National Governing Rules and Regulations - Practical Performance

AS and A Level Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

Joanna Davies BTEC National

IB09 Diploma Sports

& Exercise Science

National Governing Rules & Regulations

Learning Outcome: Understand and apply the rules, regulations and scoring systems in the identified sports.

The individual sport in which I have chosen to report on is Table Tennis. I have chosen this because I have a particular interest in the sport and have observed my Mum and Uncle play the sport at a competitive level for many years.

Table tennis consists of either an individual or a doubles team competing to win a point in which they have to get eleven by at least two clear points to win the game. There are many ways in which you can win a point these are;

If your partner fails to return the shot although the ball must have hit the table which includes the white boundary lines or even the edge of the table.
If your opponent fails to serve legally or misses the ball when they go to serve.
If your opponent hits the ball into the net and it come back onto their side of the table.
If the opponent hits the ball so after the first bounce it goes wide of the table and fails to take a second bounce on your side.
If your opponent hits the ball before it has bounced on theirs side of the table; no volleying is allowed.
If your opponent fails to hit the ball after the first bounce.
If your opponent moves or touches the net or table during play.

There are certain requirements that are needed in order to be able to complete a game of table tennis these include, 2 or 4 players (singles or doubles), an official sized ball, official sized table, the correct type of net, an appropriate paddle and the standard clothing and footwear.

The Ball

There were recently world wide changes for the size of the ball. It used to have a diameter of 38mm however; they increased this to 40mm. It should also weigh 2.7g.

The Table

The table should be in a rectangular shape with the dimensions of 9ft long by 5ft wide. The table should be parallel to ground and exactly 2ft 6” above the ground. It should be a uniform, matte colour with a 2cm white line around the outer edge of the table. In a game of doubles there should be a 3mm white line up the centre of the table running parallel to the side lines. The permanent marking of this line does not invalidate the table for a singles match.

Net Assembly

There are also certain requirements for net assembly these consist of, the net, the suspension and supporting posts including the clamps attaching them to the table. Each post should be 6inches high, so that the net is the same height and is parallel to the table; it is attached to the pole by a cord. The net should be as close to the table and supporting posts as possible.

The Racket

The racket can be of any size or shape but the blade must be flat and firm. The thickness of the blade should be made up of at least 85% natural wood. An extra layer made of carbon fibre, glass fibre, or compressed paper may be used to reinforce the blade, however can only have a thickness of up to 7.5% of the total thickness of the blade. The side of the blade used for striking the ball has to be covered with a rubber, either, pimpled with pimples outwards or sandwich with pimples facing inwards or outwards. If using the pimpled rubber the total thickness, including adhesive, must not be more than 2mm, however if using the sandwich rubber the total thickness must not be more than 4mm.

Rules of the Game

As with any game there are certain rules which must be followed throughout the game. In table tennis there are many rules which relate to several parts of the game, the service being the first.

Service

The service of the ball also has many regulations, one of these is that the ball must rest freely on the players’ open palm, the hand must be motionless. Before serving the ball should be above the playing service and behind the server’s end line. When starting the serve the ball must be thrown upwards at least 16cm without moving your hand in such a way that it will cause the ball to spin. Also it is the responsibility of the player to serve that so the umpire or assistant can clearly see whether they are complying with the rules of service. If a player is seen to be serving illegally, for example, flicking the hand when throwing the ball to create spin, then for the first instance they are given a let and warned. However, if they continue to abuse the service rules then the opponent may receive a point without a warning. When striking the ball it must first bounce on your side of the table and then your opponents for the service to be legal.

The Return & Order of Play

When returning the ball it should be struck so that it passes over or touches the net and then touches the opponent’s court. The order of this play starts with the server making the first service with the receiver making a return shot and this continues until a player scores a point and another service has to be made.

