What is a Golden Goal?

The golden goal refers to a goal scored by a soccer team during overtime. The overtime minutes in a tied soccer game are similar to “sudden death.” The game ends in overtime with the first score, and the team that makes the point has made the golden goal.

This term was first used in 1992 to replace the more negative term “sudden death.” However, this way of breaking a tie is no longer used by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which is the major governing body for professional soccer games. FIFA used the golden goal method for about ten years.

Many feel the golden goal rule was not successful because teams would often play conservatively and defensively. If a game-ending goal was not scored during overtime, then teams settled a tie by penalty kicks. This was preferred by many players, and often both teams wished to see a tied game settled in this manner.

Those who had established the idea of sudden death thought that the renamed golden goal would produce dramatic action in games that went into overtime. Instead it tended to produce far less dramatic action because of the conservative way in which the teams played.

There are a few exceptions. Some European Football Championships had a winning outcome determined using this method. In 1996 Germany beat the Czech Republic using a golden goal. As well, in 2000, France beat Italy with one to decide the European Football Championship.


However, as a result of dissatisfaction with this tie-breaking method the silver goal tie-breaking method was introduced. In this overtime strategy, teams are given an extra 15-minute period, and the team scoring the most at the end of that period would win the match. This method was also discarded after a few years.

Now neither golden goal nor silver goal method decides ties. Instead teams have two 15-minute halves after a tied game ends at the 90-minute mark. The team with the most points at the end of the two halves wins the games. Penalty shots decide a game that remains tied after the two halves have been played.

What Is Offside in Soccer?

In soccer, the offside rule states that when an offensive player is on the opponent's side of the field and a teammate touches the ball, there must be at least two opposing players who are closer to the goal line than the offensive player is, or that player cannot become involved in the play. For example, a player who has only the opposing goalkeeper between him or her and the goal cannot receive a pass from a teammate. The two defenders closer to the goal line usually include the goalkeeper, but that it not necessarily true. When an official calls a team for being offside, the other team is given possession of the ball for an indirect free kick.

Timing is Crucial

This rule was created to prevent offensive players from "cherry picking" near the opponents' goal. Without the rule, offensive players could hover near their opponents' goal even when the play is on the other side of the field, with the hope of a long pass and an easy goal. The offside rule applies at the moment the ball is touched or passed, not when the ball is received. Therefore, if the offensive player who will receive the pass is onside at the time the ball is touched, then runs past the defender before receiving the pass, the receiving offensive player is not offside, and the play is legal.


Setting a Trap

A common strategy for the defensive team is to play what is called an offside trap, in which the defenders try to draw the opponent offside by running forward right before a potential pass, thereby causing the furthest forward offensive player to be closer to the goal line than the second-to-last defender. The offside trap can backfire, however, if the defenders do not get ahead of the receiving offensive player before the pass is made or if the officials do not call offside. If the receiving offensive player is even — or "level" — with the defenders at the moment of the pass, the player is onside, which can result in the receiving player being wide open if the defenders continue to move away from the goal line.

Exceptions

There are some exceptions to the rule of offside. It cannot be called if the offensive players are on their own side of the field. Nor does it apply on a throw-in, goal kick or corner kick.

Enforcement

Offside might be called by either the center referee or the sideline referees. If the center referee spots the offside, he or she will blow his or her whistle to stop play. More commonly, a sideline referee will signal the offside by raising a flag, indicating to the center referee that he or she should blow his or her whistle to stop play. After offside is spotted and the center referee blows his or her whistle to stop play, he or she will place the ball at the spot of the infraction. The opposing team will then get an indirect free kick from that position.

Difficult to Call

This has been a controversial rule, particularly because a referee has some freedom of interpretation about the offensive player being involved in the play, but also because it's often difficult to judge the player's positioning at the moment of a pass. The referee must determine whether the circumstances were right to make an offside call, even if the player technically was in an offside position. A referee has flexibility in ruling that the player intended to receive the pass, was moving forward and was significantly involved in the play. This means that the offensive player must have a fair chance of scoring a goal in addition to being in an offside position.

