8 football rules even some top coaches, professionals don’t know

By Felix Nwosu

Do you think you know football? Well, they are football rules that even coaches and professional players don’t know about. Below are eight of those rules:

1. The Coach Can Play For The Team If He Wants To

Many might not know this but a coach is part of the team and can sub a player and step on the pitch to play. A typical example is Gianluca Vialli who used to play for Juventus and later coached Chelsea, he was still capable of playing and so usually subbed himself when the need arose for him to step in. So don’t be surprised when one day a coach decides to play for his team.

2. Referees Can Be Substituted

For most of our lives that we’ve watched football, it is not common to see a referee being subbed but in the Fifa soccer rules, this is accepted. If a referee is unable to continue with the match, he can be subbed with an assistant referee to take over the match.

3. Linesmen Can Issue Cards

The assistant coach is supposed to inform the referee of offences which happened on his blind side and decide whether to give a card. If the referee gives the mandate to the linesman, he can issue a card based on what he saw, but the responsibility lies on the referee to give the assistant referee the go-ahead according to FIFA Rule 6.

4. A player cannot be offside from a goal kick, corner or throw-in

During goal kick, corner or throw-in, even if the player is in an off-side position, it is not counted. This has caused many teams goals when they assume it is an off-side and it takes them by surprise.

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5. A substitute cannot take a corner or a throw-in to restart the match

When a ball goes out for a throw-in and the team decides to sub a player, the new player who just stepped in cannot take the throw to restart the match. You probably never knew this right?

6. It is illegal for a goalkeeper to roll his sleeves up

A goalkeeper is allowed to wear long sleeves due to their role but one thing they cannot do is to roll the sleeves up to form a short sleeve, they can be given a card for that.

7. A goalkeeper can’t pick the ball up again after he has let it out of his possession until another player has touched it

After catching a ball, a goalkeeper can’t pick the ball up again if he decides to drop it until another player has touched it. If he disobeys, he will receive a card, it is either for him to kick it or allow another player to pass it back to him before he can pick it up again.

8. A linesman can officiate a match

It is absolutely legal for an assistant referee to take over the match and officiate if the referee can’t continue with the match, so basically a linesman is also a referee who can do everything the main referee does.

Now that you know, don’t be too quick to challenge the decisions of the match officials.

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