History UsefulNotes / FootyRules

** Some offences are serious enough to warrant a red card - again, a literal red card brandished by the referee - and being sent off for the remainder of the game. Earning two yellows is by far the most common method of being sent off, but a straight-out red card is earned for violent or abusive behaviour, intentional handballs,[[note]]particularly if they are "denying a goal-scoring opportunity", or by the goalkeeper outside the penalty box[[/note]] or for bringing down an attacking player if you're the last man defending.[[note]]again, the aforementioned "denying a goal-scoring opportunity"[[/note]] A red-carded player is nearly always punished by being banned for further games, usually between one and three depending on the severity of the incident. Major League Soccer introduced a tweak to this suspension midway through the inaugural 2022 season of its reserve league of MLS Next Pro; a player who receives a red card in a Next Pro game is suspended for his team's next game against that same opponent.

** One completely legal body contact is defined in the rules: the shoulder charge. In effect, in a duel for the ball, a defender is allowed to use his upper body to push away the attacker from the ball. Note that it ''is'' illegal to interpose yourself between the ball and an attacker. Then there is the fact that the sliding tackle, while technically forbidden to contact the attacking player, is almost impossible to execute that way, and incidental contact is fine, as long as the intent is obviously to play the ball and the tackler actually succeeds/mainly succeeded ''before'' hitting the other player (not "going through the back").[[note]]and that they used one foot to do it, with the other leg safely away from the other play and that the tackle didn't break the other player's leg[[/note]]. Some competitions (especially in the British Isles) give more leeway when defining incidental contact, and players from other leagues - particularly smaller and more technical players - usually find it difficult to adjust to British football, as the players are often much more physical and unlike back home, the referees don't care. It gets to the point where commentators often remark that players wouldn't get away with the sorts of things they do in Britain in other parts of Europe. The British see this as proof that other leagues are composed entirely of soft nancy-boys. Everyone else, particularly the French, Italians and Spanish (the German Bundesliga, while not quite as physical as the Premier League, is a lot closer and players find it easier to adapt to one from the other), see this as proof that the British are graceless thugs. There is some truth in the stereotypes - the Premier League isn't as dominant as in the mid-noughties (though after providing all four finalists in the 2018-19 Champions League and Europa League finals, that may be changing), but it is widely agreed by most players to be by far the most physically intense and competitive league in Europe, while lacking the polish of other European leagues. And the competitiveness is real: while usually dominated by the so-called 'Big Six' (formerly the 'Big Four'), and Manchester City have won the league with 100 points and 98 points from a possible 114 in successive years (the second time, Liverpool were right behind them on 97, but Chelsea, the next closest, were on 72), teams like Leicester City have shown that it ''is'' possible to break into the club. Given the increasing dominance of Liverpool and City, however, this is increasingly looked on with suspicion. In others, it is common for attacking players to overact and turn incidental contact into an apparent foul, referred to as "diving". Naturally [speaker's team] is always composed of upstanding sportsmen who would never do such a thing, while [opposing team] is full of scuba instructors and Oscar hopefuls who fall down if you look at them funny. While diving or 'simulation' is a yellow card offence, it can be remarkably difficult to catch players at it.

* The above is all very technical and complicated, but even worse, FIFA (the world governing body) periodically changes the wording of the rule. Each time the theory is to close some loopholes or clarify the thing, but in fact each change makes the rule so complex that almost no-one, including top international players, actually knows what the rule is anymore.

** It's worth noting that FIFA does not set the laws of the game; rather this role is filled by IFAB (International Football Association Board), composed of FIFA and the four British associations. Any change to the laws requires the approval of FIFA and any two of those four associations.

*** '''The False Nine'''. A variant on the Secondary Striker and the Attacking Midfielder, players who play in this position tend to be forwards who drop deep into midfield to collect the ball and/or draw defenders out, creating gaps for onrushing midfielders and other forwards to exploit. The name comes from the confusion this causes, since the number nine is traditionally the primary centre-forward and when someone talks about a classic number nine, they usually mean a big centre-forward who's good in the air and can hold up play for other attackers. A False Nine is usually smaller, more skilful, with good positioning and an eye for a pass. This often means that, with one or two exceptions, they don't score as often as might be expected - however, their general importance is believed to compensate. Surprisingly, the position is not a modern invention as most assume. Instead, it tended to be a feature unique to sides playing 'Total Football', which is discussed below, such as the Austria side of the 1930's and the Hungary side of the 1950's. Following Cesc Fàbregas' deployment as a False Nine behind striker Fernando Torres in Spain's winning campaign at the Euros in 2012, the position has gone mainstream. Popular examples include PSG's Lionel Messi (widely regarded as the best player on the planet, and one who defies the 'scores less than they should' rule) and Liverpool's Roberto Firmino.