A Let

A let can be called for many different reasons if certain rules are not followed. The first being if the ball touches the net when in service, the umpire would then call this a let and the service would be retaken. Another reason a let would be called is if the service is made when the opposition is not ready and they have not attempted to strike the ball or if playing doubles the partner has not tried to strike the ball. If there is a disturbance outside of the player’s control that it results in them failing to return a shot or make a service, the same for if the umpire or assistant umpire interrupts the game.

The Order of Serving, Receiving and Ends

In order to start the game the decision of who will serve first and who will start at which end needs to be decided. Therefore the decision for the initial order of serving starts with the winner of the lot. Once they have chosen whether to serve or receive or which end to start at the opposition will decide the other choice. Once two points have been scored the receiver of the ball then becomes the serving player until a further two points have been scored. As already discussed in the scoring system, unless both players are on 10 points at the end the service is swapped around after only one point. Once the first game has been played the player who served first in the previous one shall receive in the second. The same goes for starting at a particular end; in the second game they must swap ends so they start at the opposite end to the first game.

Out of Order of Serving, Receiving or Ends

There are a few reasons why an umpire may interrupt play; the first being if a player serves or receives out of turn. The umpire would immediately stop play and the player who is supposed to be in service at that particular time (determined by who started and what the score is at that moment), would restart play by serving. The same applies for if the players had not swapped ends when they were supposed to. The umpire again would disrupt the play and players will change to appropriate ends, starting with the player who is supposed to be serving depending on the score at the time and who took the first service. All the points scored before the discovery is made are reckoned.

The Expedite System

The expedite system only comes into play when the time limit has been reached (10 minutes) but has not yet been finished or if both players or pairs request it earlier in the game. However, if both players or pairs have reached 9 points then this system is not invoked. There are two different ways the expedite system is invoked; if the ball is in play then the game is interrupted and resumes with service from the player who served in the previous rally which was stopped. Conversely if the ball is out of play then the player who received the ball in the previous rally will take the service. During the use of the expedite system players only serve for one point until the end of the game.

Safety & Facilities

The ITTF have certain rules for table tennis facilities. The playing conditions have to meet specific requirements, these are as follows:

The space in which the game will be played is not to be smaller than 14m in length, 7 meters wide and 5 meters high.
The playing area must be enclosed with a barrier that is about 75cm high, this separates playing areas and spectators. The barrier should be a dark colour and same all around.
If several tables are in use then it is important that all areas have the same lighting level, and background lights should not be brighter than that of those over the playing areas.
The light source above the playing area must not be less than 5 meters above the floor.
The flooring should not be light coloured and not be made from, brick, ceramics, stone or concrete. The flooring must be made out of wood or a synthetic material approved by the ITTF.

These rules apply to only two people playing and to elite performers, for primary users who are not at international level; the rules can be relaxed a little bit. The diagram on the right shows a typical playing arena.

It is extremely important to follow safety rules for table tennis, these involve making sure the floor is not slippery, i.e. the ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

It is extremely important to follow safety rules for table tennis, these involve making sure the floor is not slippery, i.e. the floor surface is not suitable or incorrect shoes are being warn. A typical table tennis shoe that prevents you from slipping would have a gum rubber sole.

Strengths of the Scoring System

This particular scoring system I believe is very good; it makes the game quick, interesting and it is relatively easy to distinguish what deserves or gives away a point. As a result of the new scoring system games and matches are now less time consuming, this has created wider interest as audiences and the media love to see a speedy, adrenalin pumping sport. The new ’11 point scoring system’ was introduced in 2001 to make the sport more structured and develop the pace and consistency of the game and to disperse of any current floors, this is why I believe there are no current weaknesses with the scoring system.

Weaknesses of Table Tennis

Introduction

The modern game of table tennis is extremely fast and the top class players are master exponents in the use of both spin and speed. This combined with the reliance on the ability of the umpire to react quickly and make correct decisions based only on what the human eye can detect in a split second can lead to mistakes being made and inconsistencies in the scoring of games.