What Is a Hat Trick in Soccer?

A hat trick in soccer occurs when a player scores three goals in one game. The term "hat trick" in sports is used to refer to a certain accomplishment by a player during competition, with the feat usually involving three of something — such as goals scored — and varying according to the sport. It is believed that the term originated in cricket in the 19th century, but it has come to be used in many other sports, including soccer and hockey. There also are variations of a hat trick in soccer that involve a player scoring three goals in certain ways, such as consecutively within the same period or by striking the ball in certain ways.

Qualifications

As is the case in many sports, there a some informal rules regarding the use of the term "hat trick" in soccer. For example, if the match is tied after extra time and goes to a penalty-kick shootout, any goals scored do not count toward a hat trick. Thus, a hat trick in soccer can occur only during regulation time, added time and extra time. Any goals scored on penalty kicks before a shootout would count toward a hat trick.


Variations

If a soccer player scores three consecutive goals in one period, it is referred to as a flawless hat trick. If another player on either team scores a goal between any of the three scores by the other player, so that the three goals are not consecutive, then it still is a hat trick but not a flawless hat trick. Another type of hat trick in soccer is a golden hat trick or perfect hat trick, which requires the player to score one goal by kicking with the right foot, one goal by kicking with the left foot and one goal by striking the ball with his or her head. The three types of goals can be scored in any order. This type of hat trick requires tremendous skill and is seldom accomplished.

Origin of "Hat Trick"

The use of the term "hat trick" in sports is believed to have originated in 1858, when H.H. Stephenson, a bowler in cricket, was given a hat after successfully taking three wickets in three balls. The term probably is most widely used in hockey. When a hockey player scores a third goal in one game, many fans celebrate by throwing hats onto the ice. This was an especially popular celebration in the early 20th century, when men often wore formal hats to sporting events, but it has continued into the 21st century.

What Does a Soccer Referee Do?

A soccer referee is the person who presides over a soccer game. Most soccer referees officiate soccer matches on the side while a distinct few officiate full-time for the international games. Every game the soccer referee presides over issues him or her the full authority to enforce any or all the laws of the game. In regards to the final score, the soccer referee has the final say on any decision during the game.

Every soccer match consists of one soccer referee and two assistant referees. While it is not a typical occurrence, a fourth official could preside over the game. In 2006, the International Federation of Associated Football, or FIFA, instituted the right to use a fifth official for more important games such as a World Cup championship game.

During the 1950s, soccer referees used to wear blazers instead of uniforms. Different leagues such as the Premier League in the United Kingdom have worn green, yellow or black during the last 20 years. In international events sponsored by FIFA, soccer referees have their own choice of five different colors: black, blue, green, red, and yellow.


The referee has numerous powers handed down to them to enforce during the match. Referees are allowed to stop the soccer match either temporarily or for good at any time if he feels the laws of the game have been breached. A soccer referee can briefly stop play if a player is seriously injured and needs to be carted off the field for medical issues. In regards to a slightly injured player, the referee can allow play to continue unless the injury becomes more serious. If a team is playing or acting irresponsibly, the soccer referee has the authority to expel one or all members of the team from the surrounding area.

As the acting official for the soccer match, the soccer referee has numerous duties he or she must perform which include enforcing the laws of the game as handed down by the governing body of the league. Before all matches, each referee must make sure any soccer ball which is capable of being used for game play meets the requirements of the league. The referee must act as timekeeper for the match and control the flow of the match. It was not until recently that soccer referees used whistles to indicate the beginning or restart of play or the stoppage of play due to injury, infringement or stoppage of the half.

How is Soccer Played?

The sport of soccer, which is called football in most of the world, is a field game that is played with an inflated round ball. To play, two teams are assembled on a rectangular field. Each team has a goal, a metal frame covered with a big net, that is located behind its team members. The object of the game is to score points by kicking the ball into the opposing team’s goal. The team with the most points wins the game, although in most cases, it is possible for the game to end in a tie.