** A match lasts 90 minutes, divided in two 45-minute halves. Except for the mid-game recess, the clock never stops ticking (not even for evacuating an injured player off the field). Both halves may be extended for a few minutes, usually between one to five, based on the referee's judgement (mainly depending on interruptions during the game; some more hectic matches have seen injury times nearing the ten-minute mark). In games that must produce a win (namely, tournament play), if the game is a draw by the 9- minute mark, it may go on over time for some 30 minutes (divided in two 15-minute halves), and even a penalty round (see below) if needed.

*** '''Central Midfielders'''. Arguably the most important and influential position on the pitch, and consequently the province of some of [[TheAce the best players in the game]]. Their job is to do... [[DoAnythingRobot everything]]. They have to stop any oncoming attacks, and when they get the ball they have to pass or dribble it out, they are usually expected to get up the pitch and shoot and get back to clear the danger. Different players and different systems emphasise different sides of the role more than others. The traditional English type is the 'box to box' Midfielder or 'Number 8', who runs from one penalty box to another, involving themselves all over the pitch, who's expected to at least border on being MasterOfAll - modern examples include Liverpool's [[TheCaptain Steven]] [[TheAce Gerrard]] and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham. Another variant is the "Playmaker", who tends to be less mobile and controls the flow of the play, with their midfield partner doing most of the running - that being said, there is some overlap between the two (Gerrard, for instance, became a Playmaker in his later years). Some of the most famous modern examples of this are Italy/AC Milan-Juventus' Andrea Pirlo, England/Manchester United's Paul Scholes, Croatia/Real Madrid's Luka Modrić, Spain/Liverpool-Real Madrid-Bayern Munich's Xabi Alonso, and Spain/Barcelona's Xavi. The former and latter especially being considered among ''the'' best players of their time, and Modrić was the one player to break the 10 year streak of Messi and Ronaldo's game of pass the parcel with the Ballon d'Or. They are essentially the glue holding the team together, as they have to link the defence with the attack, though with the wider advent of Defensive Midfielders, they generally have to track back less.

*** '''Wingers''' (or Wide Midfielders). These play at the sides of the pitch (Right-wing and Left-wing). They specialise in dribbling and crossing, and are usually the fastest players on the pitch, with the fastest, Wales' ex-Real Madrid winger [[LightningBruiser Gareth Bale]], being clocked at ''36.9 kilometres per hour.'' ''With'' the ball.[[note]]For reference, Usain Bolt's world record for the 100m equates to 37.6 kilometres per hour.[[/note]] Their job is usually to bring the ball past the defense at the side of the pitch and then cross it in for the strikers to score, though several instead specialise in coming in from the sides and either providing a pass from a different angle shooting at goal. "Winger" and "Wide midfielder" are basically interchangeable as terms nowadays, though "Winger" usually implies a more attacking mentality. A special form of the Winger is the so called "wrong footed"/"inverted" Winger (e.g. a left footed player on the Right Wing). These guys either cut back to provide a different crossing angle, or cut inside to shoot with their strong foot, often attacking the space between centre-back and full-back, on the full-back's weaker side. Because this can be extremely effective, most professional teams will encourage their Wingers to occasionally switch sides to confuse the defence.

*** '''Centre-forwards''' a.k.a. 'the Number 9'. The main job of this player is to get into scoring positions, wait for the ball to come to him, and then score. Traditionally, a "[[TheBigGuy target man]]", a physically large player that others can hoof up passes to (so they can hold the ball up to bring other attackers into the game) or target with crosses for a headed goal. While this variant has historically been a common feature of British teams, as seen with West Ham and England striker Andy Carroll, the most successful example in the modern game is probably Poland's ex-Bayern Munich and current Barcelona striker, Robert Lewandowski. More recently, alternatives have emerged, including [[SuperSpeed fast players]] who will run onto through-balls, out-pacing the defence, or more technical players who can hold up the ball and use their greater technical abilities to more effectively bring team-mates into the game - the latter is often interchangeable with the below-mentioned 'False Nine', the only distinction being where they primarily position themselves. Sometimes, players even combine styles, as with living meme Sweden, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, and AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimović who managed to be outrageously quick-footed and agile enough to spontaneously lob England's goalkeeper with an overhead kick from 30 yards away on the right wing, and the famously lanky and surprisingly skilful former Liverpool, Stoke, and England forward Peter Crouch. Both were an aerial threat and good on the floor, being clever passers of the ball. However, when someone is referring to a 'Number 9', they usually mean the traditional definition.

