponent intentionally

viii.                Charging

ix.               Obstructing an opponent intentionally

Fouls depending on the area of occurrence may lead to an indirect or a direct kick towards the goal of the team whose player committed it.

Direct free kick

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

•   charges

•   jumps at

•   kicks or attempts to kick

•   pushes

•   strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)

•   tackles or challenges

•   trips or attempts to trip

If an offence involves contact it is penalized by a direct free kick or penalty kick.

Carelessness is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed

Recklessness is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned. – Yellow card or verbal warning is given.

Using excessive force is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off – Red card is awarded

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:

·         a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)

·         holds an opponent

·         impedes an opponent with contact

·         bites or spits at someone on the team lists or a match official

·         throws an object at the ball, opponent or match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object

Indirect Free Kick

An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, commits any of the following offences:

i.              controls the ball with the hand/arm for more than six seconds before releasing it

ii.              touches the ball with the hand/arm after releasing it and before it has touched another player

iii.               touches the ball with the hand/arm after:

a.        it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate

b.        receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate

A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball with the hand(s) when:

i.             the ball is between the hands or between the hand and any surface (e.g. ground, own body) or by touching it with any part of the hands or arms except if the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper or the goalkeeper has made a save

ii.             holding the ball in the outstretched open hand

iii.              bouncing it on the ground or throwing it in the air Throw in and corner kick

A throw-in is awarded to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball when the whole of the ball passes over the touchline, on the ground or in the air. A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in: if the ball enters the opponents' goal – a goal kick is awarded.

If the ball enters the thrower’s goal, a corner kick is awarded.

At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower must: stand facing the field of play, have part of each foot on the touchline or on the ground outside the touchline, throw the ball with both hands from behind and over the head from the point where it left the field of play.

A corner kick is used in restarting play in a game when the ball goes out of play over the goal line, without a goal being scored and having last been touched by a player of the defending team

Common terms used in football

All ball

This is said when a player attempts to tackle the ball, and connects with the ball rather than the player’.

Back of the net

A commentator favorite to describe the ball crossing the line and hugging the net, in other words, a goal

Ball-to-hand

The claim that the contact between the hand and the ball is inadvertent, therefore it shouldn’t warrant a free kick.

 Bicycle kick

The movement by a player where they jump up, throw both feet in the air and hit the ball in a pedaling motion to send the ball in the opposite direction they’re facing. Also known as the overhead kick.

 Boot it

An instruction given by the teammates of a player for them to kick the ball with full power to get it away.

 Box-to-box player

A player that can successfully play both sides (defensive and offensive) of the game.

  Brace

A word to describe the achievement of a player that scores two goals in one game.

Hat-trick

Refers to three scores by a single player in a match.

Chip shot

A shot that is kicked from underneath the ball to provide some arc for it to go over the opponent.

Class act

A player/manager that deserves praise especially with their attitude and manners off the field.

Clean sheet

The accolade a team/goalkeeper earns when a full game is played without conceding a goal.

Cleats

The plastic or metallic bumps on the sole of football shoes. Also used for the shoes themselves.

Clinical finish

A top notch shot that leads to a goal. The scorer of this goal is called the clinical finisher.

Cracker

A breathtaking football match or an outstanding goal, mainly from a long distance.

 Dive

The exaggerated falling move of a player to deceive the referee in order to win their team a foul call.

 Dummy run

An off-the-ball run made by an offensive player to create space for his teammate with the ball. Used to trick opponents by pretending to move towards the ball.

Feint / Flip Flap

The dribbling of the ball in one direction after faking the dribble in the other direction with a bogus body movement. Also known as the snakebite for being resembling a snake’s agile attack on its prey.

 First-time ball

Transferring the ball to a teammate with one single touch when a pass is received.

 Flick-on

A move where the offensive player hits a moving ball with their foot or head when it’s passing by them without controlling it first.

Game of two halves

        A cliché that commentators resort to when a match has consisted of two halves with huge

disparities in character and score.

 Hard man

         A player notorious for their tough, physical, and assertive style of football.

  Hoof

Purposelessly kicking the ball towards the opposite goal with power.

 Hospital ball

A reckless pass that’s within reach of two players from opposing teams that can give rise to injuries.

 Howler

An inexplicable mistake by a player that generally proves costly.

 Hug the line

The instruction given to wing players to stay closer to sidelines, especially when dribbling forward.

In his/her pocket

Refers to one player having dominated an opposition player.

Lost the dressing room

A phrase to describe a situation in which the manager has lost control over and the respect of the players.

 Man on

The loud cry to inform a teammate with the ball that an opponent is approaching or dangerously close by.

  Midfield anchor

A reliable defensive midfielder with the primary assignment of staying close to the defensive line and nipping attacks in the bud.