Answers are based on FIFA Laws of the Game (there are just 17), unless noted otherwise. 1) For safety reasons, how high should the corner flags be? 5 feet minimum (Law 1) 2) Do the goals have to have nets? No, but they must be painted white (Law 1) 3) If the ball breaks while still in play, what is the restart? Drop ball (Law 2) and where does it happen? Where the ball first became defective (Law 2) 4) What happens if a cross bar of a goal breaks? Play is stopped and a repair is made (Law 1). Can you just stretch a rope across the top of the uprights to hold the net in place? No! (Law 1) 5) Can you switch goal keepers while the ball is in play (i.e. can the goalie and a defensive player switch jerseys while the game is going on)? No! Both would be given a yellow card at the next stoppage (Law 3). 6) Is it OK for the goal keeper to wear a jersey the same color as what the referee is wearing? No! (Law 4). 7) A serious foul occurs behind the referee's back, a player is lying on the ground bleeding.. Neither assistant referee saw what happened. But a fan calls out and says "I have it on my video camera". Can the referee look at the video to determine what happened? No! Not specifically in law 5, but I have discussed this with the WMSOA USSF representative. 8) A player commits 2 fouls at the same time. Does the referee a) punish based on the first foul OR b) punish based on the second foul OR c) punish both fouls OR d) punish based on the more serious foul OR e) punish based on the lesser foul? Answer is d) (Law 5). 9) Team A has one goal and Team B has 2 when the match is stopped due to lightning. There is less than 10 minutes left to play in the match. The referee determines that the storm will go on for hours. Is team B declared the winner? No! Game must be of 2 equal periods (Law 7). 10) The local referees are represented by WMSOA. What are the WMSOA rules for stopping/restarting when lightning is seen and/or thunder is heard? a) You keep playing until the time between the lightning is seen and the thunder is heard is less than 10 seconds. You restart when the time exceeds 10 seconds. b) Stop right away and run under the nearest set of trees. Restart when you haven't heard any thunder for 5 minutes c) Stop right away, tell fans and players to seek shelter (most likely get them into cars), and don't restart until 20 minutes after the last thunder is heard. Answer is c). Never shelter under trees in a lightning storm. 11) The referee makes the wrong call (gives possession to the wrong team) on a throw in. Can he correct it after a player has thrown it back in? No! Referee can change his mind up until the ball is back in play. After the throw in is too late. (Law 5). 12) Can the referee correct errors other than throw-ins? Yes (but only while the ball is still out of play, Law 5). 13) The two assistant referees make "out of touch" calls and offside. Can they call fouls too? Yes! Especially those out of view of the referee (Law 6). 14) An youth game in the early spring is scheduled to have 2 30 minute halves. At half time the skies darken and it looks like there will not be enough daylight to get in another 30 minutes. Can the second half be shortened to 25 minutes? How about 20 minutes? No! Game must be of 2 equal periods (Law 7, and any agreement to shorten the halves must be made before the match begins, and both teams must also agree). 15) The referee is keeping close watch of the time. There have been no injuries, nor substitutions. A corner kick is called, but before the player kicks it, time for the half "runs out". Can the corner kick still be taken? No (law 7). What if it was a direct free kick from 20 yards out? No (Law 7). What if it is a penalty kick? Yes. (Law 7). 16) At the kickoff, the defending players are outside the center circle, and the players on the team kicking off are on their side of the halfway line. The referee blows the whistle and a player on the team with the kick-off starts running down the field before the ball is kicked. Is this legal? No (Law 8). If not, who gets the ball? The kick-off is retaken by the team that was kicking off (Law 8). 17) Same kickoff scenario. But the first player to kick the ball doesn't kick it far, so he kicks it a second time. What happens in this case? An indirect kick is awarded to the other team (Law 8). 18) The goal keeper is way out of the goal trying to stop a break-away. The offensive player gets around the goalie and gets off a weak shot. The ball is rolling towards the goal and will obviously score when a small child runs out onto the field and stops the ball just as the front edge touches the goal line. Does the referee: A) award the goal (it was obvious that it was going to score)? B) not allow the goal, but gives a penalty kick to the player that touched it last. C) give a red card to the team that the child was rooting for, (and give a penalty kick)? D) declare that he will restart the game by calling a drop ball at the penalty mark E) declare a drop ball right at the goal line (where the ball was touched). F) declare a drop ball on the six yard line (outer goal area line), nearest to where the ball was touched. Answer is F) (Law 8, and Law 10). 