** Most teams have at least one 'dead ball specialist', a player with a particular talent for free kicks, corners and penalties. Their responsibility is to either threaten the goal directly or to pick out a player to score. This, needless to say, requires incredible technical skill, a great deal of precision and, in the case of penalty takers, NervesOfSteel. It also means that it is usually a midfielder or attacking player, such as England's David Beckham, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil's Ronaldinho, Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri, and Italy's Andrea Pirlo, the former famous for his skill at bending the ball (hence the title of ''Film/BendItLikeBeckham''), it's not uncommon to see fullbacks take on this role, such as England's Trent Alexander-Arnold and most famously, Brazil's Roberto Carlos. Even goalkeepers have been known (albeit very rarely) to take this role, with Rogério Ceni being one of the Brazilian team São Paulo's top 10 goal scorers - with 131 goals during his long professional playing career.

** The "two defenders" include the goalkeeper normally, but not necessarily: you can be ahead of the keeper but still onside if there are still two other defenders closer to the goal. (In practice, the goalkeeper virtually never strays farther from his goal than the defense, so "closer to the goal than all infielders" is a very good approximation.)

*** You are not called offside if the ball is played to you by a defender. No one knows why this is; apparently the thinking is if a defender is going to play the ball to an attacker it's their own fault. (This does not include accidental deflections off a defender.)

** Some offences are serious enough to warrant a red card - again, a literal red card brandished by the referee - and being sent off for the remainder of the game. Earning two yellows is by far the most common method of being sent off, but a straight-out red card is earned for violent or abusive behaviour, intentional handballs,[[note]]particularly if they are "denying a goal-scoring opportunity", or by the goalkeeper outside the penalty box[[/note]] or for bringing down an attacking player if you're the last man defending.[[note]]again, the aforementioned "denying a goal-scoring opportunity"[[/note]] A red-carded player is nearly always punished by being banned for further games, usually between one and three depending on the severity of the incident. Major League Soccer introduced a tweak to this suspension midway through the inaugural 2022 season of its reserve league of MLS Next Pro; a player who receives a red card will be suspended for his team's next game against that same opponent.

** Some offences are serious enough to warrant a red card - again, a literal red card brandished by the referee - and being sent off for the remainder of the game. Earning two yellows is by far the most common method of being sent off, but a straight-out red card is earned for violent or abusive behaviour, intentional handballs,[[note]]particularly if they are "denying a goal-scoring opportunity", or by the goalkeeper outside the penalty box[[/note]] or for bringing down an attacking player if you're the last man defending.[[note]]again, the aforementioned "denying a goal-scoring opportunity"[[/note]] A red-carded player is nearly always punished by being banned for further games, usually between one and three depending on the severity of the incident. In 2023, Major League Soccer's reserve league of MLS Next Pro is trialing a tweak to this suspension; a player who receives a red card will be suspended for his team's next game against the opponent in the game in which he was sent off.

*** '''Wing-backs'''. The same as full-backs, but they play further up the pitch and are more focused on attacking, usually via pumping crosses into the box for taller attackers to get on the head of. Usually only used if the team is using three centre-backs, though sometimes used in other cases, such as England's World Cup winning team of 1966, nicknamed 'the Wingless Wonders' for their unusual (at the time, bloody unique) 4-2-4 formation, which is still very rare today. They also tend to provide the width in a 4-3-3 system (something best demonstrated in the modern game by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team, with attacking full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson notching 25 assists - direct contributions to goals - between them in a single season, and compared to another famous wing-back pair, Brazil's Cafu and Roberto Carlos), and other systems that use a narrow midfield or a set of inverted wingers.

*** '''Centre-forwards''' a.k.a. 'the Number 9'. The main job of this player is to get into scoring positions, wait for the ball to come to him, and then score. Traditionally, a "[[TheBigGuy target man]]", a physically large player that others can hoof up passes to (so they can hold the ball up to bring other attackers into the game) or target with crosses for a headed goal. While this variant has historically been a common feature of British teams, as seen with West Ham and England striker Andy Carroll, the most successful example in the modern game is probably Poland's ex-Bayern Munich and current Barcelona striker, Robert Lewandowski. More recently, alternatives have emerged, including [[SuperSpeed fast players]] who will run onto through-balls, out-pacing the defence, or more technical players who can hold up the ball and use their greater technical abilities to more effectively bring team-mates into the game - the latter is often interchangeable with the below-mentioned 'False Nine', the only distinction being where they primarily position themselves. Sometimes, players even combine styles, as with living meme Sweden, Barcelona, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, and AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimović who managed to be outrageously quick-footed and agile enough to spontaneously lob England's goalkeeper with an overhead kick from 30 yards away on the right wing, and the famously lanky and surprisingly skilful former Liverpool, Stoke, and England forward Peter Crouch. Both were an aerial threat and good on the floor, being clever passers of the ball. However, when someone is referring to a 'Number 9', they usually mean the traditional definition.

