SOCCER CARDS

SOCCER CARDS INFORMATION!

There are 2 colors of "cards" which the referee will hold up to indicate serious fouls or behavior which won't be tolerated. He carries these cards in his shirt pocket, so if he reaches for his pocket it's a bad sign for the player who committed the foul. These cards are about the size of a playing card and one is yellow and the other is red. When a card is to be given (it isn't actually given to the offending player, it is actually just shown to him and to everyone else) the referee will stop the game, call the player over, hold up the card and write the player's name in his notebook. This is called "booking" the player and when it happens the player has been "booked", (e.g., "she was booked"). Any time a Yellow or Red Card is shown, a "direct" or "indirect kick" will also be awarded.

• Yellow Card - Indicates a formal "caution" for any of the following 7 offenses:
  "unsporting behavior" - this includes hard fouls; holding an opponent or deliberately handling the ball for the purpose of preventing an opponent from gaining possession of the ball; faking an injury; saying things that are designed to confuse or distract an opponent; harassment (such as jumping around, shouting or making gestures to intentionally distract an opponent; jumping in front of a corner kick, free kick or throw-in; worrying the goalkeeper or trying to prevent him from putting the ball into play; & adopting a threatening posture), gaining an unfair advantage by leaning on, climbing on the back of, or holding a teammate or the goal; blatant cases of holding and pulling an opposing player or his uniform; any action designed to deceive the Referee; and behavior which in the Referee's judgment is unsporting or causes an unfair advantage,
  
  dissent by word or actions,
  
  persistently breaking the rules,
  
  delaying the restart of play,
  
  defenders failing to stay the proper distance away from the kicker on a corner kick, free kick or throw-in (see "Corner Kick" & "Free Kick"),
  
  entering or re-entering the field without the referee's permission
  
  deliberately leaving the field without the referees permission

• Red Card - A player must be shown a Red Card and "sent off" (i.e., made to leave the field) for the 7 offenses listed below.

A player shown a "Red Card" & sent off may not be replaced during that game (i.e., his team must play a player "short" for the rest of the game; however, in some leagues a player may be replaced if he is ejected for receiving a second Yellow Card). The 7 offenses for which a player must be shown a Red Card and sent off are:
serious foul play (includes any use of excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball. Examples include a dangerous slide tackle from behind, or an "over the top tackle" in which a player raises his foot so the cleats could hit a player, or a two footed tackle that takes down the opponent. FIFA has broadened this definition by saying that "Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play. For current rules visit www.fifa.com, Laws of the Game. The above quote is from Questions and Answers, Additional Instructions for Referees). The rules now include "Decision 4", which says: "A tackle, which endangers the safety of an opponent, must be sanctioned as serious foul play".

violent conduct,

spitting at anyone,

deliberately touching the ball with a hand in order to prevent a goal or to deny an obvious goal scoring opportunity (such as to prevent a "Breakaway".... this does not apply to the goalkeeper within his own Penalty Box)

fouling an opponent to prevent an obvious goal scoring opportunity (e.g., holding to stop a breakaway),

using offensive, insulting or threatening language and/or gestures,

or receiving a second yellow card in one game.

SOCCER FOULS

SOCCER FOULS

• There are 2 kinds of fouls, Direct Kick Fouls & Indirect Kick Fouls. (Rules are called "Laws Of The Game" and are changed each year.
• Direct Kick Fouls - For which the other team receives a "direct free kick" (meaning a goal can be scored by kicking the ball straight into the goal) or a "penalty kick" ("PK") if the foul occurs within the Penalty Box (Note: It doesn't matter whether the ball was in the Penalty Box or not; what matters is where the foul was committed). There are 10 direct kick fouls. The rules say that the referee should call a foul for numbers 1 thru 6 if he believes they are committed in a manner he considers "careless, reckless or using excessive force":
  
• kicking or attempting to kick an opponent. Accidentally kicking an opponent while tackling the ball is not a foul unless it was careless, reckless, or there was excessive force. If a player slide tackles from the front, it will be considered at least "dangerous play" (which is an indirect kick foul), or kicking, or tripping, or "unsporting behavior", even if the ball is contacted, since it would at the least be reckless or dangerous. (See "Cards, Red Card, Serious Foul Play")
• tripping or attempting to trip an opponent (if careless, reckless or using excessive force)
  
• charging into an opponent (the goalkeeper can also be called for this if his action is careless, reckless or uses excessive force),
  
