World Cup Corner

Rules of world cup soccer are much the same as they are for football with a few exceptions. We will start with telling you about the playing field for the games. The playing field can be a minimum of a hundred yards and a maximum of a hundred and thirty with the width of the field from 50 to 100 yards. Markings are on the ends are “goal lines”, sidelines and a half way line on each of the fields. On the ends of each field are penalty and goal areas. There is a goal post on each end, which measures 8 yards by 8 feet high with a net behind it.

Now, about the actual playing of the game. Each team wants to make more goals than the other team. A goal is when the ball ends up between the goal posts under the cross bar by being kicked or hit by the head of the team member. The ball used in the game is 27 inches by 28 inches.

There are 11 men on each team and 2 teams go compete against each other. The goalkeeper can move around the field.

Defensive players consist of:
Left full back
Right full back
Center back
Center back / Sweeper

Then there are usually 4 midfielders consisting of:
Right winger
Left winger
Defensive midfielder
Attacking midfielder

The forwards round up the team:
Striker
Forward

Of course there are several variations to positions such as box to box midfielders or midfielder/forward, but in a typical 4-4-2 formation, the above holds true.

A referee and two linesmen call the plays of the game.

The game consists of forty-five minute halves with a one-minute intermission between halves at which time the teams switch ends. A coin is flipped by the team captains at the beginning of the game for their choice of goal or kickoff. The game starts with a kick from the center of the field by the center forward and he usually kicks to one of his closest team members. Kicking, heading, or blocking the ball with ones body is how they manipulate the ball. There are few exceptions where the use of their hands are allowed: If the ball goes across the touchline a player may pick it up and throw it back on to the field, also the goal keeper may pick it up when it comes into his penalty area. He can only carry the ball four steps and then he has to kick or throw the ball to his teammate. They dribble by short little kicks. The long one and out of bounds is used as well.
The following are forbidden:

Tripping
Pushing
Holding
Blocking
Any type of body contact

When any of these offenses occur then the other team gets a free direct or indirect kick, depending on the penalty. If it is an indirect kick then the ball has to be touched by someone other than the kicker before a goal can be scored.

There is only one complicated rule, which is an offensive player, is offside if he is closer to the goal line than the ball at the moment his teammate starts to pass to him, unless there are two defensive players between him and the goal post.

The rules are so simple for soccer that it is understood and appreciated worldwide.
It was not until they started the world Cup competitions has it been as appreciated. World-renowned author Anthony Burgess stated his opinion of the world cup soccer competition as: “the only international language, apart from sex.”

If you still cannot get enough of World Cup soccer then you can always buy the Nintendo game: Nintendo World Cup. The game was released in 1999. You have to be well liked to end up as a Nintendo game.