** Most teams have at least one 'dead ball specialist', a player with a particular talent for free kicks, corners and penalties. Their responsibility is to either threaten the goal directly or to pick out a player to score. This, needless to say, requires incredible technical skill, a great deal of precision and, in the case of penalty takers, NervesOfSteel. It also means that it is usually a midfielder or attacking player, such as England's David Beckham, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil's Ronaldinho, Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri, and Italy's Andrea Pirlo, the former famous for his skill at bending the ball (hence the title of ''Film/BendItLikeBeckham''), it's not uncommon to see fullbacks take on this role, such as England's Trent Alexander-Arnold and most famously, Brazil's Roberto Carlos. Even goalkeepers have been known (albeit very rarely) to take this role, with Rogério Ceni being one of the Brazilian team São Paulo's top 10 goal scorers - with 131 professional goals at the time of writing.

*** '''Central Midfielders'''. Arguably the most important and influential position on the pitch, and consequently the province of some of [[TheAce the best players in the game]]. Their job is to do... [[DoAnythingRobot everything]]. They have to stop any oncoming attacks, and when they get the ball they have to pass or dribble it out, they are usually expected to get up the pitch and shoot and get back to clear the danger. Different players and different systems emphasise different sides of the role more than others. The traditional English type is the 'box to box' Midfielder or 'Number 8', who runs from one penalty box to another, involving themselves all over the pitch, who's expected to at least border on being MasterOfAll - modern examples include Liverpool's [[TheCaptain Steven]] [[TheAce Gerrard]] and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham. Another variant is the "Playmaker", who tends to be less mobile and controls the flow of the play, with their midfield partner doing most of the running - that being said, there is some overlap between the two (Gerrard, for instance, became a Playmaker in his later years). Some of the most famous modern examples of this are Italy/AC Milan-Juventus' Andrea Pirlo, England/Manchester United's Paul Scholes, Croatia/Real Madrid's Luka Modric, Spain/Liverpool-Real Madrid-Bayern Munich's Xabi Alonso, and Spain/Barcelona's Xavi. The former and latter especially being considered among ''the'' best players of their time, and Modric was the one player to break the 10 year streak of Messi and Ronaldo's game of pass the parcel with the Ballon d'Or. They are essentially the glue holding the team together, as they have to link the defence with the attack, though with the wider advent of Defensive Midfielders, they generally have to track back less.

*** '''Attacking Midfielder''' a.k.a. 'the Number 10'. Plays ahead of the midfielders but not quite in attack. Usually good at dribbling and shooting, this player's job is usually to attack and shoot from a deep position, or to provide an extra link between midfield and attack. Often the playmakers, who provide the killer final pass to the strikers, or have a shot themselves. Examples include England/Chelsea player Frank Lampard and Spain/Barcelona player Andres Iniesta. There is a lot of overlap between this position and the later-mentioned 'False Nine' and 'Secondary Striker', but the gist of the difference is that Number 10s tend to be less mobile and more fixed in position - play revolves around them rather than vice versa. Indeed, a lot of more attack-minded central midfielders and technical False Nines/Second Strikers settle into the 10 position as they get older, in the same way as more defensive midfielders become Playmaking defensive midfielders, as it's less physically demanding, especially for a player experienced enough to read the game.

*** '''Centre-forwards''' a.k.a. 'the Number 9'. The main job of this player is to get into scoring positions, wait for the ball to come to him, and then score. Traditionally, a "[[TheBigGuy target man]]", a physically large player that others can hoof up passes to (so they can hold the ball up to bring other attackers into the game) or target with crosses for a headed goal. While this variant has historically been a common feature of British teams, as seen with West Ham and England striker Andy Carroll, the most successful example in the modern game is probably Bayern Munich's Polish striker, Robert Lewandowski. More recently, alternatives have emerged, including [[SuperSpeed fast players]] who will run onto through-balls, out-pacing the defence, or more technical players who can hold up the ball and use their greater technical abilities to more effectively bring team-mates into the game - the latter is often interchangeable with the below-mentioned 'False Nine', the only distinction being where they primarily position themselves. Sometimes, players even combine styles, as with living meme Sweden, Barcelona, Manchester United, and AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic who managed to be outrageously quick-footed and agile enough to spontaneously lob England's goalkeeper with an overhead kick from 30 yards away on the right wing, and the famously lanky and surprisingly skilful former Liverpool, Stoke, and England forward Peter Crouch. Both were an aerial threat and good on the floor, being clever passers of the ball. However, when someone is referring to a 'Number 9', they usually mean the traditional definition.