19) A goal is scored when: A) The front edge of the ball touches the goal line (just like American football) B) The center of the ball has crossed the back portion of the goal line C) The back edge of the ball has crossed the back edge of the goal line D) The back edge of the ball has crossed the front edge of the goal line. Answer is C) (entire ball must cross the entire goal line; Law 10) 20) What happens if the defending team commits a foul before the ball goes into the goal? Does the goal count? Yes! (Law 10 and Law 5 advantage rule). 21) What happens if the ball hits the referee and bounces in off of him? Does it count? Yes! (Law 9) 22) The ball is rolling towards the corner flag and hits it and stops. Is it a corner kick? Is it a throw in? Ball is still in play, so neither happens (Law 9). 23) Is it a foul if you kick at an opponent but miss him? Yes! An attempt to kick an opponent is a foul (Law 12). How about if you spit at him, but miss? Spitting at an opponent is a foul and a red card misconduct. The red card applies even when spitting at someone other than an opponent too (Law 12). 24) Is holding a foul if you just get the shirt? Yes! (Law 12). 25) A defensive player kicks a ball with his foot way above his waist, and an opposing player nearly gets hit. The ref blows the whistle and calls a "playing in a dangerous manner" foul. This happens inside the penalty area. Does the referee award a penalty kick? No! This is an indirect free kick foul (Law 12). 26) A defensive player is awarded a throw in. He throws it toward his goalkeeper. The goal keeper dribbles it for a while and then picks it up. Is that allowed? No! (Law 12). 27) An offensive player kicks it down field. The goalie comes out of the penalty area, dribbles it with his feet into the penalty area and picks it up. Is that legal? Yes! (Law 12). 28) The goal keeper picks up the ball after a shot, puts it down, and dribbles it for 10 seconds, then picks it up again when an offensive player gets near to the ball. Is that legal? No! The goal keeper can't pick it up a second time. Indirect kick to the opposing team (Law 12). 29) A defensive player is awarded a free kick inside his penalty area. Instead of kicking the ball down field, he uses his heel to kick it back towards his goal keeper (who has a strong leg). The goal keeper is distracted (by the coach who is yelling him some instructions) and the ball rolls into the goal without him noticing or touching it. Is it a goal? No! (Law 13). What happens next? A corner kick to the opponents (Law 13). What happens if it touches the goal keeper on the way into the goal? Goal! (Law 13). 30) A direct kick is awarded, but the defensive players are close to the ball. Does the team that was awarded the kick have to wait for the opposition to be more than 10 yards away before taking the kick? No! But the ball must be stationary before they can kick it (Law 13). 31) A player takes a penalty kick and it hits the cross bar and bounces back towards the shooter. He takes a second shot and it goes in. Is it a goal? No! Shooter can not touch it a second time without it touching another player (Law 14). 32) A player takes a penalty kick and it bounces off the goalie, back towards the shooter. The player takes a second shot which goes in. Is this a goal? Yes. (Law 14). 33) A player takes a penalty kick and it hits the cross bar, and another teammate of the shooter kicks it in. Is this a goal? Yes (Law 14). 34) A teammate throws it in toward his goal keeper (who gets distracted by the yelling coach) and the ball rolls into the goal (untouched). Is this an "own goal"? No! (Law 15). 35) A player throws it towards the opposing goal keeper (who is distracted by his yelling coach) and the ball rolls into the goal (untouched) Is this goal counted? No. A throw in is like an indirect kick, a goal can not be scored directly from a throw in (Law 15). If not, does the offensive team get a corner kick? No! Because the offensive team touched it last before it crossed the goal line, it would be a goal kick for the defense (Law 15, Law 16). 36) The opponent tries to get a head on a ball thrown in by the opponent (by jumping up and down right in front of the thrower). Is this allowed? No! This is unsporting behavior and the player gets a yellow card (Law 15). 37) The goal keeper gets very mad after a goal is scored and trips one of his defensive players. What kind of foul is this? None! Fouls occur when the ball is in play and are committed against the opponent (Law 12). 38) The goal keeper gets very mad after a goal is scored and trips an opponent. What kind of foul is this? Bit of a trick question. This is not a "foul", because the ball was not in play. But the referee can give a yellow card for unsporting behavior. 