Understanding soccer rules is vital if you want to play soccer, enjoy watching it, or bet on the sport on platforms like SBOBET. Soccer or football is the world’s most popular sport, with approximately 4 billion fans. The basic rules are consistent across the globe, but football rules may vary slightly with the level of play.
Let’s explore some of the game’s rules that could help sports betting fans and aspiring players alike get more out of their next match.
The Ball
The only piece of equipment in football is the ball, most recognizable as a spherical object made of leather or other similar material. The circumference needs to range from 27 to 28 inches, but this size only applies to officially sanctioned matches. Other matches may use smaller balls, especially in children’s football leagues.
The Number of Players
A football match involves two teams of 11 players, including the team’s goalkeeper. The game cannot proceed if a team has less than seven players at match time. It is possible to find teams with fewer than 11 players in youth leagues, as these settings often use smaller teams as a developmental tool.
Unless it is a friendly match, FIFA-sanctioned matches only allow for three substitutions per match. The referee must approve the substitution, and the replacement may only enter the field of play at the halfway line after the other player has left the pitch.
Scoring
The ball needs to go into the opponent’s goal for a team to score, and it only counts if the entire ball travels over the goal line. Players can score a goal with any body part, apart from the hand or arm up to the shoulder. The goal post comprises an 8-foot-high, 8-yard-wide frame, typically with a net.
Match Duration
The official duration of a football game is 90 minutes. It splits into two halves of 45 minutes each, with a halftime break of 15 minutes between. Some games end in extra time, an exciting feature for sports betting purposes.
In situations where there must be a winner if the game ends in a tie, the match officials will add two extra periods of 15 minutes each with no breaks. If this extra time ends in a tie, the players go for a penalty shootout until there is a winner.
Winning the Game
How does a team win a football game? They need to score more goals than the opponent. If both sides have the same number of goals at the end of 90 minutes, the game ends as a draw. If there must be a winner, there will be extra time and possibly, a penalty shootout.
In football, it is particularly important that players refrain from using their hands on the ball. Only the goalkeeper can do this within the 18-yard box.
The Offside Rule
The offside rule ensures that no player hangs around the opponent’s goal waiting for an opportune pass. The match officials can call the offside when an attacking player is in front of the last defender as teammates pass to them. Players need to position themselves behind the last defender to avoid an offside call from the referee, which will award a free kick to the opponents.
Final Thoughts
Soccer or football is more exciting when you understand the rules. The basic rules are all you need to feel like part of the crowd, especially if you want to take your turn on sports betting platforms like SBOBET.