*** '''Wide Forwards''' (or Outside Forwards). [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Forwards that play in a wide position]]. Again, they're not much different from Wingers, except that they play further up the pitch, and usually are not expected to defend as much. Frequently, they're wrong-footed/inverted, and cut inside to score. This position has undergone something of a renaissance in recent years, with Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool playing Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah as Wide Forwards, flanking False Nine Roberto Firmino, in a 4-3-3 formation to great success.
** "Total football" is a playing model that basically means ''everyone plays all the positions'' (except keeper, obviously); needless to say, doing this needs a very serious TrainingFromHell and an unimaginable amount of tactical genius, but when it works, it's ''killer''. So far, only Austria in the 1930s, Hungary in the 1950s, the Netherlands and Ajax Amsterdam in the 1970s, and modern Barcelona managed to pull this off. (Interestingly, 1930s Austria, 1950s Hungary and 1970s Netherlands were teams that were "supposed" to win the World Cup but [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut never quite managed it]];[[note]]Although you can't entirely blame Austria's playing for that: the first World Cup was in Uruguay, meaning that Depression-struck Austria couldn't drum up the money to even enter; the second World Cup is widely suspected of being rigged, or at least tilted, in favour of its Italian hosts to serve UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini's political purposes; and for the third World Cup Austria had [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschluss voted itself out of existence]] (under admittedly [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany questionable circumstances]]) that same year--they had actually qualified that year, but because of the intervening political events they dropped out, handing a free victory to their scheduled first-round opponents Sweden.[[/note]] on the other hand, contemporary Spain--composed heavily of Barcelona players--won the World Cup in 2010 with European championships in 2008 and 2012, so...)

* Substitutions are allowed either for tactical reasons or to replace injured or tired players, but most competitions only allow a very limited number - in the English League and most others, the rule is that seven extra players may be named in the match day squad, of which between three and five may be used as substitutes, depending on the competetion. So there is no swapping of the entire team to bring in a "special team" (''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball *ahem*]]'') for particular situations. Friendly matches, however, allow for an unlimited number of substitutions[[note]]although FIFA restricted the number of allowed substitutions in international friendly matches to six, in response to some managers substituting the entire team - the last notable example of which was a friendly match between England and Australia, when then-England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson substituted his entire team at half time, giving a certain Wayne Rooney his debut[[/note]].

* Each team names a team captain and a vice-captain. The captain is identified by wearing a coloured bandage around his left upper arm. Their job is to do the end choice at the beginning of every game, as well as motivate team mates and lead them by example. If the captain is a goalkeeper, then the vice-captain will usually do this instead. If the captain is substituted or sent off, the vice-captain takes over. Also, in theory at least, the captain is the only player on the field who is allowed to discuss with the referee. In reality, every player does this anyway - however, this can and will net you a yellow card if you bother the ref too much.

** A match lasts 90 minutes, divided in two 45-minute halves. Except for the mid-game recess, the clock never stops ticking (not even for evacuating an injured player off the field). Both halves may be extended for a few minutes, usually between one to five, based on the referee's judgement (mainly depending on interruptions during the game; some more hectic matches have seen injury times nearing the ten-minute mark). In games that must produce a win (namely, tournament play), if the game is a draw by the 90 minute mark, it may go on over time for some 30 minutes (divided in two 15-minute halves), and even a penalty round (see below) if needed.

* A goal is scored when the ball goes into a goal, irrespective of who sends the ball there. Sending the ball into your own goal is called, appropriately, an "own goal," and is probably the greatest humiliation a player can suffer. In any case, the ball must cross the goal line completely for the goal to be counted (something which, most of the time, isn't too hard to tell since shots tend to hit the net that hangs from the goalposts).

** The other consequence of football's low-scoring nature is that in league play, draws are common. In most leagues nowadays, there are 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw (and none of course for a loss). Some leagues have experimented with awarding ''no'' points for the tenth and subsequent draws in a season. In 2010-2011, Premier League winners Manchester United won 23, drew 11, and lost 4 matches.

** Some offences are serious enough to warrant a red card - again, a literal red card brandished by the referee - and being sent off for the remainder of the game. Earning two yellows is by far the most common method of being sent off, but a straight-out red card is earned for violent or abusive behaviour, intentional handballs,[[note]]particularly if they are "denying a goal-scoring opportunity", or by the goalkeeper outside the penalty box[[/note]] or for bringing down an attacking player if you're the last man defending.[[note]]again, the aforementioned "denying a goal-scoring opportunity"[[/note]] A red-carded player is nearly always punished by being banned for further games, usually between one and three depending on the severity of the incident.

*** Another automatic red card is a player (other than the goalie) who uses his hands to block the ball from crossing the goal line. This is also followed by a penalty kick, so nine times out of ten, it's a waste of effort. But as Luis Suárez showed in 2010, that tenth time can make you a national hero.

* Football is, at least in theory, a non-contact sport (sort of), though there have been no shortage of "hard man" players who specialise in being ''exactly'' as rough as the rules will allow - actor Vinnie Jones was formerly one of these.

** The exact positions of each player on the pitch make up the team's "formation". The most popular classic formation is 4-4-2[[note]]That's 4 defenders, 4 midfielders and 2 strikers, formations are always listed from the back to the front.[[/note]], especially among British teams, to such an extent that a popular football magazine was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FourFourTwo named after it]]. In recent years, alternative formations such as 4-5-1, 4-3-3 and 4-1-2-1-2 have become more popular.