Field and Equipment

A regulation, full-size soccer field is 114.8 yards (105 m) long and 74.4 yards (68 m) wide, but many fields vary somewhat in length or width. Smaller fields typically are used for youth leagues, and some leagues or organizations might use different dimensions. A full-size ball has a circumference of about 27 to 28 inches (68 to 70 cm) and weighs 14 to 16 ounces (410 to 450 g), but youths usually use a smaller ball. Once made of leather, most modern soccer balls are made using 32 small panels of a waterproof, synthetic material. The goal is 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and 8 feet (2.4 m) high, but again, smaller goals are often used for younger players.


Handling the Ball

One of the important rules of soccer is that, with few exceptions, players are not allowed to touch the ball intentionally with their hands or arms. The goalkeeper, who stands in front of his or her team's goal and tries to prevent the ball from going in, is allowed to use his or her hands and arms in the area in front of the goal. Also, when the ball goes out of bounds, players are allowed to use their hands to throw it back onto the field during a play called a throw-in. Otherwise, the players generally control the ball with their feet, knees, heads and torsos — but mostly their feet.

Players

Typically, soccer is played with 11 players on each team, but some variations, such as games in youth leagues or indoor soccer leagues, use fewer players. There are various names for players' positions, but they typically are divided into three groups: forwards, midfielders and defenders. Forwards' primary role is to attack offensively, midfielders help control the ball for their team, and defenders help the goaltender prevent the opponent from scoring. At the highest levels, teams have a very limited number of substitutions that can be used in a game — typically three — so most players must play the entire game. In games at lower levels or some exhibitions matches, also called "friendlies," more substitutions or unlimited substitutions might be allowed.

Uniforms

Soccer uniforms include shirts, shorts and socks in the team’s colors. Players typically wear shin guards as well. Goalkeepers wear a different color of shirt to make them easily distinguishable from the rest of the team. They also wear special large gloves to make grabbing the ball easier. Soccer players often wear shoes that have cleats on their bottoms, which gives them better traction.

Officials

A referee watches over the game, along with two assistant referees. The referee roams the field and is the main judge of scoring, penalties and other infractions. Each assistant patrols one of the sidelines and is mainly charged with determining whether the ball goes out of bounds and which team last touched it, as well as whether a player is guilty of being offside. In some games, a fourth official is positioned off the field, mostly to help with administrative duties, but he or she can help the referee make on-field calls as well.

Penalties and Infractions

Along with not being allowed to deliberately handle the ball, players are prohibited from doing things such as tripping, kicking, pushing or otherwise impeding an opponent. They also cannot be involved in a play after being offside — which means that they were closer to the opponent's goal line than any opponent except the goalkeeper when the ball was kicked to them. Unsportsmanlike conduct, including abusive language, also is prohibited. There also are technical rules of the game that players must follow, such as those regarding substitutions or positioning for certain types of plays.

The punishment for a foul, penalty or infraction depends on the severity of the action. For dangerous play or unsportsmanlike behavior, a player might be shown a yellow card, which is like a warning, or a red card, which means that he or she has been kicked out of the game. Other infractions might result in the opposing team being given possession of the ball, starting with a free kick or a penalty kick. A free kick can be termed "direct" or "indirect," which determines whether the player kicking the ball is allowed to kick it directly at the opponent's goal or must kick it to a teammate instead. On a penalty kick, a player is given a close-range shot at the opponent's goal, with the goalkeeper being the only player allowed to try to stop it.

Timing

A full-length regulation game lasts 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves, plus any time added by the referee to make up for injury stoppages. Each half begins with the teams occupying opposite halves of the field, and one of the teams makes a kickoff from the designated center spot. From that moment, the game clock continues to run until halftime or the end of the game.

In most games, there is a short overtime period — or two short overtime periods — if the score is tied at the end of regulation. During many tournaments or in other cases when ties are not acceptable, if the score is tied after overtime, a shootout is held. In a shootout, each team has five players attempt penalty kicks, and the team that makes more of them wins. If both teams make the same number of penalty kicks, the shootout continues with the teams taking one at a time until a winner is determined.

