As the 2024/2025 football season kicks off, fans eagerly tune in to
support their favourite teams. Whilst most are well-versed in the basics
of the game, there are some lesser-known rules that even the most
dedicated supporters might be unaware of.
Football players could be sent off before the match begins due to a ittle-known rule. Players are also required to follow specific rules when celebrating goals. Standing in seated areas can result in fans being removed from stadiums.
To help sharpen your football knowledge, Betway Sport has provided a list of some of the lesser known rules that even the most die-hard
football fans may not know.
Twelve lesser known football rules:
1: You can’t score an own goal from a free-kick or throw-in
According to Law 13 of the Football Association rule book, if the ball
goes directly into the goal from a free-kick or throw-in, it will not
count as an own goal. Instead, the opposing team will be awarded a
corner.
2: A goal-kick has to leave the 18-yard box to be in play
Law 16 of the FA rule book states that the ball must exit the penalty
area before it can be played by another player. If it does not, the goal
kick will be retaken. This rule could be seen in action in 2014 in a
game against QPR, Joe Hart mis-hit his kick, touching the ball a second
time, leading to Charlie Austin’s disallowed goal.
Also Read: 7 Major Talking Points From Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 Qualifiers Vs Benin, Rwanda
3: The goalkeeper can only hold the ball for six seconds
Under Law 12, goalkeepers cannot keep hold of the ball for more than six
seconds. Whilst this rule is rarely enforced in real matches,
Liverpool’s Mignolet was penalised for this in 2015, in a game against
Bordeaux after holding the ball for a staggering 22 seconds.
4: Once the keeper has released the ball he can’t pick it up again until another player has touched it
Another regulation under Law 12 prevents the goalkeeper from handling
the ball again once it has been released until it is touched by another
player. If violated, the opposing team is awarded an indirect free-kick.
5: The no back-pass rule can’t be avoided by flicking the ball up
to head or chest it back
Some players attempt to bypass this rule by flicking the ball up and using their head or chest to return it to the goalkeeper. Whilst this is illegal, it often goes unpunished. However, Marco Varretti was not so lucky in 2017, being given a yellow card for his actions.
6: There’s no offside rule during corner-kicks, throw-ins and goal-kicks
Football Association Law 11 outlines the offside rules, specifically stating that there is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a corner- kick, throw-in, or goal-kick.
7: There has to be an equal number of players during a penalty shootout
Penalty shootouts can be one of the most dramatic and nerve-wracking
parts of any football game. However, did you know that for a shootout to
take place, both teams must have an equal number of players? This means
if a player is sent off during the game, the opposing team must also
reduce their numbers for the shootout.
Also Read: Augustine Eguavoen – A Pleasant Dilemma For NFF –Odegbami
A famous example of this was during the 2006 World Cup, after Zidane’s
red card reduced France’s team to 10 players, leading to Gennaro
Gattuso sacrificing his place in the shootout for Italy.
8: In a penalty, the kicker cannot touch the ball until it is touched by another player
According to Law 14, after taking a penalty kick, that kicker is not
allowed to touch the ball again to score a rebound unless the ball is
touched by the goalkeeper, an opponent, or a teammate.
9: A player can be sent off before the match kicks off
Introduced in 2016, this rule states that if a player is sent off prior
to the team list being submitted to the referee, they are not allowed to
be on the team in any capacity for that match. A replacement player can,
however, be brought in from the reserves. This rule helps to prevent
pre-match altercations from affecting the game.
10: Only goalkeepers can wear tracksuit bottoms
Even though it is rare to see players wearing tracksuit bottoms in a
game, it is banned for anyone other than goalkeepers. Former Colombian
goalkeeper Rene Higuita was famous for sporting tracksuit bottoms,
including when he executed his iconic scorpion kick save against England
way back in 1995.
11: You can be carded for illegal celebration – even if the goal is not recognised
Players’ unique celebrations are an integral part of football culture,
but players must be mindful of illegal acts such as removing their
shirts, jumping into the crowd or making provocative gestures. These
actions can result in a yellow card, even if the goal is later
disallowed.
12. Fans can be removed from stadium for standing in seated areas
Standing in seated areas at football matches could have you evicted from
the football stadium.
Unlike the previous rules, this one applies to fans rather than players.
Following the Hillsborough disaster, where overcrowding tragically
claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans, the Football Spectators Act 1989
mandated that all top-tier stadiums in England and Wales convert to
all-seater venues.
Although standing at matches is not illegal, it is against ground
regulations, and clubs have the authority to evict persistent standers.
However, as of the 2022/2023 season, some of the bigger UK stadiums have
started to reintroduce ‘safe’ standing areas.