*** '''Centre-backs'''. These players play [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in the centre, at the back]]. They are the most defensive players on the pitch, rarely if ever straying into the opponent's half. Their job is to tackle attackers, clear danger, and otherwise protect the goal and prevent the opposing team from having a scoring chance. They are usually stereotyped as [[TheBigGuy big, hulking men with a lot of physical presence]], but from 2010 onwards, centre-backs have become faster and more elegant, expected to be able to either play the ball out from the back or bring it out from the back on their own, such as Liverpool and Netherlands centre-back Virgil Van Dijk, who came within 2 votes of winning the Ballon d'Or, the highest individual award in the game, which with one exception has been passed between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the last 10 years. As these guys are usually large and have air superiority it's a common tactic to take them to the front when getting a corner kick or a free kick near the penalty box, as they will occasionally score a header. While they do so the Full Backs and Defensive Midfielders will secure the back line, as they are usually smaller and slender and not of much use in the heat.

*** '''Central Midfielders'''. Arguably the most important and influential position on the pitch, and consequently the province of some of [[TheAce the best players in the game]]. Their job is to do... [[DoAnythingRobot everything]]. They have to stop any oncoming attacks, and when they get the ball they have to pass or dribble it out, they are usually expected to get up the pitch and shoot and get back to clear the danger. Different players and different systems emphasise different sides of the role more than others. The traditional English type is the 'box to box' Midfielder or 'Number 8', who runs from one penalty box to another, involving themselves all over the pitch, who's expected to at least border on being MasterOfAll - one modern example being [[TheCaptain Steven]] [[TheAce Gerrard]]. Another variant is the "Playmaker", who tends to be less mobile and controls the flow of the play, with their midfield partner doing most of the running - that being said, there is some overlap between the two (Gerrard, for instance, became a Playmaker in his later years). Some of the most famous modern examples of this are Italy/AC Milan-Juventus' Andrea Pirlo, England/Manchester United's Paul Scholes, Croatia/Real Madrid's Luka Modric, Spain/Liverpool-Real Madrid-Bayern Munich's Xabi Alonso, and Spain/Barcelona's Xavi. The former and latter especially being considered among ''the'' best players of their time, and Modric was the one player to break the 10 year streak of Messi and Ronaldo's game of pass the parcel with the Ballon d'Or. They are essentially the glue holding the team together, as they have to link the defence with the attack, though with the wider advent of Defensive Midfielders, they generally have to track back less.

** The exact positions of each player on the pitch make up the team's "formation". The most popular formation is 4-4-2[[note]]That's 4 defenders, 4 midfielders and 2 strikers, formations are always listed from the back to the front.[[/note]], especially among British teams, to such an extent that a popular football magazine was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FourFourTwo named after it]]. In recent years, alternative formations such as 4-5-1, 4-3-3 and 4-1-2-1-2 have become more popular.

*** '''Centre-backs'''. These players play [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in the centre, at the back]]. They are the most defensive players on the pitch, rarely if ever straying into the opponent's half. Their job is to tackle attackers, clear danger, and otherwise protect the goal and prevent the opposing team from having a scoring chance. They are usually stereotyped as [[TheBigGuy big, hulking men with a lot of physical presence]], but recently more elegant centre-backs that can play the ball out from the back and/or bring it out from the back on their own have become more common, such as Liverpool and Netherlands centre-back Virgil Van Dijk, who came within 2 votes of winning the Ballon d'Or, the highest individual award in the game, which with one exception has been passed between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the last 10 years. As these guys are usually large and have air superiority it's a common tactic to take them to the front when getting a corner kick or a free kick near the penalty box, as they will occasionally score a header. While they do so the Full Backs and Defensive Midfielders will secure the back line, as they are usually smaller and slender and not of much use in the heat.

*** Recent years have seen the evolution of the 'Sweeper-Keeper', when particularly technically adept goalkeepers come out of their box to take the role of a traditional sweeper and get play moving again. Needless to say, this is a position fraught with risk and only very good and very daring keepers are willing to even try it, such as TropeCodifier Manuel Neuer, a World Cup winner with Germany, who was widely considered to one of the best goalkeepers on the planet. Now, he's a little past his prime, and wound up horribly embarrassed by South Korea in the 2018 World Cup, when Germany were on the point of being knocked out in the group stage for the first time since 1938. He'd moved right up the pitch, into the Korean half to try and help the attack, was robbed of the ball, and then could only watch it was launched up to the Korean striker who finished off the game into an empty net.

