 |
|
What you need to know:
The aim is to score more goals than the opposing players. In the Olympics, teams of 11 players compete across two 45-minute halves, with extra time and penalty shootouts used to decide drawn matches during the knockout stages. In the knockout matches the winners of the semi-finals go head-to-head in the gold medal match and the losing semi-finalists play for the bronze medal. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw and nothing for a loss.
Soccer jargon:
- Advantage – played by the referee after a foul if he/she feels that the team which has been fouled would benefit from a continuation in play
- Extra time – if a match in the knockout stages is tied at the end of 90 minutes, the teams play 30 minutes of extra time in a bid to find the winner
- Foul – illegal interference with an opposing player, such as tripping
- Indirect free kick – a type of free kick from which the attacking team cannot score directly without more than one player touching the ball first
- Penalty shootout –
- If the scores are tied at the end of extra time, there’s a penalty shootout in which each team has five penalty kicks.
- If teams remain tied after five penalties, the shootout moves into a sudden-death format, meaning rounds of one kick per team to determine the winner.
- Pitch - the Soccer field or playing surface for the game
What the Referees look for:
A referee on the pitch officiates each match with the help of two assistant referees, who are on either side of the pitch. The referee will be looking out for rule infringements:
- Fouls may result in a yellow card, with a second yellow card resulting in a red card and instant dismissal.
- Players receive straight red cards for serious fouls, leaving the other team with an extra-player advantage.
- When a team commits an infringement, the opposing team is awarded a free kick.
- If fouled inside a penalty area, the player's team is awarded a penalty kick.
|