Such errors of judgment can have a distracting affect on the players involved. Recent rule changes mean that sets are now only played ‘first to eleven’ points rather than the previous twenty-one. Making an error in the score due to an incorrect call by the umpire therefore has a much more serious impact as the players have less time to recover.

This is a similar problem to that faced previously in the game of Lawn Tennis, despite the use of an umpire, net court judge and linesman, decisions as to whether a ball was in or out of court still relied on the human eye.

In Lawn Tennis the problem was addressed at the highest level for example in Grand Slam tournaments such as Wimbledon by the introduction of an electronic eye nicknamed Cyclops. This device is positioned in line with the baseline and when a ball hits fractionally beyond the line and is therefore out of court, a sound is emitted alerting the umpire immediately so that he can call the correct score.

Specific Issues of Concern

The Serve – in table tennis the rules of the game state that when serving the ball must be thrown directly upwards from the flat of the hand. The ball must be visible to the umpire at all times and must not be projected backwards. The reason for this rule is that top class players have perfected the art of being able to disguise spin and can add to both the pace and spin of their serve by even slightly flicking the ball towards the bat when serving. Again the weakness here is that for the player to be pulled up for serving illegally relies on the ability of the umpire to see this. Often he or she may not be certain of what is happening and for this reason can call a ‘Let’ forcing the serve to be retaken. This of course stops the flow of the game and can disrupt the concentration of both players.

Doubles – when serving the ball in a doubles match the ball must be served to the diagonally opposite quadrant of the table. For this purpose a central white line dissects the table into two halves. The vision of the umpire when scoring a doubles match is further impaired as there are now two players at each end of the table who move around quickly and can obscure the view. The server will attempt to vary his serve, sometimes serving wide to the forehand of the receiving player and sometimes serving to the backhand therefore serving close to the central white line. He will often aim to get as close as possible to the central white line so that the receiver may judge that the ball is not going to land in the correct quadrant and therefore not attempt to return the ball.

What Can be Done to Resolve Such Weaknesses

If we look at how the Lawn Tennis Association addressed the problem of human error i.e. by the introduction of an electronic aid to the game in the form of Cyclops, we should consider whether any similar device could be used in the field of table tennis. As in tennis it is likely that any possible improvements would be introduced only at the highest level of the game in the top tournaments, European, World and Olympic championships for example where decisions taken by the umpire are at the highest profile, possibly viewed worldwide through television and the media.

Taking the problem highlighted above where the umpire may experience problems making the correct call on serves during a doubles match my proposal would be as follows.

It may be possible for the underneath of the playing surface of the table tennis table to be fitted with an impact detector. This would pick up exactly where the table tennis ball hits the surface of the table from the serve and transmit it immediately to a small screen in front of a service umpire. This screen would replicate the exact position that the ball hit and may even display the narrative ‘OUT’ for any serve where the ball has not landed in the correct quadrant of the opponents side of the table i.e. has landed on the wrong side of the central white line (see diagram below).

Net

Receiving Player

I believe that at this moment in time, this is the only thing that would help improve the game, as correct decisions would always be made in an instant. However, this I think is the only thing at the moment that would be necessary, the scoring system and all the other rules are effective and make the game efficient.

As the game progresses over the next few years I think that there will be other factors that arise and will need to be carefully thought about and rules implemented.

Team Sport

The team sport in which I have chosen to report on is football; I have a great deal of interest in the sport as I have grown up with it as my dad was a footballer.

Football is a very dominating sport of our time, which generates a lot of different opinions and debates, therefore I thought it would be extremely interesting to analyse and discuss al the rules involved in today’s game.

Football is played at many levels however each game contains the same rules which must be strictly followed to prevent any injuries or arguments. A football match is when two teams of 11 players, 10 outfield players and 1 goalkeeper, play against each other for 90 minutes, two 45 minute halves. At the end of the game whoever has scored the most goals wins, if both teams have scored the same amount then the game is called a draw. However, if a definitive result is needed, (a loser and a winner) then the game may go to extra time and penalties if needed.