*** '''Central Midfielders'''. Arguably the most important and influential position on the pitch, and consequently the province of some of [[TheAce the best players in the game]]. Their job is to do... [[DoAnythingRobot everything]]. They have to stop any oncoming attacks, and when they get the ball they have to pass or dribble it out, they are usually expected to get up the pitch and shoot and get back to clear the danger. Different players and different systems emphasise different sides of the role more than others. The traditional English type is the 'box to box' Midfielder or 'Number 8', who runs from one penalty box to another, involving themselves all over the pitch, who's expected to at least border on being MasterOfAll - one modern example being [[TheCaptain Steven]] [[TheAce Gerrard]]. Another variant is the "Playmaker", who tends to be less mobile and controls the flow of the play, with their midfield partner doing most of the running - that being said, there is some overlap between the two (Gerrard, for instance, became a Playmaker in his later years). Four of the most famous modern examples of this are Italy/AC Milan's Andrea Pirlo, England/Manchester United's Paul Scholes, Croatia/Real Madrid's Luka Modric, Spain/Liverpool-Real Madrid-Bayern Munich's Xabi Alonso, Spain/Barcelona's Xavi, the former and latter especially being considered among ''the'' best players of their time, and Modric being the one player to break the 10 year streak of Messi and Ronaldo's game of pass the parcel with the Ballon d'Or. They are essentially the glue holding the team together, as they have to link the defence with the attack, though with the wider advent of Defensive Midfielders, they generally have to track back less.
*** '''Defensive Midfielder''' (Sometimes called Holding Midfielder, Midfield Anchor, Midfield Destroyer, or Number 6). They play in the centre, between the defenders and midfielders. Their job is to stop anything getting to the defence, and in teams with attacking full-backs, they often drop back into the middle of defence between the two centre-backs to help out. They are usually the best tacklers in the game (hence the name 'midfield destroyer'), and are usually expected to be good passers too, starting attack, overlapping with the above-mentioned "Playmaker". In modern soccer the Central Offensive Midfielder may be the brain of the game, but the Defensive Midfielder is the heart. They function as a link between defense and offense, and the more technically able ones usually dictate the pace of the game. In the last few years Defensive Midfielders have become so important that a number of teams now opt to take two of them (4-2-3-1) in favour of the second striker. Even though the Defensive Midfielder is one of the most important positions, it is probably the least glamorous, because they work like a horse, but the others get the spotlight a lot more - as a rule, if you don't see much of a defensive midfielder, it's because they're doing their job properly. If you do, it's because they really, really aren't.
*** '''Attacking Midfielder''' a.k.a. 'the Number 10'. Plays ahead of the midfielders but not quite in attack. Usually good at dribbling and shooting, this player's job is usually to attack and shoot from a deep position, or to provide an extra link between midfield and attack. Often the playmakers, who provide the killer final pass to the strikers, or have a shot themselves.

* Substitutions are allowed either for tactical reasons or to replace injured or tired players, but most competitions only allow a very limited number - in the English League and most others, the rule is that seven extra players may be named in the match day squad, of which three may be used as substitutes. So there is no swapping of the entire team to bring in a "special team" (''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball *ahem*]]'') for particular situations. Friendly matches, however, allow for an unlimited number of substitutions[[note]]although FIFA restricted the number of allowed substitutions in international friendly matches to six, in response to some managers substituting the entire team - the last notable example of which was a friendly match between England and Australia, when then-England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson substituted his entire team at half time, giving a certain Wayne Rooney his debut[[/note]].
** Also note that you (usually) have only three substitutions, no matter what happens. One of your players got injured? You have to use one of your substitutions for it. One of your players got injured after you used all of your subs? Bad luck, then you have to play with one player less. If your goalkeeper gets injured or sent off the field (see Red Card below) and you are out of substitutions (or goalies) one of the field players has to replace (A two-year trial is currently being undertaken into allowing a fourth substitute if a game goes into extra time.)

*** '''Defensive Midfielder''' (Sometimes called Holding Midfielder, Midfield Anchor, Midfield Destroyer, or Number 6). They play in the centre, between the defenders and midfielders. Their job is to stop anything getting to the defence, and in teams with attacking full-backs, they often drop back into the middle of defence between the two centre-backs to help over. They are usually the best tacklers in the game (hence the name 'midfield destroyer'), and are usually expected to be good passers also, starting attacks. In modern soccer the Central Offensive Midfielder may be the brain of the game, but the Defensive Midfielder is the heart. They function as a link between defense and offense, and the more technically able ones usually dictate the pace of the game. In the last few years Defensive Midfielders have become so important that a number of teams now opt to take two of them (4-2-3-1) in favour of the second striker. Even though the Defensive Midfielder is one of the most important positions, it is probably the least glamorous, because they work like a horse, but the others get the spotlight a lot more - as a rule, if you don't see much of a defensive midfielder, it's because they're doing their job properly. If you do, it's because they really, really aren't.