• striking or attempting to strike an opponent (if careless, reckless or using excessive force),
• pushing an opponent, including the goalkeeper (if careless, reckless or using excessive force),
• jumping at an opponent in a careless or reckless manner or using excessive force (this includes jumping for a header if an opponent is carelessly or recklessly bumped, and jumping at the goalkeeper),
• blatant holding or pulling (including holding clothing, using any part of the body to hold an opponent & "Sandwiching"),
• spitting at an opponent, even if it doesn't hit the opponent (this is grounds for a Red Card),
• making contact with an opponent before touching the ball when tackling an opponent to gain possession of the ball (Note: it is always a foul if the tackler contacts the ballhandler before touching the ball. However, it can still be a direct kick foul if the ball is touched first but the tackler was "careless, reckless, or used excessive force" and was judged to have kicked, tripped, charged or jumped at the ballhandler. Or, if the Referee believes the tackler played in a "dangerous manner", an indirect kick can be awarded),
• deliberately handling the ball (a "hand ball" should not be called if a player is instinctively trying to protect himself from injury or if the ball hits the hand while it is in a

• natural position near the players side and has not been moved toward the ball. See "Hand Ball" for more details; this does not apply to the goalkeeper inside his own penalty area.),
  

SOCCER RULES

SOCCER RULES

Soccer rules (rules of soccer), rules for soccer, soccer rules and regulations, the rules of soccer and soccer rules for kids.

Rules of soccer, rules for soccer, youth soccer rules, the soccer offside rule and soccer age rules are explained.

The official soccer rules are often difficult to understand. Following are simplified soccer rules and links to the complete soccer rules. The official soccer rules are often modified for recreational, youth and indoor soccer leagues. SoccerHelp has helped make these rules easier to understand.

Who makes the rules?

The official soccer rules are called the "Laws of the Game" and are revised annually (usually in July) by FIFA (pronounced "FEE' fuh"), the world soccer governing body, but youth organizations usually adjust the rules to fit children. Typical adjustments are field sizes, game lengths, number of players per team, the number and frequency of substitutions, "offside" is sometimes not called, and slide tackling is sometimes not allowed. Field sizes, ball sizes, length of games & rules vary by age group. The FIFA rules do not require separate teams for girls and boys, but many soccer clubs and associations have separate leagues for boys and girls. Discuss the rule variations with an official of your league. You can find the "Laws of the Game" at www.fifa.com (on the FIFA Home Page enter "Laws" in the search feature).

Why is it necessary to simplify and interpret the rules?

In brief, the "Laws of the Game" are not simple and can be difficult to understand. The official FIFA rules have 17 sections and the rule book is about 70 pages long. There are also an additional 44 pages titled "Questions and Answers". In addition, how to interpret the rules is discussed in referee clinics, special memos, videos for referees, and a guidebook for soccer officials that is over 300 pages long. There is also the problem that the rules use many soccer terms that are not defined in the rules (we try to define all of these terms in the SoccerHelp Dictionary) and there are quirks, such as the fact that terms which are commonly used such as "Hand Ball", "obstruction", and "Linesmen" are not defined in the official rules. Another confusing aspect of the rules is the way "Fouls" are defined; basically, they are defined not only as "Fouls" but also in the rules regarding "Cards". For this reason, to understand "Fouls" you must also read "Cards". One of the biggest problems is that the official rules don't have a good index and there aren't good cross-links to related topics. At SoccerHelp we have tried to solve these problems by simplifying the rules and providing easy to use the links so you can go from one topic to another. In some cases, such as for "offside", we have even provided a simplified explanation and a more detailed definition.