Facilities & Safety

As there are many different levels are football all the facilities will be different. However the basics should be there such as, changing rooms for the home and away teams, toilets and showering area, a medical room which will allow players to be assessed and treated if they have received an injury. At every game there must be a medically trained individual who can perform the basics of first aid.

At professional games the police are required to be there so that they can watch and keep control of the crowd. This helps keep football games as calm as possible with no abuse and violence

Within football there are 17 laws which contain many rules and regulations within them. All the laws are determined by FIFA of which the English Football Association is of a member of. The first few rules tell us about the regulations of football, for example the number of players and their equipment.

Field of Play – Law 1

The first law of football is, ‘Field of Play’. This consists of dimensions of the pitch, field markings, goal area, penalty area, flag posts, corner arc, goal posts and their safety.

Dimensions

The field of play, the pitch, must be rectangular with the goal line being shorter than that of the touch line. For a normal pitch, for example pitches for premiership or league matches, the dimensions are as follows:

However, there is a difference when it comes to international matches, then the dimensions are slightly bigger.

(diagram taken from the bbc website)

Field Markings

The diagram above shows the dimensions of the pitch and the field markings. All the field markings are shown by a white line which no thicker than 5 inches. All the markings are there to determine areas which are boundaries. As it is clearly shown in the diagram the field of play is divided into two halves by a central white line across the pitch. The middle point of the half way line is marked with a white dot which is surrounded by a circle which has a radius of 10 yds.

The Goal Area

The goal area is marked out with two lines, each 6 yards, extending from the goal line, a line parallel to the goal line then joins these together, this area is also known as the 6 yards box. When the goalkeeper needs to take a goal kick, he takes this at the edge of the area.

The Penalty Area

The penalty area is defined by two lines drawn at right angles from the goal line; both lines are 18 yards and joined together by a line which again is parallel to the goal line. This area is also known as the 18 yard box. Within this area is the penalty spot which is 12 yards out from the mid point between the goalposts.

Flag Posts and Corner Arcs

Flagposts are compulsory and cannot be less than 1.5m or 5 feet high. It must not have a pointed end but a flag instead and placed at each corner of the field of play.

The corner arc is a quarter of a circle which has a radius of 1 yard and is drawn inside the field of play.

Goalposts and Safety

The goals are placed at both ends of the field of play and are positioned on the centre of the goal line. The goals consist of two upright posts joined together by a bar which is parallel to the ground. The distance between the posts is 8 yards and the height from the ground to the lower edge of the cross bar is 8 feet. Both the crossbar and the two posts must not exceed and depth and width of 5ins. Nets are only to be attached to the goals if they do not interfere with the goalkeeper and both the goals and net must be white. It is important that safety of goals is checked every time they are going to e used and not doing so may result in injury. The FA state that,

‘Goals must be anchored securely to the ground. Portable goals may only be used if they satisfy this requirement.’

It is important that the referee checks both the goals and the nets before any match is played.

The Ball – Law 2

There are certain requirements that the ball must meet for it to be appropriate. There are specific qualities and measurements that the ball has to have. To start with the ball must be spherical and made of leather or another material that has the same qualities which is suitable. The measurements for the ball are shown in the diagram.

Circumference – Maximum 70cm (28ins)

Minimum 68cm (27ins)

Weight – Maximum 450g

Minimum 410g (At start of game)

Pressure – The ball must be between 0.6 – 1.1

Atmospheric pressure.

If the ball becomes substandard in the game it must be replaced, to do this the game must be stopped and the new ball is dropped in the place where the ball first became defective. However, if the ball is out of play because of a throw-in or free kick etc. then the ball is just replaced and the match restarted accordingly. The only way a ball can be replaced is with the authority of the referee, this I believe is very important because it prevents there from being any unofficial balls being used when they are not necessary.

