Rules of the Game: During penalty kicks to determine the winner of a match, all players, except the player taking the kick and the two goalkeepers, must remain within the center circle.
Rules of the Game: The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. He maintains his arm in that position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or goes out of play.
Rules of the Game: According to FIFA, goalposts and crossbars must always be painted white.
Rules of the Game: In the event that the game ball should burst or fail somehow during the run of play, the referee will immediately stop the match until the game can be resumed by calling for a drop ball at the spot of the failure with a fresh ball.
Soccer has its roots in ancient games like Cuju, which was popular in China around 400 BC.