SOCCER NEWS

SOCCER NEWS

• Great footballers don’t always make great managers September 30th, 2009

Three famous football names have came under intense speculation in the last few weeks and months. Ipswich boss Roy Keane, Argentina coach Diego Maradona and Tranmere boss John Barnes were all undoubtedly great footballers but all three are struggling with very different managerial challenges.
Different challenges but same struggle
They may be worlds apart in their current positions but in the 1980’s John Barnes and Diego Maradona were footballing superstars. Maradona is also considered as one of the greatest footballers to have ever graced a football field. Barnes was considered one of best footballers of his generation, despite his form for England not being as consistent as his form for Liverpool. Roy Keane was key to Manchester United’s rise to the top English football in the nineties. Yet despite these achievements the three former greats find themselves in exactly the same position. That position is struggling to do their respective jobs.
Barnes struggles after summer of mass exodus
John Barnes has the most difficult job out of the three working on a shoestring budget. His cause wasn’t helped by the fact that he lost lots of key players during the summer. Those players leaving included veteran goalkeeper Danny Coyne who had previously assured the former England boss that he would sign a new contract. Instead he joined Championship side Middlesbrough on a free transfer at the end of his contract.
Things have improved for the enigmatic former Liverpool star in the last two games with his side claiming a 0-0 draw at the weekend and beating fellow strugglers Wycombe 1-0 last night. Even with these results Barnes is still under pressure.
He will have to prove to the fans that he has got what it takes to turned things around. However most Tranmere fans are still sceptical about his ability to manage a football club. There is also the opinion that he only got the job because he is a big name and his presence at the club will attract fans. Unfortunately for the Whites its did the opposite as the team have struggled all season.
Lots of ambition but no substance so far at Ipswich
Roy Keane was Alex Ferguson’s midfield general at Manchester United. The driving force behind some of United’s greatest triumphs during the nineties. It always looked likely that with his superb leadership skills and will to win that he would be a manager after he retired from playing. He did a good job in his first job as a boss with Sunderland, well for the first season anyway. He took the Mackems from the bottom end of the Championship to promotion to the Premier League.
The following season he spent a large amount of money to try and compete in the top flight. By early December his side were 18th in the Premier League and he was heavily criticised. He decided he had enough and resigned on the 4th December. It was reported that his decision was made because of differences with club chairman Niall Quinn and shareholder Ellis Short.
Keane wasn’t out of football for long though as he took over at Ipswich Town on 23rd April 2009. The season was nearly over and Keane started to get to know his players. He hasn’t got the same resources that he had at Sunderland but he is still expected to lead the club to promotion.
He shown great ambition by saying he wants his side to challenge for promotion this season. Unfortunately for the Tractor Boys they are currently bottom of the table and Keane has received the dreaded vote of confidence from Ipswich chief executive Simon Clegg.
The board are completely behind the former United ace but for how long for if they continue to struggle at the bottom end of the league. In my humble opinion Keane will make a good manager in the future and all these situations can only make him stronger as a manager.
The legend who can’t be criticised
Diego Armando Maradona is an Argentinian football legend. In some places he is almost a god to his people. Criticising the former Napoli hero is almost blasphemy in his home country and in Naples. However since taking over as Argentina head coach there has been murmurings of discontent over his performance and ability to manage one of the worlds best footballing nations.
He may have a passion for his country that is hard to match but it seems he lacks the necessary motivational skills to manage his country. His country are struggling in their World Cup qualifying group and could miss the finals next June. He has however reminded journalists that in 1985 they nearly failed to make the tournament and a year later in Mexico they became World Champions. For Argentina and their fans its a difficult situation as the Argentinian FA are unlikely to sack the legend and his pride will not allow him to quit.
If Argentina do qualify and make a big impact at South Africa 2010 then Maradona will be a even bigger figure back in his homeland, if that’s possible of course. If the unlikely happens and they don’t qualify for the World Cup next season then Diego could very well be edged towards the exit door.
These three are cautionary tales that big name players cant just be thrown in to a job just because of their reputations or who they are. In the case of Maradona its a matter of heart ruling the head at the Argentina FA and maybe now some of those officials may regret appointing the little man.

• FIFA have gone totally mad

September 30th, 2009

It is officially true, FIFA have gone totally mad. The FIFA medical chief, Michael D’Hooghe, has said Referees should show more red cards to help curb violent play.
Riches
He also went on to make a link between violent play and the financial riches on offer to players. He produced a DVD of some of football’s worst tackles in recent years to show the delegates at the FIFA medical congress.
“We see more violent fouls over the whole world, as games gain in financial importance. Some of the fouls send shivers down your spine. We see more violent fouls over the whole world. The referees have the key. They are the only ones who can impose an immediate sanction. They do not do it often enough and there is a lack of uniformity.”
He also criticised the actions of managers and coaches, who he believes may be ’hyping’ the players up too much.
“The stakes are so high I question the role of some coaches. In what frame of mind do they send out their players?”
The type of cases that D’Hooghe is talking about are thankfully fairly rare. In the 2002 World Cup twelve players received facial injuries as a result of use of the elbow. FIFA instructed referees to clamp down on it and they did. If a player deliberately uses his elbow, he is sent-off.
Injuries
It is within the domestic leagues that the most high-profile injuries occur due to foul play. In August, Standard Liege’s Axel Witsel broke both bones in the right leg of Polish international defender Marcin Wasilewski in a match against Anderlecht in Belgium.
Wasilewski has begun legal proceedings for damages, while Witsel was banned until late November.
If you have seen that tackle, you will know what an absolute horror show it was. However, the player had been banned for a lengthy spell and legal proceedings are going on, so the matter has been dealt with.
Notorious
In England, the most notorious case was in February 2008, when Birmingham’s Martin Taylor fouled Arsenal’s Eduardo causing a broken leg and ankle dislocation. Taylor was red carded and banned for three games. The matter was dealt with.
D’Hooghe has written to Fifa’s referees committee chief, Angel Villar, to express his concerns.
Of course D’Hooghe is right to condemn violent play but he is surely over-reacting to what is anly a minor problem. Anyone who is old enough to remember football from the 1970s will know that the game is a million times less violent now than it was then. There is simply no comparison.
Tackles
In those days there were fist fights on and off the ball, head butts, and some truly dreadful career threatening tackles, particularly from behind. All of those things were rarely punished by more than a telling off from the referee. It was a different game and to suggest that the modern day game is too violent is to ignore the history of the game and the excellent progress that has been made.
As long as referees continue to award red cards for violent play and the authorities back the referee with appropriate bans, then I see absolutely no problem within our game.
Thank you for your observations Mr D’Hooghe but you have exaggerated a problem that largely doesn’t exist. Not very helpful.