The Number of Players

A match consists of two teams both with eleven players, with one of them being a goalkeeper; a match cannot be started or continued if either of the teams only consist of less than 7 players. This I believe is a weakness of the game as I think the minimum a team can play with is 8; if 4 midfield players for one team were to be sent of then that is a whole section of a team taken out. I believe these would be very difficult circumstances to play in and the game would be totally one sided.

In any official competition, i.e. under the patronage of FIFA, confederations or the national associations, a maximum of 3 substitutes may be used. However, different competitions can nominate from 3 up to 7 players but they must state how many in their rules. In all matches, professional, semi-professional, or non- league for example, the referee must be informed of all the substitutes’ names before the match; if they are not named then they can not play any part in the match.

Substitution Procedures

Substitutions may be made at any time through out the game, including half time. For a substitute to enter the field of play certain procedures must be followed.

First the referee is informed about a proposed substitution
The substitute may only enter the pitch once the player that is coming off has left the field of play.
The substitute must enter the field of play at the half way line and during a stoppage in the match.
All substitutes are under the authority and control of the referee, even if they are not on the field of play.
If a goal keeper is being replaced, he can do so by swapping with a substitute or with an outfield player, however the referee must be informed before doing so and it also has to be done during a stoppage in the match.

I think that it is important that the referee knows who is on the pitch and who is coming on at all times, this is because he is in control of them and it his job to make sure that the correct amount of players are on the pitch. If on of the rules is broken then it is up to the referee to enforce the correct disciplinary action. An example of infringing the 3rd law is if a substitute enters the pitch without the referee being informed; if this happens then the referee stops play and the substitute is cautioned, shown a yellow card and asked to leave the pitch, play is restarted with a dropped ball where play was originally stopped.

The Players’ Equipment – Law 4

This is an important law as it includes rules which are based on safety and will help with the protection of the individual during the game.

Players are required to remove any types of jewellery and clothing and not use equipment that may cause harm to themselves or others.

For a footballer to play in a match there is some basic compulsory equipment required, these are as follows:

A jersey or t-shirt
Shorts (if thermal undershorts, e.g. lycras, are worn then they are to be the same colour as the dominating one in the shorts.
Socks
Shin pads
Footwear (Checked by the referee before a match, blades or studs are not allowed to be sharp.)
Shin guards must be covered totally by the socks, and should be a suitable material such as rubber or plastic.
Goalkeepers have to be wearing different colours from the outfield players, referees and assistant referees so that they are distinguishable.
Goalkeepers must wear appropriate gloves such as these.

The referee is required to check that players are wearing the correct equipment before starting the game. If a player comes on to the pitch as a substitute, then the referee will ask them to leave the pitch and either remove or put on the correct wear.

The Referee & Assistant Referees – Laws 5 & 6

Every football match that is played is controlled by 4 officials, the referee, two assistant referees and a fourth official. The referee has full authority to enforce the Laws of the game. The referee works together with the other three officials to make sure that the game is controlled and correct decisions are made.

The referee has many powers and duties, some of these include;

Acting as a time-keeper, and recording information about the match, for example, who got cautioned and why.
Enforcing all the rules and disciplining players, team officials, and assistant referees if any infringements are made.
He must stop play if he thinks that a player is seriously injured and needs to be removed from the pitch.
Making sure that a player who is bleeding leaves the field of play.
Acts on advice of the assistants of incidents in which he has not seen himself.
He must provide a match report to appropriate authorities with any incidents which have happened, such as any disciplinary action that has been taken against players or team officials.

There are more duties that the referee has to do, however this is a lot of responsibility so the assistant referees make certain decisions and help a lot through electronic communication (like walkie-talkies). Assistant referees are required to carry out the following duties,

Indicating when the ball has left the field of play and which side will receive the, corner kick, goal kick or throw in.
Indicating whether a player is offside.
He must let the referee know when a substitution wants to be made.
Signifying any misconduct that the referee has not seen.
The assistant referee must also indicate whether the goalkeeper has moved off his line before a penalty kick has been taken and whether the ball has crossed the line.