How Do I Improve My Soccer Fitness?

Soccer is a sport that depends greatly on physical fitness and, more specifically, endurance. Individual skills, such as ball handling, are important for the sport, but if a soccer player improves his physical fitness, he will greatly increase his value out on the field. Anyone looking to improve his soccer fitness should be primarily focused on his ability to run at different speeds while maintaining stamina and endurance.

Soccer is a game of constant running. There are two 45 minute halves in a game and, compared to other sports, there is more continuous running and less stoppage of play. When a player is near the ball, he relies heavily on short distance sprinting. When the player, especially a midfielder, is not near the ball, he might have to run a great distance in order to create a play downfield or to catch up with his opponents. These two basic ways to exist in relation to the play, and the two different types of running involved, mean that someone looking to improve his soccer fitness ought to work on improving his level of endurance both with short distance sprinting and continuous distance running.


When a soccer player is looking to improve his soccer fitness in short distance sprinting, there are some key ways to exercise to help. Actually running short sprints can help significantly, and a soccer player ought to run his sprint program as hard as he can. Jump rope exercises and plyometrics, which are a form of training where you jump up and down on boxes of different heights in order to improve your fast twitch muscle tissue, also help greatly in the area of explosiveness and speed in short distance running.

Cardiovascular exercises are the primary way to improve your soccer fitness ability in terms of distance running and endurance for extended periods of time. Distance jogging, preferably over 1 mile (1.6 km), bicycling for several miles (kilometers), swimming, the use of an elliptical machine, or any form of activity where the heart rate is increased for at least a 30 minute period is a great way to train the body to improve stamina and endurance for longer runs. Cardiovascular workouts are also a great way to keep body fat low, which is important if you are trying to improve your soccer fitness.

Soccer fitness is not all about running and cardiovascular workouts, however. While speed, stamina, and endurance are vitally important, strength with weights can greatly help a soccer player's game as well. Upper and lower body exercises featuring many repetitions per set can help improve your stamina and endurance, and will help you avoid putting on too much body mass, which might slow you down out on the soccer field.

What are the Different Soccer Tournaments in the World?

Soccer, as it is called in the United States and Canada, is known as football to the rest of the world. The Copa America is the oldest soccer tournament in the world that is still active. The Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Cup is another popular soccer tournament, as is the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup soccer tournament.

The Copa America soccer tournament began in 1916 when it was known as the Campeonato Sudamericano de Selecciones (South American Championship of National Teams). Ten South American countries play in the Copa America, with guest countries such as the United States, Japan, and Costa Rica occasionally invited to participate in a Copa America soccer tournament. Argentina and Uruguay have the most wins in Copa America history. Hosting duties are alternated between the ten countries for each soccer tournament.

The UEFA Cup, known as the International Inter-City Industrial Fairs Cup before 1971, is a soccer tournament that is held every four years since its initial debut in France in 1960. The Soviet Union upset Yugoslavia with a score of 2-1 in the first game in France. Throughout the years, the UEFA cup has undergone immense changes in its format such as in the ever-changing details of the number of teams and players allowed into the finals and semi-finals.


The FIFA World Cup soccer tournament began in 1930 with Uruguay beating Argentina 4-2. Uruguay won the FIFA World Cup again in 1950, this time overtaking Brazil by a score of 2-1. Argentina has also won the FIFA World Cup twice: against the Netherlands in 1978 by 3-1 and against Germany in 1986 with a score of 3-2. Brazil won the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament five times in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. Italy is a four time FIFA World Cup winner, while Germany has won three World Cup soccer tournaments.

David Beckham is one of the best known soccer tournament stars. He played in 94 tournaments and scored over 17 international goals. The English Beckham, born 2 May 1975, is especially known for his passing and crossing skills. Beckham helped his Manchester United team win the UEFA Cup soccer tournament in 1999 and has scored goals in three different FIFA World Cup soccer tournaments as well. Beckham began playing for the Spanish team, Real Madrid, in 2003 after six successful years as the captain of the Manchester United soccer team.