Contents
The Soccer Field
Soccer Basics
Soccer Playing Fundamentals
Soccer Positions
Soccer Formations
Offsides in Soccer
Soccer Set Plays
Soccer Referees and Fouls
Soccer Leagues and Competitions
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Soccer Set Plays
Set plays are any of the plays that return a ball that has gone from out of play back into play. Different set plays result from the different ways that the ball can go out of play.
Throw-Ins
Throw-ins return the ball to play when it has gone out of bounds over the sidelines. They are the one time that non-keepers can use their hands to touch the ball. The team that did not touch the ball last before it went out of bounds gets to throw in the ball from the spot where the ball crossed out of bounds.
To make a legal throw-in, a player must do the following:
- Hold the ball over his head with two hands.
- Throw the ball from both hands with equal force, and with at least some part of each foot touching the ground.
When a player doesn’t follow these rules, the referee rules the throw-in illegal, and the opposing team gets to throw in from the same spot.
Corner Kicks
When the defending team is the last to touch the ball before it goes over their goal line (the line closest to the goal they are defending) and out of bounds, the offensive team gets to take a corner kick, which offers a great scoring opportunity. In a corner kick:
- The ball is placed in whichever corner arc it was closest to when it went out of bounds.
- An offensive player kicks the ball. Generally, the player kicks the ball so that it arcs in front of the goal.
- Offensive players gather in front of the goal to try to head or kick the ball into the goal. Defenders try to head or kick the ball away from the goal.
Goal Kicks
A goal kick puts the ball back in play after the attacking team has put it out of play over their opposing team’s goal line. In a goal kick:
- The ball is placed anywhere along the six-yard line, usually at the corner of the goal area.
- A member of the defending team (usually the keeper) kicks the ball.
- The ball can be kicked anywhere and often travels over the center line before landing. No one is allowed to touch the ball until it has left the penalty area.
Free Kicks
A free kick is awarded to a team when the opposing team commits a foul or is offsides. There are two types of free kicks: direct kicks and indirect kicks.
Direct Kicks
A direct kick is awarded for any of the following fouls:
- Holding an opposing player
- Spitting at an opposing player
- Intentionally touching the ball with the hands
- Making contact with an opposing player before touching the ball when tackling
- Any other especially dangerous action that the referee deems intentional or reckless, or that uses excessive force
The direct kick is taken from the spot on the field where the foul was committed. The offensive player taking a direct kick can shoot the ball directly at the goal. Until the offensive player kicks the ball, members of the opposing team must stay 10 yards away. When a direct kick is taken 30 yards or closer to the defending team’s goal, defending players form a wall—they line up shoulder-to-shoulder 10 yards away from the ball. The player kicking the ball has to kick in such a way that it swerves over or around the wall and at the goal.
Indirect Kicks
An indirect kick is awarded for the following infractions:
- Playing dangerously
- Blocking the movement of an opposing player
- Preventing the goaltender from releasing the ball
- The goaltender holds the ball in his hands for more than six seconds.
- The goaltender touches any throw-in thrown to him, or any pass intentionally kicked to him by a teammate with his hands.
- The goaltender picks up the ball with his hands after releasing it. A teammate must touch the ball before the keeper can pick it up again.
No goal can be scored off an indirect free kick unless a teammate touches the ball first. If the free kick sails right into the goal, the ball is considered out of bounds, and a goal kick is awarded to the other team. But if the free kick is headed by a teammate into the goal, the goal counts. Offensive teams usually kick indirect kicks into the penalty area hoping that a teammate will head or kick the ball into the goal, though they can also take a shot at the goal by having one player give the ball a little tap just before another player blasts a shot. If the indirect kick is within 30 yards or so of the defensive team’s goal, the defensive team will usually form a wall 10 yards in front of the ball.
Penalty Kicks
When the defensive team commits a serious foul (see “Direct Kicks” in Soccer Set Plays) inside the penalty area, the opposing team gets a penalty kick:
- The ball is put on the penalty mark in front of the goal.
- All players other than the kicker and keeper must leave the penalty box.
- The keeper must stand motionless behind the goal line until the player kicks the ball.
- The kicker kicks the ball and the goalie tries to save it. As soon as the kicker strikes the ball, the other players may enter the penalty box.
- If the ball crosses the goal line, it’s a goal. If the keeper catches or blocks the ball, or if the ball goes out of bounds or rebounds off the goalposts or crossbar, play resumes immediately.
Penalty Kicks to End the Game
If a game goes to penalty kicks to decide the winner, the following happens:
- Each team takes five penalty kicks. The team that scores the most goals in its five kicks wins.
- If the score is tied after five kicks, the teams enter a sudden death round in which the teams alternate taking kicks. The first team to score when the other doesn’t is the winner.
A different player must take each penalty kick. No player can take a second kick until all of his teammates have kicked.
Drop Ball
When the referee stops play for any reason and is then unsure which team should have possession of the ball, the game is restarted with a drop ball. In a drop ball:
- The referee holds the ball and stands between two opposing players.
- The referee drops the ball.
- As soon as the ball touches the ground, the two players try to kick it.
- Whichever team winds up with the kicked ball has possession, and play resumes.
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