Assistant referees must ensure that they follow a proper conduct; if they fail to do so then the referee has the power to relieve the assistant of his duties and report the matter to the necessary authorities.

Recently the use of communication between officials was brought in, I believe that this is a very good idea as it allows information to be passed easily. For example, if a decision about a foul had been made that a manager did not agree with then they can ask the fourth official what his reason for calling the foul up. It allows the game to become more fluent as the referee does not have to keep running over to the lines men in order to know what they are saying.

The Duration of the Match – Law 7

As previously discussed a match consists of two equal 45 minute games. However, the periods can be altered if agreed before the match; this would only be done if for example the light conditions were poor. Every match has a half time which can last no longer than 15 minutes. The competition which the match is being played in must state the length of the interval in their rules. The interval time may be altered but it is down to the referee what the duration is and whether he allows it.

At either end of the periods of time an allowance is made for the time that is lost during the match for any of the following reasons:

Substitution(s)
Attending to an injured player or players
Removing injured players from the pitch for treatment
Wasting time and any other cause which delays the game

The fourth official tends to show a sign telling everyone how much injury time is left although the allowance for the time left is at the discretion of the referee.

A weakness of this rule in particular is that players know that extra will be added on if any is wasted during the game. Therefore players can waste time by distracting the referee for example by not agreeing with decisions and getting him to explain. However, it is important to add on time that is lost due to substitutions and injuries as this makes the game fair and a full 90 minutes can be played. To prevent this players should be cautioned with a yellow card if they seem to be wasting time in order to argue or take a rest for example.

The Start and Restart of Play – Law 8

To start play both captains from the opposite teams will meet for coin toss. Whoever wins the coin toss gets to choose which end of the pitch they want to defend first; as a result the opposing team get to kick off first. The same is done when extra time is to be played.

Before kick-off the players must be correctly and accurately positioned and checked by the referee who stands in a place where he can see all the players.

The rules state that the opponents may not come within 10 yards of the ball before it is played. They also say that the ball must go slightly forward and over the centre line at kick-off, if this is not done then it must be retaken. The player who receives the ball at kick-off must pass to another player before the primary passer can re-touch the ball.

Kick-off is taken after each half and again in extra time if required, it is also taken if a goal is scored. To restart play the referee may hold a drop ball if a delay in the game or injury occurs. To do this the referee must drop the ball at waist height and is only play once the ball has touched the ground. The strength of restarted play is that it gives both teams an opportunity to retain possession and proceed with game-play again. This also represents fair play.

The Ball in and out of Play – Law 9

The ball is classed as ‘out of play’ in one of two factors:

If the ball wholly crosses the goal or touch line, whether on the ground or in the air.
When play has been stopped by the referee.

For all other circumstances the ball is in play even if it rebounds off the goal posts, cross bar or corner flags.

The strengths of this rule is that it clearly keeps an understanding to identifying if the ball is in play or not. However, the linesmen do have a hard time judging

when the ball fully goes over the line, it is then on the basis of trust by the players to own up if this occurs. To prevent this from happening you could increase the number of touch line judges so that there is a clearer perspective of the ball.

Method of Scoring – Law 10

A goal is authorised and stated when the ball entirely crosses the goal line, situated between the goal posts and under the cross bar. This does depends on no acts of infringement or other fouls committed by the team scoring the goal.

The winning team is simply the team with the most goals scored at the end of the match. The match may be declared as a draw, if the same number of goals is tallied by both teams.

There are certain rules that are added depending upon the competition the game is being played in. When a winning team needs to be classified, the following rules applied by the International FA board are put into action:

Away goals rule
Extra time
Penalties

This system is fair and simple to understand and is an affective way to uphold a competitive edge. However, some goals are hard to call as it is not clear to the linesmen whether the ball has totally crossed the line. To resolves this problem we could introduce some more technology that would be helpful to the officials to determine what a goal is and what isn’t. Like in rugby the use of a video referee could be introduced, this would allow a clear and accurate result and they would be no arguments over the goal or not. The 3rd ball along in this picture would be very hard to call if you are a linesman and quite far away from the ball. If a video referee was introduced he could rewind, slow down and view from different angles and reach an accurate decision, without it taking too much time. Any time taken to go to the video referee would simply be added on the end of the appropriate period as extra time.

