5 rules in football that most fans are confused or unaware about

Recently in a match between Liverpool and Bournemouth, controversy arose after a goal by Benteke was allowed to stand by the referee when it should have been flagged offside. The confusion was because Benteke was in fact, onside, but Philippe Coutinho who attempted to play the ball was offside and according to the rules, it should have been disallowed.It is not the first time that there has been a confusion regarding the offside rule. In January 2014, Cheick Tiote had a goal disallowed against Manchester City for offside because the referee judged that another Newcastle player in an offside position was obstructing Joe Hart in goal. However, most people believe that the goal should have stood.The offside rule is known to football fans despite being a confusing one. However, there are many rules in football that are even more confusing or even unknown to most people. So here is a look at five such rules stated in the official rulebook by FIFA.

#1 What happens if a foul is initiated outside the box, but continues into the box?

Barcelona were awarded a penalty for this foul from Demichelis on Messi

An instance of this rule coming into play happened last season in the UEFA Champions League and it received quite a lot of media coverage. During the first leg of the match between Manchester City and Barcelona, Martin Demichelis was sent off and Barcelona were given a penalty for a foul which most people stated happened outside the box.

Although the foul initiated outside the box, it continued at least till the line marking the penalty area and a foul on the line is a penalty. People argued on social media if the decision was right or not, but the referee got it spot on according to the FIFA rules.

Law 12 – Fouls and Misconducts

Restart of Play

• If a defender starts holding an attacker outside the penalty area but continues holding inside the penalty area, the referee shall award a penalty kick.

Although the rule states holding, any foul that initiates outside the box and continues till the box will be punished with a penalty.

#2 What happens if a throw in goes into goal?

Throw ins that land in the opposition’s net are awarded as goal kick by the referee

Haven’t you wondered what happens when a throw in goes into the opposing team’s or your own goal? Does the goal stand or will it be ruled out? The situation might seem unrealistic, but it has happened.

A famous example of this was back in 2002 during the Birmingham derby. Aston Villa’s Olof Mellberg took a quick defensive throw in, but the Villa keeper Peter Enckelman misjudged the throw and it rolled into the net. The goal was allowed to stand, but in reality a corner should have been awarded to Birmingham City. The rule according to the FIFA rule book is as follows.

Law 15 – The Throw In

A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw in:

• If the ball enters the opponent's goal directly from a throw-in, the referee shall award a goal kick
• If the ball enters the thrower’s own goal directly from a throw in, the referee shall award a corner kick.

The law makes it clear that irrespective of whose net the ball enters from a throw in, the goal cannot stand and goal kick or a corner is awarded depending on whose net the ball goes into. However, in the past, incidents have occurred where the goal was allowed to stand when a throw crosses the goal line.

#3 What happens when the attacking or defending team enters the penalty box before a penalty is taken?

Alonso missed with his second attempt after being forced to retake the penalty

During the quarter final match between Spain and Paraguay, the Europeans were awarded a penalty and Xabi Alonso stepped up to take it. The former Liverpool man scored from the spot, but the referee asked the Spaniard to retake the penalty as other Spanish players entered the penalty box before Alonso took the kick. Alonso missed with his second attempt, but Spain still managed to win the game.

There have been many instances where a team has been asked to retake a penalty because of players entering the box before the ball has been played. The outcome of the incident depends on which team the player entering the box belongs to and whether or not the goal was scored.

Law 14 – The penalty kick

A team-mate of the player taking the kick infringes the Laws of the Game:

• The referee allows the kick to be taken
• If the ball enters the goal, the kick is retaken
• If the ball does not enter the goal, the referee stops play and the match is restarted with an indirect free kick to the defending team from the place where the infringement occurred

A team-mate of the goalkeeper infringes the Laws of the Game:

• The referee allows the kick to be taken
• If the ball enters the goal, a goal is awarded
• If the ball does not enter the goal, the kick is retaken

A player of both the defending team and the attacking team infringe the Laws of the Game:

• The kick is retaken
• In the past, there have been many instances where the referee has asked to retake a penalty and instances where the referee failed to give a retake. A famous refereeing mistake that happened recently was in a U-19 football game between England ladies and Norway ladies.
• The referee disallowed a last minute penalty from England on the grounds of encroachment and awarded an indirect free kick to Norway, when he should have actually asked for a retake.

#4 What happens when a free kick taker touches the ball again before another player?

Giggs dribbled the ball from the corner leading to an infringement of the law

Last season during a Champions League match between Barcelona and PSG, Thiago Silva stepped up to take a free kick right outside his team’s penalty box. Unfortunately for Silva, he lost his footing right after he touched the ball and a Barcelona player came charging forward. The Brazilian made a quick judgment to put the ball out of play instead of risking the opposition score a goal as majority of his teammates were up the pitch anticipating his free kick.

Now you would expect a throw in to be given to the opposition, but a free kick was given to Barcelona at the spot where Silva took touched the ball for the second time according to FIFA’s rulebook.

Law 13 – Free kicks

Free kick taken by a player other than the goalkeeper

If, the ball is in play, the kicker touches the ball again (except with his hands) before it has touched another player:

• An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.

If the ball is in play, the kicker deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

• A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred
• A penalty kick is awarded if the infringement occurred inside the kicker’s penalty area.

The only difference to the above rule if the kick is taken by a goalkeeper is that if the goalkeeper handles the ball in his box, then an indirect free kick is awarded instead of a penalty like in the above mentioned rule.

Another famous example of a violation of this rule was when Giggs dribbled the ball from a corner and put in a cross for Ronaldo to score, however, referee Howard Webb spotted the incident and ruled out the goal.

Just a day ago a controversy arose surrounding the same rule in an MLS game between New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire.

If you have paid attention then you would have noticed that when teams attempt to waste time from a corner, one player passes the ball to another, who in turn dribbles near the flag to kill time. This is because if the kick taker did it, then it would violate the rules.

#5 What happens if you kick a free kick into your own goal?

A highly unlikely situation but FIFA has a rule for free kick that can result in an own goal

Everyone knows that a direct free kick taken put into the opposition goal is valid as it is one of the most common tactics used by teams. But what happens when a team taking the free kick puts it into their own net? This one also is also a very unusual situation, but FIFA have a rule to judge such a scenario if it happens.

Law 13 – Free kicks

Ball enters the goal

• If a direct free kick is kicked directly into the team’s own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team.
• If an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team.

So a free kick, direct or indirect, if it goes into the team’s own net is not a goal, instead the opposition gets a corner. In the video provided, the ball goes into the team’s own net, but contrary to the law, the goal stood.