20 basics for soccer virgins

The World Cup is here, and there's no getting away from it. If your soccer knowledge gets naught out of 10, read on.

This article is not for anyone who has ever played or watched soccer, or even listened to a conversation about it for more than three minutes.

Here's what you need to know in order not to look completely clueless during the following four weeks:

• Soccer is played by two teams with eleven players each (that includes the goalkeeper).
• Most soccer balls are made from synthetic leather. Many of them are black and white, but they can also be decorated in the colours of the different teams.
• Soccer players wear special shoes that give them a grip on wet grass. Soccer jerseys, shorts and socks distinguish the two teams from each other.
• Soccer is a winter sport.
• The aim of the game is to get the ball into the goal defended by the other team.
• The game lasts 90 minutes – 45 minutes a side with a short break in between.
• Any part of the body may be used, except the hands and arms.
• The goalkeeper is the only player on the field who may use his arms and hands to try and stop the opposing team from scoring a goal.
• A goal, which is scored if the ball goes over the line of the opposing team's goal posts, a goal is scored. It is worth one point.
• Soccer is not a contact sport and no direct physical contact, such as shoving or grabbing, is allowed between the players.
• A soccer pitch, or field, is marked off with boundary lines, and can vary in size. It is usually rectangular in shape with the length more or less double the width.
• If the ball goes across the line on the side of the field, it is thrown in with an overhead throw. If it goes out at the end of the field, the goalkeeper kicks it back in.
• The section in front of the goal is large rectangle called the goal area. If a player breaks the rules in this area, a penalty kick is awarded to the other team. Only the goalkeeper can defend the goalposts during a penalty kick.
• So-called fouls include kicking the ball when it is in the air, tripping or touching other players, or using the hands and arms. The penalty for this is free kick for the opposing team.
• A yellow card is issued for serious fouls, such as fighting, disrespecting officials or their decisions, or flagrantly disobeying the rules more than once. The referee holds up the yellow card for everyone to see.
• Avoid conversations about offsides rules. These are complicated and the subject of endless discussions during and after the games, especially if fans do not agree with the referee's decisions.
• Two officials watch from the sidelines and will raise a flag if someone has gone offsides.
• If an offence is repeated, a red card is issued.
• If a red card is issued, it means the player has to leave the field and is not replaced by another player, leaving his team one short. This does not lead to popularity.
• The referee keeps track of injury time when play is stopped because a player needs medical attention. This is added on at the end.
• If the game ends in a tie, the issue of who wins the game is resolved with a penalty shootout. This is a series of five penalty kicks per side. The team who gets the highest number of goals wins the game.

(Health24, June 2010)

Special Report: 2010

(Sources: soccer-fans-info.com, howstuffworks.com)