*** '''Wingers''' (or Wide Midfielders). These play at the sides of the pitch (Right-wing and Left-wing). They specialise in dribbling and crossing, and are usually the fastest players on the pitch, with the fastest, Real Madrid's Welsh winger [[LightningBruiser Gareth Bale]], being clocked at ''36.9 kilometres per hour.'' ''With'' the ball.[[note]]For reference, Usain Bolt's world record for the 100m equates to 37.6 kilometres per hour.[[/note]] Their job is usually to bring the ball past the defense at the side of the pitch and then cross it in for the strikers to score, though several instead specialise in coming in from the sides and either providing a pass from a different angle shooting at goal. "Winger" and "Wide midfielder" are basically interchangeable as terms nowadays, though "Winger" usually implies a more attacking mentality. A special form of the Winger is the so called "wrong footed"/"inverted" Winger (e.g. a left footed player on the Right Wing). These guys either cut back to provide a different crossing angle, or cut inside to shoot with their strong foot, often attacking the space between centre-back and full-back, on the full-back's weaker side. Because this can be extremely effective, most professional teams will encourage their Wingers to occasionally switch sides to confuse the defence.

*** '''Centre-forwards''' a.k.a. 'the Number 9'. The main job of this player is to get into scoring positions, wait for the ball to come to him, and then score. Traditionally, a "[[TheBigGuy target man]]", a physically large player that others can hoof up passes to (so they can hold the ball up to bring other attackers into the game) or target with crosses for a headed goal. While this variant has historically been a common feature of British teams, as seen with West Ham and England striker Andy Carroll, the most successful example in the modern game is probably Bayern Munich's Polish striker, Robert Lewandowski. More recently, alternatives have emerged, including [[SuperSpeed fast players]] who will run onto through-balls, out-pacing the defence, or more technical players who can hold up the ball and use their greater technical abilities to more effectively bring team-mates into the game - the latter is often interchangeable with the below-mentioned 'False Nine', the only distinction being where they primarily position themselves. Sometimes, players even combine styles, as with famously lanky and surprisingly skilful former Liverpool, Stoke, and England forward Peter Crouch, who was both an aerial threat and a clever passer of the ball. However, when someone is referring to a 'Number 9', they usually mean the traditional definition.

*** '''Wide Forwards''' (or Outside Forwards). [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Forwards that play in a wide position]]. Again, they're not much different from Wingers, except that they play further up the pitch, and usually are not expected to defend. Frequently, they're wrong-footed/inverted, and cut inside to score. This position has undergone something of a renaissance in recent years, with Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool playing Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah as Wide Forwards, flanking False Nine Roberto Firmino, in a 4-3-3 formation to great success.

** One completely legal body contact is defined in the rules: the shoulder charge. In effect, in a duel for the ball, a defender is allowed to use his upper body to push away the attacker from the ball. Note that it ''is'' illegal to interpose yourself between the ball and an attacker. Then there is the fact that the sliding tackle, while technically forbidden to contact the attacking player, is almost impossible to execute that way, and incidental contact is fine, as long as the intent is obviously to play the ball and the tackler actually succeeds/mainly succeeded ''before'' hitting the other player (not "going through the back").[[note]]and that they used one foot to do it, with the other leg safely away from the other play and that the tackle didn't break the other player's leg[[/note]]. Some competitions (especially in the British Isles) give more leeway when defining incidental contact, and players from other leagues - particularly smaller and more technical players - usually find it difficult to adjust to British football, as the players are often much more physical and unlike back home, the referees don't care. It gets to the point where commentators often remark that players wouldn't get away with the sorts of things they do in Britain in other parts of Europe. The British see this as proof that other leagues are composed entirely of soft nancy-boys. Everyone else, particularly the French, Italians and Spanish (the German Bundesliga, while not quite as physical as the Premier League, is a lot closer and players find it easier to adapt to one from the other), see this as proof that the British are graceless thugs. There is some truth in the stereotypes - the Premier League isn't as dominant as in the mid-noughties (though after providing all four finalists in the 2018-19 Champions League and Europa League finals, that may be changing), but it is by far the most physically intense and competitive league in Europe, while lacking the polish of other European leagues. And the competitiveness is real: while usually dominated by the so-called 'Big Six' (formerly the 'Big Four'), and Manchester City have won the league with 100 points and 98 points from a possible 114 in successive years (the second time, Liverpool were right behind them on 97, but Chelsea, the next closest, were on 72), teams like Leicester City have shown that it ''is'' possible to break into the club. In others, it is common for attacking players to overact and turn incidental contact into an apparent foul, referred to as "diving". Naturally [speaker's team] is always composed of upstanding sportsmen who would never do such a thing, while [opposing team] is full of scuba instructors and Oscar hopefuls who fall down if you look at them funny. While diving or 'simulation' is a yellow card offence, it can be remarkably difficult to catch players at it.