• Ronaldo says will be ready for Portuguese call

October 5th, 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo said Monday he was ready to answer the call for Portugal in Saturday’s crucial World Cup qualifier at home to Hungary after missing Real Madrid’s first Liga loss of the season at Seville with an ankle injury.

“I have recovered well. We’ll see how things go but I think I’ll be fine come Saturday,” Ronaldo said on arriving at Obidos, where the squad are preparing for a match which will go some way to deciding if they can snatch a playoff place after a poor showing in Group One.

The Portuguese currently stand third – five points behind leaders Denmark and two adrift of Sweden, while Hungary are level on points with Carlos Queiroz’s side, rendering a win imperative ahead of an expected three easy points in their final game against Malta.

The Swedes have a tough encounter away to the Danes on Saturday.

“These are decisive matches which we must win,” observed Ronaldo, who said that team spirit was “fantastic” despite his country’s irregular showing to date.

But he warned: “If we don’t believe we can do it (qualify) then it’s not worth showing up for the national side.”

Ronaldo insisted that the Hungarians were there for the taking.

“They are a physically strong team, but if Portugal play normally they will – and must – win.”

SOCCER PICTURES

5 Ways to Improve Your Soccer Skills

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR SOCCER SKILLS!

1 TOUCH. Juggle with the ball. Aim for 1000 touches on the ball each day. You learn to juggle in 3 stages, 1-3 juggles, 3-10 juggles, 10+ juggles. To help you get started, you can use your hands and you can let the ball bounce as well, all you are aiming for is lots of touches on the ball. The hardest stage is 3-10 touches, this seems to cause beginners the most frustration, but stick with it. Once you can consistently juggle the ball 10 times, you are off to the races and 10-20 gets easier, the 50, then 100 and beyond.

2. PASS and/or SHOOT against a WALL. Find a wall and pass and shoot against it and control the rebound. This may sound simple and basic, but it is no different to going to the driving range to practice your golf shot or using one of those machines at tennis that serve balls to you. You can work on passing, shooting and controlling the ball and start with controlling the ball first and then passing or shooting and then build up to first time passes and shots.

3. TURNS. Practice all six turns, INSIDE HOOK, OUTSIDE HOOK, DRAG BACK, STEPOVER, CRUYFF and STOP TURN. Master each turn at game like speed and then do combinations of turns e.g. inside hook, take a touch into space and then do a stop turn. Keep working on this until you can do routines involving all 6 turns one after another

4. MOVES/DRIBBLES. There are so many fancy moves, some named after stars e.g. Stanley Matthews, Maradona, Scissors, Touch Touch etc. You don't need to know how to do all of them. Just perfect two moves that you can do with both feet and that you can both take on the defender on their inside and outside. When I say perfect them, you need to be able to do these at game like speed without looking at the ball and be able to produce an end product, either a shot or a pass.

5. CONTROL. Find some open space and kick the ball up in the air. As it comes down work on controlling it with your feet, thighs, chest and head. Once you get the hang of controlling the ball, then add a turn or a move or a shot or pass against the wall.

Half ATW

HALF ATW(AROUND THE WORLD)!

The half-ATW is the half version of the ATW ( Around the World). But what's the difference between half-ATW and full ATW? To put it simply, the full ATW can be done using one foot whereas the half ATW is done by using two feet. Confused ? Basically you're doing the same technique but just that after completing rotation with the ball, you kick it up with another. Here are some steps to get you started:

Step One
The simplest way to begin by balancing the ball on your foot ( foot stall )

Step Two
Lift it slightly and rotate it, as you rotate make sure the other foot is ready to receive the ball.

Step Three
Complete the rotation with one foot and kick or plant with the other.

Tip: Lift the ball slightly higher so that you have time for your other foot to kick the ball

It's a hard soccer trick at first because you're using both feet. But as you practice, it becomes easier. Happy freestyling!