
	Intro: Before you begin Step 1: Learn the basics Step 2: Know the field Step 3: Know the players Step 4: Let the game begin Step 5: Move the ball Step 6: Understand fouls and penalties Step 7: Score!








	A player can't be offside on a throw-in, goal kick, corner kick, or if he is in his team's half of the field. To be called offside, the player must gain an advantage from his position. A common defensive strategy is for fullbacks to push upfield to try to catch an opposing forward offside.

2torial #0413:
Learn2 Understand Soccer (continued)

Understand fouls and penalties

Sometimes during a game, a forward will receive a pass and sprint to the goal with a great chance to score, only to be stopped by the referee's whistle. Most likely, the player has committed a foul by being offside. This means he or she was nearer to the opposing goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent when a teammate touched the ball.

The rule is designed to prevent forwards from standing close to the goal and waiting for the ball to come to them. So, a player must have two opponents between him or her and the goal, usually one defender and the goalkeeper. He or she can be even with the two players and not be called offside.

After an offside is called, play is stopped and the defending team is awarded an indirect free kick. There are two types of free kicks, direct and indirect. For both types, members of the opposing team must stand 10 feet (9 meters) from the ball until the kick is taken at the spot of the foul. A free kick is considered a valuable scoring opportunity.

For an indirect free kick, another player besides the kicker must touch the ball before a goal can be scored. It is awarded if an athlete plays in a dangerous manner, interferes with an opponent's progress, or blocks the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands. An indirect free kick is also awarded if the goalkeeper touches the ball with his or her hands:

And takes more than four steps;
After it is kicked to him or her by a teammate; or
After receiving the ball from a throw-in by a teammate.

A direct free kick, in which a goal can be scored by the kicker, is awarded by the referee for more serious fouls, including:

Excessive force against an opponent, such as tripping, pushing, or holding
Tackling an opponent and touching the player before the ball
Deliberately handling the ball

A direct free kick close to the goal is an exciting chance for a score. Often, defenders will stand close together to form a human wall between the goal and the kicker, who may not touch the ball a second time until another player has made contact.

If the defensive team commits a foul inside its own penalty area that warrants a direct free kick, a penalty kick is awarded. The ball is placed at the penalty mark and everyone except the kicker and the goalkeeper must stand outside the penalty area. The small arc drawn from the top of the penalty area marks the 10 yard (9.2 meter) distance defensive players must yield to the kicker. If a goalkeeper stops a penalty kick, it's considered an outstanding save.

Sometimes, a foul is so severe that the referee decides to eject a player from the match by issuing a red card in addition to awarding a penalty kick. He pulls it out of his pocket and dramatically shows it to the guilty player for the following offenses:

Preventing a goal by handling the ball or committing a foul that results in a penalty kick or free kick
Violent or serious foul play

Lesser infractions, such as delaying the game, unsportsmanlike conduct, or refusing to stand the proper distance from a corner kick, goal kick, or free kick, result in a caution, also known as a yellow card. A player who receives two yellow cards in a match must leave the field for the rest of the game. Players who are sent off can't be replaced.

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