Offside – Law 11

The offside rule can be quite difficult to understand and equally as hard to explain. To be in an offside position is an offence, you are in an offside position if you are closer to the goal line than the second last opponent. The diagram below shows a player in a offside position.

When the ball is played the number 9 is in an offside position as there is only the goal keeper level with him and no other defender. However, a player is not in an offside position if:

He is in his own half of the pitch
He is level with the second last opponent or
He is level with the last two opponents

An official may only call offside once the player or another team member has touched the ball if they believe that they will be involved in active play and gain advantage with the ball.

There are certain occasions when the offside rule is not in play, this is when a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw in or a corner kick. The result of being offside allows the opposition to take an indirect free kick which is awarded by the referee.

The offside rule is on way allows play to be fair and players cannot just ‘goal hang. However, this particular rule is open to interpretation and what one linesman may call offside another may not. This is because they have to make a judgment from what they see in a split second often whilst they are running down the line and on an angle. The use of the video referee could also be used here if the linesman admits he could not clearly see whether the player was offside. If this was the case then the linesman could communicate to the referee using his mouth piece, play could be stopped and a few seconds taken out for the video referee to decide. If it turned out that the player was offside then the usual indirect free kick to the opposition is awarded. However, if the play was onside then if they have scored the goal may stand and if they had not scored then could be awarded a free kick from where the linesman called ‘offside’.

Fouls and Misconduct and Free Kicks – Laws 12 &13

If there is a foul or misconduct then the referee can award the following depending on the offence committed:

Direct Free kick – ‘A free-kick resulting from a foul that can be shot into the goal without having to be touched by another player.’

A direct free kick is awarded from the place where any of the following offences are committed:

If a player kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
If a player trips or attempts to trip an opponent
If a player jumps, charges or strikes an opponent
If a player pushes and opponent
If a player tackles an opponent to get the ball but comes into contact with player before the ball
If they hold or push an opponent
If a player spits at an opponent
If a player handles the ball intentionally (excluding the goalkeeper in his area.)

Similarly a penalty kick is taken if any of these offences are committed by a player in his own penalty area.

When a direct free kick is taken the ball must be stationary and once hit by the primary kicker, he cannot touch the ball until another player has kicked it. If a goal is scored from a direct free kick then the goal may be awarded. However, if the ball goes into their own goal directly from a free kick then the opposing team are awarded a corner kick.

There is another type of free kick which is awarded and taken from where a player commits a certain offence. An indirect free kick is,

‘A kick awarded by the referee from which a goal cannot be scored unless the ball has been touched by two or more players.’

An indirect free kick may be awarded, to the opposing team by the referee, if any of the following offences are committed by the goalkeeper in his own penalty area:

If he holds the ball in his hands for more than 6 seconds before releasing it from his control.
If he touches the ball after he’s released it and another player has not yet touched it.
If he picks up a back pass which is when a team mate has deliberately been passed the ball back to him.
If he touches the ball with his hands directly from a throw – in.

An indirect free kick may also be awarded if a team member commits any of these offences:

Plays in a hazardous manner
Obstructs a player when making progress with the ball
Prevents the goalkeeper from being able to release the ball from his hands
Commits any other offence not already stated in law 12 that a player needs to be cautioned or dismissed for.

To signal for an indirect free kick the referee raises his arm above his head and maintains that positions until the ball has been kicked and touched by another player. If a goal is scored directly from an indirect free kick then the goal is not awarded and the opponents get a goal kick. The same rule applies if they kick the ball into their own goal from an indirect free kick as with a direct free kick. In both cases of free kicks opponents must stand 10 yards away from where the free kick is being taken.