39) What's the minimum # of players a team must start with (7 per side and 11 per side) 7 for an 11 v 11 game. Depends on local "rules of competiton for a 7 v 7 game (some leagues require 5 and some require 4). 40) If the ball leaves the field of play while in the air then curves back and lands in bounds was the ball ever officially "out of bounds"? Yes! As soon as the whole of the ball is outside the goal line or touch line, the ball is out of play (Law 9). 41) Can a team ever be awarded a penalty goal? (different than a penalty kick). No! (Law 10). 42) The goal keeper catches a ball in the air - his feet are NOT in the goal but the ball has crossed the goal line. Is it a goal? Yes, (Law 10). 43) Greg Gothic just got his nose pierced with gold loop and can't take the loop out of his nose. Can he put tape over his nose and play? No! (Law 4). 44) Team "A" has a corner kick. Is it possible for a player on team "A" to be off side when the corner kick is taken? Not on the initial kick (Law 17). 45) Sally falls and cuts her knee and it won't stop bleeding. Is she allowed to remain on the field with an open wound? No! (Law 5). 46) The player taking the opening kick to start kicks the ball as far as he can. The opposing goalie isn't paying attention and the ball bounces into the goal before anyone else touches it. Is this a goal? Yes! (Law 8). 47) Team "A" is defending the goal on the left. The ball goes out of bounds off of a player from Team A. Does the referee point in the direction that Team A is trying to score, or in the direction that the other team is trying to score? The latter. 48) Billy is playing defense right in front of the goal, but he is not his team's goalie. The other team takes a shot and the goalie (Billy's team mate) pushes Billy out of the way and Billy falls. Billy tries to break his fall by landing on his arms first. The ball hits Billy's arm. Is this a handball? No! The ball must be deliberately handled for this to be a foul (Law 12) EASY 49) The Urbana goalie catches a shot taken by a Ballenger Creek player, then the goalie falls into the goal. What is the correct call for the referee? a) Urbana gets a goal kick b) Ballenger Creek gets a corner kick c) Ballenger Creek gets a corner kick d) Ballenger Creek is awarded a goal Answer is d) (assuming that the ball completely crossed the goal line; Law 10). 50) Ballenger Creek wins the coin toss at the beginning of the game and chooses to start the game with the ball. On the opening kick-off, the Ballenger Creek player must: a) kick the ball to a team mate inside the center circle. b) Kick the ball to a team mate outside of the center circle c) Kick the ball forward d) The Ballenger Creek player may kick the ball anyway she wants. Trick question. The team that wins the coin toss chooses which end to attack (Law 8). If reworded as to what happens on a kick-off, the answer is c) (Law 8). 51) Ballenger Creek is playing Urbana. The Ballenger Creek team is wearing green jerseys and the Urbana team is wearing Blue jerseys. What color jersey must the Urbana goalie wear? a) Blue b) Any color except blue c) Any color except green d) Any color except green or blue. Another trick question. Answer is d) and can't match the color that the referee is wearing also (Law 4). 52) At the beginning of the game the Ballenger Creek team is on the left side of the field and Urbana is on the right side of the field. An Urbana player kicks the ball out of bounds and the referee wants to signal that the Ballenger Creek team has been awarded a throw-in. How does the referee signal this? a) raise his arm pointing toward the right side of the field b) raise his arm pointing toward the left side of the field c) point at a Ballenger Creek player d) point at the Urbana player that kicked the ball out Answer is a). 53) Should the referee call a "hand ball" every time a player (except for the goalie) touches the ball with his hand or arm? No! Needs to be a deliberate action (Law 12). 54) What happens when the defense kicks the ball and it goes out between the goal they're defending and the corner flags a) goal kick b) corner kick c) penalty kick d) throw in Answer is b) (Law 17). 55) How may blows of the his whistle does the referee give to signify the end of the game? a) 4 b) 3 c) 2 d) 1 Answer is b). 56) Before the game begins, what tradition does the referee use to select which team starts with the kick off? a) coin toss b) rock, papers scissors c) arm wrestling d) eye staring contest Answer is a) (Law 8). 57) At the start of play, how many times is the kicker allowed to touch the ball before it touches another player? a) once b) twice c) three times d) as many times at the player wants Answer is a) (Law 8). 58) If a player commits a very serious penalty (like fighting) how does the referee signal that the player is being kicked out of the game? a) raises a yellow card b) raises a red card c) makes a fist with the thumb sticking out and yells "your out of the game" d) makes a kick motion with his leg and yells "your kicked out of the game" Answer is b) (Law 12).