There are a number of reasons why a player may be shown a yellow card these are:

If a player is guilty of unsporting behaviour
If a player shows dissent by word or action
If a player constantly infringes the Laws of the Game
If a players delays the start of play
If a player fails to abide by the required distance for restart of play through a corner kick or free kick.
If a player enters, re-enters or leaves the field of play without permission.

There are 7 different reasons why a player may be dismissed from the field of play by being shown a red card these are:

If a player is guilty of violent conduct or serious foul play
If they spit at an opponent or another person
If they deliberately handle the ball and deny the opposing team of a goal. (excluding goal keeper)
If they purposely deny the opposing team of a goal by committing a foul inside their penalty area or if they are moving towards goal
If they use offensive and insulting language or gestures
If they receive their second yellow card of the match.

Once a player has received a red card the player must leave the field of play and cannot stay in the technical area.

The free kicks are good rules which work effectively when the referee awards them correctly. However, many of these are open to interpretation what one referee may think is contact with a player before a ball another may have seen it as they won the ball fairly. If a player is awarded a red card for an offence the referee feels is worth a dismissal, which is clearly seen by viewers as controversial then the player can apply for an appeal so they are not banned from playing in the future matches. This I believe is strength as it can help fair play by a player either being disciplined or relieved of the red card and match bans if it is proved that they did not deserve the dismissal. A particularly good example of this is when Wayne Rooney was sent off in the world cup, it was clear that he should not have been shown the red card as he did not deliberately hit the opponent in the face and was just going for the ball.

The Penalty Kick – Law 14

When a penalty is to be taken, as a result of a foul by the opposition, it is to be placed on the penalty mark. The person who will be taking the penalty must be properly identified, so it does not confuse the goalkeeper or the referee. All the other players must be stood behind the penalty mark and penalty box and at least 10 yards away. When taking the penalty the ball must be kicked forward and the penalty taker may not touch the ball again until it touches another player.

The defending goalkeeper must remain on his goal line until the ball has been kicked. The referee will not allow the penalty kick to be taken until all the players have taken up the position in agreement with the Law.

The Throw-in, Goal Kick and Corner Kick – Laws 15.16 & 17

A throw-in allows play to be restarted; however a goal cannot be scored directly from a free kick. A throw-in is awarded if the whole of the ball crosses the touch line and is given to the opponents of the player who kicked the ball out.

In order for a throw-in to be legal the thrower must be facing the field of play and have both feet on the ground outside or on the touch line. He must also use both hands and deliver the ball from over his head. The thrower cannot

touch the ball until it has been touched by another player. If the thrower produces a foul throw then the opposition are awarded a throw-in instead.

A goal kick is another method of restarting play and a goal may be scored directly from a goal kick.

For a goal kick to be awarded the whole of the ball must have crossed the goal line either in the air or on the ground and a goal has not been scored. A player of the defending team, either an outfield player or the goalkeeper, take the goal kick from anywhere inside the goal area. All other players must remain outside the penalty area until the ball has been kicked. Who ever kicked the ball may not touch it again until another player has done so. If the ball is not kicked out of the penalty area then the kick is retaken.

Another method of restarting play is by taking a corner kick in which a goal may be directly scored. A corner kick is awarded when the ball passes over the goal line and was last touched by the defending team. For a corner kick to be taken the attacking team must place the ball inside the corner arc at the nearest corner flag post. All other players must remain 10 yards away until the ball has been kicked and it is back in play. The kicker may not touch the ball again until another player has touched it.

These methods of restarting play are clear and understand so both teams no the result of when a ball is out of play. This makes the game quick and efficient as they do not have to wait for the referee to decide what the result is as they should already know.

As with table tennis there is still a lot of room for improvement within the rules. These may evolve over the years as to rule out any controversial decisions and to make it a much fairer game to play.

Joanna Davies